My name is Ken Pascoe and I’m the fortunate guy who will be one of the Inaugural Captain’s for V Australia’s first Boeing 777-300ER next week from Sydney to Los Angeles. I’ve decided again to blog the flight, mostly for the benefit of the other hard working deserving staff at V Australia who aren’t fortunate enough to be part of this experience. If you haven’t read about the Delivery Flights – you can do so here.

I have been with V Australia since June 2008 (9 months now) doing everything from training and checking pilots in the simulator, designing lesson content and Standard Operating Procedures, to providing decent coffee and cake at the simulator training centre (thanks to my wife Meg).

With me on this flight will be Captain Tony Dodd,  First Officer Brad Downs and First Officer Martin Khoury.

Well the first V Flight Sydney to Los Angeles (VAU 1, callsign “VeeOz One” due to an inability to register “Velocity” in time), is complete.

The day began early for most of us. Because Meg was flying in from Melbourne, I was at the Sydney Briefing Facility at 11am to drop off my bags before heading over to the Domestic terminal to meet Meg. I was greeted there by (un?)organised chaos as people were opening boxes and moving stuff everywhere (associated with the festivities of the launch flight) while some serious looking meetings were taking place with TSA and CASA (that I steered clear of).

When I got back from the Domestic terminal to V’s international check in, I was greeted by the pomp and celebration of drums and dancing girls as I and a few of the crew tried to negotiate our way through the frenetic throng to get our suitcases checked in. Based on the way we were received, you would have been forgiven for thinking that no-one had anticipated that the crew would need to check in baggage, or should receive some kind of elevated priority to do so …

Up to briefing, where we reports 45 minutes early as requested to give today’s flight the best chance of an OTP. 30 minutes later we had a flight plan (which I printed off to expidite), weather and NOTAMS (ditto) and our CASA rep for company. Meanwhile we spoke to the crew, did a few other things and generally hung around waiting for the paperwork. Twenty minutes of hard slogging through the wad we were off to the airport, minus manuals and laptops because they weren’t ready yet.

Arrival at the aircraft at about ETD-50 minutes was followed by an hour of frenetic activity. At some point I’m sure our departure routine will settle down, but for the moment, laptops that we can’t log onto, Load Control asking for version numbers of paperwork we can’t find on the flight deck (have you any idea how long it takes NOT to find something on a flight deck?), multiple copies of the loadsheet in several different formats, all without the NOTOC, phone calls in and out of the flight deck as we co-ordinate solutions to various problems with Brisbane, LIDO charts and other manuals walking out of the flight deck for last minute amendments, do not a soothing departure experience make. It was great having Brad Downs beside me, he’s so unflappable and just calmly moved through his tasks as one thing after another was piled upon us. Tony ran interference between us and the cabin and Marty played paperwork and laptop for us.

All in all we pushed 17 minutes late, partly because we were waiting for VIP passenger boarding. At the last minute the chocks were stuck under the wheels and some “jockeying” was required to get them out. By this time our CASA FOI was in the jumpseat and remained until a few hours into the flight. CASA were back in mid flight for some more ‘observation’, as well as descent and landing. Apparently the same will happen on the return Monday night.

Meanwhile in the cabin boarding had proceeded well. FM’s Ben and Michelle had things inside the cabin well under control, while Richard, Brett and Scott positioned themselves on the aerobridge/cabin door to shake hands with and welcome on board all the passengers (270 of them) personally. This must have come as a surprise to a few of our “genuine” passengers – many of whom had no idea that it was the launch flight. Meg sat next to one woman in economy who asked her what it was all about (and they why the Captain had popped by to say hello) and was most please to find out she was not only on the Launch service, but sitting next to the Captain’s wife.

Taxi and departure were routine. On line up the Tower Controller transmitted “It is an honour and a priveledge to be the first to say ‘V-Oz One – Cleared for Takeoff.” ATC were fabulous all the way along.

At 347 tons (only 294 POB, but lots and lots of Cargo) we were airborne after 185 knots, and lots of runway. Up to FL310 and we were on our way. Tony took the controls for a while and I headed back to catch up with Meg for the first time since checkin.

The cabin was a party in progress, in all sections. It was a battle just to get back to Economy. Eventually we had people holding little camp sites on the floor of business class, Richard wandering back and forth in various modes of entertainment – including heading back to Economy at least twice to shake hands and chat with any interested passengers (of which there were lots). He was indefatigueable, up until he collapsed into a screened comfortable business class sleep for some well deserved rest.

At one point, “cabin crew” from Jetstar and Qantas were parading around the cabin serving the passengers (or at least providing entertainment)

The cabin did not really settle down for at least 5 hours, with the Crew run off their feet. I really think several of our crew walked to LAX yesterday. But spirits were high and service standards exceeded (despite no coffee onboard due to a catering mix up) – and they weren’t getting my espresso pods.

Spirits towards the back of the cabin were high also, since the cabin was populated mostly with V/VB staff of all walks of life, headed to LAX for the party. A number of cabin crew were there too, several were partners of the operating crew.

Eventually the flight settled down to a few hours of well needed rest, including on the flight deck …

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile the PR department had provided us with a technical challenge. They were most anxious for Richard to call into a Radio Station in the US about 2 hours before landing, to promote the airline and commence a competition for a ticket giveaway. The program was broadcase to 140 stations across the US, and V/VB was most anxious that we give it out best. The TSA had been approached but there was no way they were willing to let anyone onto that flight deck who weren’t crew (except CASA) and so we had to think of another way.

The OPS suggested plan was a patch between the intercom from Crew Rest (where Richard would be) into the flight deck with the Observer’s headset (patched into SATCOM) held against the intercom handset. Brad and I trialled it talking to Brett Gebers and it worked Ok, but when we moved to the next stage of calling the radio station (with Marty in the OFCR) the volume was insufficient. I had to report back to Scott that it couldn’t be done, before heading off to rest.

Marty and I had some time in the seat and managed to get our way through some of the line training syllabus. After all this time and preparation, and the work Marty and I have done together, it was great sitting together finally doing the job.

However at one point I snapped awake, realising that since the SATCOM was a duplex audio device (meaning simultaneous talk/listen) then as long as the cord was long enough, we could hang it outside the flight deck door and Richard could stand there and talk as long as I held the transmit button in the Flight Deck. We trialled it and it worked, so at 8:15am LAX time, Richard was able to complete the interview, albeit standing at an odd angle up against the flight deck door …

We had several communications through ACARS wishing us well, and a number of quizzical enquiries from ATC enroute as to who we were …

Approach and landing into LAX was uneventful as something like this could be (lots of nerves, but all went well), with Brad providing excellent PM and Tony and CASA #1 in the flight deck, Marty down the back next to CASA #2. As we taxied clear, we were directed off to a crossing taxiway where the fire trucks were lined up ready to give us the traditional first service dousing.

As always, taxi to the bay in LAX was punctuated by lots of interruptions, standing to wait for other aircraft and bays to be cleared.

We were towed onto stand into the cul-de-sac that is 105 on the Bradley Terminal.
We had been asked to attent a media event near check in after arrival, but by the time we arrived it was all over. A couple of quick photos and we were off to the Hotel. All were tired, but spirits were high.

We managed a few hours rest before heading off en masse as a crew (and a few extras) to the Party in Hollywood. We were in uniform and initially performed welcome duties (as well as providing the bodies for photo shoots of various people with V Crew). I’m not sure how many of them realised we were the real thing and not hired models for the event, although all the really had to do was look past our glamerous cabin crew to the Pilots to work out we weren’t models (or hired, for that matter) !

 

 

 

 

Then we got our glad rags on and joined the party. It sailed along through all sorts of entertainment extravaganza’s. Just a sampler below.

Eventaully we we realised that the bulk of the V management had disappeared, and the party was winding down.

We managed to hunt down the location of the after party and thanks to Darren, we crashed the front door (never seen an ASIC come in use quite like that before) and were up in the penthouse hobnobbing on the balcony with … the same people we’d been at the previous party with.

 

I’m sorry to report that Arnie, Drew and the like were not there, although I did get photos of Marty with ex-Premier Pete and Anthony LaPaglia. I re-met a number of people who I’d first met and go to know on the delivery flight, which was pleasing.

All in all – another amazing day in the incredibly fortunate like of Captain Ken (as Amanda Bolger insists on calling me). At this point I’m well looking forward to a slightly slower pace of life that our establishing airline will hopefully take on as well ply the Pacific over the next few years, building our customer base and stretching out to other destinations.

I would like to express my thanks to those who have supported me directly (and indirectly) over the past months (Mike, Marty, Brett and many more) – I know full well I wouldn’t be here without all of you.

Regards, Ken Pascoe