I working in MRS for a while and didn’t really likke the city as such. The weather was great all summer tho 😀 Aix on the other hand I really did like!

The really bad uniforms have gone now, and the tattier a/c tended to be the 500s which have now gone.

Not sure about the Uniforms, however it was G-TOYE I last flew on a few months back. This was tattier than G-BVZE the last -500 I flew on in Jul 04.

Hi

The Uzbekistan Boieing 767 from BHX diverted to LBA once if memory serves me right.

Yes correct, one period between Xmas and NY when BHX was Snow Closed.

As for diversions within our company we have a certain amount of liason with the customer/charterer of the aircraft.

For example a mail flight which may divert from LPL requires a Royal Mail station to land at so they can start to get the mail transferred by road. They issue a couple of preferance diverts, however such as the other day, if everywhere is blanket fogged and the aircraft is in the air, it becomes more of a flight safety issue than a customer preferance and we get the aircraft down at the nearest suitable aerodrome. The main infact produce a listing of there 2 primary preferred diversions.

Most diversion alternates are planned by the Ops department of the aircraft concerned, and if we are out of reach of the aircraft by radio we try to issue instructions via the handling agents company frequency, or via ATC. As mentioned above, if we can we try to put aircraft/ crews into places we have contacts, details etc set up with, our own opeaing bases where we have based crews to recover the aircraft as soon as we can, however there does become a point where we issue to crews just to put down where they can safely if the turn commences on a fair flight. Lots can happen weatherwise is a period of a few hours from when they take off!

Air Traffic do of course also have a major say. If the airfield is clogging up with diverts, they must try and keep space for their own normal scheduled operating aircraft. If they cannot accept we must look elsewhere.

Great to see something differant as always – great stuff!

Sorry to bring this back up…. just to let Steve and anyone else know, I have booked up for LHR on the 29th October, arriving 08:00 leaving 20:45? (Something like that, gonna be a long day!).

Steve or anyone else is more than welcome to join me :).

Will certainly look at that – need one of my freebie trips fro France next year – but could certainly be appealed by LHR again. Will see what the roster says!

Apparently the old buildings by the Hertz rent a car office parrellel to the hangers is going to be knocked down for Long term Parking spaces.

As said above the last 2 years or so have seen major expansion here, which I have used several times, however some apron and terminal expansion may be called for shortly.

Thats when im looking to come……. DOH!

I have to look for weekends because im not sure when the college holidays fall, I have found an absolutely cracking fare on the 29th October (A Saturday), arriving LHR 08:00 leaving 20:45 from LBA, just £51.90!

If its the same when I get paid next week, im going to book it :).

Let us know and i mgiht book it on my freebe tickets!

KLM seem to vary what they use on the MAN services, i’ve seen F70s,F100s,733s,734s,738s, think it must depend on demand in the same way AF use all sorts (318s,319s,320s,321s,145s,735s,).

LBA now seems to be mainly F70s these days, saw one operating the morning flight on Wednesday which is normally an F100.

Maybe both these services are suffering because of Jet2? They operate 3 daily AMS from MAN, and two daily AMS from LBA.

Mainly F70s? Only midweek during quieter periods, plus on the normal mid-afternoon rotation, otherzise t’is usually F100s!