Winston Aldworth flies aboard Qantas flight QF28, from Santiago to Sydney.
The plane: The Queen of the Skies! A Boeing 747! A Jumbo! A beautiful sight.
It's right and good that the travel industry, plane nerds and passengers are applauding the arrival of carbon-fibre planes, with super-efficient engines.
There havebeen times when I've taken off in a Dreamliner and barely noticed I was in the air. There's no doubting you've taken off when you're in a Jumbo. Four Rolls Royce engines, each weighing six tonnes and containing more horsepower than a Mike Hosking angry rant, blast the Jumbo down the runway. The weight, thrust and roaring power is tangible as we thunder into the skies. Yes, the effortless glide of the Dreamliner is a thing of wonder — but the meaty punch of Jumbo really gets a plane nerd's heart going.
Flight time: A sniff under 14 hours — because of the curvature of the Earth, this flight dips so far towards Antarctica that you can often catch a view of sea ice below. "About nine times out of 10, there'll be ice down there," says cabin boss Paul. "It all depends on whether there's cloud blocking the view." If you fancy seeing the ice, the crew will wake you when it comes into view.
Fellow passengers: Diggers flying home. And a good smattering of South American visitors heading west.
How full: Economy was full. There were a few empty seats dotted around the Business cabin, including happily, the one next to me.
Entertainment: Superb selection of movies. I finally saw The Death of Stalin — it's terrific.
The service: Consummate pros. Food and drink: The equal of any you'll get in any Business cabin. The toilets: Minty fresh throughout.
Luggage: Business passengers get three items in the hold, each can weigh up to 32kg.
