Where was that plane going?

10 replies

lind26

Member since 24 Apr 2014

Total posts 231

A few weeks back at 2000hrs in Phillip Island, a plane flew overhead at a very high altitude. I would say at least 40000 ft. It was going directly South, not in the direction of Tassie or New Zealand.

Where can a jet be heading at that time of night? Very curious as next stop is Antarctica? It was too high up to have taken off in Melbourne.

Bigbird

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 17 Jun 2015

Total posts 40

Qantas charter a 747 a few flights every year out of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for Antarctica flyovers. Maybe this was one of them?

lind26

Member since 24 Apr 2014

Total posts 231

Qantas charter a 747 a few flights every year out of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for Antarctica flyovers. Maybe this was one of them?

At 2000hrs?

aussiflyer

Member since 27 Jan 2016

Total posts 41

Could it have been a delayed QF64 (SYD-JNB)? These often track quite far south.

aussiflyer

Member since 27 Jan 2016

Total posts 41

correction QF63*

lind26

Member since 24 Apr 2014

Total posts 231

Could it have been a delayed QF64 (SYD-JNB)? These often track quite far south.

wow you could right!

ajstubbs

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 15 Mar 2016

Total posts 117

QF63 does track south but that would be very early for it to be tracking south - I thought it usually went to the north of the city. It's definitely not one of the Antarctica charter flights. Mystery!

Last editedby ajstubbs at Nov 01, 2016, 06:45 PM.

Boof

Member since 29 Aug 2013

Total posts 33

It wasn't QF63. In the last four months the latest that QF63 has departed has been 1600hrs on the 30.9.16 and that was too early for this sighting and on this occasion it tracked due south of Sydney before crossing Launy. It was well East of Phillip Island. 


More than likely, as height is really hard to tell in the evening it was an aircraft that was bound for Hobart. Cowes is one of the en-route points on the MEL-HBA route, and both VA1332, QF1509, and JQ713 are all possibilities around that time of night and all would cross Cowes at or above FL250 depending on which runway at MEL was used.  Tonights VA1332 (1.11.16) crossed Cowes at FL310 on climb. 

On the rare occasion that Runway 09 is used at MEL the aircraft are normally headed more South than South East due to the Easterly departure, same for a right hand turn off Runway 16 at MEL (again rare but does happen).

lind26

Member since 24 Apr 2014

Total posts 231

It wasn't QF63. In the last four months the latest that QF63 has departed has been 1600hrs on the 30.9.16 and that was too early for this sighting and on this occasion it tracked due south of Sydney before crossing Launy. It was well East of Phillip Island. 

More than likely, as height is really hard to tell in the evening it was an aircraft that was bound for Hobart. Cowes is one of the en-route points on the MEL-HBA route, and both VA1332, QF1509, and JQ713 are all possibilities around that time of night and all would cross Cowes at or above FL250 depending on which runway at MEL was used.  Tonights VA1332 (1.11.16) crossed Cowes at FL310 on climb. 

On the rare occasion that Runway 09 is used at MEL the aircraft are normally headed more South than South East due to the Easterly departure, same for a right hand turn off Runway 16 at MEL (again rare but does happen).

The mystery deepens

Grannular

Member since 31 Mar 2014

Total posts 283

Next time quickly load up FlightRadar24 and you should find out pretty quickly

markpk

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 29 Nov 2013

Total posts 456

Next time quickly load up FlightRadar24 and you should find out pretty quickly

Agree Grannular - either use map view or AR view and it will give you the flight number and airline (on the free version). 

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