Air New Zealand DC10-30 Flight to Nuku`alofa

[mzoe]

Hi All!

This time I like to present this nice 1974 Livery of Air New Zealand on a flight from Auckland to Tonga Island.
As the weather on this flight was not that what normal is to expected i have focused on the plane itselfs and some different camera angles.
Promise to make another one in nice weather conditions soon.

NFTF is an interesting airport offering an VOR DME Approach. There are some limitations on Aircraft with permissions to land, since the conrete of the rwy can not take to much load in landings and take offs.
I read, that nowadays there is only a service from ANZ with a B767. (Datas from Wikipedia).

Any way, have fun an try it yourself. Can anyone recommend a scenery for this area for FS9? Let me know.

Saludos

Michael

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

I read, that nowadays there is only a service from ANZ with a B767. (Datas from Wikipedia).

"NO" .... the final B767 (-300 ER wL) was parted out of AIR NEW ZEALAND fleet late last year .... and the B767-200´s went many years before them.

So far as I´m aware .... AIR NEW ZELAND have "never" operated the B767 into Nuku´Álofa/Kingdom Of Tonga .... although the RWY there was extended during the 1990´s to take large aircraft, but, save for ROYAL TOMGAN AIRLINES brief association with B757-200 nothing larger than the the B737-200/300/400/500 have ever serviced the island "as a regular scheduled operation".... although both HAWAIIAN AIRLINES, and SOUTH PCIFIC ISLAND AIRWAYS, did operate "infrequent seasonal/Christamas charters" to Nuku´Álofa using DC-8-63 and B707-320B aircraft respctively during 1985 .... operating there from Auckland and Pago Pago/American Samoa respectively.

So far as I´m also aware lso .... AIR NEW ZELAND "never" operated the DC-10-30 into Nuku´Alofa either (but in FS one take almost anything anywhere .... I know ) .... BUT .... the DC-10-30´s "DID" operate the airlies scheduled services from Auckland, and from Los Angeles, to Nandi/Fiji, Pago Pago/American Samoa, Rarotonga/Cook Islands, Papeete/Tahiti, and Honolulu/Hawaii .... in both directions .... and weekly throughout the 1970´s and into the early 1980´s.

Just a wee bit of airport/RWY trivial concerning Auckland (AKL/NZAA) ....

The 23/05 RWY is "the principle RWY" at Auckland. The main taxi-way was widened during the late 1990´s to accomodatte the A380 and also act as a 2nd RWY .... if ever needed .... hence 23L/05R and 23R/05L RWY designations that may be represented on more recent JEPPESEN charts .... BUT TECHNICALLY SPEAKING .... Auckland only has "one RWY" .... albeit desiganted 23L/05R. The main taxi-way .... able to be engaged as RWY 23R/05L .... has only been used on 2 occasions since the late 1990´s when large sections of the main RWY were undergoing maintenance .... and of course it would also become available if the ever main RWY were closed due to an accident or other serious event.

Mark C
BOG/CO
&
AKL/NZ

[Nathan Ford - HJG]

Michael, I enjoyed watching your video reliving the romantic days of “The Pacific’s Number One” into Nadi. Great choice of music too.

Mark, you are going to have to talk to someone about getting the runway resurfaced at NZAA, It seems pretty “munted” (I learnt that word on a Christchurch overnight last week!)  just look at those wheels bounce around!

Thanks again for sharing,

cheers,

Nathan.

[mzoe]

Hello Mark,

thank you for the interesting inputs from a "Local"! I read some more about this and found out that there was a plan for a extension in NZAA to use Taxiway A (Rwy05L 23R)for the rise of Air traffic on this aiport. This plans were suspended in 2010.
For Nuku alofa i also read that ANZ is planing a new routing from Auckland with the new 787-9! I the moment the larges plane there is a 737-800. A look into the flightplan gives you the impression that there is not so much traffic over there. From one to 4 Flights daily only served by ANZ, Fiji Airways, Virgin Australia, Talofa Airways on international routes. The domestic carrier is Real Tonga.

Nathan: Thank you for watching, I dont know what that bouncing is... Get this on some airport with add on Models.. some time the AC are jumping when leaving the runway towards the taxiways. Think there is a problem with the flatten of the scenery area, but I am not so involved in that scenery design.

Greeting and hava a good time!

Michael

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Mark, you are going to have to talk to someone about getting the runway resurfaced at NZAA, It seems pretty “munted” (I learnt that word on a Christchurch overnight last week!) just look at those wheels bounce around

I see you noticed that too .... and I´m sure Michael did also .... as I have myself as well using the default M$FS AKL/NZAA main taxiway aka RWY 05/23R. The reason that "bouncing" is evident is because of the way M$ have compiled that particular surface in FS. As I recall .... M$ represents it as ashphalt which is precisely what it´s "not". I think there may be some FS airport scenery add-ons that renovate AKL/NZAA and resolve this "bouncing" issue on that particular surface, but, the default M$FS representation of AKL/NZAA is nothing like our airport is in reality .... save for it´s Manakau Harbour shoreline locality which is quite accurately represented.

I read some more about this and found out that there was a plan for a extension in NZAA to use Taxiway A (Rwy05L 23R)for the rise of Air traffic on this aiport. This plans were suspended in 2010.

Other than the temporary/impromptu (and probably quite unsatisfactory too .... from an airline operations stndpoint) main txiway/RWY 05L/23R solution .... a 2nd RWY (designations not defined, but, assuming very similar headings, was planned for AKL/NZAA .... to be located qute some distance away from the current RWY and main taxiway (as it stands at the moment RWY 05L/05R and 23L/23R "cant" ever be used as operating parallel RWY´s due to insufficient seperation between both. When we get 2 A380´s in right behind each other (and I have seen this a number of times) then the first aircraft must roll "full length" on the main RWY and then "hold" off the RWY .... whilst the following aircraft lands and is then gets preferential clearance to the gate ahead of the firest arrival .... simply because there´s insufficient "legal" wing tip clearance if both aircraft were ever to pass parallel to each other), but, as you correctly state these 2nd RWY plans have since been "suspended" despite initial foundation work having been commenced .... and despite the fact a 2nd RWY "is" probably needed due to the huge volume of both domestic and international traffic now handled by AKL/NZAA.

For Nuku alofa i also read that ANZ is planing a new routing from Auckland with the new 787-9! I the moment the larges plane there is a 737-800. A look into the flightplan gives you the impression that there is not so much traffic over there. From one to 4 Flights daily only served by ANZ, Fiji Airways, Virgin Australia, Talofa Airways on international routes. The domestic carrier is Real Tonga.

"IF" .... AIR NEW ZELAND does ever operate its B787´s to Nuku´Alofa in the fututure .... then .... that would likely put these aircraft in range of LAX both ways (Nuku´Alofa does have the fiel length) .... or certainly in the the case of their being operated to LAX via HNL. Currently .... NZ´s B787-9´s can´t cant fly AKL/LAX "direct" .... or so I understand. ´We crammed something in the vicinity of 330 seats into our B787-9´s and to fly the route "direct" .... like AA´s B787-9´s are currently doing .... we´d apparently have pull out more than 30 seats in order to aid being able to do so (seats we need on other routes) .... or so I´ve been told.

I forgot about the B737-800´s going into Tonga/Tongatapu.

Haven´t heard of TALOFA AIRWAYS .... but ... it sounds like something from one of the 2 Samoa´s.

I think you´ll find the Tongan national airlne is/was "ROYAL TONGAN AIRLINES". They did commence international services from the early 1990´s using a B737-200 and then a B737-400 chartered from SOLOMON AIRLINES .... and which was replaced with a B757-200 leased from ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES for a short time during the mid/late 1990´s .... and which was also then replaced with a B737-300 by the late 1990´s. I don´t think they/ROYAL TONGAN AIRLINES ever did well in respect of their attempted international services. The airline ceased operations during 2004. There´s not a lot of traffic that goes into, or out of, Nuku´Alofa at any time .... despite the Tongan islands group having much tourist potential which their local economy needs .... and most of what does go in there goes through AKL/NZAA first.

Mark C
BOG/CO
&
AKL/NZ

[Herman]

Nice video Michael and interesting accompanying comments.

Herman