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Old 28th Apr 2008, 05:03
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Dan Winterland
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Fragrant Harbour
Posts: 4,787
Received 7 Likes on 3 Posts
Not an MOD contract, but there was an Air Atlanta 747SP flying down to Las Islas Malvinas in the late 90s when someone was convinced there was oil down there. This aircraft was flying the oil exploration workers down there and it was quite plush. Only 80 seats, all large leather first class variety and gorgeous (well, to those who hadn't seen anything more attractive than Flossie the sheep for a month) Icelandic hosties. So when it parked next to us one day, we went on board to say hello and have an oggle.

We met the operating crew - and to say there was a bit of an atmosphere was an understatement. The pilots looked like they were about to punch each other, the F/E was going to punch both. It transpires that they had been flying there without any maps or approach plates. The Captain, who had done the trip twice before had mentioned it was no problem. All they had to do is steer to a 10 mile final point at 2000' and it was a piece of p!ss. Well, it would be if the cloud base was lower than 2000' and you couldn't see the ground which would stop you being scared (no GPWS on this aircraft). But on this day, the weather was a good Falklands day and the ceiling was 2100'. They broke cloud to see the Mount Kent radome 150' below them!

That afternoon, OC Ops phoned me and asked us to photocopy ten sets of approach plates.
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