The Virtual Pub
Come Inside... => Saloon Bar => Topic started by: Miss Demeanour on June 23, 2009, 07:18:54 PM
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Passengers asked to balance plane
Dozens of holidaymakers returning to Newcastle refused to fly after they were asked to act as human ballast.A jammed hold door meant luggage could only be loaded into the front of the Thomas Cook plane at Mallorca airport.
Passengers were asked to move seats to distribute the weight, but 71 left the plane, fearing for their safety.Thomas Cook said it was standard procedure for airlines to ensure cargo and passengers were evenly distributed, and there was no safety risk.
Those who refused to fly on Saturday had to arrange alternative transport for themselves."They were saying it was not safe enough if we had to move about to balance the plane.
It is standard for all airlines to ensure cargo and passengers are evenly distributed on an aircraft .."The pilot came out to speak to us and told us it was perfectly safe."When someone asked if the hold door could open when we were in the air at 20,000ft, he couldn't understand and walked away."
Her group were among those who left the plane. They spent the night in the airport before catching another flight.
A Thomas Cook spokeswoman said: "It is standard for all airlines to ensure cargo and passengers are evenly distributed on an aircraft and there will be times when passengers will be asked to move to the front or back of a plane. "This is a routine industry procedure and poses no safety issue."We are disappointed that despite reassurances from the captain and crew, a number of passengers decided not to travel."
Hardly surprising that after the recent Air France disaster people are a bit jittery about flying ...this just seems to be a real breakdown in communication though.
I have never known a flight before though that has asked passengers to spread out a bit to 'balance' the load ..that I think would unnerve me completely rubschin:
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You clearly never flew from RAF Lyneham when I was in charge of the loading then. whistle:
Seriously, weight distribution, the load planning etc was and is an important part of pre-flight planning. I speak as one who is qualified to do the job on certain aircraft (No ~ a little later than the Sopwith Camel ::))
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Doesn't the fact that human nature means that people will want to sit as far apart from one another as possible anyway - therefore introducing a natural balancing system
However if the Pilot came out and started asking people to move around - that I'm afraid would freak me and start the worry spiral whirring scared2:
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I once had to ask a very rotund Major travelling with his troops to either get on another aircraft or I would have to dump the kit of four of his men.
In those days we were flying soldiers to Canada where they were to go on exercises. The aircraft of the day for a non stop long haul (Lyneham to Goose Bay) was the four engined turbo prop Brittania. Held 7000 gallons of fuel and when fully laden used 3000 gallons to get off the deck.
Beautiful aircraft. Whispering Giants we used to call them. cloud9:
(https://www.virtual-pub.com/SMF/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.full-service-aviator.com%2FBristol%2520Brittania2.gif&hash=f5017fc97830f4468a4563a0acc567a32b917e65)
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On each of my recent flights to Scotty Land on little prop planes we have been moved around the cabin to balance the weight and told not to change seats later scared2:
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You see - now that would panic me......and I would be looking for signs of anyone moving that shouldn't and send them death stares if they even shuffled in their seat scared2:
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I'd be happy about balancing the plane by moving around - the centre of gravity is critical for take off and landing...
Cyprus airways made everybody sit at the back on a recent flight that LL was on because of it.
However, telling everybody that the luggage compartment door was jammed was a big mistake which would inevitably cause concern to some people (me included).
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What, she sat at the front and everyone else had to sit at the back to balance her out like? Too many chips noooo:
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What, she sat at the front and everyone else had to sit at the back to balance her out like? Too many chips noooo:
It has been nice knowing you Nick eeek:
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What, she sat at the front and everyone else had to sit at the back to balance her out like? Too many chips noooo:
Tsk, tsk... noooo:
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However, telling everybody that the luggage compartment door was jammed was a big mistake which would inevitably cause concern to some people (me included).
Exactly .......it's like anything that's jammed - it will always become free just when you least expect it , least want it to or when someone else tries to open it - making you look pathetic redface:
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Whatever happened to the Bra Clips thread?
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Whatever happened to the Bra Clips thread?
That was in a previous life Nick... noooo:
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I'd be happy about balancing the plane by moving around - the centre of gravity is critical for take off and landing...
Cyprus airways made everybody sit at the back on a recent flight that LL was on because of it.
However, telling everybody that the luggage compartment door was jammed was a big mistake which would inevitably cause concern to some people (me included).
Exactly! I've been on planes before where we've been moved for take off and landing but we've been free to sit where we want for the rest of the flight. Telling them the door was jammed was just idiotic.
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I'd be happy about balancing the plane by moving around - the centre of gravity is critical for take off and landing...
Cyprus airways made everybody sit at the back on a recent flight that LL was on because of it.
However, telling everybody that the luggage compartment door was jammed was a big mistake which would inevitably cause concern to some people (me included).
Exactly! I've been on planes before where we've been moved for take off and landing but we've been free to sit where we want for the rest of the flight. Telling them the door was jammed was just idiotic.
Like I said like.... cloud9:
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I was agreeing with you! Banghead
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I was agreeing with you! Banghead
I know... cloud9:
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Ahhhh, make the most of it! Chances are it won't happen again!
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Ahhhh, make the most of it! Chances are it won't happen again!
Precisely... cloud9:
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I came back from Florida in a Virgin 747 and when we got to Gatwick, around 9:00 am the pilot said that because of the many flights coming and going, we would have to circle for some time. About five minutes later we landed. As we turned off the runway I looked behind and there were loads of fire appliances following us. Don't know what it was, no-one told us why.
And then, on my next flight to Paphos we were coming in to land when the plane suddenly veered off to the right back over the med and started circling. Apparently one of the flaps was stuck. Anyway the pilot decided to chance it and we came into land with the right wing higher than the left. We landed okay and then again I saw fire appliances following us down the runway. The then Mrs Pirate who came to collect me stated that as she approached the airport she was overtaken by fire appliances on blue lights making for the airport.
These things prolly happen all the time, they just don't tell us scared2:
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Errrr no noooo:
Please do me a favour and let me know what flights you are taking and when - just a precautionary measure I'm sure you understand lol:
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Reminds me of Dan Air!
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Miss D...I fly to Cyprus quite often. You never know.
Nick..You mean Dan Dare?
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Dan Air. I once flew on one of their Comets scared2:
See also: DC3 scared2:
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"Good morning, this is Captain Nick speaking. Welcome aboard this Air Wirral flight to Inverness..."
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"Good morning, this is Captain Nick speaking. Welcome aboard this Air Wirral flight to Inverness..."
You jest but my last trip to Spain was flown by a guy I was at school with. A totally thicko dope fiend. When they announced the captain's name I nearly had to get off the plane. noooo:
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I came back from Florida in a Virgin 747 and when we got to Gatwick, around 9:00 am the pilot said that because of the many flights coming and going, we would have to circle for some time. About five minutes later we landed. As we turned off the runway I looked behind and there were loads of fire appliances following us. Don't know what it was, no-one told us why.
And then, on my next flight to Paphos we were coming in to land when the plane suddenly veered off to the right back over the med and started circling. Apparently one of the flaps was stuck. Anyway the pilot decided to chance it and we came into land with the right wing higher than the left. We landed okay and then again I saw fire appliances following us down the runway. The then Mrs Pirate who came to collect me stated that as she approached the airport she was overtaken by fire appliances on blue lights making for the airport.
These things prolly happen all the time, they just don't tell us scared2:
Quite true. I work for a company responsible for booking cargo onto the flights for a fairly major airline, the tales we hear would make your hair curl.
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Popcorn:
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:lalalala
I offically reside in the palace of ignorance - and I like it there
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:lalalala
I offically reside in the palace of ignorance - and I like it there
What you don't know can't hurt you, or at least you won't feel anything.
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There are those fleeting moments as she plummets from 30000 feet whilst trying to tie a double bow in her lifejacket, a feat achieved just before the plane hits the desert
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If that ever comes true you will feel soooooooooooo bad evil:
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Popcorn:
Ok here goes:
Brand new plane on the ground ready for passengers to board.One of the baggage handlers slips on something which on closer inspection is one of quite a few ball bearings. The only place they could have come from is the engine/s. Plane unloaded & sent back for repair.
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Well at least they didn't try to fly it!
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Well at least they didn't try to fly it!
Only by the grace of big smiley man in the sky.
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RAF Sayings:
Any landing you can walk away from was a good landing.
Flying doesn't hurt ~ crashing does.
It only takes five years to go from rumour to standard operating procedure.
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I once had to ask a very rotund Major travelling with his troops to either get on another aircraft or I would have to dump the kit of four of his men.
In those days we were flying soldiers to Canada where they were to go on exercises. The aircraft of the day for a non stop long haul (Lyneham to Goose Bay) was the four engined turbo prop Brittania. Held 7000 gallons of fuel and when fully laden used 3000 gallons to get off the deck.
Beautiful aircraft. Whispering Giants we used to call them. cloud9:
(https://www.virtual-pub.com/SMF/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.full-service-aviator.com%2FBristol%2520Brittania2.gif&hash=f5017fc97830f4468a4563a0acc567a32b917e65)
On one military flight to a far and distant land, the pilot came up on the tannoy thing and said, " This is your driver speaking, in order to bring the nose down will all the officers bring their wallets to the front of the aircraft", oh how we larfed ::)
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My favourite was the RSM who stood at the open doors after landing at Lyneham and bellowed "Right you sods, take all yer spew bags, used or not, wiv you. I don't want these Brylcreme Boys knowing what a bunch o pansies youse lot are". They were part of the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.
Made me laugh at the time.