Despite a rapidly growing interest in them, planes have never figured heavily on the pages of this blog, in fact, I can't recall the last time they ever did.
But here they be, and tolerate them you must (or not, it's really up to you).

Anyway, rather than spend hours of time lineside partaking in what passes for a train hobby in 2020, I find myself drawn towards the airport, primarily in search of the final Boeing 747s, and anything else that has been on the endangered list in recent years.

Unless you live under a rock, you would no doubt be suffering the effects of the Coronavirus to some extent or another. Hopefully not in to serious a way.
Stay safe people!

I live right under the runway and have noticed a massive drop in aircraft traffic. However, despite this reduction, intolerable boredom saw me take my chance down on Shep's Mound today.

Turns out that it was worth the 6am effort :-)
Plus there was a social distance of at least 500 metres from anyone else.

Unknown at the time, this arrival of Thai Airways HS-TGA from Thailand was the last time a 747 is likely to be rostered to fly here. According to posts on Farcebook (yeah, yeah, I know), it is likely that 777s will operate once things return to normal.

Polar Boeing 767-3JHF(ER) N643GT lands.

Consecutively numbered (if that matters to anyone) Delta N708DN and N709DN touch down within a hour of each other.
I am reliably informed that one was just being used as a freighter, 

possibly for medical supplies.

Aviation beauty.
Atlas Air, Boeing 747-87U(F) N856GT, lands in Sydney.
Seems a very realistic possibility that the freighters will be the only 747s we regularly see here very soon.

Three 767s at Sydney Airport.
Not at the airport enough to know how common three 767s are, but it is indeed rare enough for me to ensure all those juices started to flow..

L to R:
VH-EFR - Owned by QANTAS Freight
N643GT - Polar Air Cargo, operated for DHL.
VH-EXZ - Owned by DHL, leased to Tasman Cargo.

Have long had a fascination for these little BAe-146-300s, but have always had absolutely no luck in getting photos of them. The few times I have seen them, I've either been driving, or without camera. :-(
So VH-NJM and VH-NJZ in the one morning was an added bonus.

A familar sight at Sydney Airport for so many decades, but very soon to end.
If Farcebook rumours (yeah, yeah.....I know) are to be believed, this may be very close to her last flight. Though, as I type this (13:42 27/3/2020), she is on her way back from Johannasburg and expected to land around 16:30.
Boeing 747-438ER VH-OEI

A couple of Tigers caged in at Sydney Airport.

Tiger Airways, Airbus A320-232 VH-VNH and VH-VNO

Got plenty of shots all ready, but can always use another 'Retro Roo'.
QANTAS B737-838 VH-VXQ 'Retro Roo II'

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Brad's Mound - Sydney Airport (Facebook Page)

Philippine / Australia Aviation Fans (Facebook)

Stay safe everyone!

Video of the great farewell as Jumbo VH-OJU departs for Los Angeles and retirement from QANTAS.

Rumour has it that she is going to Rolls Royce 

for test purposes.

Time will tell I guess.

 VH-ZXG

Taken during some promotional photography for a business I was managing at the time.

1992 - Delivered to British Airways
2000 - to QANTAS
2013 - withdrawn and stored (Kansas City)
2014 - sold to KMW Leasing
2014 - lease to Paraguay Airlines was not taken up.
2014 - leased to Dynamic Airways (USA). They still have a fleet of six 767s.

KOREAN AIR 747-8B5

  Spring has sprung and Korean Air celebrates by sending their awesome new B748s our way.

Sadly, this is only a temporary thing, with the airline expected to start throwing the far less attractive A380 our way for summer.

OPERATION ADOBO #7

THE GREAT PHILIPPINE RETURN!

  It had been six years since I last step foot in the Philippines, a combination of a few things leading to the break.
Like the last run, it was to be only short. Eight days was my limit and much had to be packed into this time. A 20th anniversary party, catching up with many friends (new and old) and time out photographing the transport.
  Transport wise, not a huge amount has changed over the past six years.
  The national railways (PNR) struggle on with little government funding and the overhead systems struggle to cope with patronage well beyond that which they were designed for.
  Services to Calamba, touted by PNR back in 2011, have still yet to eventuate. As does the return of the Bicol Express.
  LRT1 and MRT3 are still not connected, either direct or through a common station. While a whole fleet of Chinese vehicles mean't for the MRT3, still langish at the north end of the system, awaiting the day they can be laced in service to assist with the ridiculous peak hour crowds.
  Point to Point (P2P) buses have become a popular part of the Philippine transport scene, but they are subject to the same horrid traffic problems as the normal services are.

  I am currently working of a trip report, a link for which will appear here. However, over the coming weeks the Semi-Retired Foamer will be showing many of the shots taken during this momentous event.

ENJOY

  We start with Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport prior to departure.

The Semi-Retired Foamer, after around seven years, is giving in to the pressure and hatred that exists in Facebook and taking a good long, and quite indefinite, break from that horrid little world.

It is quite surprising how this hatred can drag you down to it's level and then beat the bollocks out of you.

My interests have already been taken far away from rail, however, while I still have the desire to work on a couple of major railway projects, I am planning to put this newly found time to good use.

If there is one piece of good advise I can give. When using Facebook beware, not everyone out there has good intentions for you. It is an incredible tool for keeping in touch with friends, sharing photos and especially researching.

However, a little bit of effort from anyone who may harbour ill intentions, can see lives manipulated and ruined.

Far to often, I feel the hobby tends to forget it is mean't as a fun pastime.

Be good to each other.

RP-C3347 seen in the revised Cebu Pacific livery.