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#26
19th June 2017, 08:00
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The longest flight I ever did was about 30 hours in the 80's to join a ship in New Caladonia. London To Paris then a U.T.A. flight to I think Vienna, Istanbul, Dubai, Calcutta, Bangkok, Singapore, Sydney and eventually Noumea. On reaching Noumea there was an announcement to collect my baggage and board a helicopter that was waiting to take me to another port in the island called Nekete . On arrival there was a boat ready to take me out to the ship that was loading at anchor. there was no such thing as a rest as the guy I was relieving was anxious to hand the job over and depart. The difference between flights then and now is that a lot of the places that you stopped at you could disembark the plane while it refuelled etc. before re-embarking for the next leg. This seemed to break up the monotony of the flight and allowed you to stretch your legs. I have recently done long haul flights to Kuala Lumpur (About 12 hours) and Hong Kong (About 16 hours) Both trips were non stop which is to say the least boring.
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#27
23rd June 2017, 23:09
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Flying to and from work!
Remember flying from London Heathrow to Montreal to join a ship in Sorel about 50 miles up St.Lawrence river from Montreal. Plane was Boeing 707 of B.O.A.C and was quite bumpy over Atlantic managed to survive the turbulence but glad to get off it in Montreal.
I was rushed out there and told ship was waiting for me!! After waiting for three days in hotel the ship finally arrive for me to join!! Flying home from a BP tanker from Piraeus via Rome to London Heathrow one crew member was stopped from boarding because he was drunk out of his brains! Another crew member decided he wanted to open the door after about 10 minutes after take off from Athens to Rome leg of the journey, about 5 other guys jumped on him and held him down till he was calmed down.The guy was eventually taken up to 1st class seating and made to sit between Captain and Chief Engineer, what a way to get an upgrade to 1st class---just be a clown and away you go.This was on a Trident three of B.E.A. Whilst working for KH in London was sent to France to fix a radar on a French ship after job was done flew home from Breast to Paris and Paris to London Heathrow on another B.E.A. Trident three. The approach to London landing on runway 27Left after we touched down the Captain came on over the tannoy and calmly said we have just done the "1st hands off landing" and thought to myself if I knew he was going to do that I would have waited for the next Plane. Anothe trip from Liverpool to Isle of man just after take off the Captain came on the tannoy and introduces the crew says I am Captain Smith and my first officer today is Miss Jones, that being said and the plane virtually all male passengers all cried out oooowhhhh! a womann flying the plane the Captain said that Miss Jones would be flying that leg from Liverpool to Isle of Man.Most passengers were quite panicky about this as obviouslyit was our 1st trip with a female pilot, aircraft was a Shorts 360 (was a mainly dominated male environment) but heard that there are plenty of female pilots nowadays and seem to do a great job. Regards FTF
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#28
24th June 2017, 11:28
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I wouldn't be bothered about a female pilot ..... but !!! Smith and Jones ??
 That sounds a bit suspicious ... 
__________________
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Corporal Hicks (Actually Ripley said it first.)
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#29
24th June 2017, 16:42
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Had my first flight when Brocklebanks sold the Mahsud (1917) in Antwerp and we signed off on 16 May 1955. Three DC3s were chartered to fly us to Renfrew, some of us were reluctant but Marine Superintendent Captain MacKenzie who had come over to deal with sale,scoffed at us and said this was the way of the future. He then went home via a ferry! It wasn't too bad but a bit bumpy at times. Can recall seeing an Asian crew member decide to have a ham sandwich, he probably thought he might as well chance it as he was airborne. The crew were going to the new Maskeliya, and the rest of us made our way back via train to home towns. Flew lots of time after that, but can distinctly remember my unease prior to this maiden flight. Cheers, Roger
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#30
25th June 2017, 19:38
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For bob clay
Hyer Bob
Sorry about the Smith and Jones but could not think of there proper names as so many years ago, memory starting to QSB now. 73's de ftf
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#31
25th June 2017, 21:24
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Quote:
In the summer the quarry was much favoured by amorous couples. It was a favourite pastime of the instructors, having observed the goings-on from the air on the approach, to perform a steep dive down into the quarry, only feet above the ground and zoom up and over the lip and the boundary fence before landing on the runway. When the person underneath the couple (more often than not a girl) saw a T21 Slingsby Sedbergh glider diving directly at her at about 100 knots) it really spoiled their day. It wasn't only the diving glider that pulled out!
__________________
Ron __________________________________________________ _________________________ Never regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. Don't worry about old age - it doesn't last.
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#32
26th June 2017, 13:58
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While taking Nuke and gas training in the army the motto was (In Case Of Fall Out) Re-insert and take shorter strokes.
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#33
28th June 2017, 13:30
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I did have the pleasure of some private aircraft flying in Austers with my brother back in the late 50's
early 60's. A member of the Luton flying Club. In the days before it became what it is today. Just a grass runway. Then the new tarmac runway was built and the big jets started to arrive. My first big jet flight was with British Caledonian in 1972 on a B707 from Gatwick to Toronto. This was during the Uganda problems and our plane was late arriving back into Gatwick after bringing out a full load of refugees. Eventually we took off bound for Toronto. We had very severe turbulence over the Atlantic and did a few high speed lift drops. I was to say the least not too happy. Later we were told that due to the jet ban in Toronto after a certain time we were diverted to New York Niagara. From there we were bused to our destination. In all a very long drawn out day and certainly put me off flying for some years. Now like most of us I take it in my stride and just planning our next long haul to the West coast of USA. Flown on many aircraft types now but I must say my favourite at this time is the B787 Dreamliner. A very pleasurable flight to Toronto on it. Home from Washington on a B747 on which we got an upgrade to Club. Said I would never fly any other way again. Earlier this year the normal A319 of Easyjet to Spain! Neville
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#34
28th June 2017, 13:43
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Quote:
Ten years or so ago QANTAS in a moment of madness advertised business class from OZ to the UK 'two for the price of one'! The YMs and I decided after that if we couldn't afford business class for long haul we would not go at all. Have done a few long haul business class since but never with QANTAS who ever since seem to be around at least half as expensive again as other mid-range legacy carriers like Swiss, Scandinavian, Thai or Austrian.
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#35
28th June 2017, 13:57
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Quote:
Ten years or so ago we got QANTAS business class from Oz to the UK 'two for the price of one' which was not outrageously more expensive than two in zoo class! The YMs and I decided after that that if we couldn't afford business class for long haul we would happily not go at all.  Have done a few long haul business class since but never with QANTAS who ever since seem to be at least half as expensive again as other mid-range legacy carriers like Swiss, Scandinavian, Thai or Austrian.
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#36
28th June 2017, 18:18
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Longest flight?
Hmmm ... including an unintended "stop-over" was 5 days. Flying out to join my chemical carrier as 2/O in Port Swettenham, Malaysia - c. May 1972, the office bods, in their wisdom, decided to fly me out on a chartered 707 from Gatwick to KL via Rome, Athens, Bahrain, Karachi and finally, KL. Packed in like sardines, we rumbled across to Rome, then on to Athens (7 hours later) and then, as we were looking to take off from Bahrain, the outer starboard engine blew. Fire, smoke, lots of foam ensued and we came to a juddering stop with 100 yards of runway left ... "Sorry folks, we have a slight problem" - I'll never forget the pilot's cool announcement! Turns out a new engine would need to have been flown out to Bahrain, and that this would take up to 5 days. So we were all settled into two 5* hotels, air conditioned full blast to compete with the 35 C heat, and with sumptuous food to consume. My telex to HQ in London (the old ticker tape type) took 2 days to reach the crew department, and a further 2 days before they responded. Meanwhile I had "befriended" a particularly gorgeous Australian nurse who was on her way back home to Sydney after 3 years away ... and what a ball we stranded passengers had - despite the austerity in 1972 Bahrain ! Partying till the wee hours ... Anyway, the news finally came back from HQ that I was to catch a Quantas 747 two days later which was stopping over at KL. Sadly, the fun and games came to a stop 48 hours later when I checked onto this brand new 747 - And the irony? There was only Business Class available ! So after living it up for 4 days, the opulent lifestyle continued for a further 9 hours as we winged over to KL. Needless to say, I missed the vessel in PS, but, fortunately (not for me!) her next stop was Penang ... and there I joined her 5 days after setting off from Blighty! The nurse? Well that's another story altogether ... but safe to say we met several times as I sailed the Australian coast for 6 months on my follow up vessel.... The trip to KL? Brilliant ... with nothing to top that thereafter. The moral of the story? The office bods learning a very expensive lesson whilst looking to save money flying out a mere 2/O on a chartered flight via 4 continents ... finished up paying through the nose to get said mere 2/O to his vessel on time - by paying triple the fare for his Quantas Business Class seat! Lesson learned!
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#38
7th July 2017, 14:59
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I last flew in an airplane in in 1967 to join a ship in Rotterdam. I hate flying so have not stepped on one since. Although I had a flight on a helicopter in 1982 from Shell gas site in Bacton for a look round one of their platforms. I sh-t bricks there and back.
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#39
17th November 2017, 19:33
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It has taken a while but this thread has prompted me to list all of the aircraft types I have flown on since my first flight Exeter to Dinard via Jersey at the age of 15.
The list begins in chronological order but falls out of sequence around halfway through: DC3; Viscount; DC8; 747; BAC1-11; F27; Trident; F28; 737; 727; 707; DC9; DC10; A300; A319; A320; A380; Saab 340; Islander; Trilander; Shorts 330; HS748; ATP; ATR42; L1011; RJ145; Twin Otter; and one helicopter S61N. There is a story to each and the memories came flooding back as I compiled the list. As I live on a small isolated island, catching a plane is like taking a bus and I fly regularly between the islands or to Jamaica or Miami.
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#40
19th November 2017, 18:44
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I still vividly remember flying out to my first ship, joining in Durban, in a Comet with a refueling stop in Johannesburg. When I was issued with my flight ticket in the London head office I was astonished to see it marked "First Class". When I expressed wonder I was told "All of our officers travel first class!"
All that has changed in later years I read, as the bean counters gained ascendancy and when they would put us in with the baggage if they could. But then there were the flights to Bombay via Lebanon and Tehran, Durban again, then New York, Boston, Baltimore. And the European flights to Hamburg, Amsterdam, Antwerp. All much less hassle in them days when security was lax and no-one was trying to blow up the aircraft in the name of some medieval religion. If one wanted a smoke on a long haul one was allocated a rear seat, and if the guy in the seat in front wanted to recline, his doing so didn't stuff one's tray into one's navel and spill one's drink over one's lap. One memorable trip to join ship in Bombay -- two of us, the 4/E and me as J/E, with a stopover in Lebanon. The flight was half empty, and we got on famously with the Lebanese stewardesses who were drop dead gorgeous. Because of the length of the stopover they invited us to join them land side and, of course, we offered no resistance but we had to sneak out of the airport to do so. Naturally, we missed the connecting flight to Tehran and so we arrived in Bombay two days late, but, fortunately, our ship was also delayed. We finally wandered into the lounge of the hotel in Bombay (I seem to recall it was the "Airlines Hotel", a rat infested place with rat holes in the lounge furniture) where the rest of the engineers crew change was waiting, as was the fleet commodore chief engineer.The sour look and then "You two again? Late on watch as normal. I might have bloody well known. Where the hell on this planet have you been this time!" We were all young then, and the world was our oyster. We would fly anywhere any time to join a ship in some faraway place, and we were strictly non-PC. We could easily be diverted by an attractive pair of female legs but, by some miracle we always seemed to join ship more or less when we should. We could find ourselves in Bahrain, the Emirates, Venezuela or where ever and feel quite at home there because we were too simple to understand the local customs or even think about them, and the locals would resign themselves to more British seamen acting the maggot and paying their money into the local economy in various dubious ways. Sadly, days gone by. I do though sometimes wonder if what is left of the UK merchant marine, with it's obsession with political correctness but once was the largest in the world, is going from here. The adventure of flying to distant places has been reduced to a chore to be resigned to endless checks by foreign immigrant security personnel.
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#41
19th November 2017, 23:26
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In August 1972 I paid off the Hudson Friendship in Okinawa and the flight home proved to be a journey that Odysseus would have been proud of.
Flew to Tokyo then Hong Kong. Here had a five hour wait before my next flight so by the time I got on the Boeing 707 my eyeballs were already out on the springs. We landed in Bangkok but then were delayed as they could not get one of the engines started. Some blokes in boiler suits came out and removed the cowling and poked and prodded the engine's guts for a few hours and got it fixed. We then flew on and finally arrived Lod Airport but my connecting flight had long gone. They fixed me up with a British Caledonian flight the next morning, so I sat on a luggage trolley the whole night being eyed suspiciously by a tough looking Israeli soldier with an Uzi (the Lod Airport massacre had occurred only a few months before.) Eventually I got aboard the Caledonian flight and have to say they treated me well considering by now I bore a strong resemblance to a sack of manure. London airport was like discovering Shangri La and a bus ride to Euston followed by the train up to Stafford completed my journey. At this point my arms were about six inches longer due to carrying luggage. As I staggered through the door, just like Odysseus being reunited with Penelope, I was immediately asked: "When are you going back ?"  
__________________
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Corporal Hicks (Actually Ripley said it first.)
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#42
20th November 2017, 02:14
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Flew out to Aussie to join my first ship on a BOAC Argonaut which was a four engined piston plane. It took five days stopping over at nights.
The days when it was a pleasure to fly with good service and food and not being cramped like herring in a barrel are only a memory now. Last time I flew was a trans Atlantic flight of seven hours with poor food and leg room which would have been crampted for someone 5'00". Never again. I would fly first class if some one else were to foot the cost but otherwise its terra firma.
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#43
16th June 2018, 14:02
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Aircraft types I have flown on : McDonell-Douglas DC-9-32,McDonell-Douglas MD-80,Avions De Transport Regional ATR-42/72,McDonell Douglas MD-11,Boeing 747-400,Boeing 737-800, Embraer E-170, Embraer 145, Airbus A319/320/321
Airlines: Lufthansa ,Austrian Airlines, SAS , Swiss, American Eagle,Air Canada,Alitalia,Alitalia Express,Lauda Air,Olympic Airways,Aegean.
__________________
Only dead fish go with the flow.
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#45
17th June 2018, 06:51
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My longest trip was probably last year - Kuala Lumpur - Dubai - Luanda, 5 days in Luanda then Luanda - Dubai, Dubai - Amsterdam and finally Amsterdam - Kuala Lumpur. Luckily I was Business Class all the way!
Living in KL, I tend to fly a lot - even KL to Singapore is normally a flight -either back to Europe or up to Vietnam with Mrs McC. The worst part of it all is the journey back from KLIA into town. It is about an hours drive and the door-to-door journey from home in Fife to home in KL take about 24 hours and that last hour in a taxi or even the train/metro/taxi is definitely the worst part! I don't mind the actual flying bit (and I have done my fair share of choppers as well) but the delays at airports for security, immigration etc. really get to me. No matter how hard I try and prepare I always seem to be struggling with shoes, belts, lap-tops, phones etc. at security checks! The best place for immigration/security I know of is Hanoi where the people are efficient but friendly and courteous - I almost asked one of the girls what time she finished work but thought better of it! McC
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#46
19th June 2018, 19:51
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To All Aviators.
Phuh Khen (pronounced Foo Keen) 1169-???? is considered by some to be the most under recognized military officer in history. Many have never heard of his contributions to modern military warfare. The mission of this secret society is to bring honor to the name of Phuh Khen. A `Khen' was a subordinate to a `Khan' (pronounced Konn) in the military structure of the Mongol Hoards. Khan is Turkish for Leader. Most know of the great Genghis Khan, but little has been written of his chain of command. Khen is also of Turkish origin. Although there is not a word in English that adequately conveys the meaning. Roughly translated, it means, `One who will do the impossible, while appearing unprepared, and complaining constantly.' Phuh Khen was one of ten Khens that headed the divisions, or group of hoards, as they were known, of the Mongol Army serving under Genghis Khan. His abilities came to light during the Mongol's raids on the Turkestan city of Turkestanis. Bohicans were fierce warriors and the city was well fortified. The entire city was protected by huge walls and the hoards were at a standoff with the Bohicans. Bohicaroo was well stocked and it would be difficult to wait them out. Genghis Khan assembled his Khens and ordered each of them to develop a plan for penetrating the defenses of Bohicaroo. Operation Achieve Victory (AV) was born. All 10 divisions of Khens submitted their plan. After reviewing AV plans 1 thru 7 and finding them all unworkable or ridiculous, Genghis Khan was understandably upset. It was with much perspiration that Phuh Khen submitted his idea, which came to be known as AV 8. Upon seeing AV 8, Genghis was convinced this was the perfect plan and gave his immediate approval. The plan was beautifully simple. Phuh Khen would arm his hoards to the teeth, load them into cat apults, and hurl them over the wall. The losses were expected to be high, but hey, hoards were cheap. Those that survived the flight would engage the enemy in combat. Those that did not? Well, surely their flailing bodies would cause some damage. The plan worked and the Bohicans were defeated. From that day on, whenever the Mongol Army encountered an surmountable enemy, Genghis Khan would give the order, "Send some of Phuh Khen's AV 8ers". This is believed, though not by anyone outside our secret society, to be the true origin of the term Aviator (AV 8er). Phu Khen's AV 8ers were understandably an unruly mob, not likely to be socially acceptable. Many were heavy drinkers and insomniacs. But when nothing else would do, you could always count on an AV 8er . Phu Khen Aviator. Denied, perhaps rightfully so, his place in history, Phu Khen has been, none the less, immortalized in prose. As the great poet Norman Lear never once said : "There once was a man named Phuh Khen, whose breakfast was whiskey and gin, when e'er he'd fly, he'd give a mighty war cry, bend over, here it comes again." Consider it an honor to be a Phu Khen Aviator. Wear the mantle proudly, but speak of it cautiously. It is not always popular to be one of us. You hear mystical references, often hushed whispers, to `those Phuh Khen Aviators'. Do not let these things bother you. As with any secret society, we go largely misunderstood, prohibited by our apathy, from explaining ourselves. You are expected to always live down to the reputation of the Phuh Khen Aviator. A reputation cultivated for centuries, undaunted by scorn or ridicule, unhindered by progress. So drink up, be crude, sleep late, urinate in public, and get the job done. When others are offended, you can revel in the knowledge that you are truly a PHUH KHEN AVIATOR. end
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#47
20th June 2018, 14:10
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Sailed all around the world but never got to fly in a plane until I was 24 years of age. I then got to fly in old C-119 (Flying Boxcars) and old C-47s,(Dakota) made 239 take offs (Flights) but never got to land in any of them. I then joined Army Aviation and got to fly almost every day in Otters, Bird-dogs, Beavers, Caribous, and Hueys. I then flew in Mohawks in Vietnam for a year getting many hours of flight time.
Flying to Germany, UK, Vietnam, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand I got to fly in the big passenger jets, too many to mention. The wife and I have decided no more overseas flights to join a cruise, we only cruise in the rivers and waters in the USA, a three hour flight is our limit. Last edited by John Rogers; 25th June 2018 at 23:44.
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#48
21st June 2018, 09:53
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My first experience of flying was back in 1958, when aged 14. It was in a Dakota fitted out as a passenger plane and my school mate and I flew from Southampton to Jersey (and back!) for a weeks holiday. His dad worked for British Rail and got cheap travel for his family which included the ferries, so they went to Jersey every year. This particular year, Bruce wanted to go by plane as an adventure so asked me to go with him. It cost us £6 ea. return plus the trains from Chatham to S/Hampton. The take off and landing were quite bumpy as I remember, with the airports having just grass runways back then.
It was an experience but not as exciting as I thought it would be. After having flown to holiday destinations for many years, Mrs JJ and I have decided never to fly again as it's too much hassle at the airports and uncomfortable at our age. Our last journey, with B.A. was to New Orleans on the so called "Dream Liner" which was a nightmare! Very uncomfortable seats and crammed in as usual but I did notice it was a quieter plane....... JJ.
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#50
11th August 2018, 12:46
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Flying is fun?
One of the most interesting flights I had was in 1984, as a passenger in an ASW Sea king we flew in fog / low cloud from Culdrose to Benbecula, aircraft full of spares and kit. As we made our way up the UK, various instruments & gadgets started to fail, to the point were we were dead reckoning somewhere around Cheshire. Through a break in the cloud an isolated farm was spotted, so down we went, now the sound of 11tons of angry dark blue helicopter circulating around the farm brought out the occupants, all waving and seemingly happy with the attention, however more was to come, the observer and pilots were lost, so we landed in the farm yard, with children jumping and waving the aircrewman was dispatched to the house with a map and some form of present! ten minutes later we were off with some nice local directions to Benbecula. Amazingly our week in Benbecula we were able to find the 'needle in the sea haystack' quite easily, unlike finding the Hebrides!
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