Home and Wet!
Having joined the forum last week specifically as a means of keeping tabs on the real story behind the BRS runway saga, I hope I may be allowed a minor contribution as my first post.
I have not yet seen any TV pictures, but my wife and I were back seat passengers on this morning's CO 76 from EWR and have nothing but praise for CO's handling of the flight. Prior to boarding, some two hours late, we were specifically advised that, with expected high tailwinds and a consequent flight time of some five and a half hours, take-off would be deferred until CO could be reasonably certain of arriving over BRS after 1000 - allegedly during the "contractors' teabreak according to one of CO's ground staff! PAX having boarded some two and a half hours' behind schedule, Captain Jeff Buchman came into the main cabin (curiously enough, there were very few, if any, of what CO quaintly calls Business First PAX - funny that!) and gave a very lucid and frank explanation of the situation, including the possibility of diverting to Cardiff. He then took individual questions on a walkthrough the main cabin before returning to the front of the cabin to highlight his answers to the individual questions he had received, ending up with the answer to the final question - who had one last night's big game in the US.
On arrival in UK airspace this morning, Captain Buchman provided several succinct updates from the flightdeck, including the possibility of Birmingham in lieu of Cardiff "following radio discussions with BRS and CO", before explaining that we were expected to go into a holding pattern for about 20 minutes whilst a final decision was made, then five minutes later announcing that we would indeed be landing at BRS. At that point, we broke clear of cloud incidentally immediately over my house outside Bath and a few minutes later made what my wife and I both agreed was one of the smoothest we have ever experienced at BRS over some 20 years, in numerous types of aircraft. We therefore thoroughly endorse the spirit of Martin Barnes's remarks about CO, and well done Captain Buchman and crew. And yes, they did receeive a well-earned round of applause ......
I spoke to the captain as he passed through the baggage hall, shortly before he was interviewd by Clinton Rogers of BBC West, to whom I aslo commended CO, and specifically the captain, and, whilst grateful that I had taken the trouble to compliment him on his overall handling of the situation, both in the air and on the ground, Captain Buchman was actually very matter of fact about the whole thing - although he did say that he had heard nothing about the runway problem before he showed up at EWR yesterday evening.
Jack
Last edited by Union Jack; 6th October 2007 at 12:36.