QantasLink Boeing 717 Economy to Melbourne

An early morning jaunt to Australia’s culture capital

Earlier this month I made my first trip of 2022, a day trip to Melbourne, beginning with a very early morning QantasLink 717 to Tullamarine. You can check out my previous QantasLink 717 trip report here.

Flight Details
Airline	QantasLink
Aircraft Type	Boeing 717-200
Registration	VH-NXE
Aircraft Age	21.5 years
Route	Hobart to Melbourne Tullamarine
Flight Number	QF1550
Date	04/02/2022

Our day started with a very early drive to an empty Hobart Airport, for a 5:15am check-in. With virtually no line at check-in or security, we were through to the departure hall within 5 minutes of walking through the terminal doors.

We boarded at around 5:45, and were soon seated up the back of our ride to Melbourne, 21 year old Boeing 717-23S, VH-NXE, an airframe that has spent it’s entire life in Australia, having been delivered to Impulse Airlines in September 2000.

Pushback was on time, and after a rather smokey engine startup, we taxied out to the end of runway 30 and took off to the north, climbing out just as the sun peeked over the horizon.

The service began just after popping up through the clouds, and consisted of a slice of banana bread, water, plus orange juice, tea or coffee.

The rest of the flight was fairly uneventful, and completely turbulence free, until we began our descent into Melbourne for a runway 27 landing, when we were treated to the sight of a group of hot air balloons being inflated at Essendon and floating gracefully over the city.

Just as we were approaching the runway, I spotted the highlight of the trip for me – a Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-124, parked over near the jet base, but more on that later.

After a smooth landing, we taxied in to our gate and parked alongside my personal favourite aircraft, Qantas’s first Retro Roo, VH-XZP “James Strong”.

After disembarking, I dragged my long-suffering friend up to the top of the Terminal 4 carpark for a few hours of planespotting. Among the masses of 737s, 787s, A320s and A350s, there were a few highlights, including the reappearance of the Volga-Dnepr An-124, a DHL 767F, and a Cathay 747F. I’ve included some of my favourite photos below, but feel free to check out my Instagram, linked at the bottom of the page, for more photos.

I hope this has been an enjoyable read, and don’t forget to checkout the YouTube video of the flight, linked below. The return leg of this trip was rather special, so don’t forget to follow my Instagram to ensure you don’t miss it.