Love or loath either of them they were both going sausage side at Xmas to try and do something good for folk stuck in a bad place at this time of year, some of the "it's only banter" sad ***** commenting in here really do need to get a life :=

Has anybod read the thread on here from the American on his way home?

Headcounts? movers cant count up to 160?
Luckily at the moment unlike lots of others I am sat on my sofa at home, just watched a programme about a well established airline that makes lots of money, one of the stories, a delay for head count issue.
There was an interesting comment from the CEO of that company, nobody every remembers the flight that goes without a hitch.

looking forward to hearing Mt Blunt comment on every other ailine in the world that suffers the same problems without all the issues of flying in to a conflict zone added to it

The last 2 times I've been on a trooper into East Midlands we taxied straight to the cargo terminal, walked off the aircraft, straight onto
MT coaches at the bottom of the steps and swept out of the airfield gates for a quick journey home. No sign of any movers or customs or security checks or H&S knobbers.

This happened to me too, although it was Air Finland who took us back to EMA. We helped unload and we were out of the gate within 30mins.

Has anyone experianced a turnaround at EMA. One way usually is a smooth event and pre-planned due to a flow clash / locality of pax home base.

Really annoyed, I've arranged a special delivery from Santa for you tonight:


And Bah, Humbug to you!!

If only the MOD had been as keen to sign the FTSA deal as they had for the aircraft carriers the A330s would be in service now.

Boarding the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and video of Katherine singing and having photographs taken with troops. Well done Katherine! :ok:



The Air Charters are open source. You'll also find the Air Charter companies mentioned in UK Parliament questions and answers.

http://www.ukmams.co.uk/TeamBrief/Te...w%20res%20.pdf

TJ

Thanks, TJ - isn't she such a little star!

Not in the same league, but I remember flying back to the UK with Lufthansa in Dec 2003. As I was at the front of the cabin, I could hear all sorts of mysterious girlish giggles going on in the front galley....

As we were taxying in, after the usual "Welcome to Birmingham" arrival brief, there was a nervous giggle followed by the purserette and her 2 female flight attendant colleagues singing "Ve vish you a Merry Christmas und a Happy New Year!"

No problem, Beags. Katherine certainly is a star!

TJ

Will I have read all the posts and have yet to read that the TriStar fleet is in fact grounded? If they are "why". Or is this just another round of the TriStar haters spreading hate discontent?

Farfrompuken,

Thanks for the information.

However, I fail to see how "all" the aileron (inboard and/or outboard) bushings on "all" the TriStar fleet could fatigue at the same time and how do bearings fatigue?

Farfrompuken,

I wasn't trying to "kill the messenger" but I still have a special place in my heart for the RAF TriStars, I was the Lockheed "on-site-represenative" several years ago and have been hearing what bad shape the TriStars are in since before I even got to Brize Norton. The people of he 216 Squadron do a great job of taking care of the day to day problems, but having to relay on Marshall and Gamco (or what ever they call themselves now) for the heavy maintenance just takes too much time and money.

IMHO you have hit upon the reason the RAF has so many problems with the TriStars is that they don't use them as they were intended. Far too time much sitting on the ground and not in the air.

Cheers!

glhcarl its the same as Nimrod.

The good will of a nation has now gone **** off Mr Cameron

Our small company operate two -500's and a couple of -250's (between two companies) so...if any expertise is desired by the MoD, just have 'em send me a private message.
IE; It's not really that difficult provided one knows what one is actually...doing.:rolleyes:

Further to your rather incorrect comments, any delays out of theatre for our brave boys and girls is now not lost leave but is now tagged onto their r&r. Facts straight!! People like you frustrate me no end, people work bloody hard to ensure boys and girls get to where they need to be and for when with limited funding and equipment.

Merry Christmas.

GTAT

GTAT: was it not the case until recently that any delay leaving theatre WAS lost from R&R time and not tagged onto the end?

RE: Tristars. I recall an interview in Flight International some years back where the top neddy at Cathay Pacific was asked if his "old" Tristars caused problems for the company. His replay was that there was no such thing as an "old" aeroplane, just those that became increasingly expensive to keep young!

The procurement bods at MoD would do well to heed those words - there are only two real choices: either buy the spares that are needed or replace the aeroplanes with new ones.

In the past, of course, the RAF has benefited from BA operating aeroplanes that were older and had more hours than the military versions. The VC10 was a great example: when something broke on a BA one, the RAF got advance notice.

There is one good side to the DC1o delay story!!

at least it was KJ that got up front to sing for the passengers they were not forced to listen to that Blunt fella! Was he sat at the front sulking or summat?

Tri Star seen airbourne over Brize today!

valveclosed,

You are right - I would go throught any inconvenience for the chance to see KJ sing in the flesh! She is gooooooooooooorgeous!

Good morning,

If any RAF top brass are ever looking in to Pprune, do they ever listen or read and take in whats being written and spoken, this morning we have C17 gone tech, pilots with not enough hours and troops being placed in hotels, or accomodation for 24 hours due the lack or A/frames and /or Pilots who have a clean Tacho, what in Gods name is happening to the men on the ground whilst this shambolic fiasco is being allowed to continue, we that is the UK must look like a third rate African State to those who look in from the outside.

How can other Countrys ever have faith in the words of the Government of the UK when we cant get our troops out or back, God help the lads on the ground if something really serious goes wrong in their world.

Peter R-B

Pity.
We have two TriStar 250's and one -500 available now, for charter.
All it takes is....cash.
No checks, please.;)

I take it the DAS suites are fully operational on them then 411?:}

411A No cheques please and confirm these Tristars of yours are up to date with their checks!!??:{

...and the all the engine MADs have been done by authorised maintenance personnel, and you can fly in EU airspace and... etc. etc. etc. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

411a everything that is wrong with aviation today :yuk::yuk::yuk:

Indeed they are....and several well known aviation authorities looked very carefully....including one in the EU.
Other than inadequate funding, there really can be no other reason why the RAF can't keep their TriStars (well, some of 'em anyway) totally serviceable.
These types are an older design and are rather easily maintained, provided a practical outlook is maintained....all it takes is knowledgeable expertise.
And, a little luck...;)

411A,

Bring em on,
Drop a note, or E mail to our New Prime Minister,( [email protected] ) I am sure he would take some notice. ( but then would be talked out of it, due to the word OLD KIT) sadly the RAF no longer want involvement on older a/c, thats why our battle wary Infantary are held up for days on end parked under canvas in Kandahar

Also its nice to see comments that make sense re the looking after of older birds, that possibly is the prime mover or reason why our RAF have seemingly no ability to keep what we have fully serviced and available, for they would rather service new £80m per pop A/frames that need computer whizzo's to service rather than the actual hands on types..!

PeterR-B

RB


Battle Wary, and Battle Weary are two very seperate descriptions.



I was delayed just before xmas, for 5 days, in the circumstances you describe. I made it home mainly due to the valiant efforts of 99 Sqn (which is RAF) going above and beyond. I am sure the battle wary troops to which you refer did too.

Rather than persistant whinging about the RAF, over delays that were largely caused by a civil charter aircraft and weather, why not thank 99 Sqn for their efforts.

Or does that not suit your agenda. As one of the people who was severely held up and spent 2 days at her majesty's pleasure at Minhad, I just wish you'd put a frickin sock in it.

Peter,

You appear to be labouring under the misconception that the RAF /216 Sqn are just not trying hard enough to keep the air bridge running. This is just plain wrong, and you do a disservice to the men and women who work tirelessly to maintain what is the number one priority for RAF AT.

Your main source of information on, indeed single connection with, the Afghan air bridge is understandably biased to see the whole thing as a failure. But please bear in mind that for the last five years, the Tristar air bridge been running with a success rate of well above 90% despite a raft of technical and operational challenges of which you have no idea or indeed, any place knowing.

The letters of thanks and commendation that I have seen regarding the performance of the air bridge during the last RIP bear testament to successes of all those concerned. So please be careful before you start casting aspersions, people like you only note the occasions when it all goes wrong, and are ignorant of the usual pattern of daily success.

Things will soon be back to normal, but I doubt that you'll notice.

Arty

MiniGun

I dont have any agenda, I donate almost monthly to the charities connected with the RAF ( re huge family connections), and I give as much as I can to the Help the Heros cause, our family has lost members in conflicts past, so I am not Anti Armed Forces and I believe that a greater percent of the UKs GDP should be spent on the armed services. But we are approaching the point of no return with the RAF due to total lack of input from the Government past and sadly present, and whilst you all put up with it ,...George Osbourne will do nothing

I am also a UK tax payer, and last time I looked Free speech was still allowed even in context with the Armed Forces.

Even the dimmest of people realise the RAF has had Old Duffers running the place who have not stood hard too and protected the force, hence we see the debacle that even you refer to.

I apologise for my bad typing and missing a letter from a word, but you certainly understood what I was trying to say, and get thru.

PeterR-B

Battle Wary, and Battle Weary are two very seperate descriptions

As are bottle scarred and battle scared!

True, though I'm not sure that legally you need to pay tax to enjoy the right to free speech...otherwise it wouldnt be free!

You've made a number of posts regarding No 3 sons late arrival. Looks like youve got your moneys worth now. Either stop banging the same drum or find a new thread...please.

Agreed that lost R&R days now get added to Post Tour Operational Leave, which is indeed a welcome improvement introduced under the present government, and I salute the efforts made by RAF personnel to minimise the delays within the resources provided. But let's not kid ourselves that you ever get back time lost from that precious mid tour R&R.

411a

so how come we have never seen any of yr jets on the charter circuit at brize

Perhaps because we have never been invited?:}
If our services are truly needed, have one of the senior chaps drop me a PM and I will pass the invite along to our marketing manager...who was, at one time, Sir Freddie's marketing guy at Laker Airways...yes, that long ago.

Right I will pop along and have a quick word with Mr Cameron, he will get one of his chaps to ring one of yr chaps.
Your marketing manager waits for folk to ring him!! interesting approach.

If you read the thread, think you will see the latest fault was a fleet issue, nothing that could have been done even with yr expert advice you could have offered with yr one -500

Contrary to popular belief the airbridge actually has a pretty good success rate. Its just unfortunate when it does go wrong its not that easy just to put another jet (if available) on the route, any delay around the route for whatever reason has knock on effect that forces a 24hr delay. Yes its bloody frustrating for guys and girls getting home for any reason but untill the unbreakable machine is built its sadly going to happen.

" the airbridge actually has a pretty good success rate"

Is this the very same airbridge !? Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics.......

That's not really true - a major reason that the airbridge takes the form that it does is to allow for slight delays without having to delay 24hrs. Of course, there's always a point where a crew will run out of CDT but we try to make that as far away as possible. Sadly though, whenever tasks are planned close to a max Crew Duty Day, it means that there is little or no fat for delays, and that happens all too regularly.

Reason enough to turn it over to civvy ops so that it can be planned and operated accordingly...with better success.:rolleyes:

Just one last try at getting you to answer the question 411a...

Do your tatty old wrecks have the nav fit to fly legally in the EU... yes or no?