While I was waiting for my own departure to Melbourne, I found a spot just along from the domestic terminal from which I had a view over some taxiways and the 16R/34L runway.

Here Qantas Boeing 737-800 VH-VXS blows a bit of smoke from her tyres as she hits terra firma following her latest flight.

Ah, I thought that name sounded familiar! VH-VXS is named St Helens. (St Helens is the largest town on the north east coast of Tasmania, known for its seafood.)

This is in fact my own aircraft, the one that would, just over an hour from then, be carrying me down to Bleak City.

Delivered in July of 2003, she was just shy of 7 years old when this shot was taken. As of August 2022, she's heading for her 20th birthday but remains in service. The 737-800 family is far and away the most numerous in Qantas service. She's well above the average fleet age of 13.4 years (14.4 for the 737-800s) and may have been moved on by now had it not been for the losses of the pandemic.

Addendum: My personal opinion is that Facebook is a sociopathic organisation that steals other peoples' intellectual property (including the images in this gallery) despite being explicitly denied permission to do so.