Even another B752 if they’re planning on serving YYZ and JFK, could plan a tech stop in for MIA and Havana.

Errr! I don’t think so! The US authorities would take a rather dim view of someone planning to fly from Cubu to their territory!

Besides, a 757 in high density config isn’t capable of UK-MIA non-stop year round both ways.

ANdy

Its pretty much the same argument with EMA or BHX to London. Airlines say its too shorter distance, however, the rail network is too greater competition and when you take into account check-in time at airport and increased security (albeit for our own good) its not really as quick.

The main reason for EMA-LHR and BHX-LHR stopping was NOT due to competition from surface transport. The main reason why these two routes were dropped was slot contraints at LHR – put quite simply, it got to the point where there were no more conveniently timed slots available and the slots that those services used could be used more profitably by higher capacity aircraft operating on other BD routes.

Andy

I’ve seen one or two landings on 24L, when a fire truck had to inspect 24R for 10 mins

Yeah, that’s the sort of thing… 24R closed for inspection, maintenance, disabled a/c…

FWIW there is no ILS on 24L either – the only published isntrument approach is VOR/DME.

Andy

I also took time to look round another iconic British airliner classic, the former Dan Air Comet 4c.

Just being slightly picky for a moment, its actually a Comet C.4 – former Royal Air Force Transport Command aircraft.

Anyways, thanks for the nostalgia trip. I flew with Dan Air on Comet 4b G-APYD (now at the science museum, Wroughton) LGW-VCE and then on the East Fortune Comet’s sister C.4 G-BDIV NAP-LGW back in 1978. Those were only my 3rd and 4th flights. Sitting over the wing, those Comets were quite noisy due to the close proximity of the engines and I well remember the landing at the dark and wet VCE when showers of sparks came out of the reversers! On boarding the return flight in NAP via the rear door, the RAF roundels on India Victor could still be discerned under the Dan Air paint – obviously all they’d done was slap another layer on top of the RAF livery.

Andy

A NOTE OF CAUTION
Your US student comes back, three weeks into his flying life, with 45 hours under his belt and a shiny licence. What does he have to do next?

Well fly of course.

But his US PPL doesn’t make this free. He’ll have to pay about £110 per hour aircraft rental, same as the rest of us.

Moggy, I think that misses the point. Those of us commenting in this thread are flying for leisure purposes – Sandy would be going about things in a different way if he was intent on life as a commercial pilot.

There is only one reason to learn to fly in such cases, and that is to fly – its not to be tied down to circuits and bumps, stalls and steep turns, all at the behest of an instructor.

No doubt, if you’ve not got a lump sum learn in the UK and expect to take a lot longer and learn much more slowly. But otherwise just go get it out of the way quickly and get on with why you really wanted to learn to fly – you’re going to be spending money anyway so spend it on enjoying it rather than having the drudgery of lesson after lesson for years on end.

Andy

Anyone care where Chino is located in relation to Los Angeles? I didn’t think so

I know EXACTLY where Chino is in relation to Los Angeles… :p

What does that make me??? 😮

Andy

Excellent – like the “Spotty M” in particular!!!

Andy

Well, you’re now set up for financial ruin because once you start its difficult to stop – take it from one who’s been there, done that, and is still after some ten years making trips to the flying club every couple of weeks. I really do not want to work out how much I’ve spent on flying since then (it was 10 years ago yesterday I did my first solo at Ormond Beach in Florida), but even if I did work it out whatever the cost has been its been worth every penny. All I can say is – if you can find the money, go for it because you will not regret it.

Andy