Before the 747-400 started to come into service in 1989, what were the common and fastest routings from the U.S. West Coast to Australia?
Where did American carriers such as UA and CO stop enroute to SYD or MEL? Was HNL ever used as a service point between the US and Australia?
I recall a relative flying LAX to SYD in 1991, flying Cathy Pacific with a stop in Hong Kong. (I assume 747-200's?)
Got me wondering which were the most common routings before the -400 came into existence and opened up non-stops from the West Coast? Also, how much longer were the flights going by way of somewhere like HKG?
I know about the 747SP, but I don't think there were that many of those produced compared to the -100 and -200's?
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US West Coast to Australia prior to the 747-400.
Last edited by qf789 on Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: spelling
Reason: spelling
Re: US West Coast to Austrailia prior to the 747-400.
IIRC, BOAC had flight from LHR-JFK-LAX-HNL-NAD(?)-SYD with their 707s.
I would think that the US carriers would have had a similar routing to Australia?
I would think that the US carriers would have had a similar routing to Australia?
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Re: US West Coast to Austrailia prior to the 747-400.
The last QF743 flew MEL-AKL-LAX. Not sure whether they were scheduled direct before that. NAD rather than HNL was the westbound stop for QF if needed (as it is today)
Re: US West Coast to Austrailia prior to the 747-400.
Honolulu was a very common transit point for journies between Australia and the US for many years. QF's 1973 "Worldwide Network" shows both BNE and SYD to NAN, thence HNL and SFO (with onward flights on QF metal to YVR and also JFK>LHR)
My research-fu is weak today or I'd come up with slightly more comprehensive figures but it was actually the 747SP that opened non-stop service between Australia and the US mainland, with PA using theirs between SFO and SYD. QF then moved theirs onto similar routeings too and achieved somewhat better success (the RB211s performed better than the JT9s).
My research-fu is weak today or I'd come up with slightly more comprehensive figures but it was actually the 747SP that opened non-stop service between Australia and the US mainland, with PA using theirs between SFO and SYD. QF then moved theirs onto similar routeings too and achieved somewhat better success (the RB211s performed better than the JT9s).
Re: US West Coast to Austrailia prior to the 747-400.
In 1992 I flew on Continental LAX-HNL-AKL-BNE on a 747-200 (not sure if there was a plane change in HNL). On the way back a DC-10 BNE-SYD and then a few days later another DC-10 from SYD-HNL and then a 747-200 from HNL-LAX.
Prior to the introduction of the 747-400 however there was still the 747-SP which both Qantas and United had (United inherited theirs from Pan Am) and these aircraft did in fact fly LAX-SYD non-stop prior to 1989. I flew on a Qantas 747 SP LAX-SYD in 1986, which even happened to have Paul Hogan of Crocodile Dundee fame on board in the first class upper deck cabin !!!
But other than the nonstop 747-SP flights pretty much everything stopped in HNL, and sometimes in either NAN and AKL as well.
Prior to the introduction of the 747-400 however there was still the 747-SP which both Qantas and United had (United inherited theirs from Pan Am) and these aircraft did in fact fly LAX-SYD non-stop prior to 1989. I flew on a Qantas 747 SP LAX-SYD in 1986, which even happened to have Paul Hogan of Crocodile Dundee fame on board in the first class upper deck cabin !!!
But other than the nonstop 747-SP flights pretty much everything stopped in HNL, and sometimes in either NAN and AKL as well.
Re: US West Coast to Austrailia prior to the 747-400.
I found this on a PanAm history website: “The 747SP first entered service on Pan Am’s New York-Tokyo route on 26 April 1976. It was later used on other long-haul routes, including New York-Dhahran, San Francisco-Hong Kong and Los Angeles-Sydney.”
I recall flying Qantas to Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti in the later 1980s from LAX. I recall flying to/from HNL and from Tahiti to LAX. And I seem to recall a nonstop from LAX to SYD but am not certain. I do recall while preparing for landing in LA, the Aussie pilot told us to look out the window at a PanAm 747 Clipper, he called it, that we were making was for, since it was coming all the way from Australia. Perhaps that was a 747SP?
I recall flying Qantas to Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti in the later 1980s from LAX. I recall flying to/from HNL and from Tahiti to LAX. And I seem to recall a nonstop from LAX to SYD but am not certain. I do recall while preparing for landing in LA, the Aussie pilot told us to look out the window at a PanAm 747 Clipper, he called it, that we were making was for, since it was coming all the way from Australia. Perhaps that was a 747SP?
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Re: US West Coast to Australia prior to the 747-400.
QF's -SP's were more reliable for the flight being non-stop. Their RR's RB211's were more fuel efficient and QF kept the best ones one the -SP.
Re: US West Coast to Australia prior to the 747-400.
UAL used to always connect LAX-HNL-SYD-AKL. UAL 811 was one of these flights.
Re: US West Coast to Australia prior to the 747-400.
I flew a QF Boeing 707-320B in September 1970, boarding in JFK, with stops in SFO, HNL and NAN before arriving SYD and flight continuing to MEL.
The return segment was the same; however, the stop in SFO was overnight w/hotel provided by QF, continuing to JFK and LHR the next
morning.
The return segment was the same; however, the stop in SFO was overnight w/hotel provided by QF, continuing to JFK and LHR the next
morning.
Re: US West Coast to Australia prior to the 747-400.
I've done the following all on QF, SYD/NAN/HNL/SFO, SYD/NAN/HNL/KLAX, SYD/HNL/SFO, SYD/HNL/LAX, SYD/PPT/LAX, as well as SYD/LAX and in a few weeks SYD/DFW.
Stops used by other carriers included AKL and PPG, NOU may have been a stop as well, but no so sure on that.
Stops used by other carriers included AKL and PPG, NOU may have been a stop as well, but no so sure on that.
Re: US West Coast to Australia prior to the 747-400.
In 1974 on UTA - French Airlines, SYD-AKL-[DC-8] -PPT[DC-10-LAX. The return flight was LAX-PPT[DC-10][stopover] PPG-NAN-NOU-SYD [DC-8]
Gemuser
Gemuser
Re: US West Coast to Australia prior to the 747-400.
In '89, I flew a UA 742 SFO-HNL-ACK-SYD. The return was on one of their brand new 744s that flew SYD-LAX non-stop. That was a mighty long flight in those days!
Re: US West Coast to Australia prior to the 747-400.
hinckley wrote:In '89, I flew a UA 742 SFO-HNL-ACK-SYD. The return was on one of their brand new 744s that flew SYD-LAX non-stop. That was a mighty long flight in those days!
Nantucket-Sydney non-stop?
Re: US West Coast to Australia prior to the 747-400.
XAM2175 wrote:hinckley wrote:In '89, I flew a UA 742 SFO-HNL-ACK-SYD. The return was on one of their brand new 744s that flew SYD-LAX non-stop. That was a mighty long flight in those days!
Nantucket-Sydney non-stop?
Oops!! I'm old and my memory's fading. It may have been AKL-SYD.
I probably should edit my post, but ACK-SYD is just too much fun to think about!
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