Tridents in China
This thread stirred happy memories of a trip to Shanghai and on to Beijing in 1982.
As we are boarding an American tourist asks my boss what kind of jet this is. Boss replied, beaming with pride, that "actually it's a British jet, a Hawker Siddeley Trident." Tourists wife freaks.... "Oh my God, I used to own a Triumph Stag!"
On board one of the passengers having trouble getting the seat belt threaded through the buckle because the strap was severely frayed. No problem, out comes an impressive chef's knife and after chopping off 3" from the strap all is well.
Landing in Beijing was interesting.... cruising altitude maintained until over the airport followed by what felt to all was a spiral dive for the runway and some serious braking to finish up with a very high speed turn-off at the far end.... someone suggested the pilots were ex-military, but they seemed current enough to me.
I also recall an RR engineer on that flight saying that the Spey test stand was out of service... apparently the concrete base was not well secured to the underlying mud with alarming results at high thrust.
Times change, all very spiffy now.
PJ