RE: Easyjet

Orly -Geneva is already operated, too.

RE: BA’s long haul 767’s

ahh… good to see the lay out.

My first transatlantic flight was on a BA 767-336ER. I got upgraded, too, because of the Cabin crew strike (it was in July 97) to Club World (it was the one on the left, without the First cabin). I was supposed to be flying LHR-SFO (744), but instead flew LGW-PIT on the 763 (and then US Air 752 PIT-SFO).

My allocated seat was 2J, but I was asked if I minded moving for some colleagues travelling together, so I got seat 1F.

There was definately a PTV in Club World… there wasn’t in sardine class. But then, in ’97, no one had PTV’s in economy…

RE: Khalifa Airways?

They’re Algerian, which is a french colony so that might explain the ‘F’ registrations…

ALthough, as that a/c is an Airbus, it may just be that the F and D Registrations are temporary regs during flight testing.

Or they may be dry leased from those airlines in those countries, and not reregistered…

RE: Pic of the moment – Manx Airlines

According to this month’s Highlife, BA’s Avro RJ’s have 32″ pitch.

DOn’t think I’ve ever been on an ARJ with a 3×2 layout…

I’ve flown on Crossair and Sabena (or rather, dat) RJ’s but they were both 3×3.
Don’t like the 3×2 config on the MD-80… that‘s tight… don’t remember any problems on the RJ, except that when the row was full (which granted only happened the once) it was a bit tight (especially when, as a Prop forward, you’re in the middle seat).

RE: Alitalia B777

>are they replacing their MD 11s with B777s?

Presumably, Kabir. They’re certainly getting rid of the trijets.

RE: Lufthansa going for A330s

Yes, indeed, Lufthansa are now considering their dropping their insistance on four engined jets for transatlantic flights.

Incidentally, A340-300 D-AIFC has become the first Lufthansa aircraft ever to be names after a non German City, as it’s been baptised “Gander/Halifax”, in recognition of the residents of those towns, who put the passengers of seven diverted LH flights up on September 11th, after North American airspace closed.

RE: Pic Of The Day-Iberia A340

Is that SFO with the Bay Bridge (not the Golden Gate) in the background?

RE: ETOPS

>OK then, forgive me naivity, but if most aircraft can have
>ETOPs certification fairly easily, why do most
>trans-atlantic flights follow the North Circle route, why
>don’t they just go straight across?

It’s the shortest route.

Think about it…
It dosen’t look the shortest on a map, but if you get a globe, try using a piece of string to see what’s the shortest route from one point to the next. They go north, because the further north they go, the less the circumference of the planet as they cross the pond. The one main exception to this is concorde, which basically goes straight across, but that’s more to do with the fact that they can’t go supersonic over land, so they need to be over the open ocean.