BMI A330's : A319/320/321
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Manchester, UK
Age: 39
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Not sure about the type rating question, but i would expect not. Usually pilots will only be current on either the narrow body or wide body airbus models, with a short course to convert between the two. I stand ready to be corrected though.
As to where the A330's fly to, Washington and Chicago daily, and i believe that a new route to Toronto started yesterday, initilly 4 times per week, but rising to daily some time in the future. I know that BMI are going to fly to St Lucia, Antigua and Barbados for the summer season, and are also looking at other long haul destinations from Manchester (such as India and South Africa). I am justlad to see a BRITISH airline starting some long haul routes out of somewhere other than London, even if it is because of Bermuda II retrictions.
Oh, and by the way, i had a chance to sample BMI's product on MAN-IAD-MAN last summer, and they were simply the best flights i have ever taken. Highly recommended.
Regards
Alex
As to where the A330's fly to, Washington and Chicago daily, and i believe that a new route to Toronto started yesterday, initilly 4 times per week, but rising to daily some time in the future. I know that BMI are going to fly to St Lucia, Antigua and Barbados for the summer season, and are also looking at other long haul destinations from Manchester (such as India and South Africa). I am justlad to see a BRITISH airline starting some long haul routes out of somewhere other than London, even if it is because of Bermuda II retrictions.
Oh, and by the way, i had a chance to sample BMI's product on MAN-IAD-MAN last summer, and they were simply the best flights i have ever taken. Highly recommended.
Regards
Alex
Join Date: Dec 1997
Location: Suffolk UK
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It is quite normal for pilots to be rated on both the A320-series and A330 aircraft, and to be rostered to fly either or both in a given month. Whether BMI adopt this procedure, I can't say, but Monarch and others do. It is one of the major advantages (supposedly) of the Airbus Common Cockpit Qualification. We at Virgin used to have pilots rated and rostered on A320 and A340 at the same time, using the same CCQ. We no longer operate A320/321s, but we do operate A340-300 and -600 aircraft on the same roster.
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: UK
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Most bmi pilots are rated only on the A319/320/321. Some of the A330 pilots are current on all 4 variants and are rostered for "mixed fleet flying" (the MFF to which Roger refers), while some fly the A330 exclusively.
