BEHIND THE SCENES OF QANTAS BOEING 747 400 VH OJA FINAL FLIGHT 8TH MARCH 2015

On the 8th March 2015, the airline's first Boeing 747-400, registered as VH-OJA and named The City of Canberra, made the 15-minute hop from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) to its final resting place at Shellharbour Airport (WOL).

A crowd of thousands was present to cheer on The City of Canberra as the aircraft landed on Shellharbour Airport's short and narrow runway. At just 1,800 meters in length, the runway is less than half the length of that of Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, and its 30-meter width was dwarfed by the Boeing 747-400s mighty 64-meter wingspan.

VH-OJA was delivered new to Qantas in August 1989. Throughout its 26-year career with the airline, the Boeing 747-400 operated over 13,000 flights and carried over four million passengers and the equivalent to 110 round trips to the moon.

The aircraft's final passenger flight took place on January 13th, 2015, from Johannesburg (JNB) to Sydney. The City of Canberra has a history of attracting attention. The aircraft's delivery flight made the headlines in 1989, when it flew non-stop from London Heathrow (LHR) to Sydney. At the time, this set a new record for the world's longest flight by a commercial aircraft - decades before project sunrise was conceived.

VH-OJA is now being cared for by the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), which is based at Shellharbour Airport. Today, HARS runs tours of the aircraft, allowing members of the public to experience the mighty Boeing 747-400 up close and personal. The visit involves carrying out activities normally reserved for qualified crew members, such as arming and cross-checking the doors, making announcements over the PA system, and going through the pre-departure checklist with a pilot.

#aviation #aviationlovers #qantas #boeing747 #airhunter #avgeek

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