TOM 757 SAN - STN

[ukdean]

Quick question,

I was surprised to see a 757 operating on the above route tonight and the question being, is this a normal flight ops for Thomson.

I can't say I would best pleased to turn up at the gate to see 757 taking me back to good old Blighty, Spain yes but, Florida, umm

THANKS IN ADVANCE

[double-oscar]

Final leg of a round of the world trip.

[miked11]

Don't think it's an actual Thomson flight, it was G-OOBF which has been doing charter flight tours for a while now, and i don't think Thomson does long haul to STN either, so makes me think even more not a normal Thomson scheduled flight.

[susier]

Long-haul flights

A long-haul flight is typically made by a wide-body aircraft, such as Boeing_767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787, McDonnell Douglas DC-10, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A380 or Boeing 747. The flight length typically requires over six and a half hours to cover and is often a non-stop flight. Only a few narrow-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 757, have true long-haul capability. These aircraft are commonly used on secondary transatlantic routes.

I guess it's capable of getting there, whether it's usual or not I don't know.

[ukdean]

Just checked STN arrivals and no mention of an arrival from Sanford.

Apreciate the quick response

[TOWTEAMBASE]

Probably LTN?

[Sam Dodger]

It's been transporting the rich for two "24 day round the world by private jet" holidays for National Geographic with prices about $75k pp. Positioning flight BHX to SFB was on about 27/28 Dec and configuration is "just 76 VIP seats" These holidays depart during winter months from SFB and once the snow threat on the eastern seaboard is over the departure point moves up to IAD/DCA. And incidentally, you won't see many 757s coming off the ocean at FL420 !!

[DaveReidUK]

Arrived at STN an hour ago. Flight number doesn't look like a revenue service, probably positioning.

[TOWTEAMBASE]

Really !!! I thought STN was meant to be one of the most expensive

[philbky]

I've a shots of one of last year's charters in Auckland which I'll upload in the morning.
G-OOBD if I remember. Caused great excitement for the Auckland spotters who turned out in force. Just goes to prove that one man's commonplace is another man's rarity.

[ATNotts]

When I looked at the title of this thread I was curious as to why TOM would be operating from San Diego to Stansted, and how exactly they were going to do that with a 757?

Reading through the postings am I to understand that the flight in question was operating SFB (Sanford) to STN (Stansted)?

I appreciate this is the "Spectator's Balcony" forum, but if IATA / ICAO codes are to be used let's please make sure they are the correct ones!

[philbky]

Thomson B757 at Auckland, March 2014 https://www.flickr.com/photos/philbky/14489587418/in/photolist-oypNMg-oypMJK-owrYbL-ovXq4d-oeufSL-orBHiw-ovpoai-orBHAf-ovporF-obK9VT-osevvX-osvMGB-osvQ2M-oquc3R-oqh2Fs-o8ZwPd-oseVW2-oosh3Y-osf7Hc-oosiRs-oqgVHf-oospr5-oqh3uS-o8ZBgZ-oqcSki-oqd2DP-oqh2nG-o8Zudj-o6AokA-onSJZu-o6AoKU-o6Aouo-o5oVwJ-o5oPtn-o5oFZ5-ompDTW-omes7w-o4Wz1s-ompEPy-o2yJ8k-ogYLj9-oj1zGF-o2vRGf-nSwDJg-nSwE68-nSvtUQ-o9Gn2r-o7Xfks-9wn6rD-8ZDp1W/

[Groundloop]

I can't say I would best pleased to turn up at the gate to see 757 taking me back to good old Blighty, Spain yes but, Florida, umm


Have to disagree with you there. I have done a few trans-Atlantics on 757s. I find them much more "personal" than a wide-body ie fewer pax generally makes for a quieter flight.

[Wycombe]

Caused great excitement for the Auckland spotters who turned out in force.

That was also the case back in 2009 when I was at AKL and observed the Bruce Dickinson/Astreaus "combi" 757 parked up for a few days.

[Double Hydco]

http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag21/belfast97/_IGP3708_zpsd858980b.jpg

This is a First Choice 757 we came across whilst holidaying in Rarotonga, Cook Islands in 2009. When we got to Sydney, there was a Monarch machine there too, also on a RTW charter.

[edi_local]

Certainly a different outing for this bird compared to when she took me to Bulgaria about 10 years ago! :ok:

Transatlantic on a 757 is perfectly normal. UA/AA/DL still do so on a daily basis from plenty of European cities. Why would you not be best pleased? The 757 is an excellent aircraft to go across the pond in. Like someone else said, it's got a very personal feel.

[LadyL2013]

I know it struggles London - SAN in 'normal' configuration and does a stop in Bangor or similar, but it can come back across in one go just about if the conditions are right.. Or at least that's the pattern I've observed.

[Sygyzy]

SAN - LHR = 5500 miles whereas the range of a 757 at best is 4200 miles if it's been upgraded with winglets. So, yes it would struggle with the last 1500 miles or so in a glide.

If however you'd paid attention to the previous poster (ATNotts) and used the correct IATA code for the Sandford airport - SFB - your post might have a smidgeon of credibility.....:E

[Sam Dodger]

To maintain credibility you might wish to edit SFD to SFB

[Sygyzy]

Stones, Glass houses, hat, coat etc etc.:rolleyes:

[LadyL2013]

It was a typo, you knew perfectly well what I meant. No need to be so patronising and belittling about it...

[787fca]

The flight departs on a Vip round the world trip tomorrow with a full load of pax from stn (Vip terminal) to Muscat. The passengers will all be American and will have traveled from the USA to stn yesterday on scheduled carriers to join the trip. The trip is approx a month long and visits Oman, Nepal, Palau, Laos, the Maldives, Rwanda and the ends in Barcelona in approx 4 weeks time.

[DaveReidUK]

on a Vip round the world trip

I don't think you need to be a VIP to go, just be able to afford the fare. :O

[ATNotts]

LadyL2013

It was a typo, you knew perfectly well what I meant. No need to be so patronising and belittling about it...

I'm sorry, by no stretch of the imagination was "SAN" a typo for "SFB". The positioning of keys on any standard keyboard makes that more than unlikely. There are so many combinations of IATA codes that to make an error, or an assumption of a code without checking can and does lead to confusion, and if anyone isn't sure then using long-hand in a posting would never be frowned upon.

Same goes for ICAO codes.

[LadyL2013]

It was a typo in the sense that SANford in my head for some reason rather than coming out as SFB came out as SAN. As everyone was clearly discussing Orlando, I thought it might have been obvious I didn't actually mean SAN on the other side of he continent, but oh well, I guess being human is not allowed.

I meant Sanford, I accidentally typed the wrong code as did the other poster who chastised me, can we move on?

[DaveReidUK]

I think all airports should use the first three letters of their name as the IATA code, it would make travelling much more exciting. :O