I was under the impression that the aircraft flew through some wake vortices and one of the pilots over-applied rudder input causing the fin to shear.

I flew AA to Las Palmas and back yesterday. The 300’s are nice because they are new but personally I’d rather be in a 200. The fuselage flexes alot in turbulence which can make for a bit of an uncomfortable ride down the back and there is only 1 toilet outside the flightdeck rather than 2 (these things are important to me)! For performance it is in the heaviest/fastest category (cat D, 1 higher than a 752 or a 330) which makes it very interesting when operating into challenging island locations. Usually Cat D aeroplanes operate from major capital cities ILS to another ILS under radar control rather than flying procedurally maintaining their own separation from terrain with poor air traffic control.

We have not been told anything about the 300s going to Condor, however I have been hearing rumours of Condor 767s coming to TCX. After all our 330 leases were negotiated during expensive times and come up for renewal this winter.

On the subject of the TCX livery, there is a slight problem with the globe logo on the fin as it is a transfer that sits on top of some maintenance access panels. Every time the panel needs to be removed for access the whole logo needs to be replaced!

Preston – The authorities in FAO are insisting on 100% screening of all cabin baggage for flights to the UK. Screening seems to be completed by a one armed man with an eye patch as it takes forever. Funnily enough any TAP flight is exempt from this policy and gets a normal turnaround!

Virgin have always had a special relationship with the RAF which includes using BN for touch and go’s and exchange flights between RAF and Virgin flightcrews.

Turning off recirc fans in a 757 or 767 leads to various forms of electrical equipment load shedding and other mechanical devices tripping which cannot be reset until the aircraft is next on the ground. At most only one recirc would be turned off (if at all) so you would still be recirculating the air through the cabin. Even if you did turn both recirc fans off the rate of exchange of an entire cabin full of air is so slow that passengers/crew onboard would still be likely to breath other peoples exhaled air (except for the flightcrew as we always get the air first before it goes to the passenger cabin! If the air smells of farts onboard, now you know why!)

I hope they get a better turn around in Faro than I did today! 2 hours 55 minutes, appalling!

You must have been in AIH/MYT for years Lyndon.