Virgin Atlantic Landing at East Mids Airport?

[daywalker]

I saw the above today at around Noon as I was on the A42 heading for the M1. I did not thnk they used East Mids, what was going on? Apologies if you all know that they use the airport, it's just that I didn't think they did!
It was a big beast too, I would guess it was one of their 747's as opposed to that new airbus thingy they have.

Just an edit to add:
I could have sworn I saw the same plane taking off approx. 5 mins earlier? It caught my attention on landing as it was banking around very sharply.

[BOEINGBOY1]

Base training? East mids has to be one of the best suited base training airfields in the UK. long runway, great accommodating atc, modest other traffic, central location and i guess high on the list is that its also much cheaper to use than SNN,PIK,BZZ etc for multiple circuits.

[SnapOff]

A340-300 on crew training.

[PAXboy]

Walker, I suspect that the reason you got a sharp comment was that you placed your question in the main Rumours Forum. As you will see, it has now been moved to Questions.

PPRuNe is administered by volunteers, so someone has had to take time to check your post, and then move it to the correct forum.

The point being that PPRuNe is for Professional Pilots. As guests, we should follow their rules and check out the wide range of forums that are available and select the correct one.

Welcome aboard!

[daywalker]

I dunno PAXboy, it was a genuine error & no one else seemed to mind.

Aplogies for taking up the mods/admin time.

Anyway, it's only a message board, not worth getting upset about ;)

[PAXboy]

daywalker, Yes a genuine error and you are new here, so I dare say that folks will give you that leeway. And your apology to the Mod Bods will be welcomed, I am sure.

"Only a message board" ??? I take it that the winking smiley means that you know that you are referring to something that is of enormous use to many thousands of people across the globe YET is organised in the spare time of people with full time jobs. :)

[Captain Stable]

Asking what seems (to some) to be a daft question, and posting on the wrong board are the least of crimes you will see here.

As one of my old instructors used to say, "The only stupid question is the one you're too afraid to ask".

If mods have to move a post, then it is the mods who have the right to get irritated about it. Please give daywalker a break.

[BRISTOLRE]

Yes,
VS use EMA for training on the A340 and B744 fleets because of its suitability and long runway.
Must have been a nice sight driving doen the M42, go up onto Breedon on the Hill next time and you'll get a better view - able to count rivets etc..:rolleyes:

[Palma de Mallorca]

Who else - besides Virgin - uses East Midlands for touch-and-go training?

I always considered Prestwick to be popular too for that type of thing, but someone mentioned earlier that PIK is now very expensive!!

On another subject, is the old Orion Airways Cabin Crew Training School still there are East Midlands (now op by Britannia of course.)

And yes, give DayWalker a break. You'd think he was Slobodjan Milosevic the way that some of you are going on.

I apologise Daywalker on behalf of my fellow Ppruners. Haha.

Paco

[daywalker]

Thanks Guys, at least I know what is going on at East Mids Airport now.

PAXboy, the wink was for the reason you suggest & another reason being that, at the end of the day, most of us are faceless & annonymous on here, we don't know each other personally & are v. unlikely to meet!

I am never afraid to ask for or about anything, it's the only way you get things or learn things, the stupid ones are the ones who say & ask nothing, as already posted!

Once again, thanks guys well, most of you :p

[crewrest]

Virgin doesn't do base training on it's 744's as the sim is zero time rated.

[Mr Angry from Purley]

Palma de Maj

Most Airlines use EMA as its relatively cheap, quiet and has along runway.PIK is great and much cheaper than EMA but another 30 mins away if ferrying in from down sarf.
I've seen Virgin / Airtours / Monarch / BA757 / Ryanair / Ezy and even a coal burning ACL 727 was there last friday at 2130 at night, much to the annoyance of the locals, should make this weeks local rag...

EMA are very keen on Training, the Commercial Manager (title might be different) is ex Orion and he'll do anything for a quick buck

:mad: :mad:

[Dan Winterland]

Maybe the 744 sim/course at Virgin is ZFT, but the pilots have to ZFT trainable be as well. VS policy has usually been to put the ZFT trainanble pilots onto the 744 rather than the A340, but some on the 744 course do require base training.

[GrahamK]

On a similar note, there was a VS 744 at NCL on July 20th flying to and from AMS. I suspect it was a test flight?

[almost professional]

to which you could add:-go, BA A319, heavylifts belfast, AHK b747, excel, air2000, GB airways and most RAF types-havent managed a C17 yet but we will keep trying!
the 727 should have been flying mid afternoon but was tech, for the sake of a good neigbour policy they are a rare occurence

[scroggs]

Yep, I was doing base training at EMA myself last Friday (23rd), in a VS A343. Weather was a bit patchy but the service was excellent. Shame no-one from ATC volunteered to go and get us a takeaway from the local while we were parked awaiting our LHR slot, though. Spoilsports!;)

[almost professional]

scroggs
thanks for that-yes I was that tower controller!, well for an hour anyway-would have been the afternoon watch that did'nt take proper care off you though-did they not even offer a trip up the tower? understand that the A340 and the AN124 taxied out together, must have looked like a real airport!

[scroggs]

Hey, no problem - we had plenty of food on board! None of our girls though, just some very unattractive - male - pilots. Had to think twice before accepting their culinary offerings!
What was that huge container thingy they loaded into the AN124? It was an interesting onload - no prizes for rapid turnrounds! And don't knock your traffic-free status. I was no. 22 to line up at Newark yesterday morning - 40+ minutes to get to the runway!

[almost professional]

it was a 70ton generator from Brush of loughboro' going to EXXON in Chad via Ostend-last delivery of five sets