I have flown on Finnair but it’s a few years ago, in an MD82. I found them very good, with pleasant crews. We had a veggie meal booked which was a bit strange and I didn’t eat it, but the rest of the food looked OK.

We had flown Icelandair the year before and I can definitely say that I preferred Finnair!

I have had two flight deck visits, both on the 744 and both Air New Zealand. The first time I was on my own and it was ace, the second time I was taken up with a group of people who weren’t really interested in the goings on and it was a waste of time.

I always fancied seeing the A320 flightdeck but when I flew on them it was always kids who were taken up to the front so I never bothered to ask as I did not want to go with a group of kids.

Though personally I don’t think it is a good idea now to take people onto the flightdeck, especially a group of them. If I was a pilot I would not allow anyone on.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7232661.stm

Is the Archbishop of Canterbury really suggesting Sharia courts in the UK? If we had them, wouldn’t that open the door to beheading anyone who insults the prohpet? Wouldn’t it mean incosisitency in the application of law? Would it be an end to womens rights and freedom of speech?

Social integration be damned, if followers of Islam want to live in the UK then they can jolly well live by the law of the land and like it, if they don’t want to then go and live in Saudi Arabia. 😡

Well said!! I completely agree with you.

And don’t just think that women will suffer under sharia law – men will have to grow beards, and if they dare to shave them off they would be flogged (it happens in some Muslim countries).

Forget a drink down at the pub – alcohol would be forbidden.

Forget a nice bacon butty, or a nice sausage or pork chop, or crispy crackling – pig meat would not be allowed.

Got a pet dog? Dogs are classed as unclean by Muslims.

Pop music is regarded as satanic, so no music would be allowed.

If a woman gets raped, she would be classed as an adulteress and be stoned to death.

“Honour” killings and wife beating would be legalised.

Those who do not follow Islam would be persecuted – look what happens to Christians in Muslim countries.

Those who want to live under such law should emigrate to Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan etc.

Yes, I remember the WI group getting killed in the crash.

I saw the programme on UKTV History this afternoon – and a Russian plane played the Ambassador – they’d even left the Russian lettering on the gauges and you could see it clearly! I think it might have been an An-24, just having a guess, they’d fitted a different tail unit but the nose area looked Antonov-ish.

I saw the first BBC Four programme, it was so moving – that is all I can find to say about it.

I will keep an eye open for the book – what is it called? I might have to order it if I don’t see it in the shops here. Is is mainly about the crash itself or more about Manchester United FC?

I wasn’t born when it happened, I just knew the basic story because of the local connection with one of the players and because my Grandad was an aviation buff.

I admit to being one of the veterans of the old “Airliner World” forum. I joined that in 2000 after reading about it in “Airliner World”, I was just starting my second year at university at the time. I think my first ever topic was about my first flights on Sabena, which had been a couple of months before I joined the forum.

We’ve nothing booked yet, but we’re making plans. Very likely to be Oostende for our main holiday in September, with Christmas in Brugge (very nice place to spend Christmas:D )

There is so much of Belgium I still want to see – like Tongeren on a nice day when there is no fairground like we were plagued by in September (impossible to take any nice photos when the nice views are obscured by a fairground), more of the coast (De Panne, Nieuwpoort and Koksijde) which we planned to see last year until we arrived to see the main street in Nieuwpoort dug up and the strong winds in De Panne blowing sand into our eyes. All these places looked nice and I want to see more of them. I would like to see more of the Ardennes (certainly places accessible by train) and visit Ieper again. Eupen is another favourite place of mine.