updated 26th April 2008
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cddstamps my A380 diary I am in Singapore as I write. Arrived late on Tuesday 23rd October to be here for the world’s first commercial flight on an A380. Singapore Airlines are operating the flight as you might know, from Singapore to Sydney on 25th October and I will be on it. Singapore Airlines auctioned many of the seats on the flight with the proceeds going to children’s hospitals in Sydney and Singapore. A wonderful gesture and one that has caught many peoples interest around the world. Not the least all those aviation enthusiast who found themselves with a chance to win a seat and get on the flight. Being one of them and a first flight cover collector I was fortunate enough to be bidding at the right time when it came to a price I could afford. Then even luckier still to find a sponsor, after I got the ticket which enabled me to bid and win a seat on the return flight from Sydney to Singapore, for the world’s first commercial flight of an A380 out of Sydney’s Kingsford Smith airport. So what am I doing in Singapore. Well this morning was taken up with a visit to the central Singapore Post Office. A short taxi ride from my hotel. There I met with the managers of the SingPost Customer Business unit who look after people like me who want their own first day covers franked. The staff were wonderful and extremely
helpful. I was taken to a small office where I was welcomed and given a desk,
some of the new SingPost A380 Mystamps miniature sheets, and a hand frank with
which to frank the covers. The arduous part was splitting the stamps, carefully I might add, from the miniature sheets, but all told it did not take me that long as I only had 44 covers. So 22 miniature sheets later, all split and stuck on the covers, nicely franked and I said my goodbye. Leaving my covers along with those of my sponsor in their capable hands. The reason for that was the date on the covers was 25th and of course it was still the 24th and postal policy is not to sell stamps and post mark covers until the day of release. So arrangements were made for a SingPost employee to meet me at the Singapore airport checkin desks at 4:30AM on the morning of the 25th. Tomorrow as I write. Since checkin time is 5AM I think the timing is good. And back to my opening comment, yes I will need some sleep soon, as I have to be up rather early. All in a days work for someone who loves flying and collecting A380 stamps, and first flight covers. Wednesday 23rd October, 17:00: Singapore Time: Some news on the rest of the day. Yes I did some shopping, although since my expenses really are only for stamps on this trip I was somewhat reserved with my credit card, for a change. Also, I decided to leave myself some cash as I am going to a party tonight to meet up with some of my fellow passengers on tomorrow’s flight. A party organized by another aviation enthusiast. Wednesday 24th October, 21:00: Singapore Time As is so easy to do in Singapore I just gave the taxi driver at my hotel the address and I was there at the right part of the Raffles hotel in less than 10 minutes. I have been to Raffles on many occasions over the years and was yet again impressed with the place. We were not in the famous Raffles bar where Somerset Maughan spent many hours I am led to believe, but a newer part. Poolside, outdoors on the 8th floor and with a very pleasant atmosphere in the warm evening. I met up with some really interesting people. Thursday 25th October, 04:30: Singapore Time Yes an early start as I wrote yesterday, but that did not matter, thinking of what was ahead. As planned, I was met at the airport by the SingPost staff. How friendly were they, even at such an early hour. And they had been there even earlier because they were setting up for another first. I received all my covers and those of my sponsor and after checkin was invited, along with other passengers to have my photograph taken so that a commemorative Mystamps sheet could be made for us as a memory of the flight. This was a courtesy of SingPost working in collaboration with Singapore Airlines. What a wonderful idea I thought. After taking a few pictures, I am not as photogenic as I or the camera would like, we were satisfied we had a picture that could be printed. I look forward to receiving this Mystamps Sheet in due course. I must say given the number of people travelling on the flight, 471 was the expected number I believe, the checkin and processing was truly superb. Through immigration and onto the Transit office post office to buy some of the commemorative First Day Covers that Singapore Post issued that day to commemorate this historic flight. The post Office did not open until 6AM so as you can guess I was first in the queue. I bought what I thought I would need although in hindsight I should have bought more because of the demand I have had for these covers. I say that now because I am back in Singapore and when I went to the airport transit lounge Post Office to buy more they told me they had sold out. I am not sure if I can get more from my contacts at Singapore Post but I will be trying when I get back to Sydney.
It was party atmosphere I must tell you. People mixing, meeting new acquaintances, people being interviewed by the media who were traveling on the flight and generally having a wonderful time. Boarding commenced, starting with First and Business class as is the norm, and passengers on the upper deck. I was seated in the front economy cabin on the lower deck, and, as it turned out, surrounded by mostly media people. Sitting next to me was a gentleman who had traveled on the first 747 flight, 37 years ago. A very interesting person to talk to. Not the least because he had a beautifully framed set of two certificates, one commemorating the 747 first flight and one for this A380 flight. This had been presented to him by Singapore Airlines. Another fine gesture. The A380 certificate was one every passenger was given by the crew during the flight. Each made for the individual and signed by the Captain and CEO of Singapore Airlines. The flight itself. Basically was brilliant. How can I describe it without writing for ever. Long run on the take off, loud applause when we started rolling, louder applause when we lifted off the runway, so very quite inside the cabin, the seat was very comfortable, the in flight dinning was excellent I have to say, the champagne was extremely nice as were the wines served with dinner. The party continued for another 6 and a half hours, People wandering around the aircraft to look and mix and engage in conversation with other passengers, the media and the crew. The crew were fantastic. Given the as number of passengers who did not stay in their seats because they were partying. The aircraft has wider aisles it seems to me than other widebody aircraft but still the crew had a challenge serving everyone, but they did. We arrived in Sydney. The pilot announced we were going to do a fly past of the Harbour Bridge and downtown central business district. Sadly the clouds were low and the weather was not kind to the passengers in the window seats. The landing was as smooth as any I have every made. And the party was over, well for a few hours at least. Thursday 25th October, 20:00: Sydney Time. The location now is the Zeta bar at the Hilton in Sydney. Again aviation enthusiasts gathered to met and share stories. The occasion was dubbed as a “beheading of the 747 and commemoration of the rise of a new king of the skies, the A380. This was organized, brilliantly by Tim Spahr from Spahr Aviation Advisors. Videos including plenty of nostalgic flight footage from the past decades starting with the 1930s, and a speech to farewell the 747 and welcome the new era of the A380. One highlight for me was meeting a gentlemen you all surely know by name. Glen Stephens. A frequent flyer as you may know. It was a pleasure to meet him and chat travel and the occasional first flight and stamp topic. Lovely to finally meet you Glen. Friday 26th October, 14:00: Sydney Time. Yes, back to the Sydney airport to checkin for the world’s first A380 commercial flight out of Sydney Kingsford Smith. And with more first flight covers, duly hand franked at the airport post office with the excellent help of Australia Post staff. I was fortunate enough to meet the crew, and even more fortunate to find them more than willing to sign my first flight covers, including some signed by the pilots. And as Glen had advised me the previous night, get signatures, and I did. The departure time was 16:00, but owing to some awful looking electrical storm clouds, which resulted in the airport being closed down for safety reason, we didn’t actually board the flight until close to 18:00. I guess we had three hours drinking champagne and meeting new people. The party had started in a fast gear right from the start. If I recall correctly we ran out of champagne, which on reflection was probably just as well. I was on the upper deck for this flight and just my luck, I was in a cabin where it seemed the real party was going to happen. And it did, another 7 hours of champagne, excellent food and wonderful company. And the crew were again brilliant. We arrived in Singapore just before midnight, after what I can only describe as yet another perfect flight. Everyone I spoke to was impressed with the aircraft and extremely impressed yet again with the excellence of the Singapore cabin crew. I fly on Singapore Airlines quite often and I think they set the benchmark for service excellence. One might have expected them to go out of their way for everyone on this flight, but in my view that is the norm for them. My thanks to them all.
Saturday 27th October, 16:00: Singapore Time I slept well last night, not surprisingly. Back at Singapore airport for the final leg of my journey with one more task to complete. And once again with the excellent cooperation of Singapore Post I have my flight covers franked on arrival in Singapore. And what exactly have I produced. Well basically three cddstamps designed and produced covers; one carried on the flight from Singapore to Sydney, one carried on the flight from Sydney to Singapore, and a third which was carried on both flights. Plus two Singapore Post official First Day Covers, one carried on the flight from Singapore to Sydney and postmarked in Singapore and on arrival in Sydney, and the other carried back again to Singapore and post marked on arrival in Singapore. A full set as I think of it. As often happens with stamps though, there are a few varieties. Some are signed, some are not. Some are signed by cabin crew, some by one or more of the pilots, some are signed by other “celebrities” including the CEO of Singapore Airlines, some have one combination of stamps, some another combination. I made 20 of each of the three cddstamps covers and so with the varieties there are actually a very limited number available. Some will remain in my collection, some I am offering as prizes to my blog competitions and some I will sell. All 60 cddstamps covers have one of three special hand franks I designed and had made for the flights. All will be signed by me, all will have a certificate of authenticity signed by me and a signed photograph I will be including with each cover to commemorate the flights.
So A380 flights, for the time being at least, for me are over. I am sure the next business trip will see me schedule my flights to and from Singapore to coincide with the SQ 220 and SQ221, the flights which Singapore Airlines are going to operate with the A380. The covers I have shown and the photos I have included only tell a small part of the story. History was made over the two days of 25th and 26th October 2007 and I am happy to have been fortunate enough to have been part of it.
I have been overwhelmed by the support and cooperation I have received from my sponsor, Tony Buckingham of Buckingham Covers in the UK, whose covers I also carried on both flights, Australia Post, Singapore Post and above all the wonderful cabin crew on SQ380. I achieved more than I expected in terms of signatures on the covers I carried and the auction Singapore Airlines held has inspired me to auction two of my covers and add to the charity funds already collected. The winner of the two auction lots can decide which of the Children’s hospitals they wish the money to be donated to. I will be listing these covers on eBay under my eBay user id of michaelatcddstamps, in the not too distant future. I will be promoting the auction on my blog and website, various stamp boards and wherever else I can to attract as much interest as possible and add something to the charity as a thank you to all those who helped me, and more importantly to help the children who need to visit these hospitals. Michael Dodd cddstamps Blog: http://blog.michael.dodd.com Website: http://www.cddstamps.com |
I
am jumping ahead of my self here so lets get back to the morning of the 25th.
I found my way to the departure gate where there was a reception breakfast for
the passengers. Crew were there to meet the passengers, there were speeches and
the presentation of the money raised from the auction for the Singapore
children’s hospital. 
Similar
procedures as in Singapore. A reception at the departure gate, lots of champagne
I should add, some speeches by the CEO of Singapore Airlines, and Morris Iemma
the Premier of NSW. 
Post
script