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Where did I fly on this flight?https://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHXWT/history/20221204/0540Z/YPAD/YOLD
Alliance Airlines Fokker 100
Booking the Flight & Cost of the Flight
This flight was booked through the Alliance Airlines website on my laptop, paying full fare. An economy class flight between Adelaide and Olympic Dam at the time of travel started from $186 one way. I found that the Alliance Airlines website was easy to use.
Operating Aircraft
The operating aircraft for this flight was Fokker 100 VH-XWT. This aircraft is 31 years old, and was first delivered to USAir in the United States of America; registered N884US, in May 1991. In February 1997 it went to US Airways before going to Europe in August 2003 and saw service with Germania from December 2003 to August 2010. In this time it flew for Germania, D.B.A, Air Berlin and O.L.T. under the registration D-AGPQ. It moved on to Australia in September 2010 where Alliance Airlines took it up as VH-XWT and is still in active service with Alliance Airlines today. This aircraft is powered by two Rolls Royce Tay 650-15 engines. The aircraft had been very well looked after throughout its long life and was in a very good condition still to this day.
Cabin
The cabin on this Fokker 100 was very clean and well maintained. The feel and look inside the cabin evoked that of a fairly young aircraft. The flight was very full to Olympic Dam with practically everyone heading up to start work in the nearby mine the next day.
Seating
For this flight I was in seat 18G. There are 100 seats on the Alliance Airlines Fokker 100 spread across 20 rows, which all are in an all-economy 2-3 seating configuration. Each seat has a seat pitch of roughly 34 inches and a seat width of 17.4 inches. This aircraft's seats were done up in a mid-blue fabric material. The seat was very comfortable. It had sufficient seat width and a very generous amount of legroom in this seat.
Inflight Customer Service
On this Alliance Airlines service there were two Alliance Airlines flight attendants onboard. They had smiles on their face and served all of us with a passionate attitude. The flight attendants were very upbeat and carried out the service professionally.
Inflight Entertainment
There was a safety card and air-sickness bag on hand in the seat pocket, but no inflight magazine. Alliance Airlines does not provide any seatback or overhead TVs. There is no app for the airline in regard to in flight entertainment purposes. Although there are no TVs onboard, this is expected when it comes to a regional aircraft like this. I was surprised to see no inflight magazine, the vast majority of airlines usually have one nowadays. The safety card was eye catching; as it should be. I was glued to the window for the majority of the flight, as well as listen to the engines, which is an iconic sound of this aircraft.
Photos
The operating aircraft sitting on gate 50G at Adelaide Airport, having been patiently waiting to fly all day long
View whilst boarding
Economy class seats
Decent legroom
Seat 18G
Taxiing for takeoff
Takeoff from runway 23
Cabin inflight
Inflight snack - traditional Belgian caramelised biscuits and water, both complimentary
Inflight at 30,000 feet
Descending into Olympic Dam Airport
Missed approach and landing on runway 25, missed approach was due to still being slightly overweight on the first approach
Taxiing to the bay
Stopped on bay 1
I returned to Adelaide from Olympic Dam onboard the same aircraft an hour later onboard flight QQ3241, the only difference being I was in seat 18A.
Views whilst boarding VH-XWT, still sitting on bay 1 being baked in the desert sun
Legroom
Seat 18A
Taxiing onto runway 25 to backtrack
Takeoff from runway 25
Cabin inflight
Inflight at 31,000 feet
Descending into Adelaide Airport
Landing on runway 23
Taxiing to the gate
Docked on bay 50G once again
Quick peek into the cockpit
That's VH-XWT done for the day
Final Verdict
Both of the flights were fantastic. The seats were comfortable, the crew were great and the aircraft was amazing to fly on. Alliance Airlines offer a good product on their Fokker 100. Mostly used for charters for the mining industry and transporting fly-in-fly-out miners, it was a great experience to fly on one on a regular transport flight. To get the chance to fly on a fairly rare aircraft is always a great opportunity to take up.
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