I thought they where gonna get 2 ex Virgin Atlantic planes? Did this deal fall through?

Peter, it was never a plan from Virgin’s perspective. I have heard a rumour that a couple of Virgin 300’s might be based in SYD soon. Ties in with the fact that the SYD cabin crew base is expanding and there is a strong likelihood of it becoming a flightcrew base.

Trinny, are you a skipper for Netjets? If so I think we know each other!

Here’s some pics I took of her about a year ago. She was still there when I last went earlier this year.

Ooooh I know, I know.

What Virgin particularly like about the A346 is the cargo volume capacity. Other than that the 773ER is mostly the better aeroplane and makes an ideal 747 replacement.
I heard last week that we have now done a deal with Singapore and are now taking one of their A380’s 6 months earlier and they are having one of our later slots. Sounds like its still on the cards then. It makes you wonder if they might need to introduce the 380 6 months earlier (now early/mid 2008) so it wouldn’t clash with the intro of another type???

Redwings – On the B742 at Virgin the FE had to be able to set the aircraft up for an autoland in the event of both pilots becoming incapacitated. In the event on 1 pilot becoming incapacitated the FE would read checklists and perhaps move flap/gear levers on the remaining pilots command.

glhcarl, the question was never about deliberately setting off 2 crew in a 3 crew aircraft but how to cope with one pilot becoming incapacitated after departure so the ‘regulations’ are not really relevant here.

Sandy, that brings up an interesting aspect as it was always common in the States for the FE to be a pilot waiting to get a shot in the right hand seat. With the exception of BEA and their Trident fleet the UK has always (at least for the last 20 years of FE ops) looked at the FE position as a dedicated engineers post as their supreme engineering skills were the thing that would get you home when the aircraft goes TU. They also tended to know the precise location of every strip joint in every city in the world!

Dan, I can’t see Virgin going down the single manufacturer route. Also, 5 A343’s are remaining with the fleet long term.

Tig, there is zero discussion at work about 747-800 or 787 but masses about 773.