Aviation info.

[snpark]

But it's still Mumbai!!

 

[snpark]

Maybe leaving is more enjoyable

 

[Davita]

The new Mumbai airport is pretty good. No queues at immigration and they finally got rid of the guy who checked the worked of all the other guys. It is way better than terminal 3 in Jakarta and in my opinion it is a level that Jakarta should have been able to achieve.

Maybe I misspoke as my experience with Mumbai was in the late 1980's when I flew there regularly and it was called Bombay. Glad to hear they have updated. JFK was a recent experience...and that airport needs bulldozed and start again with an architect that can emulate the New York attitude.

We were one of the first airlines to land at Soekarno-Hatta (1985) and thought it a beautiful airport showing the charm of Java.....it was actually built by the French. T3 looks like its architect learned his trade designing gulags.

BTW, I hope members don't think I'm bellyaching about New York...'I love it there' and also like New Yorkers...it's just JFK that I'm bitching about.
On our yacht trip last week, when we went under the bridge and headed for a photo-op with the Statue of Liberty, we celebrated with champagne and played Frank Sinatra's 'New York' at full volume. That created an emotional experience of entering New York...they should construct/decorate a new JFK to make arrivals there similarly epic.

 

[Jaime C]

JFK does really suck. I try to avoid it, or make sure you have extra long connection times if forced to use it.

EWR or (gasp) LGA are better.

I was stuck at LGA when a freak snowstorm popped up more than a decade ago. I had flown in to schlepp some equipment back in my bags on a same day turnaround. I ended up at a HIX, for $125 at the time.

Had been stuck on the plane while they tried to deice it for an hour. Ended up flying out of EWR the next day.

DFW, DTW and MSP are my preferred airports in the US.

West coast airports are ok, although I’m never excited about LAX. IAH, ORD and EWR are ok, as well.

 

[Davita]

I agree with Jaime C as he is obviously a frequent traveler and can make comparisons.
Air travel is now so mundane that cities and countries need to justify the expense of having a luxurious airport but I'm particularly disappointed with JFK as it is the principal International arrival to USA East coast.
For centuries buildings like courts, railway stations, gov't buildings, bridges etc...identify what character cities and countries assume but JFK disappoints probably more than anywhere I know...even Bali has an 'architected' airport that identifies with Bali culture.
I talked with friends in the know and they say it's because of all the regulations and defiance of local communities that prevent the New York City (or is JFK federal?) from re-developing.
I know how that works as the Japanese farmers fought like hell to prevent Narita Airport....they are now happy as Narita has brought a much better local economy than farming ever did.
Maybe when Trump establishes himself as Emperor he will order JFK to be re-built in his image.

 

[steveandpenny]

Do they fly on the wrong side of the sky in the states , like they do on the roads ?

 

[Anglian]

I quite agree with the comments regarding JFK, one has in their mind from Hollywood films that the US is a very modern country where everything is new, bright and shinny, how wrong, dingy corridors to immigration, a massive queue, and Taxi drivers from some South American country who didn’t want to use the meter
The biggest change if seen is LHR, I flew from there by BOAC, it was a collection of huts, we sat in wicker chairs and there were waiters you could order a drink, the floor was very uneven and we watched some poor American absolutely drunk trying to navigate the uneven floor, much to our amusement,
The first leg of our flight was to Rome, the BOAC stewies, were awful, they found it very demeaning serving a bunch of servicemen in civvies, fortunately there was a crew Change and we had the service you would expect in those days, except at the night stop at Karachi, we stopped at Miniwalahs hotel , they had no lift, so a little Pakistani man carried all my kit to the sixth floor, I gave him two rupees, he demanded English money, all I had was four pence, took the rupees back and gave him the four pence, he went ballistic, threw that over the balcony, I thought he was going to throw my kit after it, the Army lads came to my assistance, told him to foxtrot oboe or else he would end up over the balcony after the 4 pence,
I learnt a lesson so when I arrived at Hong Kong, I gave the little Chinese gent who carried my kit up to my billet I gave $5, probably too much, but anything for peace and quiet, air travel isn’t like the old days, I always remember a remark by BEA stewarded said “ what a dreadful class of passengers” when making a comment on the passengers being brought from Spain after Court Line went bust

 

[Anglian]

Do they fly on the wrong side of the sky in the states , like they do on the roads ?

Yes

 

[waarmstrong]

I didn't realize the world was so messed up until I started traveling late in life.

 

[Davita]

Do they fly on the wrong side of the sky in the states , like they do on the roads ?

I'm aware Steve is being sarcastic and it is amusing but, just in case anyone is interested I'll try a simple explanation.
Airways in the sky are like interstate roads but, instead of horizontal separation.....vertical separation is applied. This is much like a multi-tiered bridge where one- way traffic go on one level and the opposing traffic on another level.
The vertical airway will denote a FL (altitude) i.e. eastbound A/C will be assigned odd FL 290-410 in 2000 feet increments whilst westbound will fly at even FL 300-420. (290 means 29,000 feet)

Hope this helps.

 

[snpark]

And for the smart people, when they descend and ascend, they indicate and switch lanes then switch back, thats what the pretty lights on the wings are for, they are actually indicators

 

[Davita]

And for the smart people, when they descend and ascend, they indicate and switch lanes then switch back, thats what the pretty lights on the wings are for, they are actually indicators

In the old-days, pre-pressurization, we would stick our hands out the window and give hand-signals.....

 

[waarmstrong]

Every pilot a Gooney Bird, Dakota, DC3, Spooky, or C-47?

 

[Davita]

Every pilot a Gooney Bird, Dakota, DC3, Spooky, or C-47?

Cathay Pacific Airways inaugurated operations in 1946 with a DC-3 named Betsy, now an exhibit in the Hong Kong Science Museum

 

[waarmstrong]

Bet it could still be fired up with a little effort.

 

[jstar]

RyanAir personnel is on strike in Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Quite messy, obviously the low cost carrier will do anything to avoid paying the compensation to their customers (as defined under EU law).

This is a couple of days after Begocontrol had to execute a 'clear the sky' for a couple of hours. Because of technical difficulties, they had no more insight in any flight in Belgian airspace and had to take extreme measures. I wonder why there seems to be no backup by (air-traffic controllers at) other airports?

NB: planes just passing over Belgian territory at high altitude were not affected, they are being managed by Eurocontrol.

 

[Vanhelsing]

Sad news that a stillborn baby was found in the toilet of an AirAsia flight in India yesterday.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/infant-found-dead-guwahati-new-delhi-flight-1295969-2018-07-25

 

[Davita]

Flying on WizzAir or taking a Wizz in the Air has new meanings.....
https://z1035.com/video-woman-caught-on-video-peeing-on-airplane-floor/

 

[Davita]

Sad news that a stillborn baby was found in the toilet of an AirAsia flight in India yesterday.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/infant-found-dead-guwahati-new-delhi-flight-1295969-2018-07-25

It is sad news indeed and a point not to be missed that women in India do not have the confidence to stand up for their basic human rights and principles. The carrying mother must have been so scared to get help...and police interference and Air Asia's cocky response is indicative of those abuses in India.

But Van's post does offer a cautious note for ALL pregnant ladies who wish to travel. There is an abundance of information on the web re: advice on 'how to cope' and 'when to travel' and 'what medical certificates are required.' Most airlines suggest after 36 weeks it isn't recommended and some may employ an embargo.
Best check the airline and comply with their regulations as they all differ.

 

[Anglian]

Well as global warning has been noticed, I was wondering what effect that would have on aircraft take offs, when I was in Riyadh during the summer, temperatures would be over 45c, Riyadh is at 5000ft, so just after noon the two Airbus 100 on lease would be grounded, not so the Tristars, I was wondering if the world gets really hot what effect would that have on air travel, I’m sure Davita might have some idea, so as it gets hot air density is less and high altitude airports will suffer, but can the newer jet engines cope