European holiday using Turboprop

[TCAS FAN]

Originally Posted by Harry Wayfarers

SOU might be considered a London regional airport, with an airport rail station and just 1hr 45mins from Waterloo, not sure what may have gone on as a result of the Flybe restructuring but SOU did have some interesting turboprop routes

London Waterloo is 1 hour 6 minutes on fast train to Southampton Airport, 1 hour 15 minutes on semi fast. Station is about 50 metres from the Terminal. Premier Inn budget hotel about 200 metres from the Terminal. Plenty of European routes on Flybe/ Virgin Connect Q400s, Channel Islands on Aurigny DO228 and Flybe/Blue Islands or Aurigny ATR 72.

[TCU]

Sorry for thread drift, but if you want turboprop heaven, go exotic and come down to Africa. A recent series of flights for me in Kenya comprised:

Wilson - Olkiombo DHC7
Olkiombo - Keekorok DHC6
Keekorok - Ol Seki DHC6
Ol Seki - Musiara DHC6
Musiara - Masera DHC7
Masera - Wilson DHC7
Wilson - Malindi DHC8(3)
Malindi - Wilson DHC8(3)

The first six flights Air Kenya, the last pair Silverstone (who recently stuffed an F50 off the end of the runway at WIL)

A few years ago I did a just what you are thinking on a trip to DUS, flying Flybe SOU-MAN, MAN-DUS with the plan of flying back DUS-SOU. Unfortunately the return flight was cancelled, but Flybe did a splendid job and put me up in a nice hotel and sent me home via BHX the next day.

[PAXboy]

I recall a trip in a Viscount in 1972 from Salisbury (Rhodesia as was) to JNB. The machine could not climb above the thunderstorm and too far a diversion - so we went through a large part of it at 16,000. Not very comfortable. Overall, the Viscount was wonderful and the last time I was on one was probably 1986 or 87 on the LHR-IOM route before the 146 entered service.

I've been on about a dozen turbo prop types and found them all pretty reasonable (other than a Saab 340 over the winter mountains of Austria!) and agree that one should sit towards the back. My last was an ATR for BHX-IOM in 2017. Just take your noise cancelling headphones - even if you don't play any music - just have them on to muffle the sound.

[JSCL]

Due to fly Geneva-Isle of Man end of February direct. Not entirely sure I'm looking forward to nearly 3hrs on a Q400 if I'm honest!

[750XL]

Bit of a thread drift, apologies, bit Air Greenland/Air Iceland do a fair few 3 hour + flights between.... You guessed it.... Greenland and Iceland!

[Nuweiba]

Personally I prefer the Q400 to the ATR, though I do miss the BI Jersey-Geneva and Zurich flights. Always managed to get the first row seats.

[skerry]

Last week I flew LIS-ALC on a TAP Express/White Airways ATR72, exactly two hours; with a window seat I did enjoy watching the Iberian geography drift past at our low level . My first ever flight, at the age of nine months, was about thirteen hours London-Kano on a BOAC Britannia. Although I flew on Britannias a number of times (according to my JuniorJet Club logbook) I have no memory of those flights, and I do wonder how the Whispering Giant compares to the modern turboprop. Does anyone have any idea about the seat pitch on a Britannia back in the day, the noise level, and even just how many seats abreast it was?

[rog747]

Originally Posted by skerry

Last week I flew LIS-ALC on a TAP Express/White Airways ATR72, exactly two hours; with a window seat I did enjoy watching the Iberian geography drift past at our low level . My first ever flight, at the age of nine months, was about thirteen hours London-Kano on a BOAC Britannia. Although I flew on Britannias a number of times (according to my JuniorJet Club logbook) I have no memory of those flights, and I do wonder how the Whispering Giant compares to the modern turboprop. Does anyone have any idea about the seat pitch on a Britannia back in the day, the noise level, and even just how many seats abreast it was?

I flew many times going on a MED package holiday with my family on a Britannia with British Eagle, BUA, Britannia AW, Caledonian Air Spain and Monarch (from the age of 7 to 16)
6 abreast seating, and it was not too bad for noise except the prop sync drone

117 pax on the BY 102 series a/c and around 130 pax or so on 300 series B/Eagle and the others, with Monarch having 143 pax.
leg room was always fine apart from Monarch seemed abit less.
Usually always cold meals on all the IT Tour flights we went on.

Cruising at around 350mph at up to FL250
Palma was around 3 hours, Malaga iirc was 3.45
I went to PMI BCN RMI AGP LJU TCI VCE MUC BSL PSA BOJ & to another airport in the south of Spain for a resort called Rota (maybe Seville?)
Lunn Poly Holidays (British Eagle) had a nice hotel there right on the beach called Hotel Playa de la Luz