Air NZ B777 and other aircraft at Wellington

Pictures from today are [mostly] a little different.

First up is an Air NZ-operated Boeing 777-19, ZK-OKA, which arrived and departed this morning. I understand it was on a charter.

Boeing 777-219, ZK-OKA, operated by Air NZ

Next up is a Mount Cook Airline [Air NZ] operated ATR-GIE ATR72-600, ZK-MVC.

ATR-GIE ATR72-600, ZK-MVC, operated by Mount Cook Airline/ Air NZ

A rather unusual visitor operating around Wellington was this Royal New Zealand Navy-operated Kaman SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite, NZ3617.

Kaman SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite, NZ3617, operated by RNZAF/ RNZN

Last up is something completely different - a Beechcraft B300, ZK-PWL, operated by Cubro Ltd of a Tauranga address.

Beechcraft B300, ZK-PWL, operated by Cubro Ltd

Europe Trip 2011 #15: Leaving Heathrow on Air NZ

After a little over 3 weeks, I'm back in New Zealand. I arrived back earlier today, with very little sleep and suffering for it, although I am trying to stay up for another hour or so before hitting the sack to minimise the effects of jetlag.

Anyway, the trip back. The flight was NZ38 on Air New Zealand, Heathrow [EGLL], Hong Kong [VHHH] (for a brief stop) then on to Auckland [NZAA]. I then caught a domestic AirNZ flight from Auckland to Wellington [NZWN]. The international portion was on a Boeing 777-219ER, ZK-OKA, as per the first photo from Heathrow.

Unlike the trip over, standby upgrades were not available, although this was no problem as I had one of the best economy class seats on the aircraft, with no seat directly in front of me. Perhaps some of the exit row seats were marginally better, but I'm very happy with what I had. As usual, the food was good, the flight attendants very good, and apart form the lack of sleep [I never seem to sleep well on aircraft], a good way to get from A to B.

There are just 2 photos from Heathrow - the Air NZ aircraft and a South African Airways aircraft - I think that this is an Airbus A330-243, ZS-SXY, but I can't be sure [and very happy to be corrected].

My next post will contain the photos from Hong Kong, and that'll be it for the trip. Enjoy!

Europe Trip 2011 #1: Wellington to London - the trip

Well, I've made it. all the way from Wellington to London in a little over 30 hours. Add in that I was awake for the preceding 10 hours, and that I only got 2-3 hours of broken sleep on the plane, it's a wonder that I feel human this morning!

The flights themselves were really good. The sectors were Wellington [ICAO code: NZWN] - Auckland [NZAA], Auckland - Hong Kong [VHHH] and Hong Kong to London Heathrow [EGLL]. I checked it out and no airline [that I could find] coukld get me from Wellington to London in a quicker time.

Air New Zealand gave me my requested standby upgrades [at effectively NZD$220 each] for both international sectors which was awesome, albeit with a window seat each time. Still, on the Hong Kong to London sector, the middle seat was free, so heaps of room to stretch out and relax and only one person to climb over :-) The service was great and it's a nice relaxing was to travel... now for a free upgrade to try business class? I don't think so somehow :-) All in all, well worth the extra dollars [Airports dollars anyway] for the upgrade!

Anyway, here are the first photos. Just three this time - the first light as we near Hong Kong, just after landing in Hong Kong and a picture of the Air NZ Boeing 777-219, ZK-OKA, that I traveled on all the way to London. You'll probably notice the engine... it is HUGE - an amazing piece of engineering.

The next post [when I get around to it] will have photos of many of the airlines I saw at Hong Kong.