Any closet plane-spotters?

[GrumpyGregry]

If it ain't in the sky it ain't earning revenue.

 

[swansonj]

... Most maintenance on the 747s is done between flights .....

D'you know, I am strangely comforted by this statement

 

[DaveReading]

We're in Hammersmith which is on the approach to Buckingham Palace when HM gets a fly-past coming in from the west. I've no idea where the planes start, but they are in formation when they are overhead.

 

[Welsh wheels]

Please, don't get the wrong idea; I'm not into standing at Heathrow airport with my binoculars and notepad! But today as it was clear skies, I looked up flightradar24 to try and identify a 4 engined plane flying overhead while out on a bike ride on the Isle of Cumbrae.
Turns out it was a British Airways 747 returning to London from Vancouver. Then I looked at it's recent flight history and was amazed to find that since New Year's day, only 6 days ago, it has been from London to Vancouver and back, twice; then London to Cape Town and back; London to Phoenix and back, Vancouver and back, again - now it is on it's way to Cape Town after arriving from Vancouver.
That seems like very impressive efficiency of usage for such a complex machine.

I quite like planes, used to be into Microsoft Flight simulator.

 

[Welsh wheels]

D'you know, I am strangely comforted by this statement

Haven't you ever seen the pilot clamber onto the wing mid-flight to put some more duct tape on it?

 

[Welsh wheels]

[QUOTE 5108664, member: 45"]Scheduling is so efficient these days that it's now the case that 747's never land, and spend all of their time in the air.[/QUOTE]
Passengers are now beamed down to the terminal then I guess?

 

[Bobby Mhor]

I remember back in the 80's and maybe into the 90's, Concorde training used to be done on a regular basis at Prestwick airport. They would spend most of the day doing "touch and go" take offs and landings. There was a place where you could go and sit right next to the runway if you wanted. Now you might see the odd Ryanair 737 and that is all - there is progress for you .

Remember it well.
I'd magnetic L plates on the car and Concorde took off, never did find the L plates.
BBC iplayer still has a couple of documentaries on the plane online.
I still occasionally stop up at Glasgow and watch landings and take-offs.

 

[DaveReading]

Haven't you ever seen the pilot clamber onto the wing mid-flight to put some more duct tape on it?

 

[Rooster1]

Yes

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I quite like planes, used to be into Microsoft Flight simulator.

I was too. Even got the certificate for passing a test on it.
I was rubbish with jets - always overshooting the runway by.. ahem, a mile or two. So I stuck to retro propeller stuff, like doing a world tour with a Lockheed Constellation.

 

[Welsh wheels]

[QUOTE 5108897, member: 9609"]have you used the flight simulator in Google Earth - just wonderful for low level flying in the highlands.
some great air ports to try - give Gomera in the Canaries a go[/QUOTE]
yeah, that's good as well

 

[cyberknight]

I tried but its hard to see planes with the closet door shut.

 

[philk56]

I wouldn't classify myself as a spotter, although I do like watching planes and do a lot of travelling on them. I have great memories of trekking out to Heathrow during school holidays, when you still had to get the bus there, and standing on top of the terminal to watch the planes.

Anyway I couldn't resist going along to Perth Airport today to see the first nonstop commercial UK-Aus flight roll in from London. It's been a grey drizzly autumn day in Perth, not the normal sunshine that the passengers may have been expecting! There's a good viewing platform alongside the runway:

 

[L Q]

17hrs in an economy seat to Perth from Heathrow .

My longest was 10hrs in an economy seat and that was enough.

 

[philk56]

17hrs in an economy seat to Perth from Heathrow .

My longest was 10hrs in an economy seat and that was enough.

Apparently this flight beat the previous record for the journey, set by an RAF plane, by 1 minute!

My normal flight to Perth consists of a 13 hour first leg, then 5 hours - and normally in economy . I always get an aisle seat so that I can get up every few hours and walk around the plane. Some times it seems to go a lot quicker than others. I'm taking the nonstop flight on my next trip back to Perth in June so will see how that goes