Falklands Airbridge
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Gainsey, I can get you your passport. Be prepared for manly drinking and consumption of pasties.
Tis a properjob Tis, jus whut we'em lookin fer. Ansom
Tis a properjob Tis, jus whut we'em lookin fer. Ansom
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airpolice - are you implying that with the flight being delayed that there will be a flow clash with this one and the LAN flight again?
If so then what a brilliant idea that has been - accepted that the flight has been delayed for whatever reason but then to resched to make a flow clash...?
Yep - Movers fault again
If so then what a brilliant idea that has been - accepted that the flight has been delayed for whatever reason but then to resched to make a flow clash...?
Yep - Movers fault again
Join Date: Apr 2002
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When advised of a 'flow clash', the only prudent action is to keep calm and carry on as planned. No other bugger's going to be on time, so you have now removed all chance of a flow clash later in the day when the other mate's delayed too!
Oh, and Gp have nowt to do with it....'tis all DTMA's bailiwick (haven't used that word since my last point brief some years ago). Anyhow, surely you can just ACARS to find out the conflicting traffic's ETA...
Oh, and Gp have nowt to do with it....'tis all DTMA's bailiwick (haven't used that word since my last point brief some years ago). Anyhow, surely you can just ACARS to find out the conflicting traffic's ETA...
Join Date: Aug 2004
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I have a nice 744-412 White Tail doing nothing that’s begging for an ACMI Job – It just needs a stamp here and there, a Full Crew and the Owner’s to realise It’s worth rather than languishing here in the Plaines Centrales 
– It just needs a stamp here and there, a Full Crew and the Owner’s to realise It’s worth rather than languishing here in the Plaines Centrales
Re the cockup at MPA - the movers defence was that the outbound LANChile pax were already in the terminal and there wasn't enough room in there for the incoming airbridge pax - that sounds fair but since after 90 mins of extra fu**about the airbridge pax were disembarked straight into the terminal anyway but just kept in the carousel area it doesn't seem so sound a decision.
As for missing slot times - we are talking MPA to Chile not eurocontrol for LHR to Paris - not really much conflicting traffic out here.
And the sympathetic answer of let those who are late keep late ignores the fact that the delay had nothing to do with the poor pax - would delaying the LAN Chile flight really have caused much of a problem? I don't think so.
As for missing slot times - we are talking MPA to Chile not eurocontrol for LHR to Paris - not really much conflicting traffic out here.
And the sympathetic answer of let those who are late keep late ignores the fact that the delay had nothing to do with the poor pax - would delaying the LAN Chile flight really have caused much of a problem? I don't think so.
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Last time I was down south. The Lan flight had to adhere to strict CAA rules, regarding Pax control blah blah blah. The MOD Charter enjoyed relaxed MOD regulations. When Aircraft are on the ground especially Civies ,certain areas of the terminal are controlled by FI Customs and what they say tends to be obeyed.
While you whinge about a 90 min delay, spare a thought for all those involved with running the Herrick Airbridge and the poor pax hanging around at both ends for sometimes days
Again the Mover's are to blame...why? Who else is there.
While you whinge about a 90 min delay, spare a thought for all those involved with running the Herrick Airbridge and the poor pax hanging around at both ends for sometimes days
Again the Mover's are to blame...why? Who else is there.
There's spare capacity with AAI right now
Well I guess it looks as if the airbridge contract(s) is virtually sorted then ? Shame it's not the Air Atlanta boys and girls with their 747. Whatever other jet they put on they won't be able to give the spare capacity that the old 74 always had. And speaking of spare capacity, I hear that AAI do have a couple of airframes ( and crews ) available right now. Give the long term contract to them I say.
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As for missing slot times - we are talking MPA to Chile not eurocontrol for LHR to Paris - not really much conflicting traffic out here.
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Bye-Bye Air Tahiti
Further to Constellation1 last week, a weekend report notes that the last cycle for Air Tahiti Nui will start with this Wednesday's departure from BZN. The Sunday 24 Jan 10 departure and subsequent flights until 30 Sep 10 have been contracted to the brokers for Air Seychelles which may offer one of their five Extended Range 767-300s.
Last edited by Data-Lynx; 18th Jan 2010 at 11:57.
"Who gets the comfy seats up front"
Well, although they were assigned to mil personnel on the last airbridge, the Air Tahiti crew threw their teddies out of the cot as they 'needed' them, so everyone got bumped back a row.
The inflight entertainment on the first leg consisted of a low budget French film with English subtitles, with the audio piped through the PA so you had no choice but to hear it even if all you wanted was to sleep.
Well, although they were assigned to mil personnel on the last airbridge, the Air Tahiti crew threw their teddies out of the cot as they 'needed' them, so everyone got bumped back a row.
The inflight entertainment on the first leg consisted of a low budget French film with English subtitles, with the audio piped through the PA so you had no choice but to hear it even if all you wanted was to sleep.
Air Seychelles for now, possibly until September. Another company has lodged a complaint (something involving whether it's been tendered fairly) but the Seychelles crew are confident that it's a done deal until late in the year.
Just emerged from the latest run - planes are very tired and very uncomfortable seating too. Not hugely impressed at needing to check bags in 24 hours early for no good reason - particularly when mil pax on previous flight didnt have to do so. Everyone down there is embarrassed at the need for 24 hour check in, so why is it still going on?
Glad I'm not flying to MPA regularly as the planes are old, cold and very tired inside.
Glad I'm not flying to MPA regularly as the planes are old, cold and very tired inside.
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I first went down South in 2000 on a Mil flight. Check in for return was 24 hours before. Before you blame the Movers, this is a HQ directive.
There are plenty of good reasons behind this. ZFW, pax turning up late as they have been busy welcoming their replacements the night before, at the end of the day, whats 24 hours. You've just completed the safest 4/6 months you will get nowadays. There will be an aircraft with a better servicabilty rate to get you home. Lots of spare seats for your hand baggage.
Try to experience the whole herrick run to one of the outstations, then moan about 24 hours....
There are plenty of good reasons behind this. ZFW, pax turning up late as they have been busy welcoming their replacements the night before, at the end of the day, whats 24 hours. You've just completed the safest 4/6 months you will get nowadays. There will be an aircraft with a better servicabilty rate to get you home. Lots of spare seats for your hand baggage.
Try to experience the whole herrick run to one of the outstations, then moan about 24 hours....
Last edited by Nomorefreetime; 10th Feb 2010 at 16:33. Reason: Spelling
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Time for Change
Nomorefree. I think it is a bit more complicated. Sitting on the MPA pan in the Air Seychelles 767-300-ER for flight RR3211 (Tuesday 9 Feb 10), the pilot apologised to the self loading luggage, including CBF, that engine start was delayed because someone had mislaid the flight plan. The one other civilian movement that morning had been a BAS Dash 8, probably heading to McMurdo Station, but this should not have offered grounds for confusion as it had just departed. We eventually lifted at 1045 local which means baggage had been in the system for just under 27 hours before take-off.
We used the time profitably, discussing the various recent battlefield tours and visits and it soon became clear that you could compare and contrast
the Bodie Creek Suspension Bridge, just south of Goose Green, with the Airbridge. Both were recognised on the island as the most southerly examples of their type, they had seen better days in enabling people and kit to move between distant points and had both become anachronisms. Indifference, neglect and an unwillingness to protect investment dogged each enterprise and both had been condemned.
In contrast however, while the bridge was unsafe and another road had bypassed it around Bodie Creek, the airbridge is completely safe and enjoys a new contractor who is trying hard to establish itself. It has a Seychelles crew to live in ASI warmth and cover the southern route while a Brit crew covers the colder northern route. May I also commend the 1st Officer who landed v smoothly at BZZ; this lass was seriously better than the bloke landing at ASI.
For HQBFSAI, it is the organisation that is condemned - by its passengers - and especially after the latest fiasco. They stated that free seating was being imposed. At ASI, this meant that after "1st on" selections such as the Albert crew, the old and the children had taken their seats, 150 weary but fit military staff almost ran across the pan to both sets of steps to get better seats than they had on the first leg. The less mobile, including one delightful mature couple who had indulged to see family in MPA and did not want special treatment, found that their seats had been filled and in fact they could not even sit together. Two passengers who had dared to settle in the 'pearl service' front seats were turfed out by the hierachy and left wandering up and down the aisles trying to find somewhere to sit. One stewardess searched all the overhead containers to stow a daysack and had to wedge it behind a 'pearl' seat. It was left to the TA, as teachers and policemen etc who are used to providing the public with a service, to swap seats and get the old couple together.
This is systemic failure that should not be laid just at the movers door. ASI's DAMO for instance was working her butt off to sort out the mess. In MPA, casual decision making across the years has become lore, not fact. I have had CAA regs quoted at me to explain why you have to appear with luggage and hand baggage 24 hours+ before flight. Nothing is done with hand baggage and it isn't weighed for the obvious reason that it is taken away again. The ticket machine is not coded to reflect the seating in the aircraft so it is merely a numbering device. This is simple configuration and rather disappointing as many of the previous carriers have used 767s. Volume is controlled by the number of seats in the departure 'lounge' when there is more space in the arrivals section as well. MPA could not possibly do both together so collapsible seats perhaps? We have taken on a more reliable carrier who is being paid to fly an aircraft at less than maximum capacity, especially in these cash-strapped times. My colleagues in the CAA have poured scorn on these amateur attempts at flight management and point the finger at the budget holder - who happens to be an Air Marshall. Time for change!
For Swampy. I hope it was not your wife's parents who were inconvenienced at ASI; no one deserves that for their family and they may be too embarassed to complain. I suspect you may have already had the OK from your new Navy Boss to shake the system as you intend. Best of Luck.
We used the time profitably, discussing the various recent battlefield tours and visits and it soon became clear that you could compare and contrast
the Bodie Creek Suspension Bridge, just south of Goose Green, with the Airbridge. Both were recognised on the island as the most southerly examples of their type, they had seen better days in enabling people and kit to move between distant points and had both become anachronisms. Indifference, neglect and an unwillingness to protect investment dogged each enterprise and both had been condemned.
In contrast however, while the bridge was unsafe and another road had bypassed it around Bodie Creek, the airbridge is completely safe and enjoys a new contractor who is trying hard to establish itself. It has a Seychelles crew to live in ASI warmth and cover the southern route while a Brit crew covers the colder northern route. May I also commend the 1st Officer who landed v smoothly at BZZ; this lass was seriously better than the bloke landing at ASI.
For HQBFSAI, it is the organisation that is condemned - by its passengers - and especially after the latest fiasco. They stated that free seating was being imposed. At ASI, this meant that after "1st on" selections such as the Albert crew, the old and the children had taken their seats, 150 weary but fit military staff almost ran across the pan to both sets of steps to get better seats than they had on the first leg. The less mobile, including one delightful mature couple who had indulged to see family in MPA and did not want special treatment, found that their seats had been filled and in fact they could not even sit together. Two passengers who had dared to settle in the 'pearl service' front seats were turfed out by the hierachy and left wandering up and down the aisles trying to find somewhere to sit. One stewardess searched all the overhead containers to stow a daysack and had to wedge it behind a 'pearl' seat. It was left to the TA, as teachers and policemen etc who are used to providing the public with a service, to swap seats and get the old couple together.
This is systemic failure that should not be laid just at the movers door. ASI's DAMO for instance was working her butt off to sort out the mess. In MPA, casual decision making across the years has become lore, not fact. I have had CAA regs quoted at me to explain why you have to appear with luggage and hand baggage 24 hours+ before flight. Nothing is done with hand baggage and it isn't weighed for the obvious reason that it is taken away again. The ticket machine is not coded to reflect the seating in the aircraft so it is merely a numbering device. This is simple configuration and rather disappointing as many of the previous carriers have used 767s. Volume is controlled by the number of seats in the departure 'lounge' when there is more space in the arrivals section as well. MPA could not possibly do both together so collapsible seats perhaps? We have taken on a more reliable carrier who is being paid to fly an aircraft at less than maximum capacity, especially in these cash-strapped times. My colleagues in the CAA have poured scorn on these amateur attempts at flight management and point the finger at the budget holder - who happens to be an Air Marshall. Time for change!
For Swampy. I hope it was not your wife's parents who were inconvenienced at ASI; no one deserves that for their family and they may be too embarassed to complain. I suspect you may have already had the OK from your new Navy Boss to shake the system as you intend. Best of Luck.
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Data-Lynx
You have hit the nail on the head....BFSAI has been run in the past (maybe still is) as an Officers / Civ Servants club.
My 2nd tour 2006 (I have done 4 sandy ones as well) was in the little window where you come to get your flights home booked. I wasn't too involved in the politics of the 'who gets what seat', believe me It used to change upto shut out due to the people above getting a rant on as to who had the best seat. I had calls during the night from Civ Serv's who's wives were given the wrong seat out of Brize, demanding that I changed them. Another time they gave all the seats to all the OFR's / Equiv and had a few spare seats for WO's, only to get the call from WO Smith stating he was senior to WO Jones and wanted it changed.
I have had 2 great tours down south and meet a lot of great people from all 3 services. The politics that go with that place are unbelievable, I'm glad someone else has noted where the faults are.
You have hit the nail on the head....BFSAI has been run in the past (maybe still is) as an Officers / Civ Servants club.
My 2nd tour 2006 (I have done 4 sandy ones as well) was in the little window where you come to get your flights home booked. I wasn't too involved in the politics of the 'who gets what seat', believe me It used to change upto shut out due to the people above getting a rant on as to who had the best seat. I had calls during the night from Civ Serv's who's wives were given the wrong seat out of Brize, demanding that I changed them. Another time they gave all the seats to all the OFR's / Equiv and had a few spare seats for WO's, only to get the call from WO Smith stating he was senior to WO Jones and wanted it changed.
I have had 2 great tours down south and meet a lot of great people from all 3 services. The politics that go with that place are unbelievable, I'm glad someone else has noted where the faults are.