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Recommendations: 17
Try flying with Flybe!
This was like stepping back into the 1950s.
Gatwick
Have you ever wondered what Gatwick looked like before the the South Terminal and North Terminal was built? Well, its still there hidden behind a small door marked 'Internal Flights'. You walk down a corridor which resembles a load of portakabins strung together and there is no air conditioning. When your plane is ready for boarding, you walk onto the tarmac and up a small ladder to get in the back of the plane. Meanwhile, you see them loading the luggage piece by piece into the boot of the plane (yes, the luggage goes in the boot behind the passenger cabin, not a hold, as there isn't space for one).
And then, AND THEN, the plane has propellers. There is of course, no space for hand luggage, but you are allowed to use the hat rack to put small bags.
And of course, because we are in a DC-3 which only has propellers, the bully boys of the skies, Easyjet and their jet powered planes wouldn't let us onto the runway, so we had to wait for a quite moment when the captain could slip onto the runway unnoticed and take off.
Leeds/Bradford 'International' Airport
This airport is called 'International' because there is a weekly flight to Benidorm. Otherwise, it only has three other flights a day.
If you think Gatwick is a flea pit, wait until you see Leeds/Bradford 'International' Airport! The departure lounge hadn't been cleaned or swept in a week, about 20% of the seats were actually broken with yellow and black stripy tape kindly placed over them to warn you that they were broken. And the toilets resembled those in Warrington town centre on a Friday night.
On arrival, Flybe sent us down a corridor which turned out to be locked. On eventually finding our own way out of the airport, some passengers discovered that they had missed the baggage carousel and walked right back into the airport where there was actually no security person to stop them doing this. Of course, this total lack of security was not replicated on catching a flight where they were to insist on the whole charade of inspecting shoes and X-raying your toothpaste - I swear, this is just an Orwellian way to control us, and keep the unemployment numbers down.
On returning to Leeds/Bradford 'International' Airport, some jumped up little Nazi in charge of anti-terrorism duties was a particularly obnoxious prig of a civil servant whose sole purpose in life was to distract persons from noticing that they have a vending machine to dispense those little plastic bags in which you put your toiletries, and the effing machine CHARGES 50p for a bag. Give them a uniform and they think they're bluddy Hitler! Strewth, give me strength....
So, back to Gatwick on the old DC-3, bags in the hat rack, and big bags and black puddings in the boot. Only it seemed some passenger on the incoming flight had tried to duff up the pilot, so the flight was late because the rozzers had to attend (typical Saturday night behaviour in Leeds I'm led to understand). This means that the we arrive late at Gatwick and park up at the original 1955 stand again. Only some eejit had locked the sodding terminal up for the night and walked off with the flaming key. We were stood there like lemons banging on the door trying to get the attention of any member of Gatwick staff. They actually have a front door key to the terminal, and they leave it in charge of the porter. And his name is Derek, and he lives in Crawley, and he knocks off at 10:30 to go home.
So the next time you moan about RyanAir, just try Flybe who use the only terminal at an international airport where the porter has the key, and actually locks it up for the night.
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Not been to "Bournemouth International" then?
Very similar.
However, I am quite glad these little airports can still exist, I think it's nice.
Mel
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Ahh - the joys of Fly<may>be !
Next time (although going to either Leeds or Bradford is unfortunate if it happens once, careless if it happens twice) give the East Coast Mainline a try from Kings Cross.
Although at least you probably got a seat on the flight - no guarantee of that with National Express
mrf
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I'm just impressed they're flying DC-3s...
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It wasn't by any chance the same DC3 that Roger Moore only just managed to land when filming the Wild Geese?
David
Leeds The Grim North
(Keep telling you it's grim!)
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Next time (although going to either Leeds or Bradford is unfortunate if it happens once, careless if it happens twice) give the East Coast Mainline a try from Kings Cross.
I tried that once. The plane is marginally faster (and surprisingly cheaper), but only if you are travelling from the wrong side of London. Still, the East Coast Mainline does have a first class section which plebs don't use/can't afford.
I'm just impressed they're flying DC-3s...
OK, that was a bit of a joke (in case you didn't get it). They're flying Dash 8s, but they look like DC-3s cos they only have two engines, both with propellers. And they load the passengers from the rear door, and they use a ladder to get in. To my mind, one plane is a derivative of the other. The only difference is that one isn't allowed to instruct one's chauffer to drive one's car up to the plane any longer.
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Good Job it wasn't windy then. I remember watching a Dash 9 take off into a strong wind at Heathrow...it had the lift alright and did gain altitude, but it wasn't actually going anywhere.
For all I know it's still up there !
Nobby.
Leeds Bradford.......snigger.
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Nobody has ever wondered what Gatwick was like before the North and South terminals were built - simply because noone with even 1/4 of a brain would willing choose to go anywhere near the place.
The place specifically bans natural fibres and insists all passengers over the age of 10 are drunk before they get on their flights.
Horrid Horrid place full of cheap and nasty chavs going on cheap and nasty holidays.
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They're flying Dash 8s, but they look like DC-3s cos they only have two engines, both with propellers
That's a lot like saying that Ferraris look like Rover 110s because they both have 4 wheels and a petrol engine.
The only difference is that one isn't allowed to instruct one's chauffer to drive one's car up to the plane any longer.
If one is flying from a private facility that is still the appropriate way to approach the plane.
Slarti
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Horrid Horrid place full of cheap and nasty chavs going on cheap and nasty holidays
Apart from the scheduled flights to all the capital cities of Europe.
I agree it is horrid, but it is no worse that Heathrow and a lot better than many foreign 1st string airports. JFK for example.
And of course Gatwick has the massive advantage of being outside London.
Slarti
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And of course Gatwick has the massive advantage of being outside London.
So is Leeds/Bradford 'International' Airport, and indeed, so is JFK. What's your point exactly?
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And of course Gatwick has the massive advantage of being outside London.
So is Leeds/Bradford 'International' Airport, and indeed, so is JFK. What's your point exactly?
That Heathrow has the massive disadvantage of being inside London and hence is not only a horrible place to be but is horrible to get to as well.
Slarti
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Now if you'd said Rover SD1
I chose the 110 because it bears a similar visual relationship to a Ferrari as the DC3 does to the Dash 8
Very little.
Slarti
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That Heathrow has the massive disadvantage of being inside London
Being inside the M25 does not London make.
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Being inside the M25 does not London make.
Being inside the M25, having a London phone number, being on the London Underground are all indications of being part of the London conurbation.
And for that majority of us who live outside of London, Heathrow looks as if it is in London.
Slarti
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You want to tell that to Amersham??? To Chesham?? Uxbridge??
If you go out of London to the East - you are in Essex by Zone 4.
I've always found Heathrow less of a fetid sewer than Gatwick. Both rise above Luton. Stansted is the falling star - it used to be great until flight prices dropped and the great unwashed began travelling to 100miles away from where they really wanted to go.
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Stansted was indeed once great. When that spanking new terminal opened with proper scheduled airlines flying to proper cities, it was fantastic. I actively sought out flights from Stansted.
Then they let Ryanair in.
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OH born within spitting distance of Heathrow and gets very irate when people ask which part of London he is from.
R6
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OH born within spitting distance of Heathrow and gets very irate when people ask which part of London he is from
So, he's from....Hounslow.
Nice :-(
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You don't really get any choice in the matter do you ?
You live in a county called Middlesex, out beyond the reaches of suburbia. Then some git called Nash builds a million homes and brings suburbia to you. Some other git decides that Middlesex doesn't exist anymore ( he has a point) and suddenly you are part of London, a place that was 20 miles away when you bought the gaff.
It's interesting that Heathrow is geographically part of Hounslow, but all the rent went to the then Uxbridge, later to become Hillingdon.
Until Hounslow saw the dosh involved and wanted it back....until it became apparent that HMG expected the local council to pay for the holding of illegal immigrants whereupon Hounslow went all quiet.
Anybody remember terry Dicks ?
Nobby.
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Anybody remember Terry Dicks
Only the Dr Who bloke...
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Er, no ...this bloke..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Dicks
He was a right wing plonker who eventually lost his seat, most famously ridiculed by the late Tony Banks. Something of a racist, he was a total embarrasment as the local MP.
Nobby.
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Newsflash...update on LeedsBradford Airport
Oh dear, there goes the neighbourhood!
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