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shouldbworking
3,505 posts
81 months
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Not too exciting but a budget uk airline, flying back from france. Getting ready for push back, Engine one runs up.. engine two fails to start and instead sends a large gout of flame out of the back of it.
Engineers arrive, open cowlings, expressions of 'looks alright to me' are shared. Close cowlings and start up successfully, albeit with rather a lot of smoke.
Captain rather too frankly comes back on the PA 'right. We arent quite sure why it didnt start earlier but its running now, so off we go!'
Fair enough, im sure you can manage to do the equivalent of flooding an engine but it wasnt the most reassuring pa call ive ever heard!
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RedLeicester
5,403 posts
114 months
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Ledaig said: given this was also around 2000-2002, I think they had actually nicked it from Duxford 
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carlove
3,695 posts
36 months
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On a flight to Nice last year another plane had got our space at the airport (or something like that) so the pilot took a quick trip round the French Riviera, looked beautiful from a birds eye view! 
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SVX
1,502 posts
80 months
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Couple I can add to this thread.
First one was an aborted landing at not a lot of feet in a BA 777 on the way back from Chicago into Heathrow. I thought to myself as the pilot squared up for final that we were coming in a bit fast, cue a full power climb out of the incoming queue. A few moments later came the clipped British announcement "Sorry for the unscheduled aerobatics, let's have another go shall we" or words to that effect. I assume that the pilot had an enormous moustache.
Second was an aborted take off in a Swiss BAe 146 from London City, not fun as we came to rest with the front wheels of the aircraft on the chevrons, and (to my mind) not too far from the drink. The pilot had a second go at it, and the port number 2 engine went bang in quite an impressive fashion.
Thirdly was a landing into the disused car park that was Burgas airport in 1988 on an Interflug Tupolev 154. To say that the landing was hard is an understatement, and after the first 'bounce', I assume the pilot threw the kitchen sink out of the back, but that and reverse thrust caused several seats and pieces of trim to break loose and head to the front of the cabin. Absolutely terrifying.
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Glosphil
2,069 posts
103 months
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1958 - Heathrow to Singapore on a BOAC Britannia - scheduled as 32 hours from take-off to landing. First stop at Zurich and a truck driving around the front of the plane hit the fibreglass nose. Long delay when replacement flown from London.
Return trip 7 weeks later. Landing at Calcutta - no brakes. Another long delay when problem found and fixed. To keep up hydraulic pressure 4 Indian guys run up a step ladder, grab a prop blade and descend to ground, for at least 3 hours - in that heat. When we reboarded the plane the 4 guys are laying on their backs on the grass. Most passengers drop money onto their chests.
1959 - Heathrow to Singapore on a BOAC Comet - scheduled as 23 hours from take-off to landing. Part way between Rangoon and Singapore one engine fails and we return to Ragoon. Long delay.
Return trip 7 weeks later. No problems.
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Ginetta G15 Girl
1,137 posts
53 months
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SVX said: Second was an aborted take off in a Swiss BAe 146 from London City, not fun as we came to rest with the front wheels of the aircraft on the chevrons, and (to my mind) not too far from the drink.
Perf A Rejected T/O (at or near V1) worked as advertised then.
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Fat Albert
945 posts
50 months
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Ledaig said: dougc said: Ledaig said: Flying from Nantes to Gatwick.
The normal aircraft went tech, so they sent a replacement.
On landing we were held on the flight for 40mins or so as (in the words of the captain), they needed to find some steps to fit the aircraft as they didn't usually see this type.
It was a BAC 1-11
given this was also around 2000-2002, I think they had actually nicked it from Duxford I had that happen to me on the way back from Sicily about 10 years ago - was probably the same 1-11! Most comical part was that I had boarded by the steps in the tail - did someone nick 'em on route then? Probably EAC (European Air Charters) it would have been White with Red lettering. Ryanair used their aircraft on its routes out of Luton initially, I flew to Dublin with them in '97 (G-AVMP) and it was great to be on one again - I learnt how to operate those rear stairs aged 4 when I used to go and see my Grandad at work at Channel Airways in Southend in the early '70s!!
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tr7v8
4,008 posts
97 months
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Lots. A few years ago as a 3rd RAE Apprentice getting on a DH Dove/Devon to go from Farnborough to RAE Bedford. First flight ever. Flight up fine, flight back had a monster black cloud over the end of the runway. Me & a older guy get on, he looks around the seats carefully & finally settles. I plonk myself in first available seat. Pilot says it'll be bumpy taking off, as we fly through the massive rain cloud, water pees in through the escape hatch above me & soaks my trousers. Other guy grins, he obviously knew the bloody thing leaked!
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brickwall
1,372 posts
79 months
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Couple of weeks ago, ba flight from Zurich to LHR. Very uneventful flight. Airbus A319.
As we're taxi-ing to stand after landing, captain comes on the PA and says there may be a small wait after the plane has stopped. Please could we all remain in our seats, even once the plane has stopped, until he says it's safe to get up - to this end he'll be leaving the seatbelt signs on until it's safe.
Plane comes to stop. A few disobey captains orders and start getting out of seats. Stewards rush down the aisle from front and back, slam the overhead lockers shut and tell people to sit back down. We all sit there in silence.
Front plane door opens, and two massive coppers (with sidearms) walk in. They walk straight down the aisle to about row 17, and ask a man to come with them. In silence and without a fuss, he's escorted off the plane. Odd.
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baldy1926
847 posts
69 months
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Hi about 15 or so years ago on a ba code share internal flight in SA.
We had a heavy landing ina real strong cross wind. It was a full on sideways approach and bumpy when we touched down.
Pilot comes on the pa when taxiing in, usual stuff said like thats for flying with etc.
The pa then clicked and the pilot could be heard saying.
'Christ that was a close one didn't think we were going to make that one!'
Cue lots of relived/worried looks on the passengers
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Munter
23,711 posts
110 months
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A flight from Amsterdam to Luton. Nothing dramatic until the pilot came on to say that they had lost the use of all the screens in the cockpit a while ago and had had to fly it manually on the more traditional instruments. They had managed to get one screen back but we'd be landing at Stansted as Luton was foggy and he'd have to land it manually.
Worst part was Stansted was essentially closed for the night. Their last scheduled flight was some time ago. So rousing some ground staff to get steps and baggage sorted took some time.
Also a tristar back from the Dominican (JMC's DC10 had failed and they sent the cheapest plane they could find I think), we had to stop in the Azores for fuel. The voice in the dashboard seemed really quite concerned about Terrain for some reason....and he'd forgotten to tell the cabin crew to strap in so they had a bit of a scramble for seats when they realised we were not far off landing. One of them was not polite about the pilot..
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DWS
334 posts
87 months
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First flight from Seoul to Khabarosk with Dalavia. Waited for the plane to arrive 5 hours late. Boarded, think it was an Ilyushin of some vintage, and waited another 2 hours sweating like a pig as there was no ac on. The drop down tray was a piece of plywood painted grey. All the hosties wore different uniforms. The carpet looked like it was from different off cuts from someone’s front room & the galley was out of a sixties kitchen. Various engineers came & went without any explanation from the Capt. During the flight we were served, what I guess was “Food”, but I didn’t even attempt to eat any of it. The little Korean sitting next to me seemed to enjoy the food and asked for mine. I gave him it gladly. Arrived at Khabarovsk at 0200 and was bussed all of 20m from the plane to the terminal. Waited another 2 hours for the luggage to arrive. We could see the handlers literally throwing cases into a dump truck which eventually literally “Dumped” them next to the conveyor. I vowed never to fly with Dalavia ever again.
Another flight from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk we were bussed out to a twin prop plane of an uncertain age. As we boarded I noticed that all they tyres we down to the canvas. Not a good sign! The Russian I was travelling with really didn’t want to fly and would have preferred to take a ten hour rail trip. Turns out that the airline had an extremely poor safety record and there had been numerous crashes recently. He told me this once we were on board. The seats could have been out of a 2CV as I spent the two hour flight getting a back massage for the fat lady behind me. Never been so pleased to get off a plane in my life.
Seychelle Air flight Victoria to Mahe in a twin otter. No announcement over the PA, the pilot just turned around and gave us the thumbs up and off we went. Cockpit door remained open for the 15 min flight.
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had ham
1,479 posts
52 months
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Sister-in-law and her hubby used to work at LHR. She BA, he Police. Whence flying to/from LHR I used to let them both know so we could meet up for a coffee if either were around pre/post my flight.
Walking through (the old-style) T1 I hear 'Would Mr Had Ham please come to the BA customer service desk' over the tannoy. No problem thinks I, that'll be where the SiL is and she wants to say hello.
Not so. 'You! Pin-stripe suit, grey briefcase and red socks'... (I know, I know, Gok would piss himself laughing), ...'Stop right there!' shouts the armed copper as he raises his MP5 and aims at me from 5 metres away. Shopping area of T1 comes to a complete, and silent, halt. Everyone stares at me, then at the copper, then back at me. Complete silence - for at least 10 seconds. SiL's husband then lowers the gun, laughs, strolls over and off we go for a coffee. Got some odd looks.
Flying back into LHR from NCL with Mother in Law, plane reaches stand and Captain asks passengers to remain seated. Doors open, and self same copper walks down the aisle with gun 'at the ready' to MiL's seat, and tells her that she is coming with him. MiL (she can be a bit dozy) thinks this is just a nice welcome, and starts saying 'hello, xxxx, lovely to see you, give us a kiss then'. Copper starts exclaiming to no-one in general, but in a fairly loud fashion, 'you wouldn't think she is the matriarch of one of the biggest crime families in the North East..' before firmly taking her wrist and escorting her off the plane in front of the stunned passengers. It wasn't until we'd got well in to the terminal building before he relented.
Many other crazy tails from air-side from both parties. They did after-all meet when he left his MP5 on the table in the T1 staff canteen after having a coffee beside her - she had to run after him with it...
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The Nur
5,427 posts
54 months
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had ham said: Many other crazy tails from air-side from both parties. They did after-all meet when he left his MP5 on the table in the T1 staff canteen after having a coffee beside her - she had to run after him with it...
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annodomini2
4,774 posts
120 months
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1) 1994 Spending 6 hours in the cockpit (most of it in the captain's seat) of a 767 to LAX (first flight).
2) Being stall dropped onto Moline airport runway in an Embraer 145 from about 50ft, thought it had broken my back. (Pilot was new!)
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Hooli
21,222 posts
69 months
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The Nur said: had ham said: Many other crazy tails from air-side from both parties. They did after-all meet when he left his MP5 on the table in the T1 staff canteen after having a coffee beside her - she had to run after him with it...
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The Black Flash
4,272 posts
67 months
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had ham said: Sister-in-law and her hubby used to work at LHR. She BA, he Police. Whence flying to/from LHR I used to let them both know so we could meet up for a coffee if either were around pre/post my flight.
Walking through (the old-style) T1 I hear 'Would Mr Had Ham please come to the BA customer service desk' over the tannoy. No problem thinks I, that'll be where the SiL is and she wants to say hello.
Not so. 'You! Pin-stripe suit, grey briefcase and red socks'... (I know, I know, Gok would piss himself laughing), ...'Stop right there!' shouts the armed copper as he raises his MP5 and aims at me from 5 metres away. Shopping area of T1 comes to a complete, and silent, halt. Everyone stares at me, then at the copper, then back at me. Complete silence - for at least 10 seconds. SiL's husband then lowers the gun, laughs, strolls over and off we go for a coffee. Got some odd looks. He actually pointed his gun at you? Really?First bloody rule of gun handling is that you never, ever point it at anyone you don't intend to kill. I find it hard to believe that a firearms officer would mess around like that, and if one did, I'd expect him to be sacked without further discussion.
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onyx39
3,468 posts
19 months
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a friends of mine is a massive plane spotter (or was in his younger days ) and his dad worked for TWA.
He used to fly an awful lot due to his dads time with the airline.
I remember him telling me about being an internal flight in a DC9 in the US, sitting in the front row.
It was very pre-911, and the pilot was flying with the cockpit door open, friend was enjoying the view immensely.
Flight was on finals and suddenly went into a fairly steep dive.. alarms from cockpit with the "pull up pull up" warning, flight leveled out, landed without further incident.
Pilot gave the usual "thank for you flying TWA, any questions, I will be happy to answer "etc, mate was straight in with, "what the f*** just happened", pilot laughed, told him that there was a regional airport close by and other traffic in the vicinity, choice was to either abort landing, and go around, or descend quicker than planned to avoid other traffic, they obviously chose the latter..
he was fine, but I would have had a real "change of under pants" moment..
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Soovy
32,020 posts
140 months
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Flight from San Fran to Heathrow on BA747 in 2004. We are in the nose section enjoying the champers and nice food and hot and cold running stewardesses The plane map on the passenger AV system shows us heading directly for Shannon. Odd, I think, there must a problem with the plane...  We land at Shannon. Crowds of people watching us. After short while Police board the plane and then some time later a dead guy is stretchered off the plane covered up with a blanket with his poor wife and kids in tow in floods of tears. Apparently he had his dinner, went to sleep and died there and then. Very very sad.
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carreauchompeur
10,642 posts
73 months
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Ali2202 said: Jump seat of a Virgin 747 landing at Kai-Tak. f  king INCREDIBLE!  Darn. Along with flying on Concorde this is one of the things in life I'd love to, but will never, do...
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