In the subsequent few years Qantas, with the assistance of the Airbus A350-1000, can be flying from Melbourne and Sydney nonstop to London and Latest York. The Kangaroo Route that has taken thousands and thousands of Australians off on their first overseas trip can be unrecognizable, going from a bunch of short hops to at least one gigantic leap and around 22 hours sitting in the identical seat.
Photo: Qantas
With the clock ticking right down to the launch of Qantas Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul flights, the same old comparison is back to the beginning of the route, when the Short Empire Flying Boats took off from Sydney Harbour within the Nineteen Thirties. For this story though the comparison is to 1975 when this author left Australia on a brand recent and monstrous Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, which brought overseas travel within sight of the overall population.
Qantas Kangaroo Route circa 1975
A take a look at my very analog passport jogs my memory that I left Melbourne Airport (MEL) on Sunday, September twenty eighth, 1975, at 13:30 aboard Qantas QF1. In comparison with the no-stop Airbus A350-1000 flight that’s coming, in those times the Qantas QF1 service made five stops on the solution to London Heathrow (LHR).
Photo: Qantas
A take a look at my boarding pass tells me I used to be lucky enough to bag a seat within the non-smoking section, although that always meant that the row in front was filled with people happily puffing away. There’s the primary big change in that smokers could freely light up on the aircraft, and now they’re shooed away from even the airport doorway, although at the very least those horrendous smoke-filled airport smoking rooms are largely a thing of the past.
This was a time when the flight was really a part of the mystique and the trip itself, particularly on the brand new Boeing 747s, which drew crowds every weekend to Melbourne and Sydney Airports. So sitting in seat 22H was exciting and watching a movie, albeit on a screen at the tip of every cabin, was the epitome of high-tech, as was the in-seat music and comedy selection.
Photo: Qantas News Room
The following leg was a comparatively short one to Bangkok, where the transit passengers stayed onboard, although once more the opening of the cabin doors introduced that exotic Asian feel to the complete aircraft. After leaving Bangkok around midnight or so, QF1 become a long-haul flight with a darkened journey to Bahrain, which I appear to recall offered low cost avgas, making it a preferred place to top up the tanks.
After entering the terminal this was the moment when to cite from The Wizard of Oz, I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. That was definitely confirmed by a fast trip to the general public toilets, so it was quite a comfort to get back on the waiting 747 and the familiarity of seat 22H.
Welcome to Europe
After leaving Bahrain within the early hours of the morning the subsequent leg to Frankfurt included one other meal as there was no shortage of breakfasts and no healthy options in 1975. QF1 landed at Frankfurt Airport around 09:00, and after the stopover, it continued on to its conclusion at London Heathrow.
Photo: Qantas
My Kangaroo Route journey resulted in Frankfurt as I transferred to Lufthansa Flight LH963, which departed for Munich Airport (MUC) on Monday, September twenty ninth, 1975, at 12:10 from gate A12. That transfer was crucial to meet one other long-held rite of passage for young Australians, which was a visit to the Munich Oktoberfest.
Hopping internationally
Looking back, the 747 was an incredible aircraft to do a long-haul flight on and it was so different to another jetliners on the time. It revolutionized travel for Australians in a way that will not ever be repeated, as for a lot of the considered a nonstop 22-hour flight is complete anathema, regardless of what number of wellness zones or healthy snacks could also be available on the Airbus A350.
Photo: Qantas
The opposite thing to recollect is that there have been really only two ways to travel on QF1, either in that secretive cocoon up the front with its private Captain Cook lounge upstairs or with the a whole lot of others spread throughout the aircraft. There was a real thrill in being a part of this excitement, and that is where Australia’s love affair with Qantas took hold.
The excellent news for nostalgics and people who wish to get off and have a break is that a stopover in Singapore isn’t going anywhere, so at the very least the Kangaroo Route will live to tell the tale in a small way, at the very least until Teleporting becomes the subsequent big thing.
What are your tales from the Qantas Kangaroo Route within the Seventies? Tell us within the comments.