Airliner World – May 2018

46 AIRLINER WORLD JUNE 2018

Attending the Qantas arrival event
several hours earlier had led me –
accidentally – to become the first
fare-paying passenger to check in
for a direct UK to Australia service. I
had already checked in online, so
this was effectively just the bag drop.
Nevertheless, for some unknown
reason my seat was reallocated at this
point but, as I still had my preferred
window place, but now on the port side
of the aircraft, it was of no real conse-
quence. With just one bag to check in,
the process – complete with receiving
security questions and departure
information – was over in a minute,
but due to my ‘first person’ situation,
the paperwork/boarding pass handover
sequence was repeated for the
photographers at the request of the
Western Australia tourist board.
A TV interview, also for the tour-
ist board, followed immediately
afterwards.
My early check-in meant there
was still four hours to departure so,
knowing the gate information wouldn’t
be shown on the display screens until
about an hour before the flight, I put off

passing through security so that I could

watch the Qantas PR team welcome

their 200+ passengers in joyful mood

on this special day.

Later, it was time to see the star of

the show – Qantas’ Boeing 787-9

Dreamliner, VH-ZND, parked at Gate 1,

of Terminal 3’s Pier 20, ten years and

one week after the same location

was used to host the London hub’s

first passenger A380 service by

Singapore Airlines.

It was appropriate that this special

intercontinental flight should be

performed by a particularly striking

looking aircraft. It looked magnificent

in its red and white indigenous art liv-

ery and even the title was suitably

‘dreamy’ for a 787, being based on the

painting Yam Dreaming by the late artist

Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Just prior to

boarding Qantas staff handed out

commemorative cupcakes and helped

travellers with props for their group

photographs. The Beefeater, etc, were

there again. The six-foot tall Kangaroo

left numerous small children spell-

bound, and there was even a

cardboard cut-out window frame

with the words “I’m flying nonstop to

Australia!” being passed around the

crowd to provide another photo

opportunity. Social media must have

been buzzing with these images.

With all the celebrations under way I

had begun to wonder if the 13:15 depar-

ture might be delayed but, in the event,

QF10, under the command of Captain

Andrew Simpson, pushed back three

minutes early by my watch.

After Senior First Officer

Jim Eaglen had

introduced the

crew and

It was appropriate

that this special

intercontinental flight

should be performed

by a particularly striking

looking aircraft...

ABOVE AND BELOW  Boeing

787-9 VH-ZND (c/n 63390) is

the latest in Qantas’ Flying

Art series. Based on the

work ‘Yam Dreaming’ by

late Northern Territory artist

Emily Kame Kngwarreye, the

striking livery was adapted

by design studio Balarinji.

ABOVE LEFT  Australian and

Union flags are waved as the

Dreamliner arrives on stand

at Heathrow.