Two QFs almost flying in formation at 11582 metres over DRW

[Melburnian1]

One of the joys of the Internet is being able to watch occurrences that 30 years ago if you'd told me I'd be able to do in 2013 I would have looked incredulous.

On Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker!, I'm just observing QF29 (A333 VH-QPG) that departed MEL at 0951 for HKG flyiong almost in formation with sister A333 VH- QPD on QF23 that departed SYD at 0947 for BKK. They looked to be close, although in reality they would have been a few kilometres apart as required by CASA and other regulatory bodies.

I'm slightly exaggerating as the planes' flight paths are now diverging: QF23 is now tracking at 317 degrees while QF29 is flying at 334 degrees, but when I observed them earlier as they flew close to DRW, both were flying at about 850 kilometres an hour. I always wonder if the pilots exchange a bit of operational chit-chat in such circumstances when at cruising level.

11582 metres is 38000 feet in the old scale but given that the vast majority of the world uses metric measurements and in Australia we've done so since 1973, it's nonsensical to me how the United States (and United Kingdom) presumably manages to convince other nations that air traffic control should still continue to use Imperial or similar non-metric measurements. Here is a technical explanation as to why:

Why do nautical miles linger on? | Metric Views

 

[medhead]

One of the joys of the Internet is being able to watch occurrences that 30 years ago if you'd told me I'd be able to do in 2013 I would have looked incredulous.

On Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker!, I'm just observing QF29 (A333 VH-QPG) that departed MEL at 0951 for HKG flyiong almost in formation with sister A333 VH- QPD on QF23 that departed SYD at 0947 for BKK. They looked to be close, although in reality they would have been a few kilometres apart as required by CASA and other regulatory bodies.

I'm slightly exaggerating as the planes' flight paths are now diverging: QF23 is now tracking at 317 degrees while QF29 is flying at 334 degrees, but when I observed them earlier as they flew close to DRW, both were flying at about 850 kilometres an hour. I always wonder if the pilots exchange a bit of operational chit-chat in such circumstances when at cruising level.

11582 metres is 38000 feet in the old scale but given that the vast majority of the world uses metric measurements and in Australia we've done so since 1973, it's nonsensical to me how the United States (and United Kingdom) presumably manages to convince other nations that air traffic control should still continue to use Imperial or similar non-metric measurements. Here is a technical explanation as to why:

Why do nautical miles linger on? | Metric Views

Feet vs meters for altitude has just about no bearing on nautical miles, which take the curvature of the earth into account. As such it is entirely sensible to use nautical miles over long distances. But that has nothing practical to do with expressing height from the ground.

 

[docjames]

I believe jb747 says there is basically no "chit-chat" between aircraft.

(See the "ask the pilot" thread).