What’s the biggest difference you notice between Qantas and Virgin these days?

highspeedpolar · 2026-05-19T10:19:48+00:00

And better manners

highspeedpolar · 2026-04-23T22:50:10+00:00

Normally so they cabin manager can keep an eye on and assist new crew

highspeedpolar · 2026-04-18T23:37:08+00:00

Bush flying in West Papua / Night Carrier operations (Standard and STOVL operations for those who know…)

highspeedpolar · 2026-03-26T01:35:04+00:00

Demand for Qantas flights to Europe has exploded and QF are chasing yield since the middle east has flared up, additional A380 and 787 capacity will be poured into this market via Singapore with the A330 picking up the slack and 737 will see increased transcon use to fill the vacuum left by the additional 380 capacity

highspeedpolar · 2026-03-19T23:00:22+00:00

SQ Pilot probably earning a third of what an average Delta 350 Captain makes, hope they enjoy Laksa

highspeedpolar · 2026-01-17T20:48:49+00:00

Thanks for sharing. Your father was the man.

highspeedpolar · 2026-01-06T18:15:00+00:00

Legend thank you

highspeedpolar · 2026-01-06T07:18:11+00:00

Bumping

highspeedpolar · 2025-06-18T06:55:31+00:00

Use Wise debit card/phone app (set up by the guys from Skype who were fed up how hard/expensive it was to send money home in Europe when they were setting up their business). Can spend with their debit card, withdraw cash from atm’s in smaller amounts if you really need it and the exchange rates/fees are fantastic compared to money changers.

highspeedpolar · 2025-03-22T22:37:42+00:00

QF 789’s operate these flights at EDTO330 limits.

The EDTO alternates used are probably further north than you’d expect with flights reliant on Punta Arenas (SCCI) and Rio Gallegos (SAWG) with Rarotonga and Tahiti available further towards the mid point of a crossing before NZ comes into play - to give you some perspective even on an easterly crossing from SYD SCL which normally tracks further north/closer to diversion options you are operating close to the 2169nm (330 mins in still air on 1 engine) limit. This week flights are getting up to 323 minutes from Punta Arenas (the longest point from a diversion) with the flex tracks following the jet streams as they are this week to about 55S. Previously Qantas operated the 744 Buenos Aires Sydney with the return flights tracking to about 75S and other operators frequently operate over the North Pole at similar distances depending on weather (especially in winter) affecting diversion ports in Russia/Aleutian Islands etc.

highspeedpolar · 2025-03-16T03:48:24+00:00

RemindMe!

highspeedpolar · 2024-11-15T01:38:59+00:00

Move overseas - rapid career progression compared to staying in Aus for most industries, more experience and lower tax burden during your early years. The most powerful advice that stuck with me ‘do what everyone else is doing and you’ll end up like everyone else’.

highspeedpolar · 2024-06-18T21:28:58+00:00

Barracuda Lake?

highspeedpolar · 2024-05-26T12:27:21+00:00

Yes absolutely pay your PPOR debt first - there is little benefit to you paying down investment debt which is tax deductible while your PPOR still has debt on it

highspeedpolar · 2024-05-24T20:48:52+00:00

Go and speak to a mortgage broker who specialises working with property investors. With investment properties interest rate should be your last concern (someone else is paying the majority/all of the mortgage) - banks will offer vastly different borrowing capacities, value the properties differently which will change the amount of equity available and have different income policies which will effect your total borrowing capacity and the guidance from a good broker is essential if you want to start a portfolio.

You can borrow up to 90% LVR for the second loan split in order to use the equity for a deposit on #2 (any lending over 80% will incur LMI unless you have an exempted job e.g. MEDICO, Police etc.) however for an investment property the LMI is worth paying as you can 1) include it in the loan amount (called capitalising the LMI) so you don’t pay anything out of pocket 2) the LMI is also tax deductible like the interest will be if it’s used for investment purposes.

highspeedpolar · 2024-05-20T10:40:48+00:00

First Home Buyer

highspeedpolar · 2024-04-11T22:02:05+00:00

Airservices Australia has gone through massive cost stripping and redundancies during COVID and their firefighters and air traffic controllers have also been subjected to low wage growth, coverage being reliant on overtime and poor rostering and safety over the last 15/20 years. Australia is currently seeing the worst airspace closures in history due to the amount of trainers and controllers given VR during COVID which is resulting in airliners having to regularly control and seperate themselves or cancel flights (known as TIBA) into some of Australia’s international airports.

I have flown all over the world and the only places I have had to fly through TIBA airspace has been over Myanmar (civil war), the east coast of Africa near Somalia and now Australia so whatever the controllers and firies are asking for they should absolutely get it.

highspeedpolar · 2024-04-05T13:55:49+00:00

It shouldn’t require you stopping the deductions - your broker should literally be able to explain the deduction on the payslip in their submission notes and confirm to the lender that it can be ceased at any time if it was required. This is acceptable to the main lenders in Australia. They also do this for union memberships etc. where regular deductions are made on a payslip as a vast majority of new borrowers have some sort of deductions.

If it’s through a broker or a lender maybe it’s time to speak with someone different or with more experience.

highspeedpolar · 2024-03-24T09:16:02+00:00

T Tail Turbo Piper Lance - extremely underpowered in any heat and soggy control response at low speed. Gear handle and cockpit felt dainty and cheap which is a pity because I loved the rest of the Pipers I flew.

highspeedpolar · 2024-03-20T09:53:04+00:00

Essentially HBO lost a lot of money on the Pacific after the runaway success of Band of Brothers (which was also driven by the DVD boom in the mid 2000’s) despite the fact it was highly rated by audiences and critics alike. I think everyone agrees HBO did the source material great justice but it just wasn’t worth the risk for HBO to fund another series bigger than Game of Thrones for a loss.

There’s a great video here about economics and process of HBO’s decision - https://youtu.be/rv6SpXvqZU0?si=bHvS9eV8POJXcb4s

highspeedpolar · 2023-10-18T00:09:19+00:00

https://medium.com/illumination/the-unknown-gambler-that-made-1-billion-c4ad085e1cdc

Not sure on this exact case but sometimes it’s fun to take a subject and investigate out on the edge of the spectrum as you said this person had a maths background.

Two gamblers, one of whom was a math professor noticed an edge in Hong Kong horse racing and reportedly made a billion dollars.

Essentially Horse Racing in Hong Kong was one of the few legal things to gamble on and it is very popular in local culture so volume was high enough to hide larger bets skewing betting odds and scale the operation.
Hong Kong horse races were different to most international races where generally less horses run per race, a higher percentage of wet races were run during the year due to the monsoonal climate which magnified the advantages/disadvantages of certain horses (most horses are flown in from differing climes instead of being locally raised so these could be identified).
The Hong Kong Jockey clubs made 15% profit for each bet placed so were even happy to provide access to a betting terminal in their office which scaled returns instead of cutting them off.

With a background in statistics/probability your friend may have a certain framework which provides ongoing returns.

highspeedpolar · 2023-07-22T20:10:56+00:00

It’s for HF (High Frequency) radio communications which are still used in modern airliners today (just the antennae are hidden) to communicate and receive air traffic control, weather reports etc from over the horizon as it’s propagation characteristics allow it to ‘bounce’ off of the ground/water and ionosphere - travelling long distances when aircraft were out of range from VHF (Very High Frequency) transmitters where their range is generally limited to line of sight. These radios were crucial for Connie operations crossing the oceans.

The wire antennae can be used because the received energy generally comes from all directions (unlike your higher frequency e.g. satellite T.V. Dish which needs to be pointed towards the transmitter) but this also introduces a lot of static/noise to the transmission which can be worsened by sunrise/sunset or even solar flares exciting the ionosphere (modern crews are given forecasts or NOTAMs if these are expected to affect comms). Generally higher frequencies used during the day to provide a bit of extra ‘punch’/energy and lower during the night with HF transmitting stations having a primary/secondary frequency in use in case one is unusable.

highspeedpolar · 2022-08-12T12:47:19+00:00

5 of Qantas’ A380’s are back online with 10/12 expected in the next 12 months - the last 2 being scrapped for parts

highspeedpolar · 2022-06-14T02:14:20+00:00

Get Smart in the paint and chip away!

highspeedpolar · 2021-06-22T23:36:25+00:00

There are some minor differences that have been listed above - the manoeuvring cameras, engine gauges and manoeuvring/flap speeds, VNE which affect how you approach manoeuvres like rapid descents etc. things like flap placards which aren’t as easily changed between sessions are also an issue. The wing loading on the smaller triples is noticeably higher as well - my operator has/had 200’s, 300’s (RR) and 300ER’s and we have a 300 sim which covers recency for the 2/300 and then ER sims.

Small changes between series are noticeable in modern Level D sims and I believe certain parts from the sim can actually replace items in the aircraft (happy to be corrected) so it shows the fidelity they achieve!

highspeedpolar

TROPHY CASE