RE: ALL SABENA LOVERS READ THIS!!

I love the intro to that site, I’m posting it as a link in my Yahoo Sabena club!
Fly with proper Belgian airlines.

RE: Birthday

I’m sorry this info has taken so long, I’ve been checking through my Comet books.
XS235 was the last airworthy Comet (a 4C model). It ended its career at Boscombe Down in the 1990s, and took part in Heathrow’s 50th anniversary flypast in 1996. Apparently there have been plans to get it certified from the CAA for civil flying (although without passengers) and re-register it with a registration similar to the Comet 4 which flew the first trans-Atlantic turbojet passenger flight back in 1958. If this plan was successful, the Comet would be flown to Johannesburg on 2nd May 2002 to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

RE: Airports!

I live on the North Yorkshire coast, on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. The area is rural, and the nearest town of any size, though with crap shops, is Scarborough.

RE: Birthday

I suppose the ultimate aviation “birthday” this year is that of the passenger jet. On 2nd May 2002, it will be 50 years to the day since the first passenger jet service, when the Comet G-ALYP flew from London to Johannesburg. I think that is something to celebrate, even if I am biased!!!

RE: Share your airline (unpleasant) experiences

Only one candidate for me, Air New Zealand (I really hope some of their staff read this).
My bad experience started before I even reached the airport. We phoned up to reconfirm our reservations. The inept reservations staff had cancelled our flights, so we had to race round trying to get back on the passenger list. We were due to stop in Fiji, but thanks to the incompetents we missed that stop because we could not get back on the Fiji flight, so we ended up with a non-stop flight to Hawaii. On the Hawaii flight, I had the misfortune to share my seat with around 300 cigarette ends, as the aircraft had not been cleaned prior to being put in service. The seat in front of me literally dropped to bits. The cabin staff were rude, and service, when they could be bothered to provide it, was shoddy. The only Air New Zealand staff I have any respect for are the pilots, they are at least decent and know how to speak to the passengers.
Fly with proper Belgian airlines.