QF11 departure from Sydney

[Milboo]

Random question but does QF11 (SYD - LAX) have a special flight path for departure from Sydney?

It heads west and then banks over Rozelle/ Balmain and goes up the harbour out to the heads (i.e. over the Harbour Bridge and with a city fly pass). I get a nice belly view as it banks right and then straightens up.

I don't see any other flight take this path so curious if it is a QF special.

 

[Quickstatus]

It can depart to the south or to the north. North would be on a heading 340 on the compass, then turns right
Rare that it uses the east west runway for take offs but it has been known to have happened.

 

[jb747]

https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/current/dap/SSYDP12-170_15JUN2023.pdf

 

[Milboo]

Thanks - this was more of an observed piece than runway orientation. I see multiple departing flights a day from my desk, the only one I ever see take this path and turning point over Balmain is the mid-morning Qantas A380. If any are heading west then they follow the Leichhardt, Canada Bay, Rhodes suburb path.

It is not the same path as the northbound as they run parallel to the city (and I also can see these).

 

[Quickstatus]

my desk, the only one I ever see take this path and turning point over Balmain is the mid-morning Qantas A380

Lots of different variations on a theme which is fly runway heading 335 then turn right. The chart linked above says 34R turns right first and 34L slightly later. Turns (if it's going to happen) seem to happen between Leichhardt, rozelle, Woolwich

 

[jpp42]

Thanks - this was more of an observed piece than runway orientation. I see multiple departing flights a day from my desk, the only one I ever see take this path and turning point over Balmain is the mid-morning Qantas A380. If any are heading west then they follow the Leichhardt, Canada Bay, Rhodes suburb path.

I've noticed this as well from Pyrmont - you're not hallucinating. It can happen for other A380 departures too like the early morning Emirates one. Maybe it has something to do with wake turbulence separation - perhaps they send the "super [heavies]" on a different path so other flights don't have to immediately follow it - but that's the only thing I can think of.

 

[ksksks]

Climb gradient also comes into the picture here, the Richmond 5 which B777/787's get requires 5.6% to 2500ft. Assigning the Sydney 2 to A380s with vectored early right turn helps keep the aircraft in controlled airspace (more track miles in lowest step), and makes it easier to maneuver past (under) the 34R arrivals path.