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Well today was the first day of my new resolution to get myself a bit more in shape before heading to the USA. I want to be able to walk a lot further without feeling like utter crap. So with that every sunday (dependant upon work if i have to work a sunday i’ll just change the days) i will be walking a good 45 mins or so (around 3-4k). The route that i will take and can very depending upon how much time it will take takes me along the notorious Kedron Bike Path (i think someone got stabbed on it) and through the lovely back streets of Everton Park. If i start picking up my time ill just extend my route on the bike path longer or maybe do a one way on the bike path (which is 6.8k).

I can tell you what though, it’s tiring, cause i feel like utter shit at the moment although better than when i walked in. I think i need better shoes cause the ones i was wearing are killing my feet. Might have to go get new ones. But my time to beat next week is 46mins 41 seconds. I am not sure really how much it is gonna do each week but I am hoping it at least will help me feel like I am not going to die every time i have to walk somewhere.

Other news this week, Ross an old friend of mine is off to Brunei for about a week (bastard) and he gets a free upgrade to Business class. So if you know anyone travelling from Brunei to Brisbane next sunday, tell them to go Business class… muahahahaha (sorry buddy but its just unfair :P). Last night I was at Flora’s birthday party of which I will upload some photos later on. It was good although i piked early cause i was feeling tired after working since 8am yesterday. Flora was up belly dancing and so was Nav (which was hilarious).

The spotting photos have been updated on my webspace with 6 new shots taken this week while chasing the China Eastern charter. One day soon i might go down and try and chase the China Airlines A330-200 and see if I can get it. Also Eva Air i still don’t have. Now that I have the Emirates 773 and the Thai 772 new colours I need something new to chase (that is apart from Brunei’s RBK & RBF for Ross).

*edit*

Flora’s Birthday
Spotters Photos

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Lots of stuff to update this time.  My dearest friend Morgan has returned to the country making me a very happy chappy.  It is great to have her back not only because its good to have her close by but i missed having a decent conversation with her.  Now that she is only an hour away in Sydney it is so much easier than on the other side of the planet.

Other friend related news is Michelle F from my fantastic Contiki crew is heading downunder for New Years in Sydney.  Hopefully she can make it up to Brisbane for a day or more and we can catch up.  It would be awesome to see her again.  Speaking of Contiki I have booked my next one… well Two.  On the 30th of August 2007 I will be flying to the good old US of A.

I will be heading over to Auckland first on my trip to LA.  I will be flying with Air New Zealand and United Airlines.  While in the USA i will be doing two Contiki tours.  First will be the Grand Southern departing LA on the 1st of September.  Along the way I will visit Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Dallas, New Orleans, Orlando, Washington DC and then finally arriving into New York on the 24th of September.  On the 25th of September i start my Big Apple Explorer tour and that will take me till the 28th of September before i start my long journey home from New York’s JFK Airport.  I am hoping to get a chance to do some spotting while I’m away.  Hopefully at either JFK or LAX.

On the topic of spotting went out today to the airport and got some spotting done.  It had been a while since I had been out so needed to get out.  Wasn’t that great for shots.  About the only good thing about the day was getting a shot of the HeavyLift Belfast.  I have been chasing that beast for so long and finally got a shot.  Gave my new Tripod a work out on Saturday night by taking it up to Mt Cootha.  Been testing out shooting in RAW format and the conversion process but we will see how things go.  I want to end up entering a photo of mine into the Ekka next year but who knows if that is going to happen.

Its late im outta here.

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So while i was in sydney last weekend for some family stuff I ended up spending a few hours at the Esky Bar in Sydney. For those that don’t know, and i’m assuming its pretty much everyone, The Esky bar is at the Sydney International Terminal and it is part of their observation deck. It’s right up the top of the terminal overlooking the runway. Great spot for some photos. Sydney gets a lot of planes we don’t get up here so this was my first chance to finally enjoy what a lot of people rave about. I wasn’t really going to head to Sydney for the annual spotters weekend in February. When i got up to the esky bar.. my mind changed.

During the time i was up there i got photos of the following:
* Virgin Atlantic A340-600
* Austrian 777?
* Lan Chile A340
* British Airways 747-400
* Thai 747-400
* Singapore Airlines 747-400
* Rex Saab 340
* Air NZ Star Alliance A320.

All in all it was a good couple of hours. I was very very happy with the spotting at sydney. I am now considering heading down for the spotters weekend. Trying out the different locations, enjoying myself for a couple of days. Who knows.. might even get some photos i could possibly sell.. HAH yeah right.

*edit* I was convinced by Michelle to upload some pics so here they are. Please note they are not touched up straight from the camera. Here

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How hard can it be to get a shot of one plane. I have for ages been trying to get a shot of the Thai airways aircraft. It only comes in 3 days a week. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. All days i generally work. So thats hurdle number 1. Finding a day off that i can get down to the airport to get a shot of it has become pretty hard. Then problem number 2. Thai are currently repainting their fleet and only HALF of the aircraft flying into Brisbane have been repainted. So that means of the 3 flights a week i have a 50% chance i’m going to get one of the new looking aircraft.

So i take on this challenge today. I check the usual www.bne.com.au board for arrivals and departures today and notice that its gonna be early. But then i also notice that the Garuda flight is going to be mega later (about an hour). So i think “better get moving now then.”

Off to the airport i toddle. Get out there fix the camera up ready get it all ready to go and i can see a nice big aircraft on approach from the south and i’m thinking “Garuda must of picked up some time” as it was approaching. I’m standing there all alone on this pad in the middle of the airport on my ladder… looking like an idiot as i see this nice big aircraft on approach.. white body.. blue tail.. two engines.. looks a bit big for an A330 but its gotta be Garuda…. WRONG

ZK-OKE! Air New Zealands newst 777-200. I was like WHAT A DAY! If i can get the Thai new colours i’ll be having the best day ever. So right behind OKE is the Garuda A330… Looks pretty good… Then I can see the Thai A330 off the in distance.. praying that its new colours and hoping that the camera is set up right. Its coming closer… White body… Purple strip running down the length of the body……. DAMN! Old Colours 🙁

So now i have to try and find another time to go down to the airport and get one of the new colour aircraft. Probably also the last time i’ll get a chance to go spotting till i get back when its time for the YBBN BBQ.

pretty tired at the moment 🙁

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Aborted take offs, Air Pacific 747-400, Avis Budget Jetstar, Dominos Jetstar, Alliance F100 and the Qantas Q400 all in the span of 90 minutes.

So many different aircraft in such a short period of time. Yesterday was a fantastic day for spotting. I wasn’t going to go out till i found out that Air Pacific were sending in their specially painted 747-400, i thought to myself “I have to go!” So off I went camera in hand with step ladder in the other and Dad joined me as well to test out his new camera.

Spoke to Lloyd (my friend Brendan’s father, who also works in my team) while i was out there and awaited the arrival of the Air Pacific jumbo. First thing to happen was a Qantas A330 aborted take off. I thought to myself what more could happen today its turning out to be a good day. Then while the Fire engines were screaming off after the A330 everyone comes running over to the fence and I thought it was because of the fire engines and the A330 but i was wrong. Sitting in prime position in front of the spotters area was the Qantas Dash 8 Q400. I didn’t even recognise it!!! The day was continuing to improve.

Next big thing for me was I then heard that Avis Budget Jetstar was on finals to land and on Runway 19 that meant that the Avis side and I had been chasing a picture like that for months!!! The day was getting better by the minute. Next plane after avis was an Alliance F100 and i had never seen that one so another one added to the list. Finally Air Pacific arrives with 20 or so people crowded around the spotters area with cameras and watching this beauty land i heard that the Dominos Jetstar was going to leave.

After waiting what felt like a life time (prolly 10 minutes) for the Dominos Jetstar to finally taxi away from the Terminal I got some fantastic shots of this aircraft. I thought about waiting round for the Air Pacific to leave but then I just decided. Why ruin such a good day of spotting by waiting around for a while, I’ve enjoyed myself so far why ruin it.

That to me was worth the hassle of 90 minutes in the sun trying to steady myself on what felt like a flimsy step ladder.

To those that have never really seen the spotting part of me… welcome to this side of me.. it doesn’t come out often but when it does, you probably wont understand a word I said.