Welcome to the first installment of my Winter 2018 adventure to Australia and New Zealand. Over the course of about three weeks, I indulged in activities that I hold near and dear to me, including plane spotting with good friends, hanging out with other “non-nerdy” friends, and studying abroad in one of the most gorgeous parts of the world. With this being my first international trip without my parents, I learned a lot about myself as a feasted on the opportunity to do whatever I want, whenever I wanted to.
This trip further cemented my lifelong love of traveling and aviation, and will go down as one of the best trips I have ever taken. This report is the first of a three-part series, which will cover all the flights I took (nine in total!) and highlights of each activity I partook in. This report encompasses my flights to Sydney and my time in Australia, which consisted of what amounted to be an ‘enjoyable marathon’ of a whopping thirty-eight hours of travel time from the sleepy Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) in the wee hours of December 23rd, 2017 to Christmas Day morning Down Under. It would be my first time in Australia since March of 2013, and I was very excited to return.
FSM-DFW-LAX-SYD gcmap by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAs usual, a big shoutout to gcmap for this
I woke up on the morning of December 23rd in what could be described as an excited high, one that I only feel on the day of departure of any trip I take. I rolled out of bed at approximately 4:30am and quickly double-checked all my belongings with my mom before loading up for the airport. Check-in bag, carry-on, and backpack in hand, I placed all my belongings in the back of our 2003 Honda CRV, and left for the airport.
After waiting in a small line for check-in, my turn finally came. I reached the counter and handed the agent my passport. After a few moments, the following exchange occurred:
Agent: “Do you have a valid ETA (an electronic visa) for Australia?”
Me: “Yes… why, is that not showing?”
Agent: “Nope. Do you have a printout of it?”
Thankfully, having had rough experiences at FSM with international travel (I was once told that my passport wasn’t valid because I hadn’t signed it), I had come prepared. I pulled out a crumpled printout of my valid ETA to Australia. After a few more minutes, I was given my boarding passes, and I hugged my mom goodbye and proceeded to go through security.
DSC_1 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrDefinitely a boarding pass to treasure!
DSC_2 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrA rather artsy snapchat story, even if I do say so myself
After a short wait time, I boarded my first flight of what was going to be a long and fun two days of traveling!
Flight #1
Route: FSM-DFW
Airline: American Eagle operated by Expressjet
Aircraft: Canadair CRJ-700
Registration: N608QX
Departure time: 6:58am CST
Arrival time: 7:58am CST
Flying time: 1 hour
Seat: 9D
DSC_3 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrI’m ready to go!
After a quick taxi to runway 25, we whizzed our way out of Fort Smith and climbed into the deep, blue, cloudless morning sky. My adventure was officially under way!
DSC_4 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrIt’s a beautiful morning
After a rather uneventful flight and a bitter coffee, we began our descent into the DFW metroplex.
DSC_5 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrOne my most favorite places on Earth, delicately bathed in winter morning light
DSC_6 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_7 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrOn base now over Hensley Field, an 88-year-old Naval Air Station-turned-ghost town. According to the article linked below, the Dallas PD likes to park its old cars on the dilapidated old main runway. Another fun fact: Nina Pham’s dog, Bentley, was quarantined at the airfield during the 2014 Ebola outbreak out of fears that he had contracted the disease.
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm ... sley-field
DSC_8 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrTurning onto final now
DSC_9 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrTouchdown!
DSC_10 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrTaxiing to the end of Terminal E. Yup, you read that right. American Eagle Expressjet-operated CRJ-700 flights now operate out of the tail end of E. Not sure if I’m a big fan of that…
A few moments later, I let out a louder-than-socially-appropriate gasp of surprise when I saw this bird parked at E. Considering that I had a whopping eleven-hour layover, I decided that I would visit her at some point in the day.
DSC_11 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrSo, you might be wondering, why did I have an eleven-hour layover, and who in their right mind would pick an itinerary including one, especially with a transpacific flight following it? Well, good questions and fair points all around. I have several answers.
First off, I love DFW. I have the ability to kill a significant amount of time at that airport, simply by walking through all the terminals and absorbing all the aviation-related happenings around me with delight. Secondly, my father was due to fly in at around 2pm, coming back from his birdwatching trip in Panama. Being an AA Platinum member and travelling internationally, he was entitled to Admirals Club access. I, of course, was more than okay with piggy-backing my way inside, despite being a lowly non-status holder and having the standard, run-of-the-mill “Credit Cardholder” stamped across my boarding passes.
DSC_12 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrTracking Pops’s 737-800 as it approached southern Florida
I deplaned ship 608 and headed straight for the Skylink. After boarding it to head to Terminal D, I took my customary goodbye picture of the bird that had taken very good care of me all the way from Fort Smith.
DSC_13 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAfter a quick ride on the Skylink, I de-trained at Terminal D and promptly worked my way over to the Reata Grill, my customary spot for breakfast at DFW.
DSC_7955 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAfter breakfast, I strolled around Terminal D and checked out some heavy action. JAL’s daily Dreamliner to Narita had just pushed back.
DSC_7955a by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAfter a brief bout of Terminal D plane spotting, I grabbed a grande white chocolate mocha and headed over to Terminal E to check out the 744.
DSC_7955b by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_7959 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrI’ve been riding the skylink since it opened in 2005. I will never get tired of it or the views it offers.
DSC_7960 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWell hello again, 608
DSC_7962 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWhat up, banana bird?
DSC_7965 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrCasually parked next to the Queen of the Skies
DSC_7970 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAhh… hello, gorgeous!
After gaping at her majesty for a few minutes, I decided to head back to Terminal D.
DSC_7976 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrBeautiful beyond words
DSC_7979 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrLooks like TWA is in town today
DSC_7982 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_7991 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrRare sight in DFW. Maybe an NFL charter?
DSC_7996 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrBy this time, my second Queen of the day had arrived, this one from London-Heathrow as BAW192
DSC_7997 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWhat a phenomenal airplane
I proceeded to chill in Terminal D, waiting for my Dad’s flight from MIA to come in. I noticed that he was flying on N986AN, an A321S that I had coincidentally spotted at XNA when it operated as a charter for the Florida Gator football team for their game versus the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville. In case you’re wondering, we won that game 31-10. Woo pig, baby.
DSC_7997a by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_7956 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrThis Dreamliner later operated AA48 to Paris-CDG
After an hour or two of watching Netflix in Terminal D, I headed over to A to greet my dad.
DSC_7997b by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWelcome, buddy![i]
After a quick hug, we proceeded to head over to the Terminal D Admirals Club. After a quick check-in, we chilled by the massive windows for a while, watching several stars-and-bars take off one after another.
So, remember the DL 744 parked over at Terminal E? Earlier in the day, I had alerted a buddy of mine, Mitchell Baird, about it, as I knew he was flying through DFW at the same time. He went over to its gate to check it out, and he started talking with a Delta agent who offered to take him on board. He proceeded to urge me and Dad to head over as fast as possible, and hearing of this opportunity, you better bet we high-tailed it out of the club and over to Terminal E. A few minutes later, we were walking down the jetbridge… to a Delta Boeing 747-400.
DSC_7998 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr[i]Okay… so this is pretty cool.
DSC_8009 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrNot freaking out at this moment...
So to add to the coolness, this aircraft had just been retired from the fleet, and had just operated as a charter for the Seahawks for their game versus the Cowboys. It was scheduled to be flown over to Pinal Airpark a mere three days (three days!!) later. Its last commercial flight was DAL158, ICN-DTW.
DSC_8019 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8023 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8029 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAfter walking around the entire airplane, I wanted one last picture in the flight deck, this time with Dad.
DSC_8030 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8036 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8038 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWhat a magnificent bird, man
After bidding goodbye to N670US and the extremely gracious DL agent (who told us about how he was present for their retirement of the L1011), Dad and I proceeded to head back to the Admirals Club.
DSC_8045 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrFive maddogs? Soak ‘em up while you can.
On the way to the Admirals Club, we walked by D23, where my flight to LAX was posted. Catch me bringing up the rear of the upgrade list, lol.
DSC_8046 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8047 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrUpon entering the Admirals Club, I got a non-alcoholic Bloody Mary
DSC_8048 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8050 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
AAL280 from Seoul-Incheon taxis in after arrival. This bird, N825AA, would be the one I would be taking to the City of Angels
DSC_8053 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWhat up, gorgeous?
DSC_8053a by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAfter seeing my Dreamliner pull into her gate, I headed over to the showers to get a quick rinse before my flight to LA.
DSC_8054 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8054a by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrThese showers are pretty cool!
DSC_8054b by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAfter a rather long shower, Dad had some nachos and guac ready for me. I slowly mowed through them, all while enjoying the beautiful sunset.
DSC_8056b by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8055 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8056c by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrMy bags are ready to go! I am too!
Before heading down to D23, I made a quick stop at the bathroom. I took this terrible shot of LH’s departure to Frankfurt on my way there.
DSC_8056 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrSoon enough, I said goodbye to the Admirals Club and stood in line to board my second flight of the day, my first flight on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Dad came down to say goodbye and hugged me right before I enthusiastically pranced my way down the jet bridge and entered the aircraft.
Flight #2
Route: DFW-LAX
Airline: American Airlines
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Registration: N825AA
Departure time: 6:49pm CST
Arrival time: 8:19pm CST
Flying time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Seat: 33L
DSC_8057 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrThis is a pretty cool cabin
DSC_8057a by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8058 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWhat a gorgeous wing!
Soon enough, we pushed back from Terminal D and the safety video was played. I must say that after a rough initial opinion, it has gradually grown over me, and I may or may not somewhat like it now.
DSC_8060 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAfter a quick taxi, we blasted off into the deep, dark, Texas sky.
DSC_8062 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8063 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8065 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrI’ve been to AT&T Stadium once. I never want to return. If you want to know why, look up the score of the 2016 Arkansas – Texas A&M game.
DSC_8065a by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAfter we left the DFW area, I proceeded to explore the AVOD, which I found to be surprisingly responsive. I’ve found it to be pretty laggy on certain aircraft, such as the 737-800 and A321S.
After a quick drink service (during which I got my standard airplane drink, a ginger ale), I closed my eyes for a little bit, and opened them right as we passed over Phoenix.
DSC_8066 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8068 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8066b by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrI proceeded to kill some by watching Michael Scott’s shenanigans that some how never get old…
DSC_8067b by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8067a by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8066c by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8066d by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrChecking on my next flight’s status. Looks good so far.
DSC_8066e by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrLovin’ on this mood lighting
DSC_8067 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAfter passing over the Sierra Nevadas, I began to see signs of civilization as we slowly began our approach into LAX
DSC_8069 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8070 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAround this time, the captain came on the PA and announced that it was a clear evening in LA and she expected our approach to be a beautiful and smooth one. I savored every word of her charismatic announcement and enjoyed the breathtaking views I was being treated to.
DSC_8074 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrHow beautiful of a view is this?
DSC_8078 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrPassing over ONT
DSC_8078a by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8079 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrHave I mentioned that I love this mood lighting?
DSC_8086 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrHey LA, you look just as beautiful as I expected
DSC_8090 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrOn short final now
After a smooth touchdown, we pulled off the south complex’s Runway 25L and turned north towards Terminal 4.
DSC_8094 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrIt’s a busy evening at LAX
DSC_8097 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWhat up, T4
On my way out, I thanked the captain and complimented her on the approach and landing. I proceeded to ask for a view of the cockpit, to which she graciously accepted.
DSC_8100 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8103 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWhat a beautiful flight deck
After disembarking, I took my customary goodbye shot of 825 from the T4-TBIT connector.
DSC_8105 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrI had never been on the T4-TBIT connecter before, and it had been a while since I had visited TBIT, so I decided to head over for a quick stroll. I had about an hour before boarding, anyway.
DSC_8106 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8107 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrFancy schmancy…
DSC_8108 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrHow’s it goin’, TBIT?
DSC_8109 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrShortly before departure to Guangzhou, China
DSC_8110 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrA similarly whale-sized beast was prepping to head in the other direction
DSC_8111 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrLoving on TBIT’s iconic ceiling architecture
DSC_8112 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrThe 777-300ER is the definition of handsome
DSC_8113 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWhat a vast array of destination cities!
DSC_8115 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr…now in a cooler departures board
DSC_8114 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr”Phyllis Arnott” would be operating QFA12 to Sydney tonight.
DSC_8116 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr”Hudson Fysh” would be flying QFA94 to Melbourne
DSC_8118 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrHave I mentioned how cool this departures board is?
After strolling around TBIT for a few more minutes, it was time to head back to T4, as boarding time was about 30 minutes out.
DSC_8119 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8120 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrNice!
DSC_8122 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrHonestly surprised that AA wasn’t flying this route already…
With about 20 minutes to go before boarding, I elected to snag a wrap to satisfy my mild hunger. I was only able to finish about half of it.
DSC_8123 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrI walked over to gate 48B and stared in awe at the screen saying “Sydney, Australia”. I have flown over 200 flights in my life but I will never get over the pure thrill that comes with being about to board a long-haul, flagship international flight.
DSC_8124 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrCheck out that standby list!!
I wandered over to the window, where I got my first look at N823AN, the majestic bird that would be taking me across the mighty Pacific. Boy, she looked gorgeous!
DSC_8125 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now ready to begin the boarding process for American Airlines Flight 73 with nonstop service to Sydney”
DSC_8126 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrNow boarding ConciergeKey members…
DSC_8127 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrOoooh boy, it’s time to go!
Flight #3
Route: LAX-SYD
Airline: American Airlines
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Registration: N823AN
Departure time: 10:43pm PST
Arrival time: 8:43am
Flying time: 15 hours
Seat: 29L
DSC_8128 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrTaken during my last few seconds outside an airplane for the next fifteen hours
Upon boarding, I asked the friendly F/A if I could take a look at the cockpit. She granted my request, and I strolled right inside the ultra-modern flight deck of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
After introducing myself to one of the reserve pilots and the F/A, I was invited to take a seat in the captain’s seat, where one of the pilots sitting in the back took my picture.
DSC_8130 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrI guess I was just a *little* excited at that moment…
Shortly after my picture was taken, the captain walked in the flight deck and introduced himself. He proceeded to mention that “we’re pretty heavy tonight” and that the takeoff roll down runway 25R was going to be “quite long”. I was beyond-words thrilled to hear this straight from the mouth of the highest-ranking crewmember on this mighty, Flagship route of my favorite airline in the world.
I proceeded to head to seat 29L, where I met my seatmates for the next 15 hours. Seated in the next two seats next to me was a couple from Florida heading Down Under for vacation. They were very nice, and I was thankful to be seated next to them for the long haul.
After a quick pushback and engine start, we slowly lumbered our way all the way down to the threshold of runway 25R. I listened to LiveATC the whole way down, and heard the following transmission:
“Good evening American seventy-three heavy, taxi full length”
“Full length, American seventy-three heavy”
There was no way we were intersecting that night.
DSC_8133 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWhat’s up, AirCal?
DSC_8134 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAt this time, my good spotter friend Bernie Proctor (who I stayed the first two days with in Sydney) was tracking me… Thanks for the screenshot, Bernie!!
DSC_8135 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrPassing some Star metal on the taxi down to 25R
DSC_8139 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrNow at the threshold of 25R. You can almost notice how 823’s wings were bending under all that fuel weight.
“American seventy-three heavy, RNAV DLREY, runway two-five-right, cleared for takeoff”
“Cleared for takeoff, American seventy-three heavy”
Slowly, our mighty dual GEnx engines roared to life, and after a very long takeoff roll as promised, we gracefully lifted off into the beautiful Southern California night.
“American seventy-three heavy contact SoCal departure, goodnight”
DSC_8142 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAs we climbed through the night sky and distanced ourselves from the southern California coast, I unglued my face from the window and explored the extensive IFE selections. Being in a rather festive and cheery mood, I watched the entirety of Home Alone 2 for approximately the 100th time.
DSC_8144 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrYup, there’s not much to see
DSC_8147 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWatching Kevin McAlester get separated from his family down the H/K split at ORD will never get old…
DSC_8147d by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAhh… you’ve gotta love those vintage AA widebody first class seats…
DSC_8147e by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrOne generation of AA metal, being viewed on another, newer generation, all belonging to the same, great airline.
As soon as the McAlester family took off for Paris, dinner was served. The choice was pasta or salmon, and I picked the latter.
DSC_8147f by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrPresentation definitely lacked, but it wasn’t too bad
DSC_8147g by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8147h by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrLooks pretty dark outside
After dinner, I proceeded to close my eyes for a while. I woke up a few hours later and went to the bathroom when the couple next to me did. I tried my best to not bother them by only getting up when they did.
DSC_8147i by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrSeven hours down and less than half way there
DSC_8147k by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrNow fully awake, I killed some time with the Big Bang Theory.
DSC_8147l by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8148 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrLooks beautiful outside
DSC_8150 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8151 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8155 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrSunrise over the Pacific
It was around this time that the fact that I was alone, without my parents, on the other side of the world for the first time hit me. It was an exhilarating feeling.
DSC_8165 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrNotice the two land formations below? After returning to the USA, I spent some time on google maps and discovered their identities. The one on the right is Vatoa, also known as Neda’s Island. It was only island of present-day Fiji that was visited by James Cook.
From Wikipedia:
“Vatoa was the only island of present-day Fiji visited by James Cook. The island as sighted on 2 July 1774. The next day, a Sunday, the Master and some of Cook’s crew went ashore, “thinking to speak with the people not more than 20 in number who were Arm’d with Clubs and Spears, but the moment he set food on Shore they retired, he left ashore some Medals, Nails, and a Knife ….. Near the Reef were seen several Turtle which occasioned my giving that name to the Isle.” Cook’s chart shows the name Turtle Isle.”
Some fascinating history, for sure.
DSC_8167 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8166 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrNow proceeding past Vatoa at FL380
DSC_8168 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrI had to try out the 787-9’s international wifi, even if I didn’t want to pay for it
After scrolling through the extensive selections available, I settled on John Oliver. I had never watched his show before and I found it thoroughly hilarious.
DSC_8169 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrShortly afterwards, breakfast was handed out. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to complain about either. My seatmate purchased it and was able to stream an NFL game, live. I was quite impressed.
DSC_8169a by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8170 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrNot too far out now…
DSC_8171 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrBroad daylight outside while beginning our descent into Sydney
DSC_8172 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8174 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8177 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8181 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrHello Sydney!
DSC_8183 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8185 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrAlready plane spotting even before touchdown
DSC_8188 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrWhat up SYD?
DSC_8189 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrThis Velocity beast whizzed past us while showing off her deafening reverse thrusters
DSC_8194 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
DSC_8196 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrPulling in next to this beast
A few moments later and an even fifteen hours after liftoff from LAX, we docked at gate 31 and ended our lovely transpacific voyage. As everyone got up from their seats, my seatmate realized she had lost her shoe; it took a few minutes of searching underneath the seats around us to find it.
After what seemed like a few minutes of waiting, I slowly trudged my way towards the front of the Dreamliner and, after a quick goodbye to the crew and a quick pat of N823AN’s carbon fiber fuselage, planted my foot on Australian soil for the first time in over four years. It felt good to be back.
DSC_8198 by Amrit Kannan, on Flickr
What a majestic aircraft
DSC_8200 by Amrit Kannan, on FlickrI had to get my customary shot of the bird that had just carried me across the biggest expanse of water in the world
I proceeded to walk past some duty-free shopping areas where a friendly SYD agent handed me a chocolate bar and wished me Merry Christmas. I thanked her and, after a quick visit to the self-service passport scanner and a brief trip through customs and immigration, I exited out of the airport and met up with my good friend and fellow airplane spotter Bernie Proctor, who I would spend the next three days with. Although he hadn’t seen me in four years, he was quick to recognize me, and after a quick handshake, we proceeded to walk to his car. Another spotter friend of his, Thomas Winklhofer, was visiting for Christmas, and the three of us elected to spot for a while before driving to his house. My time in Sydney was phenomenal, and I certainly cannot wait to visit again. I will chronicle my five days there in my next report, which will be highlighted by the next segment I took: SYD-AKL on LATAM’s J product on the 787-9.
My overall impressions of AA long-haul Y were generally positive, though nothing to write home about. The food was adequate and the seats were comfortable. I never felt terribly cramped on the 787-9. I certainly appreciated being granted cockpit visits on my two Dreamliner flights and talking to the very gracious pilots on both segments.
I’ll end with some incredible shots Bernie took of my arrival in Sydney. In my dad’s words, these shots were “vintage Bernie”.
N823AN AA B789 16R YSSY-7650 by Bernie, on Flickr
N823AN AA B789 16R YSSY-7654 by Bernie, on Flickr
N823AN AA B789 16R YSSY-7659 by Bernie, on Flickr
N823AN AA B789 16R YSSY-7666 by Bernie, on Flickr
N823AN AA B789 16R YSSY-7678 by Bernie, on Flickr
N823AN AA B789 16R YSSY-7692 by Bernie, on Flickr
N823AN AA B789 16R YSSY-7682 by Bernie, on FlickrThanks for reading, and as always, comments are welcome and appreciated!
Amrit
