 AnsettSTARS
©PaulMerritt-Aviation Exposure2002 Quality copies of this image are for sale. Contact us here
The Last Bird Is Home
Captain Jon Swift and First Officer Greg Toole bring HYI to Melbourne at 0900 AEDT on Tuesday 5th March 2002, closing a chapter on world aviation history as Ansett is grounded forever. It is appropriate to mourn the passing of this gentle, safe, family member and to thank the many owners and investors who, for little reward, have allowed so many of us to have had careers doing what we love for so long. No wonder 'normal people' don't understand why we are so hurt. We have been surely blessed. Thank you ATC people for your brilliant unseen work and finally, to the RFF guys whose only Ansett turnouts have seen them use their foam-water cannons to put big lumps in peoples' throats. |
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The Arrivals screens in Brisbane Friday 14th September 2001
The business has closed.
SAFE TO THE END Ansett Australia never lost an aircraft since the jet age began with the introduction of the 727.
QUOTE OF THE DAY Beware of premature application.
Cautioning on applying for jobs haphazardly - you might just get what you don't want
©PaulMerritt-Aviation Exposure2002 Proud 'Old Boiler' Jennine Paton boards staff on one of the last Ansett services. She is wearing her old 'beehive' hat and all her Flight Attendant wings. BEAT THAT! During the period of Administration Ansett : Operated 9,186 flights and achieved a reliability of 99.8%. Carrying 752,014 passengers (load factor 57%) Achieved on-time departures of 96% (at zero minutes) and 99% (within the world standard of 15 minutes). Achieved on time arrivals at 85% at zero minutes and 98% within the world standard of 15 minutes. Conducted 32 flights for the Peacekeeping force in Dili, 50 flights carrying Pollies around during the election and serviced the Australian Defence Force outpost at Christmas Island. Ansett played the most significant role all Australian airlines by ferrying fire crews to save Qantas’ city from bushfires. Together we performed the most complex and logistically-challenging operations in Ansett’s history and achieved a reliability rate of 99.8%. Ansett STARS can proudly say: BEAT THAT! Figures the envy of every Airline in the world. Thanks to Chris Youlton for the stats. It is - what it is Don't worry about how we got here - plan what to do to get out of this predicament - see PLAN AHEAD
Picture: ©jamesnixon2001 CONCENTRATION. Captain Mal Randall, Co-Convenor of the other Ansett staff website: Ansett Central
VICTORY TRAVEL has been formed by Breakaway Travelclub to provide specific concession travel to the Ansett staff that were made redundant on or after the 10th October. Click the logo to visit their new site.
Employees staying with the new Ansett are still able to use BREAKAWAY TravelClub.
WORK YOUR WAY DOWN THIS LIST
Click on these links which have been reorganised in order of current importance.
WE RECKON...
BAD NEWS?
IN TOUCH
UNIONS
BRAIN FOOD
OTHER INFO
JOKE
A
couple, both aged 70, went to a sex therapists office. The doctor
asked "What can I do for you?" The man said "Will you
watch us have sexual intercourse?" Finally
the doctor asked "Just exactly what are you trying to find
out?"
PS CONSULTING is a recruitment company offering temporary and permanent opportunities for people with SAP, PeopleSoft, CRM and other ERP experience, Australia wide. They also might squeeze in one or two more Recruitment / Admin / Sales roles if pressed. See their fantastic ad on the JOBS page. (We've already had one response - come on - let's support this business) YOU CAN HELP! Click HERE to send us an email message of support for the staff to read on our revamped, faster to load BILLBOARD page. Let us know which part of your message can be published.
Visit Ansett Central by pressing the logo
THE AIRLINE SHOP has special deals on ANSETT STOCK on the BILLBOARD
Need web design like this? Click the image to go to www.jamesnixon.com
WANT A GREAT EMPLOYEE? If you are after an excellent customer-focused employee, trained to a high level in safety and security, able to take direction and work in a process-driven environment without supervision, think about employing an enthusiastic Ansett STAR. Just email us HERE and we will stick it on our JOBS page.
AN UPDATE
PHOTOS Over 150 photos were taken at Melbourne's last flight party. They have been digitally copied by Formula 1 Hour Photos. Check the PHOTOS page to see the four rolls here. Get a record of yourselves and your friends on Ansett's last night by getting high-res copies for your album. Don't get precious about how you look. It's the emotion that tells the story.
WANT TO MOVE BACK INTO 501? Ansett employees be
aware, that the
sale of the Ansett Head Office buildings and property to PDG Corporation
was settled late last year and the new owners have announced a major
development called "Verve 501" - an apartment, lifestyle
retail and office complex to be built on the
Ansett site, taking in the entire city block and part of Swanston Street. PDG are aware that many staff are
curious about plans for the site and some have asked about investment or
office opportunities. If you would like any further info please email katia@pdgcorp.com.au Please pass this on to any other
members of the Ansett family so that all may have a chance to look at this
opportunity.
JEPPESEN AMMENDMENTS
PILOTS! Keep your ammendment service coming for only A$278.02 per annum (tax deductible). Now you have time to do them! Call Belinda or Darren on (03) 9706 0022.
BE CAREFUL There are a number of people willing to take advantage of Ansett people - knowing that their defences are down. Be careful about giving your name and address to people you don't know. Offer to ring them back at your expense and get a number and street address which you can check. Many people are offering to help you 'start your own business' and have you work flat-out for 100% commission. Sometimes the commission never gets paid or you have to wait months. Be wary. ASIC has a website dedicated to making sure you don't get burned, click here. SUPERANNUATION Superannuation claims to divide loyalties, make lawyers rich and cause long delays in payments. Rather than waste time typing, it would be easier to get you to click HERE and visit Dave Ryder's AnsettWA website. He has painstakingly reproduced the Administrator's press releases and full details about the shortfall in superfunds, which, if pursued in the courts, will result in lengthy delays for entitlements for all staff. It's an important issue which we should all follow closely.
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WELCOME ABOARD!
The thing about Ansett is its people. Real STARS at delivering quality customer service. This site is about capturing a database of email addresses so we don't lose people through the gaps. Keep checking back as we build this site into a showcase of Australia's top customer service professionals. FO James Nixon A320 Melbourne,15th September 2001
Dark skies ... for all of us
Ex-Ansett Pilots Needed
Sim Instructors Needed For Sim Centres Melbourne and Sydney.
Applicants
do not have to be current. A
great opportunity for people who are retirees / medical cases,
who wish to get back into aviation. A
457 visa sponsorship is available to suitably qualified international
pilots. Company would upgrade Instructors. For example, an A320 Captain with previous Ansett Line Training experience, to the A330 Sim; or get the individual back their B737 Rating for the B737 Sim.
Sydney
Base: B744,
B747, B767, A330, A380 and Dash 8 Flexible
hours for full and part-time Sydney
or Melbourne based Contact Isabelle Truong (Boyden Sydney)
Isabelle.Truong@boyden.com
Anglers Tavern Reunion
2 Raleigh Road, Maribyrnong, Melbourne. Drinks / Lunch / More Drinks & Lots of Talking!
Date: Time:
Last year was such fun we have decided to do it again and this time include all our Ansett colleagues, so spread the word. There will be no traffic woes this year as we have avoided race week.
The Bistro will be open at 1200 for those who wish to have lunch and again at 1800 for dinner
Come for an hour or two or the whole afternoon!
To enable us to give the hotel an idea of numbers, please R.S.V.P. by Saturday 1st November 08
As I See It
by Lloyd Stevenson It’s a couple of days before Christmas 2006, that time of year when we get Cards we won’t have time to respond-to. A card came from one of my old work colleagues, a dear old bloke who I’m proud to call a friend. He reminded me Boxing Day would be his 66th birthday but the politics of the day meant he’d probably be in a job that does his nerves no good till his 70th, as a Night Watchman in a half-way house. The card has all the pleasantries, and also asks if I was aware one of our other colleagues had suicided several months earlier. I did know about our colleague’s suicide, I had been contacted by a number of other Ex-Ansett staff at the time and all the details had been relayed to me. The disturbing call was the one that let me know he had suicided-he had also been pretty dear. Apparently he’d dressed in his old Ansett uniform for his final salute to those he left behind. Those who rang me the night of the funeral told me there were respects paid from all around the country, former Cabins, Cockpits and Tarmacs of the now long defunct Ansett. How many companies can enlist that sort of longevity of genuine care and emotion amongst the Staff and Employees, and how did Ansett do it? Our colleague had, after all, ‘only’ been a Baggage Handler. He was a significant citizen, Husband, Father, Grandfather and Justice of the Peace, but in the work world, ‘just’ a Baggage Handler. I was 2½ thousand kilometres away, had been his boss years before and was first notified by a former Ansett Flight Attendant, then another AN Baggage Handler. The strength of the bonds hadn’t faded with time. Why is Ansett the only company I’ve ever known where this could happen? Some clues may come from the death of our comrade. After Ansett’s demise Bobby had worked Ground Handling, back on the same tarmac. Because of his history his new Employer insisted he take on more senior roles than he wanted. He accepted them under sufferance, but his history meant his knowledge and understanding of Weight and Balance and Theory of Flight (Ansett sponsored understandings) obliged him to raise several Load Alerts when he knew the load was not good, possibly risky. Once, even if he had been wrong (not likely), I’d have bought him a beer and thanked him for his diligence, even if the schedule had been upset. Instead, his new Employer put disciplinary letters on his file. The thought of having their Loading Staff so well-trained and with a sense of ownership was not part of their agenda, they had people to make those decisions, the safety of the flight was theirs, not the Loading Staff’s. Will I ever have another Employer where the other Staff are as dear to me as my Ansett colleagues? I doubt it. Will I ever have another Employer who fosters the same sense of Ownership in every Employee at every level as Ansett did? I doubt it. Will I ever have another Employer who represents all the highest order Corporate Values the way our Airline did? I doubt it. Will I ever have another Employer who sets the standard as high, and achieves it (Airline of the year how many times?), as Ansett? I doubt it. Will I be forever grateful for the opportunity to have worked for Ansett, been part of it and at least got to experience all of that? …Abso-bloody-lutely!!
2001-2007 Four years since the photo at the bottom of this site was taken and the inception of the ANSETTSTARS website; and many, many Ansett people have found themselves back on their aviation feet. Flying over Vietnam sometimes sounded like Sydney control. A year ago Collie James, Greg Cox, Phil Wilson and John Feeney's voices all heard in the sky within minutes of each other. Sometimes at The Underground Bar in Saigon, it was like a huge Darwin overnight as the twenty or so Ansett refugees socialised. Many have now returned home. Walking through Melbourne airport takes hours as you run into people wearing the wrong uniform doing the wrong jobs. Weren't you a flight Attendant with Ansett? What are you doing here in Customs? And how many other passengers get a kiss on the cheek from TWO people at the boarding gate? But there are many who haven't made it back into the business and many who have felt totally lost. They need our continued support. Some of our group have even taken their own lives. The toll is shocking. All of us have been suffering the same problem. We don't even know if we want to be in the industry, but we need to be back in it, to make that decision. Our own decision, thanks. Never again do we want to have the choice of being in the aviation industry taken out of our hands by an unseen executive in an unseen office .... especially an executive in a foreign country. One thing makes me smile, though ... when deciding on the name for this site on that sunny Saturday afternoon in 2001, the word STAR described the type of Ansett employee we all remember. Naming this site only took a second. When I see the new entrant flying, with Ansett people in the flight deck, cabin and supporting the aircraft on the ground, I like to think that maybe the ex-Ansett employees who run Qantas agree with us. - James Nixon (FO Air Malta, Azzura Air, Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, also in Vietnam and who also went broke ... Bahrain on a corporate jet and now in Dubai with Emirates on A330)
Ex-flight attendant Carolyn Jackson would like to thank everyone who helped out with stories for her book Surviving Redundancy; By Someone Who Did. Carolyn set out to write the sort of book that she wished was around when she was made redundant. It includes tips on choosing a new career direction, writing job applications, networking, interviews, coping with the financial and emotional aspects of job loss, dealing with Centrelink and finding part-time work. The book is in the shops now and recommended for anyone needing a helping hand with jobseeking. Surviving Redundancy retails for $22.95 and is published by Wrightbooks.
©gregtoole2002 Mojave Desert,Nevada,USA.
... for everyone who thought they had a job for life
LETTER FROM UNITED STAFF
To the Ansett Family. We
were sitting in out lounge this week, reminiscing about the outstanding people
working for Ansett. Truth be told, we remember you quite
frequently.
Those of us that had the chance to fly AN were so lucky to experience one of the world's best airlines. Although it has been over a year now, we thought you all would like to know how much we miss you. If you are out surfing the web, please stop by our employee site at http://www.villageunited.org. Our employees formed this site a while back to monitor news and discuss various topics. And if you are ever in Denver, please stop by the gate or counter, we'd love to talk to you.
Best regards to our
Australian Star Alliance partner.
<Individual Names
Withheld.>
United Airlines, Denver
Customer Service
Denver International Airport
DENCS-UA
THE WORLD LOOKS THE SAME
Turning onto final at Birmingham in Hotel Yankee Yankee, the evening sky is pink, and it almost looks like being in Australia. AnsettSTARS webmaster spent time in Malta with Air Malta.
NO-ONE IS ABOVE SUSPICION
Thanks Rod and Tania.
ANSETT: THE COLLAPSE
On Wednesday 31st July 2002, the Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, launched a new book about the Ansett demise written by the Herald-Sun's Geoff Easdown and Mark2's Peter Wilms.
The book reveals for the first time the inside story of this Australian corporate giant and the culture of denial that pervaded the company, and ultimately contributed to its demise. It retails at $24.95. As a special offer from Lothian Press to ex Ansett staff, you can get a copy of the book for only $22.95 delivered to your door anywhere in Australia.
Email your VISA/Mastercard/Bankcard details to books@lothian.com.au and indicate how many copies you would like. Be sure to enclose a name & address for delivery. Alternatively you can send a cheques/credit card details and a note with that same information to Lothian Books at Level 5, 132-136 Albert Rd, South Melbourne VIC 3205.
Susan Jones (the face of Ansett in the 60s) - now flying with QF longhaul - sits with authors Peter Wilms and Geoff Easdown surounded by Janet Dack, Danni Zotti, Karen Davis, Karen North, Jen Drayton and Perry Sermon (in hiding).
©gregtoole2002 VH-HYB The pride of the Olympics Games build-up (remember the Sydney 2000 paint job?) sits in cold / hot storage in the Mojave Desert.
©PaulMerritt-Aviation Exposure2002 Broadcast quality copies of this image are for sale by negotiation contact us here
AN2002 The Last Flight They
were meant to follow Dale Holley out onto the tarmac, like ducks following
their mother. Flight Attendant Team Leader Dale was wearing a flouro vest
for safety. But some were slow and the line soon lost its order. The
stranded Flight Attendants and Pilots took their time on their long last
walk on the tarmac. With
all the tugs jammed together in the baggage area and the planes herded
against the gates like big silent animals, there was nothing moving in the
eerie orange light. Suddenly the reason for Dale’s flouro vest seemed
incongruous. At
2215 Flight AN2002, ‘The sweeper’, had arrived in Brisbane to disgorge
crew brought from as far away as Perth and pickup the last remaining
stranded crew before heading to Melbourne. About
halfway the arriving crews staggered out of the dark towards the terminal
like refugees from the World Trade Centre and met up with our group headed
out to the plane. Some stopped to take photos of the obedient VH-HYC, the
only noisemaker. Upon
recognising us, some stopped and hugged and cried. The stoic Aussie blokes
put down their bags and embarrassingly, shook hands like they do at
funerals.
First Flight Back...
©jamesnixon2001 VH-HYD 600 kph, descent thru the cloud into the setting sun tracking to Rockdale, north of Melbourne for Runway 16. For a second, a shaft of light reflecting off a lake, "Whoa! Look At That!" Thanks Administrators, tireless workers who have put this deal together and, of course, Passengers. The Best Therapy. It's great to be back. (This was written in October 2001 after the airline was revived - albeit temporarily)
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This page last updated 09 October, 2008.
Mission Completed First Officer Greg Toole and G.M.Flight Ops & Chief Pilot Jon Swift record their place in aviation history, 5th March 2002. ©PaulMerritt-Aviation Exposure2002 Quality copies of this image are for sale. Contact us here
"Cleared To Disconnect Phone" As Airport crowd control strive to keep the staff under control, HYG leaves Melbourne last night on its last transcontinental return flight - the last Ansett revenue flight from the airline's home base. ©PaulMerritt-Aviation Exposure2002 Quality copies of this image are for sale. Contact us here
UPDATES PAGE I no longer have time to read and present Ansett-specific news. Feel free to go directly to the news sites and do your own research. The Age - Herald-Sun - The Australian - Sydney Morning Herald - The West Australian - The Australian Financial Review - ABC News Breaking Stories - CLICK HERE for the old UPDATED news stories files and links to ARCHIVED stories from September 15th 2001.
Above the sun sets on the year 2000 as Ansett 889 manoeuvres to land at DPS. (C)jamesnixon2002 "BALI Witness" Click HERE to read a graphic letter from an Australian who was saved from a certain death by his girlfriend's shopping habits. CAUTION: PARENTAL GUIDANCE RECOMMENDED.
Growing old is mandatory ... Growing up is optional
WebMaster Slackens Off
Ex Ansett Pilot and Editor of this website, James Nixon has, since Ansett, lived in Europe and Vietnam. he is now based out of Bahrain in the Middle East. Due to the flexibility of the internet, this site continues to be updated, albeit less frequently.
Ansett Merchandise
The official supplier of Ansett merchandise, FLAROSE, has a user-friendly website dedicated to marketing hundreds of Ansett-badged products, from ties to tarmac jackets. Perfect for Christmas gifts for AnsettSTARS. Click on their logo above.
Travel Deals Keep Coming
Ansett's ex Major Account Manager, Kendall Knight has the latest special deals for AnsettSTARS from his travel agency. Click HERE to see his latest deals and send yourself on a holiday... who knows, we all need one! Engineering staff are keeping the Ansett spirit alive.
Click the AAES logo above to go to the new Engineering Website. A database with employees details is been setup along with a chat room. Their webmaster Neil says: "We didn't become the world's greatest domestic airline without the world's greatest staff. All ex Ansett staff encouraged to become members."
THE Australian Aviation section is read by everyone in the industry. Problem is: if you're overseas or unable to read the Friday paper, you miss everything, job ads included. They have started this new service that AnsettSTARS believes is worthy of promotion. Click HERE or on their logo above to go to their special AVIATION page. AVIATION JOBS from The AustralianThe Australian is offering a new service, the complete Aviation section delivered anywhere in the world by email including the advertisements (PDF format).Plus their Aviation Archive provides back issues of the section since 17 July, 2001, again sent via email. Price How it works
ELECTION. Did our editorial; written on Election morning 2001and visible here ; change the world?
THE PHOTO FACTORY Meblbourne's Digital Image Specialists 287 Clarendon Street South Melbourne On the south (Albert Park) side of Coles (03) 9699 5817
©jamesnixon2002 The sunsets on an Australian icon. The solid cloudbase below resembles the ocean as Darcy O'Connor Captains his last Ansett flight home.
EDWINA CAMPBELL has been reading a great book about dealing with change. Highly recommended, read her review on the READING LIST where you can also find: "Sudden death is the first symptom in that's bloody hard to cure." Dr.John Tickell's new book is also worth a look. New York Times QUOTE OF THE YEAR 2001 "We gave up because there was nothing left, we had no ammunition, no weapons, no food ... and then they started filling up the basement with water." - ABDUL JABAR, a Taliban survivor of the prison battle at Qala Jangi, Afghanistan. (Thanks Henry Thornton.com) [Ansett staff know exactly how he feels...]
©jamesnixon2001 The sun sets on VH-HYD and history, Thursday 13th September 2001
CHECK THIS OUT! Ex-Ansett Crewing Officer, now top Aviation Photographer with Australian AVIATION magazine, Paul Merritt has a special photo offer for AnsettSTARS readers. We have moved it to another page because it slowed-down our front page loading. See his remarkable photo HERE. Move fast, they're selling like hot cakes.
'Track direct to Swift' ©jamesnixon2001
Never to takeoff out of Cairns again
JOKE
A
young boy refused to do his homework, and his father was trying to
convince him to do it.
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THE REAL ADDRESS Due to a problem with V3Redirect Services, (who supply the "Fly.To" link), the site is sometimes hard to find. Regular users may want to write down the actual web address of the site to bypass the redirection: http://www.users.bigpond.com/jamesnixon
LOST YOUR JOB? Not just a job - your career - your life? It's hard to see clearly right now. Read CONFUSED? again, then PLAN AHEAD , REINVENTION and MONEY. One thing is for certain, it is ONLY your job. It is not your health, family or friends. It is not worth your life... if nothing else, it's worth sticking around to see what happens. Write us an email we can put on our REACTIONS page, letting us know how you feel. Read Tatiana's contribution.
EX CABIN CREW & STAFF! A new website for ex Ansett Cabin Crew and staff has been put together by Wayne and Freda Lawrence. Click the button to have a look and register.
ANSETT STAFF Send us your email eddress, add your name, department and years of service - by pressing this link:
ANYONE Send us moral support, post job offers by clicking this link:
If sending anything for public dissemination, please advise which part we can use publicly and if we can use your name and e-ddress. Be cautious of attracting responses - it takes about a day to reply to 150 emails!
Spread the word...
Have you told a friend about our site recently? Tell 'em to just type into the Browser Address section:
"Fly dot to slash ansettSTARS"
fly.to/ansettstars (no need for http: or www)
MAL's LAST FLIGHT Captain Mal Randall writes about conducting the last Ansett flight from Melbourne. See BILLBOARD
ANSETT
The Story Of The Rise And Fall Of Ansett 1936 - 2002
This new book on Ansett is by one of Australia's most respected aviation journalists, Stewart Wilson, who has contributed to Australian Aviation magazine for many years.. To order please contact Australian Aviation magazine on (02) 6280 0111 or visit their website www.ausaviation.com.au
SPECIAL DEAL FOR SUBSCRIBERS OF AUSTRALIAN AVIATION MAGAZINE. Click HERE or on the Australian Aviation logo above to learn how to subscribe and save yourself money. New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS). This program is for people who are looking to start their own small businesses. NEIS is a Fully-funded Federal Government
program that assists unemployed people into self employment. It is
administered by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and
is run by RMIT as a NEIS Provider. It’s in RMIT Room 04, Level 3, Building 37,
(Near the corner of A'Beckett Street next to a coffee shop named Druids)
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