Aviation Discussion

[atillathehunn]

Yes, when the wind is in the opposite direction (approximately).

My parents live under the 'other' flight path, and on days with no wind, and days in which wind blows the other way, they do the 'other' landing from the south west.

 

[greyman42]

My parents live under the 'other' flight path, and on days with no wind, and days in which wind blows the other way, they do the 'other' landing from the south west.

So on these days, what direction is the wind blowing from?

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

So on these days, what direction is the wind blowing from?

Prevailing winds over the UK are westerly with summer winds tending more to south-westerly and winter winds tending to north-westerly. But prevailing is not the same as continuous. True northerlies or southerlies are uncommon but easterlies can settle in from time to time. In fact as a rule of thumb non-prevailing winds occur for approximately a third of the time, though IME they are much more likely in the first half of the year.

Accordingly normal conditions, as described above as "left to right at the Viewing Park" ie south-westerly, occur with winds from the west with the less common easterlies causing opposite direction movements. I must admit I tend to think of such movements at MAN as "flying back to front": they also considerably reduce the frequency of lower-level movements above my home.

 

[Bald Rick]

So on these days, what direction is the wind blowing from?

Pretty much any direction that is coming from the opposite half of the compass to the direction the aircraft will come from.

In Manchester’s case the runways are designated 05/23 (although originally 06/24). The most common direction, and the one that you experienced, is for aircraft to take off and land in the 23 direction, ie a course of 230 degrees, or roughly towards the SW. The opposite course is 50 degrees (roughly towards the NE) which would be normal for a wind direction from 320 to 140 degrees, or very roughly NW through NE to SE.

 

[BananaRepublic]

Please can someone tell me about the plane that is permanently parked near the start of runway 26L at Gatwick?

Does it have a purpose?

It looks like it could be a partially de-liveried ex-Monarch plane judging by the black and yellow stripes along the underside of the fuselage.

Thanks.

Normally when you see aircraft left lying around like that they are for fire service practice, though I don't know about that specific one.

I believe there's an ex-Monarch plane hanging round the back of Manchester for the same reason, though it's not the scorched one, so quite possibly to do with evac etc. Would imagine it's the same at Gatters.

That was my initial thought but at least from the outside it looks undamaged and in my totally non-expert view it would seem far too close to the runway for fire service training.

The seemingly abandoned and semi-derelict aircraft parked on the south side of Gatwick, near the r/w 26 threshold, is an MD82 which was abandoned ( late 2008 or early 2009?) and later impounded in October 2010, when its operator, ItAli Airlines folded.
After much legal wrangling the aircraft was moved to the maintenance area to the west end of Gatwick, where it was later used for training aircraft tug drivers.
According to some reports, it has since been used for counter terrorist police training.
At some point, the aircraft was stripped of its engines and most of its other vital parts and is now just a shell.
One report says that it is destined for the Gatwick fire training area, but in the meantime has been parked out of the way in this very visible location for several years now.

Incidentally, the colour scheme is not that of Monarch, but of short lived Italian charter operator Air Bee, to who the aircraft was leased during the summer of 2008, just before the plane was abandoned at Gatwick.

20253_1219421362.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7084/7309861560_fc7ce450c8_b.jpg

.a

 

[Jona26]

The seemingly abandoned and semi-derelict aircraft parked on the south side of Gatwick, near the r/w 26 threshold, is an MD82 which was abandoned ( late 2008 or early 2009?) and later impounded in October 2010, when its operator, ItAli Airlines folded.
After much legal wrangling the aircraft was moved to the maintenance area to the west end of Gatwick, where it was later used for training aircraft tug drivers.
According to some reports, it has since been used for counter terrorist police training.
At some point, the aircraft was stripped of its engines and most of its other vital parts and is now just a shell.
One report says that it is destined for the Gatwick fire training area, but in the meantime has been parked out of the way in this very visible location for several years now.

Incidentally, the colour scheme is not that of Monarch, but of short lived Italian charter operator Air Bee, to who the aircraft was leased during the summer of 2008, just before the plane was abandoned at Gatwick.

20253_1219421362.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7084/7309861560_fc7ce450c8_b.jpg

.a

Thank you - that's the one.

 

[greyman42]

Pretty much any direction that is coming from the opposite half of the compass to the direction the aircraft will come from.

In Manchester’s case the runways are designated 05/23 (although originally 06/24). The most common direction, and the one that you experienced, is for aircraft to take off and land in the 23 direction, ie a course of 230 degrees, or roughly towards the SW. The opposite course is 50 degrees (roughly towards the NE) which would be normal for a wind direction from 320 to 140 degrees, or very roughly NW through NE to SE.

Thanks to all. A great help.

 

[atillathehunn]

American Airlines cancelling Glasgow - Philadelphia and Edinburgh - JFK and replacing it with Edinburgh - Philadelphia with a 752.

American also cancelling ORD - MAN, previously seasonal.

The long beleagured Primeria are launching flights from Brussels to various airports on the North Eastern seaboard with 739 MAX. Quite a reach on range, but could actually work with passenger loads.
Etihad replacing a 77W at Manchester with a 787-9 permanently.
Qatar increasing Manchester to 3 daily.
Thomas Cook increasing Orlando.
Whoever was flying to Boston is I believe no longer doing it from next summer.

 

[berneyarms]

AA also dropping JFK-Dublin summer seasonal service but starting a new Dallas Fort Worth-Dublin route in its place.

 

[gsnedders]

American Airlines cancelling Glasgow - Philadelphia and Edinburgh - JFK and replacing it with Edinburgh - Philadelphia with a 752.

Bit sad about GLA–PHL, that always had good award availability!

 

[atillathehunn]

AA also dropping JFK-Dublin summer seasonal service but starting a new Dallas Fort Worth-Dublin route in its place.

They're starting quite a few new European routes, while dropping others. I believe Dublin - JFK was a 752 and Dallas is going to be a 787-8 so quite an upgrade.

There's a new year round service Munich - Charlotte, while I think it's Munich - JFK getting dropped. Seems they are retrenching hard out of JFK.

 

[atillathehunn]

Bit sad about GLA–PHL, that always had good award availability!

Probably part of the reason why they cancelled it! Might have some luck out of Edinburgh on the Philly flight, though.

 

[OwlMan]

Primera Air are proposing to fly from Brussels to New York & Washington

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2018/08/22/direct-low-cost-flights-to-new-york-and-washington-soon/
A new operator is set to offer low cost flights to New York, Washington DC and Boston from Brussels Airport. It's the first time that direct low cost flights to the US become available at Brussels Airport.

Today Primera Air connects Paris and London with the US. Starting 2019 Brussels too will be added. Ticket prices start at 149 euros.

Aviation expert Luk De Wilde notes that this is the basic price: "Even for hand luggage you will have to pay extra. Drinks and food are not included and legroom is the same as on Ryanair flights. Still, it's an extremely low fare for a long haul flight."

Flights will be carried out with Boeing 737 Max 9s. The plane is usually used on short haul flights, but the latest version can also do long haul.

Primera Air is taking on Brussels Airlines on the New York and Washington runs.

Luk De Wilde: "Brussels Airlines has wanted to fly to Boston for some time. United Airlines and Delta too operate between New York and Brussels. It's going to get busy on the transatlantic route."

Until now only WOW Air offered low cost flights to North America via Iceland.

 

[Crawley Ben]

American Airlines cancelling Glasgow - Philadelphia and Edinburgh - JFK and replacing it with Edinburgh - Philadelphia with a 752.

American also cancelling ORD - MAN, previously seasonal.

The long beleagured Primeria are launching flights from Brussels to various airports on the North Eastern seaboard with 739 MAX. Quite a reach on range, but could actually work with passenger loads.
Etihad replacing a 77W at Manchester with a 787-9 permanently.
Qatar increasing Manchester to 3 daily.
Thomas Cook increasing Orlando.
Whoever was flying to Boston is I believe no longer doing it from next summer.

Boston is operated by Thomas Cook from Manchester (until its dropped in 2019 as you have mentioned above)

Cheers

Ben

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

They're starting quite a few new European routes, while dropping others. I believe Dublin - JFK was a 752 and Dallas is going to be a 787-8 so quite an upgrade.

There's a new year round service Munich - Charlotte, while I think it's Munich - JFK getting dropped. Seems they are retrenching hard out of JFK.

AA has certainly been redrawing its TATL network. JFK seems now to be considered primarily an O&D airport, with an almost walk-up frequency to LHR, and hub traffic is increasingly being concentrated on PHL. This left ORD-MAN as the odd one out: its end will be mourned by enthusiasts as it was such a long-standing long-haul route from MAN but it has surely lost its hubbing value with the introduction of direct services to the likes of Las Vegas and California. Also, despite political uncertainties, US - Latin America traffic is booming so there is more profit for AA by heading south rather than east.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

I read somewhere the HiFly 380 finishes with Norwegian tomorrow. IIRC it was to release some of their dreamliners for inspection/maintanence/something along those lines. Its due to go on lease to Air Austral for the same reason

 

[atillathehunn]

AA has certainly been redrawing its TATL network. JFK seems now to be considered primarily an O&D airport, with an almost walk-up frequency to LHR, and hub traffic is increasingly being concentrated on PHL. This left ORD-MAN as the odd one out: its end will be mourned by enthusiasts as it was such a long-standing long-haul route from MAN but it has surely lost its hubbing value with the introduction of direct services to the likes of Las Vegas and California. Also, despite political uncertainties, US - Latin America traffic is booming so there is more profit for AA by heading south rather than east.

For sure it's a lot of plane on a thin route. I saw numbers posted elsewhere that in the 2005 season it career 25000 passengers.ast season it didn't even make 10000. Sensible to can it. With Thomas Cook taking market there's no hope and very few price insensitive business travellers for them to get a juicy yield off of.

Heading to Philadelphia makes some sense rather than the chaotic JFK.

 

[atillathehunn]

Garuda Indonesia are binning their JFK service from autumn.

Following KLM and Air France (i think), BA are withdrawing from Iran in September. Would think sanctions and economic collapse is weakening demand and they don't want to be seen to be violating US sanctions. A shame.

 

[atillathehunn]

Headline: Ryanair ending free gate check.

Only priority customers can bring two bags into the cabin (no change) but non priority customers will have to pay for their second bag regardless as it now has to be checked in.
And exactly here is where I stop flying Ryanair.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Headline: Ryanair ending free gate check.

Only priority customers can bring two bags into the cabin (no change) but non priority customers will have to pay for their second bag regardless as it now has to be checked in.
And exactly here is where I stop flying Ryanair.

What, as they return to a policy that is (a) near enough what they used to have, and (b) the same as easyJet do have?

Until all their B737s have the Sky Interior 2 bags was never going to work, the lockers on the traditional B737 are much smaller than the Sky Interior or the Airbus A320 series.

Edit: oh, hang on, they're going the way Wizz did briefly of charging for a standard sized carry-on? That won't last. I give them 6 months before too many gate agents get assaulted by incensed passengers - and having seen how Wizz passengers "dealt with" the matter (and given that your typical Eastern European is rather better behaved than many of Ryanair's British clientele) I am not joking.

 

[atillathehunn]

Excuse me, no it's not.

easyJet does let you take 1 bag: a large wheelie bag, in the cabin, for free.

Ryanair lets you take a small laptop/handbag for free. That is it. Any other bag is going to cost you a minimum of €6 - €10. A normal trolley bag cannot be taken on without priority boarding, and you cannot have it anywhere on the plane for free. This is NOT easyJet's policy. This is Wizz's former policy, which they ditched because it's complete crap.

Ryanair have never had this policy.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Excuse me, no it's not.

easyJet does let you take 1 bag: a large wheelie bag, in the cabin, for free.

Ryanair lets you take a small laptop/handbag for free. That is it. Any other bag is going to cost you a minimum of €6 - €10. A normal trolley bag cannot be taken on without priority boarding, and you cannot have it anywhere on the plane for free. This is NOT easyJet's policy. This is Wizz's former policy, which they ditched because it's complete crap.

Yes, I've edited my post, the newspaper articles on it are not very clear.

I give that policy 6 months before there is a threat of a strike by airport gate agents because too many of them will get assaulted. I'm not joking.

Having said that, I would be in support of reducing the allowed hand baggage size, with a large (56x45x25) carry-on being a premium extra, *if* a 23kg check-in bag was free as it always used to be. That is the most sensible policy as it keeps bags in the hold where they belong, and people, and just what they need for the flight, in the cabin.

 

[atillathehunn]

Yes, I've edited my post, the newspaper articles on it are not very clear.

I give that policy 6 months before there is a threat of a strike by airport gate agents because too many of them will get assaulted. I'm not joking.

Ah, we were cross posting. Sorry about that.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ah, we were cross posting. Sorry about that.

No worries

 

[atillathehunn]

Yes, I've edited my post, the newspaper articles on it are not very clear.

I give that policy 6 months before there is a threat of a strike by airport gate agents because too many of them will get assaulted. I'm not joking.

Having said that, I would be in support of reducing the allowed hand baggage size, with a large (56x45x25) carry-on being a premium extra, *if* a 23kg check-in bag was free as it always used to be. That is the most sensible policy as it keeps bags in the hold where they belong, and people, and just what they need for the flight, in the cabin.

I found proper details reading the Ryanair spokestw*at's Q&A at the bottom of the press release.

To give you an indication, I never give them a penny more than necessary. I buy the cheapest fare I can find, I extremely rarely take a bag and I never buy anything on board unless it's extremely hot and I forgot my water. No rental car or hotel, no priority boarding, nothing. Their revenue management doesn't like this. I bought Wednesday's flight about 2.5 weeks in advance. In that time they sent me 13 emails asking if they could have a bit more cash from me. Everything from seating, luggage, skiis (in Manchester, in August...), rental cars, a present for my Auntie Margery, hookers. They want their almost all profit ancilliary revenue. This is just a step way too far. I don't actually see the delays with the gate check. Wednesday night at Charleroi I got my bag tag at a podium before security, and dumped on the trolley by the plane, we pushed back early. Absolutely full flight, with children and pushchairs. In the rain. This is not about delays. This is about wanting more cash.

If they truly believe that this is an improvement only to help time keeping, I want either a free or incredibly cheap automated bag drop, max €3, maximum 5 minute queue.

In the end they're not getting a bit of a it because I'm not playing. Stuff Ryanair and stuff Manchester airport.

 

[YorkshireBear]

I am confused how the new policy is still causing delays. Or was it not making enough money?

I just don't bother with Ryanair at all to be fair unless I have to. Admittedly they do serve some rather interesting destinations that otherwise are quite hard to get to. But for now EasyJet, FlyBe (occasionally find cheap flights), Aer Lingus and Jet2 fly everywhere I generally need to. Or close enough that I can plan a nice European railway journey into my trip. I take the financial consequences of that decision and so be it...

 

[Hornet]

The outrage on here re Ryanair's baggage policy is hysterical! Perhaps you didn't have the joy of having to pay a week's wages in the 80's and 90's for a London to Dublin return, complete with free hold baggage, (which I didn't require) and free food, (which I didn't want). Now I fly from Dublin to London next week for €48 return (which is cheaper than the €55 each way taxi fare that I pay for the 20 minute journey between home and the Airport), complete with allocated seat and a bag big enough to take the basics, but small enough to go under the seat in front, If you don't like Ryanair's policies, you have a simple solution. Don't use them.

 

[stut]

I do believe it's all about turnaround. The 20-minute turnaround is absolutely key to Ryanair's margins, and delays caused by excess cabin baggage risk that extremely tight 20 minutes. However, ancillaries are also a key revenue driver (they would make a loss on flights without them) so they're trying to balance it so that enough people still pay for priority boarding.

 

[atillathehunn]

The outrage on here re Ryanair's baggage policy is hysterical! Perhaps you didn't have the joy of having to pay a week's wages in the 80's and 90's for a London to Dublin return, complete with free hold baggage, (which I didn't require) and free food, (which I didn't want). Now I fly from Dublin to London next week for €48 return (which is cheaper than the €55 each way taxi fare that I pay for the 20 minute journey between home and the Airport), complete with allocated seat and a bag big enough to take the basics, but small enough to go under the seat in front, If you don't like Ryanair's policies, you have a simple solution. Don't use them.

I can't decide what annoys me more: sanctimony or the poor man's Four Yorkshiremen impression.

Yes, I should be grateful that I'm not paying a day's wages in the mines to walk uphill both ways to the airport to be brutally stabbed at check-in and then conscripted to fight the Boer War. What's your damn point?

There's no need to be sanctimonious, I've already said I'm not using them. And it's not 'hysteria' it's objecting to paying more for something which all other carriers provide as part of the ticket, and indeed emulating a practice which a famously rubbish airline ended because it was a utterly ridiculous.

Good for you that you don't need your bag allowance. Congrats. Why are you assuming that everyone is like you?

I absolutely reject this notion that we should sit and be jolly grateful for what we get, and let them take this away.

Now that Wizz air doesn't do this, I think the only airline I can think of that continues to do this is WOW. And they are utterly awful.

 

[atillathehunn]

I do believe it's all about turnaround. The 20-minute turnaround is absolutely key to Ryanair's margins, and delays caused by excess cabin baggage risk that extremely tight 20 minutes. However, ancillaries are also a key revenue driver (they would make a loss on flights without them) so they're trying to balance it so that enough people still pay for priority boarding.

No they've just been hit by a huge set of bills for compensation and don't want to pay it. So they make us pay for it instead.