Tired 767s

[apaddyinuk]

Candoo...

How long ago was this flight with BA??? The BA longhaul 767's have all recently undergone a major refurbishment and are now the only fleet with a working (dare I say it) AVOD IFE system with the 747's experiencing nothing but problems with it. The only problem with the BA 767's is the overhead locker space!!!!

Must admit, as someone who was hesitant to get licensed on the 767 it has slowly grown on me because of its smooth cruise, small neat cabins, built like a rock and small crewing levels making it rather easy to know your crew!!!!

And compare them to the BA 747's....now they look old and tatty!!!!

[drichard]

WHBM : The comfort of an aircraft is little to do with the airframe type and everything to do with how the operator has set out the seats in terms of pitch and such like

I think this is not entirely correct. Like many of those on here, I've travelled on many different aircraft, and I can definately say, that generally speaking, in my opinion as PAX, that the newer and larger the aircraft is, the more comfortable it tends to be (like for like - class, seat pitch etc).

This is from perception of space (such as headroom within the tube), smoothness of ride (more metal = smoother ride, compare a 757 and 747 for ride quality for example - this is why I'm looking forward to flying on the A380), and acoustically quieter (usually - although I still use noise-cancelling headphones).

I believe the tattiness of the interior has little to do with overall comfort (except where through use, the padding on the seat has squashed to paper thickness, leaving you feeling a little tender in the derriere after 5hrs), and any squeaks or rattles there may be. Having said that, when I get on a tired looking a/c, I subconsiously think about how much hard work the airframe and associated bits has done. Then I remember about maintenance schedules and the worries go away (except when the door won't close and a little man in a dayglo jacket has to come along with a toolbox and fix it whilst I sit there and wonder .........). Oddly enough, when I'm boarding an a/c, if it's clean outside - I tend to overlook tattiness more, I suppose it's just that first impression thing.

I agree that a good IFE helps occupy the mind and distracts you from some discomforts.

Blaggerman: I totally agree, seeing a 757 at the gate makes my heart sink.

(My longest on a 757 - 5.5 hrs, I couldn't stand the thought of crossing the pond in one, my longest on a 767, 11.5 hrs - LHR-LAX non-stop, not bad but totally sh*gged at the other end - another 5hrs onward on a MD-11 afterwards for good measure)

[MrSoft]

Drichard - I agree - with one exception. Whenever I am on the triple 7, it feels like a step back in time. Perhaps I was unlucky. Deafening, groaning engine start, and somewhat flimsy trim in economy. Try an Emirates 777 for a perfect example of this. Big Airbuses just get better and better for passenger comfort.

757 is exciting for short trips but like sitting on a seesaw, especially down the back. All 747's seem to look tired now but the trim is chunky and honest like an old Vlokswagen. I always enjoyed every flight I took on a 767 - smoothest cruise this side of an Il-86 in my opinion.

[smith]

flyglobespan have the 767 aswell

[Fargoo]

OK - lots of good points, BA flew me to EWR on a particularly tired vessel, no complaints apart from airframe and age of.

You're not too far off the mark, our longhaul 767's have been refreshed in what was known as the Dusk mod and now all have the AVOD system for IFE but the basic airframe and major interior decor is still well used and showing it in places.
Exterior wise they are cleaned a lot more often now but with the high use they get they can get grubby quite quickly. Interiors are a lot better too now but minor trim parts can be tricky to get hold of and on a long flight a bit of loose trim or a badly worn carpet can give the impression the whole aircraft is tired.
They are great to look after though and I can assure you that they are safe and well maintained, only the AVOD gives us real headaches but it is getting better.

[AUTOGLIDE]

Personally I've grown to hate the B767. I spent 10 years maintaining them and at that point had respect for them and the general solidity. Since I started to fly a lot on them I've come to associate it with constant flight cancellations and delays due to tech issues. Have now even started using airlines specifically because they don't fly them, or at least not on my route. This does of course beg the question of whether the issue is design or maintenance...

[TheProf]

First post on PPRUNE after many years as a lurker. In the past 3 months I've flown on 763s (admittedly in J class) on QF, NZ, LA & BA. They are great aircraft and, IMHO, much preferable to the 777 (but aren't most things?). Much depends on the carrier. LA's new and refurbished 763s are superb.

[Alex 009]

"LA's new and refurbished 763s are superb."

As is the newly refurbished QF 767-338. Has a very pleasant flight onboard and now want to see what the BA ones are now like

[amf1966]

Surely, all of this depneds on the airline, how well the fixtures and fittings are maintained, how well the airplane is maintained, what config it's in....................

This plane (whatever variant) is not "old"....I've flown on these and they are fine - but then again, it was a "scheduled" airline, not a "we're really cheap and we'll treat you like sh1t airline".

Chist, there are still 747s out there built in the early 70s, nothing wrong with them, if they've been maintained properly!

I don't think, as I believe you're suggesting, that the B767 deteriorates any faster than any other aircraft - but perhaps the engineering fraternity should comment here.....

[keltic]

Air Europa is another operator. Have to be in one of them soon.

[st7860]

air canada is spending millions of dollars refurbrishing their 763s with 777 style interiors.



http://www.contrailsphotography.com/trip5.html

[ERASER]

CANDOO

If you want to see dinosaurs, visit Africa........aviation enthusiast heaven…….

Here in Africa a lot of airlines still fly B767s, the backbone a/c of their operations. Its just a nice aircraft and the flight performance……..even in Johannesburg with the “hot and high” conditions I love to watch the B767 operators climbing out of Johannesburg like “home sick angels”.

E

[roll_over]

Flew on WO and WC to Ghana with BA. One of the nicest club cabins I think bar top deck. It was small with few seats with the only other difference being a more modern looking cabin ala 777. Didn't sound or feel any different. I've heard the euro fleet are pretty bad though, arm rests falling off etc..

Pilot didn't seem to like the cockpit much though, he was out of there quite a bit.