How London to Australia flights have changed
Oct 17, 2017, 9:16 pm
#1
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How London to Australia flights have changed
Some fascinating photos from back when.. and then the newer aircraft.
Click the centre of the first photo (of the QF flying boat) to see the slideshow.
From 10 days to nonstop: How London to Australia flights have changed
Rob Hodgetts, CNN • Published 16th October 2017
http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/lo...top/index.html
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Click the centre of the first photo (of the QF flying boat) to see the slideshow.
From 10 days to nonstop: How London to Australia flights have changed
Rob Hodgetts, CNN • Published 16th October 2017
http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/lo...top/index.html
--
Mods - Feel free to move/merge, change title
Oct 17, 2017, 11:49 pm
#3
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Oct 18, 2017, 12:23 am
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The C class flying boats were supplemented by the Lancastrians.... not replaced. Passengers had the choice of a slighty faster (less comfortable) Lancastrian flight..or the Flying boats...IIRC a Lancastrian was lost in 1946 during that last pre Constellation period....possibly QF's worst loss?
(Edit... BOAC aircraft with QANTAS crew)
(Edit... BOAC aircraft with QANTAS crew)
Last edited by trooper; Oct 18, 2017 at 12:37 am
Oct 18, 2017, 1:06 am
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I suspect many would say that today's airline marketing projects a similarly over-optimistic ambience. In fact, marketing now may even be more accurate than it was then, given the legal and other constraints.
And let's face it, it would be amply possible for QF to install golf and a promenade deck on today's aircraft too. An A380 has lots of space for this. It's just that QF chooses not to!
Oct 18, 2017, 4:00 am
#6
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Well it DID say "quoits and golf"... so perhaps a very short putting game?
The Promenade deck existed...but was a VERY short Promenade indeed. It all sounds wonderful except for two things:
1. Given the fares one would have had to be a senior Govt or Military official, or rather wealthy to ever do it... and,
2. The C class operated below 10,00 feet... logically, as they were unpressurised. So..they flew THROUGH the weather we look down on these days from 35000.... Accounts by the early Flight Stewards are quite hair raising....(but fascinating of course)
I DO kick myself for not having - somehow - flown the Ansett Sandringham Flying Boat service to Lord Howe... I am JUST old enough for that to have been a possibility....it was canned in September 74....
The Promenade deck existed...but was a VERY short Promenade indeed. It all sounds wonderful except for two things:
1. Given the fares one would have had to be a senior Govt or Military official, or rather wealthy to ever do it... and,
2. The C class operated below 10,00 feet... logically, as they were unpressurised. So..they flew THROUGH the weather we look down on these days from 35000.... Accounts by the early Flight Stewards are quite hair raising....(but fascinating of course)
I DO kick myself for not having - somehow - flown the Ansett Sandringham Flying Boat service to Lord Howe... I am JUST old enough for that to have been a possibility....it was canned in September 74....
Oct 18, 2017, 8:56 pm
#7
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An interesting feature of the A380 is that it is weight limited, so there is lots of space on the 3rd deck that cannot be used to carry cargo or any heavy fixtures.
The 777 also has this, in a bit over 1.5m of space above the pax cabin (with some plans to put beds up there, but never worked out (yet) due to diffiulty of access).
Oct 19, 2017, 5:22 am
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The article does say that was the "romantic image", with the reality often being very different.
I suspect many would say that today's airline marketing projects a similarly over-optimistic ambience. In fact, marketing now may even be more accurate than it was then, given the legal and other constraints.
And let's face it, it would be amply possible for QF to install golf and a promenade deck on today's aircraft too. An A380 has lots of space for this. It's just that QF chooses not to!
I suspect many would say that today's airline marketing projects a similarly over-optimistic ambience. In fact, marketing now may even be more accurate than it was then, given the legal and other constraints.
And let's face it, it would be amply possible for QF to install golf and a promenade deck on today's aircraft too. An A380 has lots of space for this. It's just that QF chooses not to!
Oct 21, 2017, 5:33 pm
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One of the more interesting shows on VA inflight at present is ironically a doco on a Melbourne man retracing the journey the flying boats took in his own.
Oct 21, 2017, 6:33 pm
#10
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