What happened to Blair's A/C?
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Sparks from engine end Tony Blair's flight from SA
The aeroplane bringing Tony Blair home from a visit to South Africa aborted take-off at the last minute after its pilot spotted problems with an engine, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.
The spokesman confirmed that sparks were seen coming from one of the plane's three engines.
The aeroplane was moving down the runway ready for take-off when the problem was spotted, but it had not reached take-off velocity.
As a result of the aborted take-off, Mr Blair had to extend his weekend visit by one day.
Mr Blair's spokesman said: "At about 11pm South African time, they were due to take off. They had started the run down the runway. They hadn't got very far when the pilot noticed something wrong with engine no.3.
"They shut down the engine, aborted take-off, and went back to the terminal.
"Being 11pm South African time, there weren't any other planes and they couldn't have arranged an alternative to get them back in time for the ID card vote. He will travel back overnight on Monday."
Asked whether it was correct that sparks were seen from the underside of the plane, the spokesman said: "I gather that was one of the symptoms of an engine not working."
He stressed that the plane had not left the ground by the time the problem was spotted: "In terms of take-off speed, they were well short of the point of take-off. In the technical jargon, this is termed a minor incident."
The spokesman said the private charter plane was carrying only the Prime Minister and his officials.
The aeroplane bringing Tony Blair home from a visit to South Africa aborted take-off at the last minute after its pilot spotted problems with an engine, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.
The spokesman confirmed that sparks were seen coming from one of the plane's three engines.
The aeroplane was moving down the runway ready for take-off when the problem was spotted, but it had not reached take-off velocity.
As a result of the aborted take-off, Mr Blair had to extend his weekend visit by one day.
Mr Blair's spokesman said: "At about 11pm South African time, they were due to take off. They had started the run down the runway. They hadn't got very far when the pilot noticed something wrong with engine no.3.
"They shut down the engine, aborted take-off, and went back to the terminal.
"Being 11pm South African time, there weren't any other planes and they couldn't have arranged an alternative to get them back in time for the ID card vote. He will travel back overnight on Monday."
Asked whether it was correct that sparks were seen from the underside of the plane, the spokesman said: "I gather that was one of the symptoms of an engine not working."
He stressed that the plane had not left the ground by the time the problem was spotted: "In terms of take-off speed, they were well short of the point of take-off. In the technical jargon, this is termed a minor incident."
The spokesman said the private charter plane was carrying only the Prime Minister and his officials.
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Also got this
As it happens the Prime Minister was not travelling in the usual way on his South Africa visit. Normally he charters a BA commercial airliner and is accompanied by a plane load of officials, security officers and journalists. Of late he has sometimes preferred much smaller executive jets with no accompanying posse, provided by the RAF or private hire. In South Africa this choice let him down badly and may even have endangered his life. Inevitably this will further fuel the active debate on whether there should be an official "Blair Force One" plane available to the Prime Minister.
As it happens the Prime Minister was not travelling in the usual way on his South Africa visit. Normally he charters a BA commercial airliner and is accompanied by a plane load of officials, security officers and journalists. Of late he has sometimes preferred much smaller executive jets with no accompanying posse, provided by the RAF or private hire. In South Africa this choice let him down badly and may even have endangered his life. Inevitably this will further fuel the active debate on whether there should be an official "Blair Force One" plane available to the Prime Minister.
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The spokesman confirmed sparks were seen coming from one of the plane's three engines. The aircraft was moving down the runway ready for take-off when the problem was spotted, but it had not reached take-off velocity.
As a result of the aborted take-off, Mr Blair had to extend his weekend visit by one day.
The spokesman said: "At about 11pm South African time, they were due to take off. They had started the run down the runway. They hadn't got very far when the pilot noticed something wrong with engine number three. They shut down the engine, aborted take-off, and went back to the terminal
As a result of the aborted take-off, Mr Blair had to extend his weekend visit by one day.
The spokesman said: "At about 11pm South African time, they were due to take off. They had started the run down the runway. They hadn't got very far when the pilot noticed something wrong with engine number three. They shut down the engine, aborted take-off, and went back to the terminal
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Originally Posted by Gauteng Pilot
... Of late he has sometimes preferred much smaller executive jets with no accompanying posse, provided by the RAF or private hire...
and that would have been an A340???
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Well, there you go then......
It seems living in Africa we lose sight of the fact that some politicians can still travel without having the whole dog and pony show on the most expensive aircraft around.
It seems living in Africa we lose sight of the fact that some politicians can still travel without having the whole dog and pony show on the most expensive aircraft around.
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Originally Posted by Newforest
Airliners.net quoting he flew DC-8, HB-IGH, Jet Aviation.
Most reports here say a 3 engine jet, one saying he only had 2 engines left
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The plane
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Tony Blairs Plane
I saw this DC-8 parked on the remote stand at JIA last week and I thought it unusual that the the cascade thrust reversers were open on the engines,while the aircraft was parked.
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Irishair2001
I think you may be mixing up your DC-8. There have been 2 parked on the remote stand at Jhb recently.
The one that is still there is a DC-8 63 series and that has its reverses deployed.
The other a/c that was there was a DC-8 72 and it has CFM engines. These engines are the same type as on the 737-800 that SAA operate. When the thrust reverses are deployed on this a/c a sleeve type mechanism slides rearwards. Looks like the engine is splitting in half. Nothing is deployed at the back of the engine as seen on the 737-200 engines.
I think you may be mixing up your DC-8. There have been 2 parked on the remote stand at Jhb recently.
The one that is still there is a DC-8 63 series and that has its reverses deployed.
The other a/c that was there was a DC-8 72 and it has CFM engines. These engines are the same type as on the 737-800 that SAA operate. When the thrust reverses are deployed on this a/c a sleeve type mechanism slides rearwards. Looks like the engine is splitting in half. Nothing is deployed at the back of the engine as seen on the 737-200 engines.
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Blair's DC-8
Fluffy,
After 38 years of plane spotting,logging and photographing,I did not travel from DUB to spend 6 days spotting at JNB and observing this DC-8-72 ,HB-IGH for 4 days parked in the company of an Ethiopian 737-700 at times in company with a Brazilian Air Force VC-1A (Thats an Airbus ACJ with IAE V-2500 Engines and a Boeing KC-137 with Pratt and Whitney JT3D-7 Engines)to mistake a Swiss registered DC-8-72 with General Electric/Snecma CFM-56 Engines with Cascade thrust reversers,with a DC-8-63 with Pratt and Whitney JT3D-7Engines.
Unless I was p**sed or got too much sun,there is 30FT of DC-8, not reported missing at JNB
After 38 years of plane spotting,logging and photographing,I did not travel from DUB to spend 6 days spotting at JNB and observing this DC-8-72 ,HB-IGH for 4 days parked in the company of an Ethiopian 737-700 at times in company with a Brazilian Air Force VC-1A (Thats an Airbus ACJ with IAE V-2500 Engines and a Boeing KC-137 with Pratt and Whitney JT3D-7 Engines)to mistake a Swiss registered DC-8-72 with General Electric/Snecma CFM-56 Engines with Cascade thrust reversers,with a DC-8-63 with Pratt and Whitney JT3D-7Engines.
Unless I was p**sed or got too much sun,there is 30FT of DC-8, not reported missing at JNB