Preferred routes?

[AJ]

Wondering whether pilots/pax would like to share they're favourite/least favourite routes, in terms of any aspect; scenery, night-life, shopping, relaxation, local beer quality... anything.

A favourite of mine London-Nairobi, for the desert scenery.

Cheers.

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Safiri Salama

[justapax]

Least favourite: any flight into Iran.

Most favourite: any flight out of Iran.

:)

Is the Swissair flight out of Bandar Abbas still running, where the hosties used to push and pull two trolleys each, loaded solely with booze, up and down the aisles, so that people could catch up on their alcohol consumption after a few dry weeks in Iran?

[Vortex Wake]

Going over London is always interesting,then doing the channel the fastest way possible!

[FlyingV]

Over the Alps is stunning.

Newfoundland is also spectacular.

Any route home after a biz trip is pretty good too.

[VTSP]

I agree with Newfoundland...... include Labrador too

[Bullitt]

Antartica!!



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We've got to start thinking beyond our guns

[ExSimGuy]

AJ, If you like the desert scenery, then you'll just love JED-RUH-DAM (or any combination of the above). Plenty of really impressive desert in the area, and the sky is clear for 99% of the time, which makes for a good view from 30-odd thousand, as well as ensuring smooth flights.

As for the beer, nightlife, and shopping - well, perhaps not!

[AJ]

Ex-Sim;
I'm hoping for a jumpseat on LHR-RUH on the 19th, having said which, I arrive at 22:30 local :rolleyes: and on the rtn, depart at 01:30 :rolleyes: I do remember great views from the late LGW-AUH-CMB run with the DC-10, although as I mentioned, my clearest memory was the NBO-LHR run, straight over the midday sahara sun, champagne at hand (mother's birthday).

These are the moments (and views) which fire me with the inspiration to become a pilot...(excuse my sentimental expression).

Cheers,
AJ.

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Safiri Salama

[OO-AOG]

Love overnight flight over Siberia, flying BRU-NRT.
Worst is any transatlantic flight to USA, because of 'friendly' immigration long queues and airport no smoking policy. http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif

[Busta Level]

Best Flight - Freeport, Bahamas to Harbour Island, Bahamas at 200 feet or thereabouts! Turquoise, crystal clear seas, and golden sandy beaches. Along with all manner of marine life visible from the skies...

Worst Flight - LHR to AMS on the first early sector. Dark, invariably windy/foggy/stormy (delete as appropriate) with 5 runway changes on the way in! Yuk

[RiverCity]

I've flown all over Alaska (as a pax) in anything from 727's to something little better than a bush plane. Never had such a great experience, especially in a little single-engine climbing to get over a mountain, while also avoiding clouds and fog (VFR) ... and the mountain.

Also, the approach to Juneau is pretty neat, as long as you have confidence in the pilot. Quite often, you do a 180 while also losing a fair amount of altitude at the same time. The approach down the Mendenhall glacier in a small plane is also neat, as you do a 270 while dropping.

RiverCity

[This message has been edited by RiverCity (edited 05 June 2000).]

[BRUpax]

VFR at 1000 feet in a Twin Otter (scheduled flight) between Floro and Bergen (Norway) on a gin clear day in June. Look it up in your atlas. Incredible scenery all the way and as a bonus you fly over a nudist camp! (no 360s permitted!).

I have to add that the route is generally flown IFR and, furthermore, is now operated by an ATR.

[This message has been edited by BRUpax (edited 05 June 2000).]

[Slasher]

Prefered routes? Well lets see theres Sarah, Mandy, Jane, Cindy......

...er.......

...oops!....

Sorry. Misread the topic! :)

[redsnail]

Yeah Slasher I did too...
I just sniggered and went back to JetBlast.

[ExSimGuy]

Here's us pax trying to keep it clean - along comes a pilot and posts a remark that'll get this thread moved to JB !

Nice one Slasher, gave me a Saturday morning chuckle! :) :) :)

[mutt]

AJ,

I hope that you are flying BA to RUH, SVA operate under FAR 121 rules, therefore no unauthorized persons are allowed in to the cockpit.
If you are going to ask anyway.. make sure that u only ask the supervisor or the R1 F/A.

Good luck, hope that you enjoy the nightlife of RUH.

Cya
Mutt

[AJ]

;) Ah yes, the night life in Riyadh ;)

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Safiri Salama

[DASHER]

Preferred routes? Well, I reckon that has to be flying within Boliva (in a C47)...absolutely superb in terms of scenery. Flying in Colombia is nice, too. My worst flight was from Cancun to Havana in a CU Yak-42. Interesting, to say the least :-)

Dash.

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The propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane used to keep the pilot cool. When it stops, you can actually see the pilot start sweating.

[BigJETS]

RiverCity--
I was broke-in with a flight from Anchorage to Juneau on a 737 in July '97. It was impossible to take my eyes from the window (the same was true with my camera). The approach into Juneau was completely amazing. I can remember looking down at a fisherman sitting in the channel in his small boat looking up as we passed 300ft. Impossible to describe. Not to mention all the glacier. One of the happiest 90 minutes of my life. As luck would have it...I have some in-flight shots posted on my website
http://bigjets.tripod.com/flightline/id7.html
By the way, the flight was followed by a 60hr journey to Bellingham,WA via the Alaska Ferry. If you need a vacation, That is it!


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Rotate!

[AJ]

Thanks all, great to hear.

As for the nightlife in Riyadh..PLENTY..if you know where to look;

Never have I been so out of it, on so many days, in such a short time :)

Has anyone visited the Marines' bar at the US embassy? http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

There is PLENTY of women and drink here, mate, and so I hear the BA crew really do like the route, just don't admit it :)

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Safiri Salama

[bravo 2-0]

I see lots of replies that refer to the desert scenery. I can appreciate that ...

I have been fortunate enough to do a 'Shorts Skyvan' sector from MCT to Khasab on the Musnadam Peninsula in Oman.

The 'orange box' sprouting two engines is dwarfed by the mountains and 'fjords' up there.....

Spectacular is an understatement as you climb (approx 1500 feet) from the Indian Ocean side(sheer cliffs) over navigation points 'Beechers Brook' (true!) into the valley (not so wide especially, if the SOAF choppers are not keeping to the circuit and decide to take the 'short way' back by flying against the incoming traffic)

'Hang a right' at 'Tattenham Corner' to line up on the short strip behind the village and the sea beyond......

Very memorable.....

[The Sleeping Pax]

Bravo 2-0,
I don't know if you have ever done MCT-SUR-Maseriah with Oman Air but it is Spectacular!

My own memorable views are Luxor, over Cairo and Alexanderia, along the Nile at 30,000ft, on SAS from JED-COP. The Pyramids were about 1/4" high but distinguishable:

FRA-MAD over GVA with a great view of Mont Blanc and the Pyrenees:

Crossing over Southern Greenland on a BA flight from SFO-LHR listening to Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto brings back memories too:

and finally a flight I always enjoy especially on a clear day, is LHR (no longer, but now)LGW to PLH and NQY with my favourite airline Byrmon! You pick up the South coast at Portsmouth, get a full view of Southampton and the Isle of Wight, then Purbeck, Weymouth and Portland before crossing Lyme Bay to the South Downs. After a bumpy ride over Dartmoor into PLH, a short hop to NQY with a spectacular view of the Tamar and over beloved Cornwall! The friendly Brymon Staff, Flight crews and Cabin crews, their liberal heavy-handedness with the drinks and most of all the Barley Sugar sweets before landing all make for a wonderful return to the South West for me.

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Wake me up when we get there


By the way, Justapax, the Swiss Air Bandar Abbas flight is no longer running!

[This message has been edited by The Sleeping Pax (edited 26 June 2000).]

[bravo 2-0]

Sleeping Pax,

Your mention of dear ol Brymon(yep I used to enjoy the old service and before the DH on the HP Heralds...was that BMA or BIA?) reminds me of the days that the 'old man' used to take me flying, while he was 'moonlighting' one summer in the '60's (anything to get out of school!) in a DH Rapide of Mayflower Airways, operating PLH/NQY/EXT to ISC(St Mary's, Isles of Scilly)

Interesting runway at ISC, that did not leave to much error if you landed to far down otherwise you were likely to run down the cliff at the far end!! The airfield being similar to an inverted saucer !( I believe that is one reason the old man was helping out as one of the other Rapides did exactly that, with the Skipper lucky to escape alive!

[ExSimGuy]

"Dart" Heralds - definitely used by Peter Villa's British Island Airways (designator "UK"). Headquarters at KRH (no, not Kirachi, but Redhill!)

I flew them many times when I was based at LGW and supporting the BCAL computer reservations system. At one time they did the LGW-Rotterdam run, and I used to occasionally scrounge a ride to Guernsey on one. They also did the run to Blackpool.

Only thing you had to remember was that it was noisy as hell in the front rows - better down behind the wings.

The other odd thing was that the smokers (including me!) were on the right side of the aircraft and the non-smokers on the left!. So if you had an isle seat and you were travelling with non-smokers you could still chat with them during the flight! (Perhaps the outflow valve was on the right side of the aircraft, instead of at the rear :)