MAN-ALC-MAN with ZB

By: green320 - 21st July 2004 at 12:04

This is the last report on here. I shall keep the exclamation marks to a minimum (LBARULES and Bmused55, take note).

MAN-ALC- ZB596- 25/10/03
Aircraft: G-OZBE
Scheduled Time of Departure: 16:55
Actual Time of Departure: 17:31
Scheduled Time of Arrival: 19:40
Actual Time of Arrival: 19:39
This was to be my first trip on board Monarch since I was 2 years old when I went to Cyprus! So, as it was an evening departure, we packed in the morning before heading off to the airport at around 13:30. Good traffic on the M53 meant combined with my dad's insistence to drive at 100mph meant we were at MAN at 14:00. We managed to check our bags in and then went up to the car park to take some photos of the aircraft at Terminal 1. Terminal 2 didn't have a single plane on stand which looked odd. I took a photo of G-BYDA, another of G-JMAA and one of 5B-DBA, and also one of A6-EAK. We then went down into the warmth of the terminal and through security and found seats by the large glass window. We watched the movements for a bit and saw our A321, G-OZBE come in. It soon came time for us to walk down to the gate ready for boarding. We waited at Gate 28 for boarding, when G-OJMR came in from Alicante came in. Boarding was delayed due to the large influx of passengers coming in from that flight. At 16:55, our scheduled take off time, we commenced boarding. Sadly, we had reserved seats in row 9 and boarding began from the very back so we had to wait a while. Finally, came our turn to board the aircraft. We walked down the jetty to the door where we were greeted by 2 stewardesses. We made our way to our seats and I got the window seat. We pushed back in a terrible rain storm and the crew did their manual safety demo before commencing a cabin secure check. The engines were started and we moved forward. We moved round and passed the hangar and taxied out to 24L behind a BA ERJ 145. That took off as we held short of 24L. About a minute later, with a WW 733(G-ECAS) off to Murcia behind us, we taxied on to the runway and immediately, the engines were put into take-off power and we shot down the runway like a bullet, and lifted off into the air and straight into cloud. We soon emerged from this cloud and the crew commenced the service, with free headsets handed out and a bar service then came round. Next came the meals which was a cottage pie with peas!! It was very nice indeed. Then came the duty free, from which I got an A321 model. Scratchcards came round, although I didn't win. We then commenced our descent into Alicante. We came down far too fast and far too high and touched down half way down the runway and we slammed the brakes on and got thrown into the seat in front as all reverse thrust possible was applied to stop us before we slid off the runway!! We taxied off behind a Visit Wales 735 (G-BVKD) and we parked up beside a Palmair B737-200 (G-CEAF) and a TCX 752 (G-FCLA) and disembarked as the seatbelt signs were switched off for the first time since we had left Manchester due to suffering from heavy turbulance for the whole flight.

ALC-MAN- 01/11/03- ZB597
Aircraft: G-OZBG
Scheduled Time of Departure: 19:50
Actual Time of Departure: 19:56
Scheduled Time of Arrival: 22:30
Actual Time of Arrival: 22:12
This was the return flight back to MAN after yet another great holiday in Spain. So, we packed for most of the day, leaving the apartment at 17:00, stopping in Torrevieja on the way. We raced went the scenic route to Alicante airport, arriving there just after 18:00. We dropped off the keys at the car hire place and went to departures, where we managed to check in straight away. We went up the escalator and into departures, and found seats right by our aircraft that had arrived some 40 minutes early from MAN. We went to get something to eat from Burger King and then returned to our seats by our aircraft. I then realised that bar 4 aircraft, which were English, this was very much German territory with as many as 20 German aircraft on the ground compared to 5 English aircraft, 3 of which were Monarch Scheduled flights on G-OZBG, G-MPCD and G-MONE, and 2 Easyjet flights, G-EZJD and G-EZYK. The rest was German. Soon enough, it was time to board our return flight back to the UK. Boarding was in no particular order so we just barged in near the front and were soon at the door to the aircraft after a short walk down the jetty. I got an aisle seat this time as everyone else filed past me. The doors were closed at 19:45 and we pushed back, the crew again did a manual demonstration and then warned us that due to this being a night time flight, we had to dim the lights for departure. We waited for G-IGOA to land and then lined up on Runway 28. Shortly, the engines were spooled up and we commenced out take off run. All too soon, we were up in the air. We turned right past the mountains and up towards Barcelona. The services on this flight were the same as the outbound flight, with the only difference being that the meal was bangers & mash, rather than cottage pie. We commenced our descent at 22:00, using speedbrakes to slow us down, so there was no need for reverse thrust, and a steep descent lined us up on 24R, where we soon landed smoothly. We taxied in to Gate 15 where the rain had started and as we were on a remote stand required steps. However, Captain Gavin Sampson asked me on the way out whether I wanted to go in the flight deck?? The answer obviously was yes and he showed me all the instruments. I also spoke to the F/O, Tara O'Reilly and talked about aviation in general!! I asked if Gavin had been on the ZB596 last Saturday and he confirmed that he was and explained that he really should have gone around but didn't have enough fuel on board to do that, so he just slammed the brakes. I had my picture taken at the captain's seat and said goodbye to Gavin and Tara and went off to collect our awaiting baggage.

P.S. When passing the airport on the way home, an Air Berlin plane came in over my head around 50 feet from touchdown, it was VERY scary, but fun!! :D