Wing Walking on a 747! – A Trip to Longreach, Australia, on Qantas
Dec 31, 2011, 7:35 pm
#47
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bargara Australia
Programs: VA, SQ, IHG, HH,ALL, Europcar
Posts: 1,530
Awesome TR. Flew a 747 200 SYD CGK in July of 2000 in J,was heading to DPS for a Flight Centre World Managers Convention,80 of us with upgradable tix, 40 spaces avail in J. Got the beep on boarding.
Did a cockpit tour which was awesome while flying over Java and remember how cramped Y seemed in the upper deck.
Did a cockpit tour which was awesome while flying over Java and remember how cramped Y seemed in the upper deck.
Dec 31, 2011, 9:54 pm
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
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Wow, so many comments! Thank you.
That's true, it was a bit disappointing not being able to take photos. The guide explained that it was part of the contract of sale that areas where the Saudi prince had previously sat and slept could not be photographed. That of course means pretty much the entire aircraft.
Thanks Moomba. You must plan a trip out there for when you are over next.
Thanks Flyersj18. I certainly found it incredibly fascinating. As I said in the report, I could have probably spent a lot more time on-board just pouring over everything. It'd be fun if they allowed people to spend the night on-board!
It was great, I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Thanks for the insights BA5E. The guide explained that originally the UD was used as a lounge area. I can see that it would have worked very well as a lounge, especially with the galley removed. With economy seats, it felt rather claustrophobic. Luckily, this isn't the case with the 400 series now.
Do it Stez! Although Emerald isn't exactly 'down the road'....
Really pleased to hear that Tryhard. Please do visit though! It's completely my intention to encourage more to visit by posting a detailed report. Hopefully it gets people interested enough to book a trip out there.
Thanks Coathanger (did you watch the fireworks last night?). I believe that I may have flown on a 200 or 300 series to Florida, on that flight that I mentioned at the start of the report, but I'm not 100% sure. Still, it was nice to see it close up, especially the changes to the upper deck.
Pleased to hear that your enjoyed it mikey2124!
You are right. You have to use a very fast shutter speed to freeze the props. Although, it wasn't deliberate, I used 1/2500 and you can see that it's still not completely frozen.
Ah, well you have no excuse not to visit then! 2 hours on a Dash-8 and you are there. Easy ^
Thanks Prospero. A trip up to Longreach is well worth it.
Great comments kered, thanks a lot. Well, there are more reasons now to pay a little visit here! Look forward to seeing you this year! Hope that you had a good New Year's Eve.
Stick it on the list of 'to-dos' ! 
Thanks UA_Flyer. Absolutely, this was a completely hands on experience. There wasn't anything that you couldn't touch, open or look at. I can't imagine anywhere else where you'd have such freedom.
Thanks Dave, yes that looks like a great option. The train was actually there when we headed in to town for dinner. I've always wanted to do a long train journey in the outback so it'll go on the list for the next visit.
Thank you LHR/MEL/Europe FF, pleased that you enjoyed it.
Excellent!
Fantastic! I wish that it was still possible to visit the cockpit in flight, but of course, that's not going to happen.
Thanks Flyersj18. I certainly found it incredibly fascinating. As I said in the report, I could have probably spent a lot more time on-board just pouring over everything. It'd be fun if they allowed people to spend the night on-board!
Fab photos, i can certainly see how much you enjoyed the first part of the trip. yes the UD did look small, but of course there were Y seats up there, which the same applied many years ago with BA they put their Y seats there for a while, before they decided to put J upstairs as well as downstairs. Also being a 200 series, it was an old aircraft, i remember flying on the 747-100 series when Ba had their first one in 1971. Look forward for the next instalment^
Pleased to hear that your enjoyed it mikey2124!
Can't think of a better way to round off the year, than reading another "Matthandy" Trip report. I'm slowly drafting up a list of reasons to return to a Land Down Under, in the not too distant future & by jove a trip to Longreach has just topped the list. I don't mind telling you, that I'm more than a little jealous of you Matt. A good poke around a 747 is something dreams are made of !!
If anyone wants to experience something slightly different, Queensland Rail operate The Spirit of the Outback between Brisbane and Longreach, overnight between Brisbane and Rockhapmpton but daylight between Rockhampton and Longreach, which can be quite useful as a way of getting there, and it is actually quite a nice trip in and of its own.
Thank you LHR/MEL/Europe FF, pleased that you enjoyed it.
Fantastic! I wish that it was still possible to visit the cockpit in flight, but of course, that's not going to happen.
Jan 1, 2012, 2:30 am
#49
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SYD+TYO+GFK
Programs: UA 1K, QF Plat, VA Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Coles FlyBuys
Posts: 2,805
Matthandy, this was an excellent TR. I consider myself something of an airliner buff but I had no idea about the avionics bay... your TR has given me enough info on how to stow away some day!
Hope you enjoyed the fireworks last night, from here in Drummoyne they were loud so I imagine it must have been quite the spectacle down at Milson's Pt!
Hope you enjoyed the fireworks last night, from here in Drummoyne they were loud so I imagine it must have been quite the spectacle down at Milson's Pt!
Jan 1, 2012, 4:30 am
#50
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 5
Hi Matt,
Absolutely loved your report. These couple of clips might interest you.
VH - EBQ landing at Longreach (747-200)
B707 flypast and landing in Longreach
Absolutely loved your report. These couple of clips might interest you.
VH - EBQ landing at Longreach (747-200)
B707 flypast and landing in Longreach
Jan 1, 2012, 4:58 am
#51
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ireland
Programs: No longer bothered chasing FF status.
Posts: 2,345
Yeah not too bad at all. It was spent at home with family, friends & neighbours. Chatting, playing cards, sitting by an open fire, sipping quietly away on a couple bottles of bubbly. Weather was unseasonably mild for the time of year, in stark contrast to the "big freeze" we experienced last year.
Jan 2, 2012, 5:31 am
#53
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QF, Skywards, SQ, Centurion
Posts: 391
As mentioned in a prior post on this thread - awesome work, loved your account of your trip/tour.
Just wanted to make one observation about the wing walk: I thought it was slightly tacky how they get you to walk on those visually obtrusive plastic anti slip things AND put you into a harness... It's not really an adventure sport, and I would feel that the pictures lose that awesomeness factor with those tacky accessories...
....BUT as someone who works in General Insurance, I am aware that those measures are obviously in place to prevent personal injury exposure. However they could try to have less visually invasive protection measures IMO (like the slip pads being the same colour as the wing paint, and different coloured harnesses that could be matched to clothing colour to prevent it being so standoutish.
Just wanted to make one observation about the wing walk: I thought it was slightly tacky how they get you to walk on those visually obtrusive plastic anti slip things AND put you into a harness... It's not really an adventure sport, and I would feel that the pictures lose that awesomeness factor with those tacky accessories...
....BUT as someone who works in General Insurance, I am aware that those measures are obviously in place to prevent personal injury exposure. However they could try to have less visually invasive protection measures IMO (like the slip pads being the same colour as the wing paint, and different coloured harnesses that could be matched to clothing colour to prevent it being so standoutish.
Jan 2, 2012, 2:18 pm
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Great report here, Captain Handy (You look right at home in the left hand seat!) It is certainly one of the more entertaining and eclectic trip reports to come down the pike in a while. As your text and photos clearly show, not just Qantasphiles but anyone with even a passing interest in commercial aviation would be well served by a visit to this remarkable museum. If and when I get around to a visit, I will most certainly take thadocta's advice and ride the Spirit of the Outback to Longreach, then fly back.
BTW, I loved the “Nosey” photo. ^^
BTW, I loved the “Nosey” photo. ^^
Jan 2, 2012, 4:45 pm
#56
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Nairobi
Programs: LX, AZ, BA, LH, SA
Posts: 316
Great and v unusual report matthandy
I might sound nostalgic but I actually think the frame of the 747-200 is the classiest of all times, and I preferred the slightly older QF livery compared to the current one with the more rounded font
I might sound nostalgic but I actually think the frame of the 747-200 is the classiest of all times, and I preferred the slightly older QF livery compared to the current one with the more rounded font
Jan 2, 2012, 6:15 pm
#59
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,449
Two words
Two words for you: Friggin awesome!
What a great trip report. I wish I could have done what you did. I think it's pretty rare that people can get so close to a true B747. Like you, I also love the B747, and it is just an amazing aircraft. Especially if you consider the time when it was built in the 1960s: no fancy computers, no calculators (or at least no pocket ones), no computer simulation modeling. That was just incredible. The a380 is great, but we'd almost 'expect' that we could build something like that with all our advanced technology now. Back then, it was good ol ingenuity and know-how. Get out the slide rule, the pencil and paper, and calculate it.
Do you know how long this museum will be open? I hope for a long time because if I ever go to Australia, I'd definitely like to visit it.
Thanks for posting!
p.s. I am finding nothing cheaper than $1100 US to fly from SYD to Longreach. Is this an error or is normally this expensive to go from SYD to Longreach? I am using kayak.
What a great trip report. I wish I could have done what you did. I think it's pretty rare that people can get so close to a true B747. Like you, I also love the B747, and it is just an amazing aircraft. Especially if you consider the time when it was built in the 1960s: no fancy computers, no calculators (or at least no pocket ones), no computer simulation modeling. That was just incredible. The a380 is great, but we'd almost 'expect' that we could build something like that with all our advanced technology now. Back then, it was good ol ingenuity and know-how. Get out the slide rule, the pencil and paper, and calculate it.
Do you know how long this museum will be open? I hope for a long time because if I ever go to Australia, I'd definitely like to visit it.
Thanks for posting!
p.s. I am finding nothing cheaper than $1100 US to fly from SYD to Longreach. Is this an error or is normally this expensive to go from SYD to Longreach? I am using kayak.
Last edited by SFflyer123; Jan 2, 2012 at 6:32 pm
Jan 3, 2012, 2:08 am
#60
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: CBR
Programs: QF WP, AC*G
Posts: 1,223
Try Qantas.com. I'm seeing $546 return in March. Expensive, yes, but BNE-LRE is a monopoly regional route so nothing less is to be expected.