Landing drinks
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Landing drinks
This may sound like an odd question, but I was recently speaking to friend who works as cabin crew for a major airline, and they told me that there used to be an unofficial practice of 'landing drinks'. As I understood it they meant alcoholic drinks served to the crew before or maybe after landing? They implied this was a perk for the crew, but obviously said that such things no longer happen. Were they just pulling my leg or did such things really used to happen?
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Used to have the cabin crew come in on the last sector asking what youd like for a landing drink and then get 4 or 5 in a plastic bag placed in the f/d for after the flight to drink/take home.Was seconded to a European operater at the time but the company staff said it was in fact an unwritten perk.Twas in the mid nineties.
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gziffo, that takes me back. 
A glass of champers after landing, consumed before leaving the aircraft, was considered a damn fine tradition, once upon a time.
Now it would be cause for instant dismissal.
Shame really.
A glass of champers after landing, consumed before leaving the aircraft, was considered a damn fine tradition, once upon a time.
Now it would be cause for instant dismissal.
Shame really.
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Chock tails...
Indeed... it wasn't what you did it was what you got caught doing
Very first flight as new cabin crew in a 'brown' uniform..
Purser comes down back and asks me to close curtain....
That landing at LGW seemed very smooth....
Very first flight as new cabin crew in a 'brown' uniform..
Purser comes down back and asks me to close curtain....
That landing at LGW seemed very smooth....
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This was a perfectly acceptable thing to do 'in the olden days'. The pilots would be asked what they would like as a landing drink, then this would be served as soon as we were 'on chocks'. On chocks meant off duty, so it was fine.
I don't know of any airline that would condone this practice nowadays but it certainly was a nice way to end the flight.
Just have to wait till we get to the hotel/home now!
Oh, the good old days..........
I don't know of any airline that would condone this practice nowadays but it certainly was a nice way to end the flight.
Just have to wait till we get to the hotel/home now!
Oh, the good old days..........
Landing Drinks
When I was a F/o we used to have landing drinks the cabin crew used to ask us what we wanted and it was made up in the clean tea pot usualy orange/ vodka, On this particular day the flight manager ground who was trying to stamp it out came out of the finger when the pax were dissembarking, the news went round like wildfire he then dissapeared out of site. The Capt i was with opened his dv window and through his drink out unfortunately the said manager was standing just under the capt's dv window & it went over the back of his suit and head very sticky. He then came up the stairs of the A/C and we all denied anything about landing drinks.
Chug a Lug
Chug a Lug
In the good old days nobody ever had a drink on the bus to the hotel either!!!
I heard stories of cabin crew brewing sangria in the hot cups and chilling it and putting it in empty squash bottles to be consumed on the way to hotels - but I don't believe them!
I also heard rumours, unfounded, of crew filling empty wine bags from 3 litre boxes with Chateau Mouton Rothschild and consuming it at parties.
It is also rumoured that various empty containers were filled with premium
spirits from the First Class bar and consumed later - but I don't Believe that either.
Who starts these stories?
I heard stories of cabin crew brewing sangria in the hot cups and chilling it and putting it in empty squash bottles to be consumed on the way to hotels - but I don't believe them!
I also heard rumours, unfounded, of crew filling empty wine bags from 3 litre boxes with Chateau Mouton Rothschild and consuming it at parties.
It is also rumoured that various empty containers were filled with premium
spirits from the First Class bar and consumed later - but I don't Believe that either.
Who starts these stories?
Last edited by vctenderness; 26th Feb 2012 at 16:22. Reason: Typo
Nothing wrong with drinks after shutting down the engines. One is still on duty for 30 minutes from chocks on but so what? Our great and good legislature is infamous for working after rather more than just the one drink and, recently, for outrageous alcohol-fuelled behavior.
Back in military days, in France, we'd have a glass of wine (just one) with lunch whilst the aircraft was being refuelled
Back in military days, in France, we'd have a glass of wine (just one) with lunch whilst the aircraft was being refuelled
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We used to do landing drinks on shutdown, back in the day. A very civilised practise.
It all came to a rapid end one day, when shortly after chocks-in Ops contacted the Captain to advise that the aircraft was required urgently elsewhere, and that a no-notice Ferry sector was about to take place.
Except, of course, it wasn't...
Oh Dear!
It all came to a rapid end one day, when shortly after chocks-in Ops contacted the Captain to advise that the aircraft was required urgently elsewhere, and that a no-notice Ferry sector was about to take place.
Except, of course, it wasn't...
Oh Dear!
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Never, ever!
I have never witnessed nor taken part in post flight drinks on the crew bus heading back to the hotel after turnarounds flight BKK-SIN-BKK back when my former airline didn't limit its visits to BKK to a 24 hour layover. Nevertheless I must say that the orange juice we used to drink on the crew bus was somewhat fizzy and would make the crew laugh after a few glasses,...Must have been the effect of cabin pressure :-)
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In my first airline (back in the `80`s), it was the duty of the most junior crew member to ask ALL of the crew what landing drink they wanted.
The airline covered the cost but we were advised that should customs appear we would have to pay the duty.
The said post flight refreshment was delivered/consumed upon taxi-ing..... and on some "london" airport taxi-ways involved a certain amount of back and forth swaying to prevent spillage of the said Imbibment.
Also another way was to "pool" the said refreshment into a recepticle normally utilised for the on board purchase of duty/tax free items, which was duly hung on the door handle of the inbound crew room for us to Dip into.... unless of course Customs intercepted us walking across the Apron with said bag, which strangely developed weak handles........
The airline covered the cost but we were advised that should customs appear we would have to pay the duty.
The said post flight refreshment was delivered/consumed upon taxi-ing..... and on some "london" airport taxi-ways involved a certain amount of back and forth swaying to prevent spillage of the said Imbibment.
Also another way was to "pool" the said refreshment into a recepticle normally utilised for the on board purchase of duty/tax free items, which was duly hung on the door handle of the inbound crew room for us to Dip into.... unless of course Customs intercepted us walking across the Apron with said bag, which strangely developed weak handles........
I remember the G and T’s arriving on the 727 (so no guesses which airline then) flight deck as the engines stopped in BHX one afternoon in the mid 1980’s.
Soon after the passenger door light illuminated, a customs officer arrived on the flight deck and demanded that we pay the duty on the said gin.
My captain shouted immediately back at the said customs officer, that we were in the process of completing the shut down checks and if he did not leave the flight deck at once then he would be reported to the CAA as a serious flight safety hazard.
The customs officer turned and left the flight deck, and the captain said ‘right lads, I reckon we have 10 secs to down the drink or pay the duty!’
3 landing drinks downed in 3 gulps and the flight deck door burst open to reveal one very p*****d off customs official, looking at 3 empty glasses.
Brilliant
Soon after the passenger door light illuminated, a customs officer arrived on the flight deck and demanded that we pay the duty on the said gin.
My captain shouted immediately back at the said customs officer, that we were in the process of completing the shut down checks and if he did not leave the flight deck at once then he would be reported to the CAA as a serious flight safety hazard.
The customs officer turned and left the flight deck, and the captain said ‘right lads, I reckon we have 10 secs to down the drink or pay the duty!’
3 landing drinks downed in 3 gulps and the flight deck door burst open to reveal one very p*****d off customs official, looking at 3 empty glasses.
Brilliant
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Corporate at LHR
Many moons ago, used to operate into LHR, in corporate aircraft.
Customs would attend to the aircraft on stand, a post flight drink, with customs assistance was completed as the C208 was signed.
Many happy memories of the drive back home, for crew and customs also...
Customs would attend to the aircraft on stand, a post flight drink, with customs assistance was completed as the C208 was signed.
Many happy memories of the drive back home, for crew and customs also...