Fuling From Australia, joined Apr 2011, 187 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 11 months 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 9074 times:
Rather a big question, but I was wondering if QF will be doing another Antarctic Flight for NYE 2011?
At what altitudes does the plane average?
How long does the flight last?
jetfuel From Australia, joined Jan 2005, 2066 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (1 year 11 months 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 9055 times:
31 December 2011 ~ New Year's Eve (Departing Sydney & Melbourne)
15 January 2012 (Departing Melbourne) Celebrating a “Centenary of Antarctic Expeditions”
12 February 2012 (Departing Sydney)
Where's the passion gone out of the airline industry? The smell of jetfuel and the romance of taking a flight....
AFGMEL From Australia, joined Jul 2007, 735 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (1 year 11 months 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 5453 times:
I did this flight a few years ago now. I was lucky enough to score a free ticket which meant that I had to sit in the middle of economy. Actually it didn't make much difference. Bear in mind that you are over Antarctica for quite a while so there are plenty of opportunities to look through the windows. People are kind and let you and you can also peer through the emergency exit windows. It's not like a normal flight. Everyone is cheerful and spend most of the time wandering about. I wouldn't spend the extra money. We were allowed on the flight deck and from memory we were about 3,500' AGL. Normal cruise altitudes there and back.
Festive atmosphere. Now I am older and grumpy you couldn't pay me to go, but if you are somebody who likes the general public and enjoys a party with strangers, then I would recommend it.
Seeing Antarctica was a very special experience which I won't forget.
gemuser From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 5240 posts, RR: 6 Reply 6, posted (1 year 11 months 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 3241 times:
Quoting ferminbrif (Reply 5): It would be terrific fly over the antarctic but it doesn´t make sense in the centre seats
Pax swap seats every so often when over Antarctica.
Quoting ferminbrif (Reply 5): Please excuse me my ignorance but in the event of any emergency, where would land the airplane? somewhere over the ice?
No, alternate is HBA. These flights are run under a special set of rules, not the normal airline rules, although I forget the details. The Antarctic ice sheet is about 2000 nm from HBA, not a great distance for a B744 on 3 engines.
Baroque From Australia, joined Apr 2006, 15380 posts, RR: 59 Reply 7, posted (1 year 11 months 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 3098 times:
Quoting AFGMEL (Reply 4): People are kind and let you and you can also peer through the emergency exit windows. It's not like a normal flight. Everyone is cheerful and spend most of the time wandering about.
Yep. The flight I took had Dick Smith and Pixie aboard as guides.
Quoting AFGMEL (Reply 4): Seeing Antarctica was a very special experience which I won't forget.
True, we were a bit unfortunate and had to go to the W rather than over the Ross Sea due to weather so we tended to see monster glaciers that were so large, that was about all there was to see but it was still pretty amazing. On the other hand, we went round the French base on one wing at a height I would not have thought they would fly - especially there - and after a circuit on one wing, we did another on the other wing, with the French up on their roof waving. I don't have a good head for heights and when we were on the high side, looking down made me worried I might fall across the width of the 747 - stupid feeling as the centrifugal force was not going to allow that. And the pack ice is pretty amazing too.
IndianicWorld From Australia, joined Jun 2001, 2405 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (1 year 11 months 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 2967 times:
^^ It sounds amazing down there, but not sure that these flights excite me though. Considering you would only get a certain amount of time in a window seat to see anything, and the rest of the time would be wasted, it would get alittle dissapointing, especially after paying those fares.
AFGMEL From Australia, joined Jul 2007, 735 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (1 year 11 months 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2364 times:
Quoting ferminbrif (Reply 5): Please excuse me my ignorance but in the event of any emergency, where would land the airplane? somewhere over the ice? Thanks.
Not generally known, but there was a contingency for an ice landing. HBA was indeed an alternative. No worse than flying over the Indian or Pacific.
Quoting IndianicWorld (Reply 8): Considering you would only get a certain amount of time in a window seat to see anything, and the rest of the time would be wasted
Not so. Read my reply. I saw heaps and I was seated in the cheap seats. I have some photos somewhere which I will dig out. It was really a great experience.
ZuluAlpha From United States of America, joined Mar 2010, 352 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (1 year 11 months 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2189 times:
Quoting AFGMEL (Reply 4): about 3,500' AGL. Normal cruise altitudes there and back
Quoting AFGMEL (Reply 10): Not so. Read my reply. I saw heaps and I was seated in the cheap seats. I have some photos somewhere which I will dig out. It was really a great experience.
I have not been on one myself, but from what I have heard, they have specialists of Antartica onboard to talk about Antartica. And as you said AFGMEL, it is a greatly reduced altitude while over Antartica
Baroque From Australia, joined Apr 2006, 15380 posts, RR: 59 Reply 12, posted (1 year 11 months 22 hours ago) and read 1971 times:
Quoting qf002 (Reply 9): Are there any trip reports in the database for these flights? I tried a search but couldn't find much!! They sound like so much fun!!
They are. The one I was on was 30 years ago. Still have the slides. Somehow getting to a window is not a major problem. Cannot remember exactly why not, but I would certainly remember if it had been.
But banked over at who knows how many degrees, you definitely get the feeling you could fall to the other side of the plane when clearly you cannot. This was before the ANZ problem and I think later flights are probably not as "carefree" as the earlier ones shall we say. A great experience. My flight was under rather difficult circumstances. I was invited by a friend when he had bought tickets for him and his wife and she was killed in a road accident just after he bought the ticket. So, beforehand, I dreaded the trip due to the awful circumstances of my being invited. But it was still a wonderful trip. Having Dick Smith along for the ride was a definite plus too. Very interesting commentary.
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