2 February 2018 © David Eyre

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The author enjoyed the opportunity to fly on Virgin Australia Regional Airlines’ Fokker 100 VH-FWH from Perth to Kalgoorlie, returning to Perth the same day on QantasLink (Network Aviation) Fokker 100 VH-NHK.

A minor inconvenience was that I had to leave my car parked at Terminal 4 on the west side of the airport (as I would be returning there from Kalgoorlie), and catch the free Perth Airport shuttle bus to Terminal 1 Domestic, where I was catching my Virgin Australia flight to Kalgoorlie. The Perth Airport shuttle bus driver was friendly and happy towards the passengers, considering the early time of day! We quickly reached T1 Domestic, with the bus stopping right in front.

Perth to Kalgoorlie: Virgin Australia flight VA1849 on Fokker 100, VH-FWH

Check-in at Terminal 1 Domestic was straightforward, using the electronic check-in kiosks.

Flight VA1849 was leaving from Gate 46 (Bay 146).

My aircraft was Fokker 100 VH-FWH, named ‘Swan River’ (MSN 11318). This aircraft was first flown as PH-EZW in Air Europe livery on 24 November 1990, but delivery to Air Europe was delayed until February 1991 as G-FIDO, but it only served with them for three weeks as they ceased operations on 8 March 1991. The aircraft was stored at Woensdrecht in March 1991 and later registered PH-RRG. In October 1991, it was delivered to Air Ivoire as TU-TIV ‘Bandama’. Six years later, it was put up for sale and returned to the UK for storage in August 1997, and was later registered as G-BXNF. In May 1999, it was registered to Flight West Airlines in Queensland as VH-FWH and was delivered on 29 July 1999. They ceased operations in June 2001 and the aircraft went to Alliance Airlines in August 2002, later named ‘City of Townsville’. It was leased to Air Niugini three times during 2004-2005. On 30 October 2006, it arrived in Perth to operate for BHP Billiton on a FIFO (fly-in / fly-out) contract based in Perth. Alliance Airlines sold the aircraft to Virgin Australia Regional Airlines during July 2015, and the aircraft was repainted and named ‘Swan River’.

I boarded the aircraft at Gate 46 at 6:47am, sitting at seat 9A, a window seat just ahead of the left wing.

Next to us at Bay 147A was VH-VUT Boeing 737-8FE of Virgin Australia.

We pushed back from bay 146 at 6:58am for engine start and taxied along taxiway C to C6, crossed runway 03, then along taxiway A6 and V to line-up on runway 06.

VH-FWH took off from runway 06 at 7:06am, heading northeast past the Perth hills.

There was solid cloud cover below us for most of the trip.

We reached our cruise altitude of 33,000 feet at 7:26am, when we were located roughly 8 kilometres west of Lake Campion.

The aircraft stayed at cruise altitude for just 11 minutes and commenced descent at 7:37am, when we were roughly 10 kilometres east of Lake Deborah East, near Koolyanobbing. The maximum speed was 845 kmh at 7:38am, during the start of descent.

As we descended in cloud and light rain, the aircraft circled once, around 25 kilometres northwest of Kalgoorlie Airport, then landed on runway 11 at Kalgoorlie Airport, at 8:03am

After we parked at Bay 2, I got off the aircraft at 8:11am.

Kalgoorlie to Perth: QantasLink (Network Aviation) flight QF1609 on Fokker 100, VH-NHK

Check-in at Kalgoorlie was again easy, but the security check seemed more excessive than most other airports.

Flight QF1609 was leaving from Gate 1 (Bay 1).

My aircraft was Fokker 100 VH-NHK (MSN 11318). This aircraft 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 1:58pm, sitting at seat 8A, ahead of the left wing.

Engines were started soon after, but we did not taxy out. The Captain advised passengers that Airservices Australia could not locate the flight plan (the crew had a copy in front of them) and the plan had to be resubmitted!

We finally taxied out at 2:17pm, and line up on Kalgoorlie Airport’s runway 11.

VH-NHK took off from runway 11 at 2:22pm, and then turned left, passing the Super Pit gold mine, then back over Kalgoorlie Airport, before we headed southwest towards Perth.

We reached the cruise altitude of 30,000 feet at 2:40pm, when we were roughly 52 kilometres SSW of Southern Cross. The aircraft stayed at cruise altitude for just 13 minutes, before commencing the descent at 2:52pm, 25 kilometres north of Corrigin. The maximum speed reached during this flight was 789 kmh at 2:53pm, as we started descent.

The aircraft passed over the Perth hills and the southern suburbs of Perth, before turning right to land on runway 03 at Perth Airport, at 3:16pm.

VH-NHK exited runway 03 at taxiway D1, then taxied along taxiway H3, before parking at Bay 8, Terminal 4 at 3:24pm.

I left the aircraft at 3:27pm.