While dad and I and some other aircraft enthusiasts are in Brisbane to photograph aircraft that are related to the G20 summit being held in Brisbane in November 2014, we were looking for a flight to go on the weekend somewhere, to hopefully fly on an aircraft type never flown on before.
Then I read about the trip taken by Airliners.net member, palmjet. Operated by Skytrans with Dash8-100 aircraft. Exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. So, here's palmjet's take. http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forum ... in/252301/
No difficulty in booking there and back same day flights through the website. http://www.skytrans.com.au/index.html
Departs Brisbane at 7:45 AM, stops at Toowoomba, St George, Cunnamulla and finally Thargomindah at approx 11:40 AM, before heading back to Brisbane at 12:20 PM, stopping at the same airports as on the way out west. Arrival back into Brisbane is approx 4:15 PM.
This is one of the routes that make up part of the qconnect network. It is intended for essential air services to remote towns in remote western Queensland. More info can be found here on the aviation part of qconnect. http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-tr ... vices.aspx
More info on the destination of the flight can be found here, http://www.skytrans.com.au/thargomindah.html
On October 15 2014 the Queensland government announced the winner of the tender to operate the government subsidised routes to be Regional Express, so Skytrans lost the contract to operate the routes to Thargomindah, Western 1. The route to Mount Isa, Western 2 and from Mount Isa to Cairns, Northern 1.
More info on Queensland Government website about the changes. http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-tr ... vices.aspx
Monday November 17 2014
Brisbane-Toowoomba-St George-Cunnamulla-Thargomindah
Skytrans Q60018
Dash8-102 VH-QQF
2D
Aircraft history
http://www.aussieairliners.org/dhc-8/vh-wzi/vhwzi.html
1map by ryanhothersall, on FlickrA very early start for this trip. Although flight doesn't depart until 7:45 AM, was up and ready by 5:30 AM. Taxi got dad and I to the airport with plenty of time. Skytrans check in is tucked away in a corner near Jetstar check in. Not easy to find, but I was aware of that from palmjet's report. No one else was at check in at that time, so was only us. Check in process was smooth.
Was told by other spotters who are in Brisbane for the G20, that to get into the terminal you would need a boarding pass, no one at security asked to see it, so don't know how true it is, or was just used to scare the hoardes away from the airport.
After all that, get to gate 32, to be told there will be a delay until 10 AM.
Then the bad news that the flight had been cancelled. That was a real kick in the guts. I had been looking forward to this flight for a long time. There goes my chance to get s flight on a early model Dash8. Very annoyed and a bit pissed off. However the flight will be rescheduled for Monday November 17. I felt a lot better knowing that.
Come Monday its another early start and back to the airport. Again check in and security was no problem.
BNETerminal-2 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrBack to gate 32 to try again. Out of the nine passengers that were booked in the cancelled flight yesterday, wonder how many will be on today's flight?.
Due to the cancellation of yesterday's flight the passengers were put onto the Mount Isa flight.
BNETerminal by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
BNETerminal-3 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrVH-QQF being towed to the gate for attempt #2.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-2 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-3 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrWas a pleasant walk across the Tarmac in Brisbane. No one had a go at me for taking a couple of quick photos of our aircraft.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-4 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-5 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-6 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-7 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrAbout 20 boarded. Interior looked in good condition for a 1985 vintage aircraft.
Legroom.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-8 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrSince I was sat in row 2 next to the props, the take off was very noisy, but a lot quieter in the cruise.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-9 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-10 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-11 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-12 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-13 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-14 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-15 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-16 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-17 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-18 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-19 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-20 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-21 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-22 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-23 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-24 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-25 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-26 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-27 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrA bottle of water was served for the short 20 minute flight to toowoomba.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-28 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrInterior.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-29 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-30 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-31 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-32 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-33 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-34 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-35 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-36 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrA nice landing in toowoomba.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-37 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-38 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-39 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-40 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-41 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-42 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-43 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-43a by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-44 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-45 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-46 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-47 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-48 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrTurning around at the end of the runway.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-49 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-50 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-51 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-52 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-53 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-54 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-55 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-56 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-57 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-58 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrVH-QQI which will be going out to Thargomindah.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-59 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-60 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-61 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-62 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-63 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-64 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrQuick look at the flight deck.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-65 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrOn the tarmac in Toowoomba.
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-66 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-67 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
SkytransDash8-102-VH-QQF-68 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
TWBTarmac by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
TWBTerminal by ryanhothersall, on FlickrHere we change to another aircraft as VH-QQF continues onto Mt Isa.
TWBTerminal-2 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrYours truly out the front of the Toowoomba terminal.
TWBTerminal-3 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrInside the terminal
TWBTerminal-4 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
TWBTerminal-5 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
TWBTerminal-6 by ryanhothersall, on Flickr
TWBTerminal-7 by ryanhothersall, on FlickrTo be continued in Part 2. Toowoomba to St George.
