Upon arriving at Perth Airport Terminal 4 around 5am (before sunrise), I completed check-in using the electronic kiosks and bag drop, then proceeded through security checks to the Departure Lounge.

After taking a number of aircraft photos of Qantas aircraft from Terminal 4, I proceeded through the walkway to Terminal 3 and my gate.

Flight QF1060 was leaving from Gate 19 (Bay 19) at Terminal 3. Since the terminal was modified for international flights earlier this year, it is no longer possible to get decent aircraft photos from that part of Terminal 3 as there is now an international walkway along the windows with another pane of glass. I was able to get a quick photo through a window in the aerobridge as we boarded.

My aircraft was Qantas Boeing 737-838 VH-VZA ‘Port Augusta’ (MSN 34195/2502). VH-VZA is ten years old, having been first test flown by Boeing in Seattle as N1786B on 21 January 2008, but the next day was marked as N1779B. It was the first Qantas 737-838 painted in the then-new ‘New Roo’ livery and was the 37th Boeing 737 delivered new to Qantas. It was delivered from Seattle (Boeing Field) – Honolulu – Nadi – Melbourne on 9 – 11 February 2008, and entered service on 15 February 2008, initially with 12 Business Class seats and 156 Economy, but in January 2016 was reconfigured with 12 Business and 162 Economy seats.In April 2018, VH-VZA was repainted into the revised ‘Silver Roo’ Qantas livery. It is equipped with overhead screens for In Flight Entertainment, plus Wifi to passenger’s devices.

I boarded the aircraft at Gate 19 (Terminal 3) at 6:04am, sitting at seat 29A, 2nd window from back on the left side. Alongside at bay 20 was a Qantas Boeing 737-838 in special Aboriginal livery, VH-XZJ ‘Mendoowoorrji’.

We pushed back from bay 19 at 6:20am for engine start and taxied along the apron and taxiway V to runway 06, with some rain showers in the area.

VH-VZA took off from runway 06 at 6:30am, headed east north east (074 degrees) as it climbed through the clouds and towards the pre-dawn glow on the horizon. We climbed to our cruise altitude of 35,000 feet, which we reached at 6:49am, approximately 240 kilometres ENE of Perth, 23 kilometres NNE of Merredin.

We only stayed at cruise altitude for 6 minutes, commencing descent at 6:55am, approximately 345km ENE of Perth, 27 kilometres NNE of Southern Cross.

Around 45km NNW of Kalgoorlie Airport, the aircraft turned to head towards the airport, then turned SSE onto the downwind leg for runway 29, before turning left and joining the approach.

We landed on runway 29 at Kalgoorlie Airport at 7:17am, after being in the air for only 47 minutes. The same trip by car takes just over 6 hours.

After obtaining special permission to get some cockpit photos, I got off the aircraft at 7:33am.

Kalgoorlie to Perth: QantasLink flight QF1609 on Fokker 100 VH-NHK: 20 June 2018

I checked-in at Kalgoorlie and as usual, the security check required me to remove my shoes (which isn’t required at Perth).

Qantas flight QF1609 was leaving from Gate 1.

My aircraft was Fokker 100 VH-NHK (MSN 11318) – the same aircraft I flew on this exact aircraft for the same flight QF1609 on 2 February 2018. VH-NHK was ordered by American Airlines in 1988, and first flown on 28 June 1993 as PH-EZJ. It was delivered to American Airlines as N1453D on 27 July 1993. It served the airline for 10 years, before being stored in February 2004. It was leased to Avianca in Colombia as HK-4430-X from May 2006 to March 2012. It then returned to the Netherlands, being registered PH-AQB. It was sold to Qantas Airways (leased to Network Aviation) as VH-NHK and delivered to Perth on 29 July 2012, entering service a few days later.

I boarded the aircraft at bay 1, Kalgoorlie Airport at 1:59pm, sitting at seat 10A, just ahead of leading edge of the left wing. Parked next to VH-NHK was VH-YFT Boeing 737-8FE (MSN 41028/5557) of Virgin Australia, named ‘Admiral’s Arch’, preparing to depart at 2:12pm as flight VA1854 back to Perth.

We started engines and taxied out at 2:17pm, and lined up on Kalgoorlie Airport’s runway 29.

As we taxied out, VH-YFT took off.

VH-NHK took off from runway 11 at 2:23pm, and then turned left, with Kalgoorlie and its airport visible aft of the left wing as we headed southwest towards Perth.

The aircraft passed over a few gold mines shortly after departing Kalgoorlie.

We reached the cruise altitude of 28,000 feet at 2:39pm, about 62 kilometres SW of Southern Cross. The aircraft stayed at cruise altitude for just 21 minutes, before commencing the descent at 3.00pm, 37 kilometres west of Corrigin and 148 kilometres ESE of Perth.

VH-NHK passed over the Perth hills and the southern suburbs of Perth, before turning right. Rockingham and Garden Island were visible, and the ocean was very calm and mirror-like in the distance.

We had a fairly good view of Jandakot Airport, the Canning and Swan Rivers, and Perth city during the approach to Perth Airport’s runway 03.

We landed on runway 03 at 3:20pm. Total flight time was 57 minutes.

VH-NHK exited runway 03 at taxiway A6, then taxied along taxiways A and D, before parking at Bay 8, Terminal 4 at 3:25pm. I left the aircraft at 3:31pm.