Short hop

[skyring]

QF 806 CBR-SYD B734 VH-TJY "Maryborough"
Thursday 8 April 2010
Seats: 8A-C
Scheduled: 1830
Boarding: 1810 Gate 12
Pushback: 1830
Takeoff: 1840 to North
Descent: 1856
Landing: 1918 from N
Gate: 1932 (Gate 9)

Most of my trips begin with the flight from Canberra to Sydney. Canberra International Airport doesn't actually have any regular international flights. Occasionally a plane will be diverted here, there are visits from heads of state and such, making the VIP terminal an interesting place for planespotters, and years and years ago there were flights to Fiji, promoted as an attractive alternative to wintertime Canberra.

But with the major airlines hub of Sydney a short flight away, it's to Sydney we generally go. Of course, if I'm doing a round the world trip to build up status credits and airmiles, it's much better to travel there via Perth, but Kerri frowns on these shenanigans.

Night flight on a clear evening. Canberra's northern suburbs pass in diminishing review, roads outlined in gold and silver, sports fields and carparks turned into glowing blobs. It's beautiful but soon gone. As ever, I have the window seat, and Kerri the aisle, with the empty seat in the middle thankfully remaining vacant.

Browse the inflight magazine, look out the window at occasional lights, listen to the comedy channel on the audio system and the time passes quickly enough. I could sit like a rock and the flight would pass quickly: it's always less than an hour. My record is about 28 minutes, but tonight we turn over Sydney's northern suburbs to land from the north, and we are presented with a fairyland view of the biggest city in Australia. The Bridge is outlined, the skyscrapers of the central area lit up, and then we are down amongst the railway lines and schools and roads and thumping onto the third runway.

Quick deplane, race along the terminal, and into the waiting lounge for the shuttle over to International.

Comments

[holmesfan.livejournal.com]

Are these two entries out of order, or what?
As I read from most recent first I was most bemused to leave you in the Sydney airport and then find you meandering around in Japan, pictureqsque and all as that did sound.

[skyring.livejournal.com]

I'm posting quick updates, mainly based on emails sent to family, along with a series based on my Frequent Flyer blog, with photographs. Without a few days of leisure, there will be a bit of disconnect. Tomorrow we will be in Istanbul, but my journey's record has only reached Sydney.