Most memorable flight ..... ever! (Merged)
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One of my best trips was as SLF in a C-46 meathauler out of La Paz, Bolivia. It had no seats, a bloodstained wooden floor, it reeked to high heaven and had holes bored in some of the cabin windows for ventilation.
A bunch of us gringos rented it for a 30-min. jolly around the foothills of the Andes. We took some of the meat workers for the ride as they had never actually flown in the thing. It occurred to us that thay might think that all flying was like this, even with Lloyd Aereo Boliviano!
No sterile cockpit here either. As we were keen to see our approach and landing at close quarters we managed to get eight souls into the large cockpit behind P1 and P2 on finals.
So unforgettable I repeated it a year or two later!
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Safety is no accident
[This message has been edited by EGAC (edited 10 October 2000).]
A bunch of us gringos rented it for a 30-min. jolly around the foothills of the Andes. We took some of the meat workers for the ride as they had never actually flown in the thing. It occurred to us that thay might think that all flying was like this, even with Lloyd Aereo Boliviano!
No sterile cockpit here either. As we were keen to see our approach and landing at close quarters we managed to get eight souls into the large cockpit behind P1 and P2 on finals.
So unforgettable I repeated it a year or two later!
------------------
Safety is no accident
[This message has been edited by EGAC (edited 10 October 2000).]
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Flying Lawyer – I got involved with a guy who did an SF260 ferry to the US in the early 80’s (I recall a subsequent article in Pilot mag) – and he never paid his bill!!
EGAC I guess you must remember Frigorifico Reys too (now there’s a misnomer!). Did you ever meet Steve Piercy?
EGAC I guess you must remember Frigorifico Reys too (now there’s a misnomer!). Did you ever meet Steve Piercy?
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Hope I won't get turfed out for being a non-pilot with this - though I did actually do some of the flying in one of these episodes.
Most memorable flight :
Vickers Viscount circa 1990, Belfast Aldergrove to Manchester. British Airways plane broke, so we all trudged for miles to a forgotten part of the airfield. The plane looked like a museum-piece, and no-one had heard of the airline whose livery it wore. General clutching of rosary beads and mutterings of "only one step up from a Tiger Moth". In reality, much more solidly built inside than the modern stuff, huge panoramic windows - and a comfortingly large number of engines. And a very comforting sort of gentle rolling motion as it crossed a sunlit Irish Sea - 'danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings', just as in the poem. I'm not actually a keen flyer at all, but that flight could have carried on forever.
2nd most memorable :
BA turboprop circa 1990, Manchester to Belfast Aldergrove. Plane broke while flying (spot the pattern here ?) - something navigation-related. Flew around for ages trying to find a hole in the cloud that went all the way down to the ground. Passengers were asked to join in the search - seemed a bit like a Holy Grail thing for a while. Very interactive flying experience.
Least memorable
DH Chipmunk, Air Training Corps. Woodvale, late 70's. I know it's a pretty-looking thing on the outside (see them regularly still since I'm near Barton Aerodorome), but it didn't seem so good strapped in the back seat. The parachute straps cut off all circulation, that's one thing I can remember. And the poor visibility through the 'birdcage' canopy.
Worst Missed opportunity
By digging a bit deep I could have just about managed a Concorde charter flight. Maybe I thought the plane was for fat cats and celebs only, the 'champagne and caviar' set, not for ordinary Joe Public. More likely, I'm just very, very stupid. Now, having seen the public reaction and press/TV coverage, I wish I'd gone for it. Has there been this much interest in a flying machine from the general public since the 50's ? Will my doctor give me anti-depressants to get over missing out on Mach 2 ? Is it possible to sustain long-term damage from kicking yourself too much ? How are those Concorde crews going to cope with life now ? I'm not trying to hijack this thread by the way - someone else mentioned the big white bird earlier on.
Most memorable flight :
Vickers Viscount circa 1990, Belfast Aldergrove to Manchester. British Airways plane broke, so we all trudged for miles to a forgotten part of the airfield. The plane looked like a museum-piece, and no-one had heard of the airline whose livery it wore. General clutching of rosary beads and mutterings of "only one step up from a Tiger Moth". In reality, much more solidly built inside than the modern stuff, huge panoramic windows - and a comfortingly large number of engines. And a very comforting sort of gentle rolling motion as it crossed a sunlit Irish Sea - 'danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings', just as in the poem. I'm not actually a keen flyer at all, but that flight could have carried on forever.
2nd most memorable :
BA turboprop circa 1990, Manchester to Belfast Aldergrove. Plane broke while flying (spot the pattern here ?) - something navigation-related. Flew around for ages trying to find a hole in the cloud that went all the way down to the ground. Passengers were asked to join in the search - seemed a bit like a Holy Grail thing for a while. Very interactive flying experience.
Least memorable
DH Chipmunk, Air Training Corps. Woodvale, late 70's. I know it's a pretty-looking thing on the outside (see them regularly still since I'm near Barton Aerodorome), but it didn't seem so good strapped in the back seat. The parachute straps cut off all circulation, that's one thing I can remember. And the poor visibility through the 'birdcage' canopy.
Worst Missed opportunity
By digging a bit deep I could have just about managed a Concorde charter flight. Maybe I thought the plane was for fat cats and celebs only, the 'champagne and caviar' set, not for ordinary Joe Public. More likely, I'm just very, very stupid. Now, having seen the public reaction and press/TV coverage, I wish I'd gone for it. Has there been this much interest in a flying machine from the general public since the 50's ? Will my doctor give me anti-depressants to get over missing out on Mach 2 ? Is it possible to sustain long-term damage from kicking yourself too much ? How are those Concorde crews going to cope with life now ? I'm not trying to hijack this thread by the way - someone else mentioned the big white bird earlier on.
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Indian Airlines
My most memorable flight was on Indian Airlines back in about 1987. It was in July from Santa Cruz (Bombay) to Poona and it was around 6 in the morning. The wx was typical monsoon - lots of rain and the equpment was typically Indian Airlines at that time - a very tired old 737-100 or 200 series.
The pax were driven out to the plane in a clapped out bus and we had to step around puddles from the night's deluge. On embarking I noticed the skin looked like it had about 6 coats of low gloss house paint on it and the interior was something else. The overhead bins had no backing and you could see right throught to the insulation and wiring. The emergency exit row had no seats. Instead hand baggage was piled there with the encouragement of the flight attendants.
The main door was left open and it began to rain - a real monsoon rain. Meanwhile the crew attempted to start the darn thing but to no avail. By this time, the humidity and temperature were becoming very uncomfortable, at least for this Canuck. While this was all going on I could hear a strange type of Indian music on the PA. It wasn't exactly classical but it was indeed an Indian version of Muzak complete with sitars and the rest of it.
Meanwhile they still couldn't get the damn thing started. Most passengers bore this in their stride. Indians have a wonderful ability to handle delays and inconveniences, unlike us Westerners who can get very upset and anxious.
At last I heard the familiar whine of the engine spooling up and before long we were taxiing and in the air. It was an uneventful short flight to Poona until the landing.
Poona was relatively dry. The pilot set up the approach with lots of visibility and ceiling so everything seemed OK. Until the wheels touched and we bounced back into the air! We came down hard but stayed on the ground... ouch! I rather expected the gear to collapse but it held - tribute to the toughness of those old '37s.
Anyway we safely disembarked at the end of a rather unforgettable flight.
The pax were driven out to the plane in a clapped out bus and we had to step around puddles from the night's deluge. On embarking I noticed the skin looked like it had about 6 coats of low gloss house paint on it and the interior was something else. The overhead bins had no backing and you could see right throught to the insulation and wiring. The emergency exit row had no seats. Instead hand baggage was piled there with the encouragement of the flight attendants.
The main door was left open and it began to rain - a real monsoon rain. Meanwhile the crew attempted to start the darn thing but to no avail. By this time, the humidity and temperature were becoming very uncomfortable, at least for this Canuck. While this was all going on I could hear a strange type of Indian music on the PA. It wasn't exactly classical but it was indeed an Indian version of Muzak complete with sitars and the rest of it.
Meanwhile they still couldn't get the damn thing started. Most passengers bore this in their stride. Indians have a wonderful ability to handle delays and inconveniences, unlike us Westerners who can get very upset and anxious.
At last I heard the familiar whine of the engine spooling up and before long we were taxiing and in the air. It was an uneventful short flight to Poona until the landing.
Poona was relatively dry. The pilot set up the approach with lots of visibility and ceiling so everything seemed OK. Until the wheels touched and we bounced back into the air! We came down hard but stayed on the ground... ouch! I rather expected the gear to collapse but it held - tribute to the toughness of those old '37s.
Anyway we safely disembarked at the end of a rather unforgettable flight.
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Flogging the circuit for the N'th hundred time on a pleasant winter afternoon ... must have been in the early mid 90's ..at a certain (now closed) airlfield in the southeast... when a Sunderland of all things asked ATC for zone transit... he got the transit on proviso that he gave the boys in the tower a good view... so we got the call "G -XX call finals number two to the Sunderland" ..... managed to get tucked in about 300 yards behind ... what a view !
I think it ended up going to Austrailia ?
I think it ended up going to Austrailia ?
Paxing All Over The World
As the name says, I'm pax! Although these are the most memorable, each flight is special. Even a 45 minute flip from LTN to IOM, has something to treasure.[list=1][*]First ever: BOAC VC-10, LHR to JNB 5th December 1965. Joined the Junior Jet Club![*]October 1970 Viscount from SAY (Salisbury as was) to VFA (Victoria Falls) watching the falls from the big windows as we circled before making the approach.[*]A week later Viscount SAY~JNB. Through a thunderstorm at FL160 ... just after breakfast ...[*]March 1972: JNB~WDH (Windhoek) in a chartered DC-4. It was a school trip. Great views and a visit to the front.[*]January 1985, boarded an 8-seater in Durban to go to Richards Bay and found that a guy I was at school with was driving. But the weather was so bad, I could not get up front.[*]First into HKG (Jan 1991) and every subsequent time to Kai Tak was a dream.[*]October 2000. JNB to Plettenberg Bay in J41. I was in the jump seat because my nephew was FO and it was my first flight with him. He operated the sector and, during the take off roll, I looked out of the window at the familiar site of JNB and then at my 24 year old nephew and felt a pride that I had never experienced. I do not have children of my own and to watch him and hear his voice to ATC .... no words. He's in the LHS now.[*]November 2000. Daylight on VS, CPT-LHR. I was in the flight deck whilst over the Sahara. The crew were amused to hear of my father navigating Beaufighters across the desert following camel tracks. Well, the map said the tracks were there but they were still not visible at 75'! When I got back to my seat, I telephoned him and he was thrilled to pieces when he heard that I was at FL370.[*]8th August 2003. G-BOAC for BA0001. Beyond words.[/list=1]
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For my 2 pennr'th
Backseat in a Hawk [magic words "YOU have control"]
AAR VC10 and WE tanked
First Jet j/s [Laker Bac111] coming over Hurn at FL350 and seeing ALL the cities of the UK.
Backseat in the Chippie from Woodvale...It was the Boss's last flight......magic
and all the rest....please, PLEASE bring j/s back for us poor ATCers
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy
Backseat in a Hawk [magic words "YOU have control"]
AAR VC10 and WE tanked
First Jet j/s [Laker Bac111] coming over Hurn at FL350 and seeing ALL the cities of the UK.
Backseat in the Chippie from Woodvale...It was the Boss's last flight......magic
and all the rest....please, PLEASE bring j/s back for us poor ATCers
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy
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Most Memorable
- the trips with LASU from Warton.
- Jump seat on a J41 from IOM to Jersey. Arteries furred up with the amount of clotted cream consumed!
- taking my kids up front for the first time in a 767 - thanks Brittania
(when will the CAA see sense again)
- even though I didn't get airborne, my old mate from school bringing the Lanc over for the Jurby air show, letting me having a crawl around, and managing a flypast over the house.
Biggest missed opportunity - the chance of a day out at Brawdy, whilst holding at St Athan. Screwed up med category (which I later found out in the mess the quack could have sorted for me). I will never quite get over that. The only way I will ever get the opportunity for a FJ trip now is handing over 10k to Mike Beachyhead - Unless, Mr Saville, you are out there reading this?
- the trips with LASU from Warton.
- Jump seat on a J41 from IOM to Jersey. Arteries furred up with the amount of clotted cream consumed!
- taking my kids up front for the first time in a 767 - thanks Brittania
(when will the CAA see sense again)
- even though I didn't get airborne, my old mate from school bringing the Lanc over for the Jurby air show, letting me having a crawl around, and managing a flypast over the house.
Biggest missed opportunity - the chance of a day out at Brawdy, whilst holding at St Athan. Screwed up med category (which I later found out in the mess the quack could have sorted for me). I will never quite get over that. The only way I will ever get the opportunity for a FJ trip now is handing over 10k to Mike Beachyhead - Unless, Mr Saville, you are out there reading this?
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First Solo
Followed by first cross country.
But always remember the flight after an Oh silly hundred hours departure from ASI, watching dawn break over the South Atlantic. Once light, descended from FL230 to 50ft AGL, and saw toothed from 50ft to FL150 to 50ft all way to Namibian coast. Comment from right hand seat when at 50ft about half way between ASI and our nearest Div in Africa: "This is an awfully long way from anywhere to be doing this sort of silly thing!!!"
Saddest flight.
Last sortie of Snoopy, killed off by accountants and miss management!
Followed by first cross country.
But always remember the flight after an Oh silly hundred hours departure from ASI, watching dawn break over the South Atlantic. Once light, descended from FL230 to 50ft AGL, and saw toothed from 50ft to FL150 to 50ft all way to Namibian coast. Comment from right hand seat when at 50ft about half way between ASI and our nearest Div in Africa: "This is an awfully long way from anywhere to be doing this sort of silly thing!!!"
Saddest flight.
Last sortie of Snoopy, killed off by accountants and miss management!
Paxing All Over The World
L'boy - I cannot be sure if it was because of our curiously linked PPRuNe names or simply that Conc was detailed to carry special people that day. 
My only disappointment on the flight? With all the threats that the temperature would cause us to make a tech stop so that we would get two supersonic flights
and ... they flew the a/c so damm well that we didn't have to. 
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
My only disappointment on the flight? With all the threats that the temperature would cause us to make a tech stop so that we would get two supersonic flights
and ... they flew the a/c so damm well that we didn't have to. "I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Cunning Artificer
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Aaahh! DeHavilland!
A crisp early spring morning at RAF Dishforth. Climbed into a DHC Chipmunk with a parachute strapped to my backside so tight that I couldn't stand up straight. We climbed out over the Great North Road and went over to Ripon and circled a couple of times then away over the Vale of Yorkshire for some aerobatics - loops, stall turns, falling leaf, barrel rolls - the pilot must have had a great time but for this ATC cadet it was my first time and I was wonder struck. They say you never forget your first don't they? If only I could see properly, maybe I could have been a pilot...
I wonder who the pilot was? Maybe he's a PPRuNer eh?
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Through difficulties to the cinema
I wonder who the pilot was? Maybe he's a PPRuNer eh?
**************************
Through difficulties to the cinema
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Tac. Approach in an A300
Yeah, a good old A300B4 Freighter. Riding the jumpseat only, what?, 2 weeks ago into Saddam Intl. The approach is, shall we say, a bit unconventional given the circumstances that there are bandits around with guns and stuff. Anyway, we came in a bit hot (like 200+ Kts over the threshold) and a go-around is called for. Not your average go-around though. It's more like levelling out at 300 ft-ish, left turn behind the tower to track the paralell runway, then another 180 to the left when abeam the threshold opposite end, ending up slightly right of runway with the skipper quitely saying "left foot, level off, right foot" and ka-chunk firmly place around 130 tons worth of aluminium on the runway. All to the tune of "sink rate" and "bank angle" not to mention the all time favourite "whoop whoop pull up" and yours truely wondering whether it was such a good idea to visit Baghdad just for the hell of it. Could have sworn the left wing was about to impact the terminal as we screamed overhead.
Was told on the ground that was nothing special. "Nah mate, you were pretty high. Should've been onboard the other day when they did the same thing at 80 feet AGL" .... Ehh, no thanks.
Was told on the ground that was nothing special. "Nah mate, you were pretty high. Should've been onboard the other day when they did the same thing at 80 feet AGL" .... Ehh, no thanks.
Title? What title?
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First solo in C152 - great
Being the only passenger on a BM fligh from Liverpool to LHR. (great cabin service)
A trip to Houston on BA (for reasons I can't disclose!!)
Being the only passenger on a BM fligh from Liverpool to LHR. (great cabin service)
A trip to Houston on BA (for reasons I can't disclose!!)