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The last Ever Flight

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Hi,

    Last year a lot of you flight simmers are aware I have a brain fade and put a question on the forum for which I paid dearly (and apologised for), but I'm hoping this question will make up for that stupid error in judgement.

At approx 7:15pm Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time on the WIN local news service it was announced that the first QANTAS Boeing 747-400 that flew non-stop from London to Sydney will be making its last flight ever flight when it takes off fom Sydney Internationl Airport and flies down the coast to its new home at the Albian Park Airport: Approx ten minutes flying time for the Boeing 747-400.

As usual the Local council and other relevent Government Departments have to sort out the 'red tape' to get the aircraft down to its final 'resting place', but once the red tape is removed it will be on its way.

I know there are many filight simmers who have an active interest in the 'real world' of flying, the airlines and the aircraft flown.

So my question is: - How many flight simmers who live in Australia and in particular the New South Wales east coast will be travelling to Albian Park Airport to see the last ever landing of the first QANTAS Boeing 747-400 on the 'postage stamp' runway similar to when a QANTAS Boeing 707 and 747SP landed at the Queensland's Longreach airport where there QANTAS museum is located?

If the Air Shows that are put on at the airport are any indication this signifient yet small event should be well patronised. I for one will be travelling up the coast to see it happen!

Regards, IRE

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Out of interest, I number crunched an RB211 powered 747-400 through the Topcat  landing distance calculator, assuming an empty aircraft landing with around 10 tonnes of fuel (giving a landing weight of 188,045 Kg), and the landing distance required (crossing the threshold at 50ft) was 1528m, with 917m of that the actual ground run, and a Vref (threshold speed) of 127kts.

Assuming it will be using 16/34 (1819m), that leaves 291m to spare - not a lot, but could improve with a bit of a headwind.

Eugene

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Hi Eugene,

                 Those figures you worked out are pretty spot on to the suggested ones that the WIN TV local news reported.

It'll also be interesting to see which way the 747-400 lands depending on the wind direction. Landing north will mean decending between two hills to the threshold and landing in a southerly direction will mean decending over the main highway and its 'roundabout' intersection to the threshold, which is similar to the (TNCM) Princess Juilana Intl although not as close where people stand outside the perimiter fence watching aircraft land and take off.

A couple of nights ago it was reported that some of the local residents have voiced their concerns about the QANTAS 747-400. A public meeting is to be held next week to discuss what damage there might be, if any to the runway when the 747 lands, where the parking apron is to be built and the tail overhang at the porposed location, which will be out over the outside access road that follows the perimeter frence around to the airport.

I'm sure all the concerns voiced by the local residents will be answered and the 747-400 will be part of the museum's aircraft collection in the not to distant future.

Regards, IRE.

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Update on the last ever flight for the first ever QANTAS Boeing 747-400.

The Shell Harbor City Council, which the Albion Park Airport is located in have agreed that the Boeing 747-400 can become part of the museum's aircraft collection at the airport.

The question they as well as everyone else concerned are asking is: - will the runway support the enormous weight of the Boeing 747-400 when it lands.

Regards, IRE.

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Fantastic updates, IRE. To think I used to get up at the crack of dawn here in the UK, to go watch the QF flights landing early morning at my local International, EGCC. And what an experience it was for me to see, close-up, long before digital cameras came out, in 1995, at Melbourne, one of those 2 heritage-painted 747-400s.

 

Hopefully, somebody will upload the landing and storage on YT.

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