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By: 5th April 2006 at 05:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-What do you think of the open air walkways around the Airport at Honolulu?????
By: 5th April 2006 at 07:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Nice to see you had a great time on the way over Dan, look foreward to seeing the return trip and the pictures. I sense another marathon report coming :D.
By: 5th April 2006 at 08:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Hawaii?? son of a...... :D
Great report :)
By: 5th April 2006 at 13:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I'm sure the trek was worth it.... lucky so and so. ;)
By: 5th April 2006 at 15:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Hope your having a good time mate!
Posts: 3,539
By: wannabe pilot - 5th April 2006 at 03:51
...but I'm finally here! I'm sending this from a cafe in Honolulu, after I arrived late last night.
Monday morning I left my home near STN at 4:30am to catch a bus from STN-LHR, and then check-in for our flight to LAX. We flew on United 777-200, N788UA. The flight left half hour late, but I wasn't too concerned. I spent the whole time listening to channel 9, live ATC. It was excellent listening to our own pilots getting their delivery clearance, then taxiing out, then take-off clearance etc. I then followed us on the ATC as we were cleared up over the UK, at different speeds and altitudes, and then to Icelandic control. By then the airways were dead, and so I concentrated on my meal (chicken and rice, quite tasty) and sat back. The seating was fine, but the IFE was poor compared to the likes of AA and Qantas who I have used in the last year or two.
We then flew over Greenland, into North Canada, then over North Dakota and a few other states, before finally ending up in LA. I have to say that 11.5 hours is the very limit of going insane. It really does feel like way too long sat in one place! I manage dot get a visit to the cockpit at LHR, so there'll be photos coming from there.
After 2 hours of messing around, finding bags, dropping bags back off, queueing and being security checked in LAX (the US transfer system is ridiculous) we eventually got to our gate which was nextdoor to the plane we had arrived on. We boarded on time on our United 767-300 N673UA which was how I had expected it - quite worn and tired, like most of the US domestic 767's. We taxiied a little late (listening to channel 9 again, very enjoyable at LAX) and deprated on 25R out over the coast. It was then 6 hours of Ocean, all the way to Honolulu. By the 4th or 5th hour, I was very ready to be off the plane, and when we landed after 6 hours, I didn't fancy anymore flying for a little while! Managed a cockpit visit at the end, and so there's photos from there too!
So, my next flights are on Friday. And I am definitely looking forward to them! We're flying on Island Air Dash-8-100's to Hilo, on the Big Island (outbound is via Kahului in Maui) then returning that evening direct to Honolulu. Whilst on the Big Island we're going to go and watch the active volcanoes, which should be quite a sight. I've only ever flown on a Dash-8-Q400, and so the -100 should be great. I don't think that there are many around in Europe either.
Hopefully I'll get to update you after Friday, before my long trek home next Tuesday via LAX and IAD.