Unusual Visitor

 In amongst the plethora of bizjets at Adelaide Airport today was an unusual visitor.  It was an Aero L-39 Albatros, a Czech built fast jet trainer.  Privately owned in Australia, VH-ZPM looked striking in it's bright blue Czech Airforce colour scheme.   It only stayed a couple of hours before heading back to it's base at Essendon

The bizjets included Embraer Phenom VH-UYX, Citation Mustang VH-PWX, Citation Bravo VH-XBP and Learjet 60 VH-OLJ

Antonov 124 at Adelaide Airport

Santa delivered an early Christmas present to the Adelaide Planespotters when an Antonov 124 arrived from Nadi, Fiji this morning.

After landing, it parked by the control tower, where close views were obtained from the long term car park.

Adelaide Airport - Finals

Today was a day of finals for Adelaide Airport.

Firstly we had the final scheduled visit of a Qantas Boeing 747 before they are retired from service next year.  VH-OEH, "Hervey Bay" was here to take around 360 passengers on a sightseeing trip over Antarctica.  She will be retired next year after 17 years of service with Qantas.  Here she is lining up for take-off on Runway 05 this morning

The other finals came this afternoon when the last 3 PC-21's arrived on delivery to the RAAF.  After a week long flight from Switzerland, they will be handed over to the RAAF tomorrow at East Sale in Victoria.  The RAAF will then have it's full complement of 49 PC-21's used for pilot training, the RAAF aerobatic display team "The Roulettes" and for Forward Air Control.  They are delivered flying under Swiss civil registrations and wearing the Swiss flag as military aircraft would not be allowed to fly across many countries airspace.

Another Antonov

There was an unusual visitor at Adelaide Airport today.  This Ukrainian Antonov AN-12 delivered it's cargo to RAAF Edinburgh before making the short hop to Adelaide for fuel and a crew rest stop.

This four engined turbo prop cargo plane is 47 years old.

Chasing planes

I spent Sunday chasing planes at Adelaide Airport.

I was after planes big and small.

On the big side were the Air New Zealand Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Qatar Boeing 777 which is temporarily replacing our usual Airbus A350

The small ones were an Alice Springs based Royal Flying Doctors Pilatus PC-12 and a soon to be RAAF Pilatus PC-21 on delivery.

In the middle were both Qantas' "Retro Roo"s, Boeing 737's painted in the livery of the 70's and 50's respectively.

Qantas Boeing 747

I made a quick visit to Adelaide Airport this evening to see the last Rolls Royce powered Qantas Boeing 747 bringing troops back from exercises in Queensland.  Qantas is in the process of retiring it's Boeing 747s and they will all be gone by the end of next year.

There will be at least one more opportunity to see a 747 in Adelaide as Qantas is operating an Antarctic sightseeing trip out of Adelaide in November.

While I was waiting, a Qatar Airbus 350 arrived on it's daily service from Doha and a Cobham RJ100 landed bringing mine workers home from Prominent Hill Mine near Coober Pedy

The number of plane spotters steadily increased as the arrival time got closer, and then the aptly nicknamed "Queen of the Skies" appeared over the trees and whooshed past.

Antonov

So I finally got round to processing the photos I took of the Antonov 124 that is visiting Adelaide at the moment.  It arrived last Sunday, in wet and windy conditions, from Albuquerque, New Mexico flying via Honolulu and Brisbane.

It was due to fly out to Kuala Lumpur earlier this week, but the flight was postponed. So this morning I went back to the airport to take some photos of it on the ground (in much nicer conditions). Seeing it close up you really get to appreciate the size of this aircraft.

Next weekend we will be getting a visit from another big aeroplane  A Qantas Boeing 747 bringing troops home from the war games currently going on in Queensland. 

Adelaide Airport

I headed down to Adelaide Airport this morning as there was going to be an unusual plane visiting for a few days  While I was waiting a few of the regulars showed up. A dapper Qantas B737 in the new Qantas livery, A Tigerair Airbus A320 followed by another from Jetstar, showing off a new white nose.

A couple of regular international flights also arrived with the Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 quickly followed by a China Southern Airbus A330.

By this time there was a growing group of 'spotters there, and the star of the show soon arrived in its somewhat plain colours.  An Icelandair charter plane doing a round the world trip for an exclusive German cruise company.

A nice surprise for me was the Air New Zealand flight which was operated by their all Black Boeing 777 and is the first time I have seen it.

A "BIG" weekend

I just had a very big weekend.

On Saturday I was at Adelaide Airport to watch the departing Antonov An-124 Ruslan leave after bringing in some military vehicles for a trade show here.  The An-124 is one of the largest production cargo aircraft in the world and can carry 150 Tonnes over 3000 Kilometres

Then on Sunday we headed down to Basham Beach on the Fleurieu to watch the Southern Right Whales that chose to winter in South Australian Waters.  We saw three adult whales loafing in the water about 300 metres offshore.