Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 History
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Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 History
Hi everyone,
Currently writing an article for a UK aviation magazine looking back at the history of the Boeing 747 within Virgin Atlantic’s fleet and was hoping I may be able to have a little chat with any Virgin Atlantic ex 747 flight crew who would be ok to answer a few simple questions about life flying the queen of the skies.
Thanks in advance.
Currently writing an article for a UK aviation magazine looking back at the history of the Boeing 747 within Virgin Atlantic’s fleet and was hoping I may be able to have a little chat with any Virgin Atlantic ex 747 flight crew who would be ok to answer a few simple questions about life flying the queen of the skies.
Thanks in advance.
Hi everyone,
Currently writing an article for a UK aviation magazine looking back at the history of the Boeing 747 within Virgin Atlantic’s fleet and was hoping I may be able to have a little chat with any Virgin Atlantic ex 747 flight crew who would be ok to answer a few simple questions about life flying the queen of the skies.
Thanks in advance.
Currently writing an article for a UK aviation magazine looking back at the history of the Boeing 747 within Virgin Atlantic’s fleet and was hoping I may be able to have a little chat with any Virgin Atlantic ex 747 flight crew who would be ok to answer a few simple questions about life flying the queen of the skies.
Thanks in advance.
Flight Crew was 2 Pilots and a Flight engineer, with 17 or 18 Cabin Crew - The Cabin Crew number got reduced over the years to around 16 to 14.
A beauty therapist was part of the Cabin Crew on most flights.
The Tokyo flights saw local Japanese Cabin crew employed and 2 or 3 girls were rostered on a NRT.
IIRC a ''heavy'' Flight Deck crew of 5 was rostered for the long NRT flights.
Before the better performing 747's were obtained the LGW-NRT VS901 flew via SVO Moscow for a while, but with no local traffic rights.
The Virgin Boeing 747-200B fleet was 7 aircraft by 1990, plus a sole -100 series -
G-VIRG G-VGIN were the first pair flying from Gatwick to EWR, MIA and also charter flights were flown LGW to MCO
G-TKYO G-VRGN came next from SQ with JT9-7Q higher powered engines with better fuel economy and range. This pair opened up Tokyo and LAX.
G-VJFK G-VLAX came from QF
G-VMIA (their only 747-100 and had an underfloor galley and only 3 UD windows)
This was in a high density seating config of 14J/474Y and was solely intended for MIA and MCO flights.
G-VOYG was the last -200B to follow from British Airways/Caledonian, an early build ex SAS 747-283B still with 3 UD windows.
(all were second-hand with various history)
These 747's all had names -
The first pair were maiden voyager and scarlet lady,
followed by maiden Japan, maid of honour,
Boston belle but I'm sure she was jersey girl for a short time, California girl,
G-VMIA was Miami maiden which was renamed spirit of sir Freddie (In honour of Freddie Laker)
and lastly, shady lady.
I left just before the first brand new 747-400's were delivered from Boeing via ILFC for summer 1994.
Later at the end of the 90's Virgin startered to retire the old Pratt & Whitney powered 747 Classics and replaced them with newer Rolls Royce powered examples.
2 747-267B's were obtained from Cathay Pacific, and the whole Air New Zealand fleet of 5 747-219B's were purchased and all were refurbished to Virgin standards and comfort.
Sadly post 9/11 all of these 7 aircraft got parked, then retired quite quickly and sold on.
Virgin went on to obtain at rock bottom prices in 2001 5 brand new factory fresh 747-443's which had been built and completed for Alitalia but NTU by them at the last minute.
These 5 a/c were at first, and then for much of their lives dedicated to LGW with high density seating, with a quite basic Nova IFE suite.
They were used on the Virgin Holidays Leisure routes to MIA, MCO, LAS, and to many of the Caribbean Islands, including Jamaica, The Bahamas, Cuba and Cancun Mexico.
Virgin never flew to the Dominican Republic, unlike British Airways who flies to PUY, but Virgin did fly cruise ship charters to SJU San Juan Puerto Rico.
Some of these routes were also flown from MAN (plus out of GLA & BFS in high season)
It was not uncommon in high season to see at least a handful of Virgin 747-400's all parked on the ground together at MCO Orlando.
I am meeting up next week with some old VS Flight Deck and ground colleagues and we are flying the Virgin 747-400 SIM at CAE Burgess Hill for some fun and nostalgia.
If you have any Q's do let me know and we will try and get responses.
Last edited by rog747; 25th Nov 2020 at 16:19.
After 9 years with BA.(Tristar and 747-400) their employment terms meant I had to leave, so I went to Virgin on their 744 training. What a difference! Vastly better working provision but a real eye-opener as to the range of differences between externally similar aircraft types. Engines, obviously, but things like APU operating and other peripheral areas which meant a lot of re-shuffling of the memory bank! Had 3 very happy years and would have stayed longer had it not been for the knock-on effect of 9/11. Can't complain of constant employment from 17 to 66 though.
Hi everyone,
Currently writing an article for a UK aviation magazine looking back at the history of the Boeing 747 within Virgin Atlantic’s fleet and was hoping I may be able to have a little chat with any Virgin Atlantic ex 747 flight crew who would be ok to answer a few simple questions about life flying the queen of the skies.
Thanks in advance.
Currently writing an article for a UK aviation magazine looking back at the history of the Boeing 747 within Virgin Atlantic’s fleet and was hoping I may be able to have a little chat with any Virgin Atlantic ex 747 flight crew who would be ok to answer a few simple questions about life flying the queen of the skies.
Thanks in advance.
Paxing All Over The World
Very interesting and it would be great if the final printed article could be referenced in here.
I recall my first with the airline: October 1986 LGW-EWR. There was a promotional deal on at the time, I had just stasrted work in The City and was in Upper but my wife was in Y ... she did not mind as she got a free round trip, the Limo and we stayed at the Vista Hotel at World Trade!!!
One memorable trip (also LGW-EWR) was when they ontroduced personal Video-8 players in UC. This was their first move away from the single big screen movie. I recall that the CC were rather perplexed by them as it was their first rotation with the units and they could not answer all the pax questions. I was working in technology at the time and explained how they worked!
I have been on their -100, -200 and -400 in Upper and Y, always a delight. When they started HKG (my first there was 1994) it was 343 and the South African service (my first in 1997), was mostly 343s then 600s but recall Upper on a 744 in 2002.
I recall my first with the airline: October 1986 LGW-EWR. There was a promotional deal on at the time, I had just stasrted work in The City and was in Upper but my wife was in Y ... she did not mind as she got a free round trip, the Limo and we stayed at the Vista Hotel at World Trade!!!
One memorable trip (also LGW-EWR) was when they ontroduced personal Video-8 players in UC. This was their first move away from the single big screen movie. I recall that the CC were rather perplexed by them as it was their first rotation with the units and they could not answer all the pax questions. I was working in technology at the time and explained how they worked!
I have been on their -100, -200 and -400 in Upper and Y, always a delight. When they started HKG (my first there was 1994) it was 343 and the South African service (my first in 1997), was mostly 343s then 600s but recall Upper on a 744 in 2002.
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G-VIRG was ex Aerolineas Argentinas. G-VGIN was ex Alitalia,
One of BCAL's came from LH but not sure if that 747 was their first -
2 others came from Wardair, and 2 from Alia - those all had GE engines - the LH a/c was PW.
PAXboy
High Season periods (Xmas/NY Jan/Feb) you will recall one would see the Virgin 744's on the JNB and CPT which were normally the domain of the 340-300's (until the -600 came along)
NRT was again Airbus once the 340's came along, as was HKG.
If a 747 was ever used it was usually for some Promo.
I think the Lagos saw a 747 now and again.
High Season periods (Xmas/NY Jan/Feb) you will recall one would see the Virgin 744's on the JNB and CPT which were normally the domain of the 340-300's (until the -600 came along)
NRT was again Airbus once the 340's came along, as was HKG.
If a 747 was ever used it was usually for some Promo.
I think the Lagos saw a 747 now and again.
EZYA, I presume you are aware of John Balmforth's 2009 book - Virgin Atlantic (ISBN 978 1 85780 303 7) Some useful background and information although it doesn't have the personal inputs you will get from crew contacts via this thread.
The mention of VA 'going tech' reminds me that, in the early days, delayed flights were met, on arrival, by RB himself, to offer apologies! The 'Bearded One' seems to get almost universal Bad Press but, after BA, there was much to appreciate. One year, self and SWMBO went to his (then) annual 'At Home' Garden Party. We arrived quite late to find a chalked notice at the gate saying something like " It's 3'o clock and my hand is aching so I'm off for a beer - make yourselves very welcome" He had been at the gate most of the day, shaking hands with staff arriving. The 3 day 'jolly' apparently 'entertained close to 10.000 guests - quite impressive staff relations.
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Yes I already had a copy which is proving very useful thank you.
Paxing All Over The World
If possible, EZYA319, do slot in how a certain big airline finally had to give up their spoilt brat tactics and compete! They had to improve their cabins and service and, ultimately, benefitted. Much of their corporate activity was the SOP of:
- Undermine / Bad mouth
- Cut prices
- Squeeze out the competition
- If that does not work, buy them up and then shut them down
- etcetera
Who was the Prime Minister (John Major ?) visiting the US President in Washington, early 1990s. Standing at Andrews AFB were the PM, President, and SofS for Transport (or similar). In front of them were the RAF VC-10 and the 747 Air Force One.
PM : "Have to say Mr President your aircraft is very impressive".
SofS : "Oh Prime Minister, I'll have to introduce you to Mr Richard Branson, he's got eight of them".
PM : "Have to say Mr President your aircraft is very impressive".
SofS : "Oh Prime Minister, I'll have to introduce you to Mr Richard Branson, he's got eight of them".
Who was the Prime Minister (John Major ?) visiting the US President in Washington, early 1990s. Standing at Andrews AFB were the PM, President, and SofS for Transport (or similar). In front of them were the RAF VC-10 and the 747 Air Force One.
PM : "Have to say Mr President your aircraft is very impressive".
SofS : "Oh Prime Minister, I'll have to introduce you to Mr Richard Branson, he's got eight of them".
PM : "Have to say Mr President your aircraft is very impressive".
SofS : "Oh Prime Minister, I'll have to introduce you to Mr Richard Branson, he's got eight of them".
G-VMIA, the only -100 series aircraft in the fleet, had a notable background, which I'm sure others had more experience of and have more detail. Originally with American Airlines in 1970, they latterly didn't make a lot of use of them on US domestics, and it was handed back to the lessor, where it hung around for several years getting odd short-term leases. This was the aircraft that Randolph Fields picked up, as despite its low hours it was the cheapest on the market, following his pioneering Virgin bust-up with SRB, for his own abortive Highland Express operation Stansted-Prestwick-JFK in 1987, as G-HIHO. The most unreliable 747 ever, it became renowned, even into the national press, for going tech, very difficult when it's your only aircraft and your maintenance contract is in Brussels. Lasted less than a year, it went back to odd sub-leases until finally Virgin picked it up in 1990 now as G-VMIA and ran it for the next 10 years. I understand they spent a considerable amount on it, new interior, D-check, whatever, but to the end it was the most unreliable and highest maintenance unit in the fleet. Among the first of the fleet to be withdrawn, nobody else wanted it and it was scrapped, well before 9/11.
Last edited by WHBM; 29th Nov 2020 at 02:06.
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The 747 100 spent it time between Highland Express and Virgin with Qantas as VH-EEI. It was Qantas' only 747 100 and was a bit of an orphan, particularly with 2 lower lobe galleys. Rumor was that is was obtained to keep another Australian domestic operator from getting it.
Qantas in turn sub leased it to Air Pacific of Fiji in which Qantas had a 50% share at the time. In its early days it was a real problem child and after one adventurous day as an FE on it, I was marched up to the Qantas CP's office by the Air Pacific CP to tell him how bad it was. At the time the FEs on the operation were Qantas loaners.
From then on Qantas spent a fortune on it and when RB eventually took it of our hands it was a good aircraft. It even had 4 identical series engines on it. When we got it it had 3 different types which was a bit sporty on takeoff.
Wunwing
Qantas in turn sub leased it to Air Pacific of Fiji in which Qantas had a 50% share at the time. In its early days it was a real problem child and after one adventurous day as an FE on it, I was marched up to the Qantas CP's office by the Air Pacific CP to tell him how bad it was. At the time the FEs on the operation were Qantas loaners.
From then on Qantas spent a fortune on it and when RB eventually took it of our hands it was a good aircraft. It even had 4 identical series engines on it. When we got it it had 3 different types which was a bit sporty on takeoff.
Wunwing
G-HIHO flew for Highland Express from STN/BHX-PIK-EWR and at the very end, ex LGW. It had a very troublesome no 1 engine which would be started first, whine into action but not really start then wind down. The other three would then be started and then no 1 would be cross bled started and come on line. It did not inspire confidence.
