VA [Inflight] Wi-Fi

[Boof1]

Not at all Boof! I don’t know everything and also rely on other people’s knowledge to get the right answer. So thank you for that. Unfortunately there’s no company document that tells me which one has the Wifi’s or not so when I first get into the flight deck I’ll check the overhead panel for the system controls. It’ll add 300kg to our take off performance figures if installed.

That's really interesting about the extra weight of the antenna unit and the increase in TO figures. I was only thinking the other day (and was going to put this in the Ask the Pilot thread) what impacts the antenna units had so thanks for sharing!

What I'm more interested in is what is the impact in drag between the VA unit which is quite streamlined, and the QF unit that is quite the bubble? I would imagine the VA unit is much better (of course I don't expect you to be able to compare them). I recall reading years ago that the old Live to Air antenna back in the DJ days had a real impact on fuel burn due to it's size and was one of the reasons that DJ charged for using it and hence also one of the reasons it was canned.

From memory the article mentioned that when DJ approached Live-To-Air they expected to be able to use the same antenna as Jetblue was using in the USA but the Foxtel satellite was different and hence needed a bigger antenna on board. I wish I could find the article I read it in online but I think it was actually a print article in Friday's Australian in the Aviation section about 10 or so years ago when the canned it.

Thanks,
Boof

 

[Bagpuss]

VPD is currently in Singapore getting the Wifi’s and expected completion is the 26th February.

Confirmed, VPD came back and is back is service. VPF is off to Singapore now.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Confirmed, VPD came back and is back is service. VPF is off to Singapore now.

Is that part of a scheduled tech service of some kind? I'd imagine it would be more cost effective to fly key team members to SIN to learn how to fit the sat system over flying every single aircraft to SIN unless they can all rotate as part of standard flights?

 

[moa999]

Virgin does hardly any heavy maintenance in Australia afaik.

No scheduled flights to SIN

 

[AviatorInsight]

Is that part of a scheduled tech service of some kind? I'd imagine it would be more cost effective to fly key team members to SIN to learn how to fit the sat system over flying every single aircraft to SIN unless they can all rotate as part of standard flights?

Correct, this time of year is when scheduled maintenance occurs.

 

[AviatorInsight]

That's really interesting about the extra weight of the antenna unit and the increase in TO figures. I was only thinking the other day (and was going to put this in the Ask the Pilot thread) what impacts the antenna units had so thanks for sharing!

What I'm more interested in is what is the impact in drag between the VA unit which is quite streamlined, and the QF unit that is quite the bubble? I would imagine the VA unit is much better (of course I don't expect you to be able to compare them). I recall reading years ago that the old Live to Air antenna back in the DJ days had a real impact on fuel burn due to it's size and was one of the reasons that DJ charged for using it and hence also one of the reasons it was canned.

From memory the article mentioned that when DJ approached Live-To-Air they expected to be able to use the same antenna as Jetblue was using in the USA but the Foxtel satellite was different and hence needed a bigger antenna on board. I wish I could find the article I read it in online but I think it was actually a print article in Friday's Australian in the Aviation section about 10 or so years ago when the canned it.

Thanks,
Boof

The impact is not as bad you think. I was wrong with the TO figures. It’s only 100kg. For enroute performance and drift down numbers, the aircraft is said to be 400kg heavier for weight penalties. No extra drag performance degradation is applied to the FMC figures for climb, cruise and descent.

The receivers are made by Panasonic and I believe are as streamlined as it comes for the time being. I know QF have gone with a different provider and it’ll be interesting to compare download speeds.

 

[Spook]

I was on VH-YFW on Monday and the inflight internet was working - told my son I could youtube the whole flight and he was awestruck. I didnt have the heart to tell him by the next time he flies and is lucky enough to be on one of the enabled flights it might be too expensive to use.

 

[henrus]

Has anyone been on WiFi enabled flights more recently? I'm yet to come across one and am wondering how it's going. From AUSBT I was under the impression that they're now charging for higher speeds?

 

[AviatorInsight]

Has anyone been on WiFi enabled flights more recently? I'm yet to come across one and am wondering how it's going. From AUSBT I was under the impression that they're now charging for higher speeds?

Correct. Not sure how much though.

 

[DavidFlynn]

Correct. Not sure how much though.

Free for a ‘basic’ slower connection (<1Mbps) and from $9 per flight for high-speed (quoted as up to 13Mbps)

Virgin Australia begins charging for fast WiFi at $9 per flight

 

[jsm2090]

Flew 777 VH-VPD as VA2 on Monday and though I'd read the switch had been flicked on trans-pac flights, there was no mention of wifi on this flight.

 

[DavidFlynn]

Flew 777 VH-VPD as VA2 on Monday and though I'd read the switch had been flicked on trans-pac flights, there was no mention of wifi on this flight.

Yes, it’s up and running, $20 flight pass is good value.

 

[AIRwin]

I was just checking the status of some flights using the old app and noticed that there is a Wi-fi icon against those which are operated by enabled aircraft... This feature seems to be new?

 

[henrus]

I was just checking the status of some flights using the old app and noticed that there is a Wi-fi icon against those which are operated by enabled aircraft... This feature seems to be new?

Interesting... Is it only showing a few days out?

Are you able to share a screenshot to show what it looks like?

Services like Google Flights have been updated to show a wifi logo:
Book flights with confidence | Google Flights

 

[Pleb Status]

If you check flight status via the standard VA website you also get the Wi-Fi logo on selected flights...

Edit: Example below -

 

[AIRwin]

The website and app show flight status info for today (T) and from T-2 to T+3

 

[Pleb Status]

From a bit of digging around using the VA website and FR24, the following 25 73H aircraft appear to be equipped with WiFi -

VH-YFC
VH-YFE
VH-YFF
VH-YFG
VH-YFH
VH-YFI
VH-YFJ
VH-YFK
VH-YFL
VH-YFR
VH-YFW
VH-YFX
VH-YFY
VH-YFZ
VH-YIA
VH-YIB
VH-YID
VH-YIE
VH-YIF
VH-YIG
VH-YVC
VH-YVD
VH-YWA
VH-YWD
VH-YWE

There could be more if they are not in service or flying on routes today where WiFi is not available.

 

[AviatorInsight]

From a bit of digging around using the VA website and FR24, the following 25 73H aircraft appear to be equipped with WiFi -

VH-YFC
VH-YFE
VH-YFF
VH-YFG
VH-YFH
VH-YFI
VH-YFJ
VH-YFK
VH-YFL
VH-YFR
VH-YFW
VH-YFX
VH-YFY
VH-YFZ
VH-YIA
VH-YIB
VH-YID
VH-YIE
VH-YIF
VH-YIG
VH-YVC
VH-YVD
VH-YWA
VH-YWD
VH-YWE

There could be more if they are not in service or flying on routes today where WiFi is not available.

The following aircraft also have the Wifi installed:

VH-YFP
VH-YIL
VH-YIO
VH-YIR
VH-YIS
VH-YIU
VH-YIV
VH-YIY

There's a few aircraft you have mentioned that according to the Fleet Operation Config List that I have, only dated only a week ago, do not actually have the Wifi yet. Perhaps they're actually a little slow in updating the document.

 

[Bagpuss]

I was only thinking the other day, it's unusual not to have a list of the aircraft with internet WiFi installed

Last week I was on VH-YIF, my first internet wifi flight. I was pretty happy with the free service to be honest.

 

[HeavyElectricity]

Looks like it's now available on all the 773s (not sure if the registrations were included in the previous lists):
http://australianaviation.com.au/virgin-australia-offers-wi-fi-on-australia-los-angeles-service/