jb747's last operational flight

[ellen10]

Congratulations @jb747 what a wonderful career you have had! Wishing you well for your final flights and enjoy the retirement!

 

[Himeno]

but the time is right.

The time being your US Crew visa is about to expire and you don't want to deal with renewing it?

 

[por930]

JB, Congratulations on a great flying career, and really the founder of this Ask the pilot thread. Many would see your various transitions steadily heavier finally to the A380 as the pinnacle. Would you have been happy remaining on any particular aircraft type until retirement, ignoring salary considerations?
I hope you manage to post loads of pics and can you request your FO to show us you in your office?

I find retirement means when the phones ring, "who is that", "shall I pick up"...rather than, "what do they want"!

 

[jb747]

The time being your US Crew visa is about to expire and you don't want to deal with renewing it?

Very close....It runs until May. ID card has a month to run. CASA medical 14 days. Lots of people I never want to deal with again.

 

[jb747]

JB, Congratulations on a great flying career, and really the founder of this Ask the pilot thread. Many would see your various transitions steadily heavier finally to the A380 as the pinnacle. Would you have been happy remaining on any particular aircraft type until retirement, ignoring salary considerations?

I think any aircraft would ultimately be boring if you stayed on it forever. I greatly enjoyed the 767 at the time. The 747 was just a big, slow 767, but it went to different places, and that was interesting. The A380 was a chance to see something totally different, and I'm glad I decided to move, but sadly the route structure has contracted over the past year, and it never did develop the way it was planned at the start.

I find retirement means when the phones ring, "who is that", "shall I pick up"...rather than, "what do they want"!

It means that I can, at last, block all phone calls without caller id.

 

[CaptJCool]

Very close....It runs until May. ID card has a month to run. CASA medical 14 days. Lots of people I never want to deal with again.

Ah don’t miss the ‘horrible people’ for one moment! Neither the dumb nor stupid work practices and bureaucracy.

But I do appreciate the pilots who have flown me around the world. They do an important role in keeping us all safe on Qantas. Kudos to them.

As for power, it’s just illusory.

Life is a series of starts and finishing up. one never retires from life so I don’t use the term retirement. We just finish up and move onto things we enjoy and start super income streams

So enjoy the finishing up!

 

[jb747]

Ah don’t miss the ‘horrible people’ for one moment! Neither the dumb nor stupid work practices and bureaucracy.

But I do appreciate the pilots who have flown me around the world. They do an important role in keeping us all safe on Qantas.

Notably the people that I don’t want to deal with again, are from bureaucracies outside of the airline. No care. No repercussions for any of their missteps.

 

[Hvr]

Having just gotten my roster I thought it might be worth a shot but QF aren't releasing any more classic awards in any class on QF36 departing 27 Jan.

 

[JessicaTam]

Having just gotten my roster I thought it might be worth a shot but QF aren't releasing any more classic awards in any class on QF36 departing 27 Jan.

*sad face*

I am waiting for someone to come back from leave next week to see if I can do a roster swap.

 

[kookaburra75]

I am booked to fly QF1 on Sat 19 Jan, but I'll change that to Sun 20 Jan now, to make sure I'm on that leg with you. It will mean going straight into the office on Mon morning in the UK, but it's worth it. Unfortunately I can't quite swing it to change to your SIN/LHR leg.

I'm currently in 33G, (with fingers crossed on whether my upgrade request comes through). I can bring a note/card from Vince D P if you want (an old class mate)

Cheers

All done, and I'm still in 33G until the upgrade fairies come through (still showing J9 C9 on Expertflyer). What's the best way to get in contact? Wait for your walk around the cabin, visit to the flight deck? It would be good to say hello for the first time, and good bye as well
Cheers

 

[juddles]

... What's the best way to get in contact? Wait for your walk around the cabin, visit to the flight deck?...

What I do not recommend is waiting till after take-off, then rushing towards the flight deck expressing that you want to say goodbye to the pilot

BTW, kookaburra, I wish I could make one of JB's last flights too.

 

[kookaburra75]

What I do not recommend is waiting till after take-off, then rushing towards the flight deck expressing that you want to say goodbye to the pilot

BTW, kookaburra, I wish I could make one of JB's last flights too.

I understand what you mean, after a mis-understood episode with a Aeroflot flight attendant in the early 80's. I was rushing for the toilet with the side effect of a dodgy sandwich at Sheremetyevo Airport and it didn't end well - for either of us. I'll be more discrete this time (Mrs K has just laughed at the idea of me being discrete)

 

[Quickstatus]

What's the best way to get in contact? Wait for your walk around the cabin, visit to the flight deck?
Cheers

As mentioned previously, just write a note and give it to the CSM.
Don’t expect a visit as the primary focus is to arrive at destination safely. It will be captains call if he comes along or not

Visit to flight deck - I believe not before or during flight for security reasons. Maybe after arrival. But again start with zero expectations

JB747 has said he would prefer to be remembered as a professional even on his last flight

 

[kookaburra75]

As mentioned previously, just write a note and give it to the CSM.
Don’t expect a visit as the primary focus is to arrive at destination safely. It will be his prerogative if he comes along or not
Visit to flight deck - I believe not before or during flight for security reasons. Maybe after arrival. But again start with zero expectations
JB747 has said he would prefer to be remembered as a professional even on his last flight

Hi QS, thanks and i agree and understand having been in aviation in the past. Just being on the flight will be enough, and if i get to meet him, that's a plus.

 

[MathNerd]

Great stuff JB. Good to see you hanging up the hat in style with QF1/2.

You've been a great asset to AFF (from the little I've read and caught up on), especially on the "Ask the Pilot" thread.

The highlight for me though was your How on Earth do you actually use points? thread which cracked me up to no end. Must have been funny being a pilot and flying Superjumbos, wondering how those plebs behind you think of ways to get into premium cabins and fight over exit row seats etc.

Have a great set of flights, I'm sure they'll be memorable ones. I'm sure you've left a lasting impression on your colleagues, and they'll miss flying with you. All the best, MN.

 

[Melburnian1]

I understand what you mean, after a mis-understood episode with a Aeroflot flight attendant in the early 80's. I was rushing for the toilet with the side effect of a dodgy sandwich at Sheremetyevo Airport and it didn't end well - for either of us. I'll be more discrete this time (Mrs K has just laughed at the idea of me being discrete)

You may mean 'discreet.' Then again, given the meaning of 'discrete' (individually separate), it could be a very clever pun about personal relationships. I won't be further enquiring.

 

[serfty]

A business card with seat number written on it and handed to the CSM at the same time of mentioning that you know or have arranged to meet the pilot is the method I used.

I have had two A380 flights Captained by JB since I first met him. The first was co-incidental as I had been switched at LAX from QF16 to QF93 due to a late inbound QF12 (only became aware with the pre-flight announcement from the coughpit). The other was after a review of his published schedule well before the flight. Both times it was a privilege that John made the time to catch up.

 

[jb747]

A note/business card via the cabin crew will normally get to me.

It’s a bit difficult to have people up front prior to departure, unless you happen to be in the first class cabin. Normally no problem at the end of the sector.

When I get a note, I do try to get back to say hello, but that alway depends upon the time of the flight. Middle of the night isn’t the best time for socialising in the cabin.

 

[jb747]

You've been a great asset to AFF (from the little I've read and caught up on), especially on the "Ask the Pilot" thread.

The “Ask the pilot” thread should live on. I’m sure it will take a while before my knowledge becomes irrelevant, and we’ve got AVinsight. We’ve had quite a few pilots commenting over the course of the thread, so I expect that we’ll pick up some more in the future. We had a few comments from a 747-800 pilot, AV has given us 777 and 737, a Virgin A330 Captain, and Boris, who was on the 717. Probably some I’ve missed there too.

The highlight for me though was your How on Earth do you actually use points? thread which cracked me up to no end. Must have been funny being a pilot and flying Superjumbos, wondering how those plebs behind you think of ways to get into premium cabins and fight over exit row seats etc.

The forum has been very much a two way street for me. As pilots, we know about the machinery, but passenger management is from another world. We get feedback from the cabin about lots of things, but I don’t care whether someone is P1 (a term I’d never heard of), or without status. In my eyes, all passengers are equal. I see lots of threads here that point out all sorts of issues that airlines should look at, could look at, or that are simply first world problems. Plus it’s more interesting than reading the ‘limitations’ section of the manual.

I wish I’d caught on to the Amex points gig a few years earlier....but with AFFs help, we still managed some nice bookings.

 

[kookaburra75]

You may mean 'discreet.' Then again, given the meaning of 'discrete' (individually separate), it could be a very clever pun about personal relationships. I won't be further enquiring.

I wish I could claim it as a clever pun, but alas it was just a spelling mistake. However, it has given another opportunity for Mrs K to have a chuckle at my expense