Falklands Airbridge
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Beagle, fully agree on your thoughts on grabbing the B757 / B767 aircraft if available at the right price, the problem being though that with the myriad of debts on this fleet it would be some months away, not taking into account all the other stuff such as the AOC ( The CAA stuff, not the bloke that used to shut down life on camp for 14 days a year)
Can’t argue with the postings either from the punters who have flown Gob Span, but we should remember that 10 people will report a negative Vs 1 person reporting a positive. Good news is no news!
As others have said, Globe have had problems, these have been identified and are being addressed. The fact is that these flights will be operated with “G” registered aircraft, built by Boeing and will be maintained in the UK.
It could have been a T154 operated by Sloberdown Disyebitch Airways, maintained at ****noseestan, but with a nice drink on the way, or in 3 years perhaps Mangle Agrospace will have released an L1011
Can’t argue with the postings either from the punters who have flown Gob Span, but we should remember that 10 people will report a negative Vs 1 person reporting a positive. Good news is no news!
As others have said, Globe have had problems, these have been identified and are being addressed. The fact is that these flights will be operated with “G” registered aircraft, built by Boeing and will be maintained in the UK.
It could have been a T154 operated by Sloberdown Disyebitch Airways, maintained at ****noseestan, but with a nice drink on the way, or in 3 years perhaps Mangle Agrospace will have released an L1011
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brakedwell said:
Fore-warned is fore-armed! FlyGlobespan Reviews and FlyGlobespan Passenger Opinions about FlyGlobespan product and FlyGlobespan service standards
Have you read any of this thread, or perhaps just a couple of posts up?
Any one else seen the film "Ground Hog day"?
Fore-warned is fore-armed! FlyGlobespan Reviews and FlyGlobespan Passenger Opinions about FlyGlobespan product and FlyGlobespan service standards
Have you read any of this thread, or perhaps just a couple of posts up?
Any one else seen the film "Ground Hog day"?
Have you read any of this thread, or perhaps just a couple of posts up?
Any one else seen the film "Ground Hog day"?
Any one else seen the film "Ground Hog day"?
The quotes I used were only those from August 2008 - during which time the 'improved' Flyglobespan has been operating.....
Normally you'll find more negatives than positives on such websites, but the group I've used have not been 'selected' for any purpose - just the names have been dis-identified.
Normally you'll find more negatives than positives on such websites, but the group I've used have not been 'selected' for any purpose - just the names have been dis-identified.
Join Date: Apr 2008
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You have to bear in mind, of course, that the vast majority of the Airbridge pax aren't 'paying customers'. I'm afraid it will be a 'take it' or 'take it or else' situation. I don't suppose that 'the troops' feedback will matter a damn to the beancounters.
Oh, I wonder if they have leather seats on the 'frames?
Oh, I wonder if they have leather seats on the 'frames?
Much comment about the leather seats that were in the Omni Air DC 10, as if they were the height of (unneccessary) luxury - in fact they were hard as a board, very slippery, and extremely uncomfortable
I wonder whether Flyglobespan will learn how to fly the SID on RW08 at Brize?
Perhaps they'll manage rather better than the Omni Air DC-10 managed at 1620Z this afternoon.....
Perhaps they'll manage rather better than the Omni Air DC-10 managed at 1620Z this afternoon.....
I wonder whether Flyglobespan will learn how to fly the SID on RW08 at Brize?
Perhaps they'll manage rather better than the Omni Air DC-10 managed at 1620Z this afternoon.....
Perhaps they'll manage rather better than the Omni Air DC-10 managed at 1620Z this afternoon.....
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BEagle
You may notice the recurring theme in the complaints about GSM is delay,delay & delay.
I don't know when you flew for an airline but THIS years unrealistic schedule was draughted, published & planned LAST year under said previous regime with...
Block times, for the main, less than the flight times.
Flt Plans drawn up for M.80 cruise speeds yet requested to operate at M.78 to conserve fuel.
Planned on 180min ETOPs Cert',yet, operated on Non-ETOPs routings (averaging 30-40 mins increased flight time EACH WAY on the Trans Atlantic routes).
Demanding 45 minute turnarounds which is possible on a 737 op'ing short haul but realistic on a 767(?)
Tankering fuel to just below MLM(?)... into a relatively high altitude airfield(?)...in a Canadian Prarie summer(?) Never heard of 'The Brake Cooling Schedule' in the back of B767 QRH then, eh?
Does that sound at all achievable?(I'm hearing Bruce Forsyth sniggering "Good Game! Good game!)
They (Commercial Planning) never consulted Flight Op's about ANYTHING. And don't even get me started on the crass lack of sched'd downtime for maintenance or breaks in the programme to allow for 'Picking up the Programme'.
The expected schedule for ANY LoCost operator is predicated on a 'minimum ground-time' programme to maximise utilisation. Unfortunately, the 'planners' in 'commercial' NEVER asked for ANY input from 'Flight Ops' management when constructing the Summer08 programme.
The Summer09 programme looks somewhere near totally achievable, but, "... the best laid plans of mice & men go...." ALL programmes suffer unforseen eventualities. A well researched & thoroughly planned schedule can recover quickly & a return to 'Ops Normal' practically achieved.
You may notice the recurring theme in the complaints about GSM is delay,delay & delay.
I don't know when you flew for an airline but THIS years unrealistic schedule was draughted, published & planned LAST year under said previous regime with...
Block times, for the main, less than the flight times.
Flt Plans drawn up for M.80 cruise speeds yet requested to operate at M.78 to conserve fuel.
Planned on 180min ETOPs Cert',yet, operated on Non-ETOPs routings (averaging 30-40 mins increased flight time EACH WAY on the Trans Atlantic routes).
Demanding 45 minute turnarounds which is possible on a 737 op'ing short haul but realistic on a 767(?)
Tankering fuel to just below MLM(?)... into a relatively high altitude airfield(?)...in a Canadian Prarie summer(?) Never heard of 'The Brake Cooling Schedule' in the back of B767 QRH then, eh?
Does that sound at all achievable?(I'm hearing Bruce Forsyth sniggering "Good Game! Good game!)
They (Commercial Planning) never consulted Flight Op's about ANYTHING. And don't even get me started on the crass lack of sched'd downtime for maintenance or breaks in the programme to allow for 'Picking up the Programme'.
The expected schedule for ANY LoCost operator is predicated on a 'minimum ground-time' programme to maximise utilisation. Unfortunately, the 'planners' in 'commercial' NEVER asked for ANY input from 'Flight Ops' management when constructing the Summer08 programme.
The Summer09 programme looks somewhere near totally achievable, but, "... the best laid plans of mice & men go...." ALL programmes suffer unforseen eventualities. A well researched & thoroughly planned schedule can recover quickly & a return to 'Ops Normal' practically achieved.
Rebel PPRuNer
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If the RAF was in the market for used 763ERs that nice Mr Walsh might have a few, depending on what the Waterworld strategy of the week is. Given the sector lengths to HM's possessions in the South Atlantic I imagine sticking on a few of Aviation Partners Boeing's new 763 bendy bits might be a good call too.
Meanwhile, an interesting article from Mike Smith in today's Sunday Times:
From: The Sunday Times
August 31, 2008
Leasing RAF planes wastes nearly £500m
by Michael Smith
The government squandered almost £500m by leasing RAF transport aircraft that it could have bought outright for less money.
The Ministry of Defence wanted to buy the four Boeing C17 Globemasters for £520m but was told by Gordon Brown, then the chancellor, to lease them because it would be cheaper.
New figures show the MoD paid a total of £769m to lease the aircraft and then had to buy them anyway for an additional £220m. The final payment was made last month, putting the total price over eight years at £989m.
The MoD’s financial problems are now so great that the prime minister has still not signed off on its spending plans for this financial year.
The giant C17 transporters, flown by 99 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, can carry three Warrior armoured vehicles or a dozen Land Rovers. The MoD has since bought two more for £130m each, putting the total for the RAF’s six-aircraft fleet up to £1.25 billion.
Gerald Howarth, the Conservative defence spokesman, said the lease deal had been “an absolute shocking waste of public money when our troops are going without the equipment they need”.
The MoD said the decision to lease the aircraft was taken to meet a short-term need. Buying the leased aircraft to cope with operations in Iraq and Afghanistan was subsequently seen as “the best value-for-money option”.
From: The Sunday Times
August 31, 2008
Leasing RAF planes wastes nearly £500m
by Michael Smith
The government squandered almost £500m by leasing RAF transport aircraft that it could have bought outright for less money.
The Ministry of Defence wanted to buy the four Boeing C17 Globemasters for £520m but was told by Gordon Brown, then the chancellor, to lease them because it would be cheaper.
New figures show the MoD paid a total of £769m to lease the aircraft and then had to buy them anyway for an additional £220m. The final payment was made last month, putting the total price over eight years at £989m.
The MoD’s financial problems are now so great that the prime minister has still not signed off on its spending plans for this financial year.
The giant C17 transporters, flown by 99 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, can carry three Warrior armoured vehicles or a dozen Land Rovers. The MoD has since bought two more for £130m each, putting the total for the RAF’s six-aircraft fleet up to £1.25 billion.
Gerald Howarth, the Conservative defence spokesman, said the lease deal had been “an absolute shocking waste of public money when our troops are going without the equipment they need”.
The MoD said the decision to lease the aircraft was taken to meet a short-term need. Buying the leased aircraft to cope with operations in Iraq and Afghanistan was subsequently seen as “the best value-for-money option”.
Join Date: Apr 2004
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Last edited by unclenelli; 12th Sep 2008 at 14:42. Reason: Air Atlanta sold Excel when they lost the Airbridge contract
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Xl-the Truth
XL was bought by XL MANAGEMENT from AAI. The SA contract in 2006 was bid and won by XL but subbed to AAI. On the 2007 tender bid, XL lost out to Air Partner(British Broker) who subbed to OMNI(US Airline). Despite protests to the DfT about illegal carriers flying British Routes(YES the SA is also an official British scheduled service), OMNI were allowed to continue for sometime on the route. Mistakenly the MOD thought that it was a pure charter and then open to any carrier from anywhere in the world. AAI were allowed to sub fly as they are part of the EU Economic Agreement. What was illegal was there use of non-EU Flight Deck crew from their mainline, the cabin crew came from XL. The B747 is the best a/c for the route as it can take 2 loads and lots of freight. If there is a delay there is no furher waiting or catch up. In my exp. most pax had a triple or middle quad as a bed. If XL Management had any nous they would have leased a further B747 for Travel City Direct and used them to takeover the SA and other Trooping. Alas they were too busy worrying about West Ham and why no other British Charter airline would partner them
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I hear from some one just back from MPN that the GSM flights have started and everything is going well, not the usual delays encountered with the Death Cruiser 
Is this the case or are the locals being patriotic to a UK carrier?
Is this the case or are the locals being patriotic to a UK carrier?
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I brought the monday morning service into here (ASI) & the pax were very complimentary. In the Senior NCO's & Officer's Mess's last night people were approaching us & making favourable rumblings. It was the same story in the NAAFI.
The increased frequency of the service generated a lot of praise, as did the standard of service provided by the crews but it was the flight times seem to draw most comment. I.e. Night flight BZZ-ASI, day flight ASI-MPN, day flight MPN-ASI, night flight ASI-BZZ.
It must be said the crews said the pax were some of the most pleasant they've carried.
The increased frequency of the service generated a lot of praise, as did the standard of service provided by the crews but it was the flight times seem to draw most comment. I.e. Night flight BZZ-ASI, day flight ASI-MPN, day flight MPN-ASI, night flight ASI-BZZ.
It must be said the crews said the pax were some of the most pleasant they've carried.
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Pontious, since you're enjoying the delights of ASI I guess you haven't heard the rumour about your original 767 that was supposed to op the route requiring some serious work to sort out the corrosion they found.