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There aren't all that many choices before you start looking for RNZAF bases. We did, at one stage have approval to use one of them, but I have no idea if that's still the case (or if it would even have been helpful). The problem with Christchurch is that it's 480 odd miles in the wrong...

More likely to boring than anything else.

The flight was planned at something like 8:20. The limit under the "opspec" was 8:30, but with no extension. The normal limits would have allowed 2 man to 8 hours, but with an extension possible to 9 hours (at the crew's discretion, not the company). The third pilot took it to 11 hours flight...

The fact that other aircraft were landing is completely irrelevant. All that tells you is that the weather was above the minima, and it tells you nothing about how it relates to the alternate criteria. In very simple terms, the minima might be a cloud base of 500', but the requirement for an...

Where there is only one service involved, it's pretty straightforward. It becomes much more complicated when you've got many longer flights, spread over a week or so. The old QF 767 and A330 services around Asia are good examples. The obvious need for the third pilot comes up when any duty, or...

Historically, there were two timings 4 to 4, and 10 to 10. There were none downline. Bases may, or may not, have something. 9 times out of 10, they could fill a call out in less time, simply by ringing around. Domestic used this, and had no standby at all.

From the point at which they diverted, it's only marginally further to Auckland, so I'd suspect not. But, you never know.

1530UTC is 0130 in Sydney. I'm not sure of how they schedule standby these days (basings would have changed that), but there wouldn't be anyone available at that time of day. Probably not until around 6am in Sydney, and even then it's a 3 hour call out. No, not ever possible. I just looked at...

Odd logic. They haven’t run out of hours in flight. But, having diverted, they’ve got an hour or so on the ground, and then a flight to Auckland. So that’s about 3-4 hours more than the normal JFK to AKL duty time. You cannot start a flight knowing that you’ll be in breach of the hours. This...

You say that as if it’s some sort of bonus. Wow….

I don’t get this. You’d complain if they didn’t go, and you’re complaining because they are?

I don't think I've ever gone anywhere near that far off track....

Ideal routes go over the Black Sea and southern Russia. They’ve been pushed progressively south as things heat up. Well, they aren’t all that likely to put out a NOTAM. In any event, the chance of being hit by a climbing missile is close enough to zero. The issue would be defensive systems, and...

When you use hours, instead of the alternatives, I like your optimism.

Largely valueless....which is why they give them away.

Full time for the airline, part time RAAF. There was some sort of military reserve leave, but I don’t know how much that would have helped. You could also bid for a minimum flying line, but that was only about 10% less than usual. Basically he was being a fighter pilot on his days off. Quite...

This system didn't exist in my time, but apparently it's possible to change to a stream within the military in which you won't be promoted beyond Squadron Leader, but will be able to stay flying in the longer term. I don't think they generally mean this long though. But, the promotions I was...

He didn't. He actually joined QF. He lived in Perth, and delayed all of his promotions, so that he'd be senior enough to make flying out of Pearce as a reservist viable.

The US’s version of “open skies” translates as your open skies, not ours. Qatar, amongst others were very quick to fire their expats during covid. Whilst I’m sure some are back, it will be treated with more wariness than in the past. In any event, expats come from everywhere. The saddest part...

The g loadings that were reported were quite extraordinary. The better part of -2g, is something that you'd normally struggle to achieve. So, that screams 'cell' to me. Also, I'll be very interested to hear just what happened with the autopilot.