G-DAKK actually took part in both the D-Day and Arnham drops when it was in active service – it still has a small patch or 2 from where it was his by stray bullets.
It is currently at Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus)

N47FK is currently with the Aviadrome in Lelystadt, Holland and has been used for numerous parachute drops in the last couple of years.

As long as it got me there in one piece, it does not really matter on type. Does anyone actually go out of their way to avoid a particular type?

Have flown Atlantic on A310, A330, A340, DC10, 747-2, 767 & Pacific on A330 & MD11 with a variety of companies and have found it is the airline that makes the difference as each pax fit will be different. ie SQ 747-4 I found very cramped in economy yet the CX one felt more spacious. Have been in the middle seat on 777 of EK and SQ and I know which one I would rather be in.

Best in my mind (even now) was the Wardair A310 LGW-Montreal in 1989 simply because the onboard service was excellent. Not many carriers in economy served each course separately rather than on the same tray or asked how i wanted my steak done!

Next best was probably the MD11 from Tokyo to San Jose – newish service at the time and only 50 people on board so got a row of 5 seats and slept for most of it.

Worst was probably the 767 from MIA to LHR – crew were unfriendly / unhelpful & rude to pax at times.

Several european countries airlines already have a bankruptcy protection scheme – its called the EU 🙂 who seem to be allowed to bail them out despite it being against its own rules.

A failing airline can try a merger but that does not always work i.e. Swissair & Sabena and in this case did result in both failing or you may be able to purchase the name and start again. How many incarnations of Pan Am and/or Braniff have there been over the years – at least 3 or each but none remain today.

MYT A330’s have the passenger toilets on the lower deck. DC10’s could have a galley on the lower deck with a tiny lift to go between levels.

The severe penalties for drug trafficking in many asian countries are well known – perhaps if the west adopted a tougher stance then we might start to make a difference.

In Changi arrivals areas there are big bold signs saying the penalty for drug smuggling -he knew this and yet still took the chance. How many people would have died as a result of him getting through?

Having seen a lecture by Captain Eric ‘winkle’ Brown I was left in no doubt that a) the Miles M52 would have been first through the sound barrier had the project not been shelved and b) the flying tail was taken from the Miles project to be used on the X1.

Captain Brown was ‘pencilled in’ to be the pilot of that aircraft and does know what he is talking about.

As mentioned on ‘In Search for Speed’ on Sunday he also repeated the flight in the DH108 in which Geoffrey de Havilland was killed – the DH108 went into a series of violent pitch movements and it was only the fact that Eric Brown is short that allowed his head to be restrained by the back of the seat. GDH was a few inches taller and so his head was subject to a ‘whiplash’ which unfortunately broke his neck.