News

Qantas 747 preparing for Albion Park landing

Friday, March 6, 2015

The plane that made aviation history when it set the record for the longest non-stop commercial flight from London to Sydney is preparing to make its last and shortest landing at Albion Park.

Qantas is donating its first Boeing 747-400 to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, where it'll be the first in the world to be preserved for public display.

It will be one of the most daring scheduled landings in the 95-year history of the company and possibly one of the shortest flights ever scheduled for an aircraft of its size.

The delivery flight from Sydney to the Illawarra Regional Airport is happening this Sunday morning with an ETA of between 7.40 and 8am.

Qantas Fleet Captain Ossie Miller says with the 747 flying at 4,000 feet, locals won't miss it.

He also says he and the other pilots have undergone special simulator training in the lead up, studying what they will see on the flight path.

Meantime, expect some brief delays around Albion Park this Sunday with all traffic to be stopped on Tongarra Road, the Illawarra Highway as well as the northbound side of the Princes Highway during the aircraft's arrival.

Shellharbour Council's website shows the flight path of the low-flying 747 from North Wollongong through to the airport.