V-Flyer

Apparently Tom Daley is aboard VS251 travelling from Shanghai to London Heathrow has diverted to Irkutsk Airport, Russia !

A but scary in these times but good to know Crew on top of things ! Nobody probably wants to hear "diverting to Irkuttsk" at any time but especially poor timing now !

Yes, G-VWIN safely on the ground, crew received an aft cargo smoke indication whilst in Mongolian airspace, diverted and apparently nothing untoward has been found.
Would have been scary with huge fuel dump and thoughts of recent [nearby] tragic events
Good to see professionalism all round from VS crew and waiting emergency services

Happy to see it all ended well ... On a lighter note, do they really make Tom Daley fly in Y ?

julmops wrote:Happy to see it all ended well ... On a lighter note, do they really make Tom Daley fly in Y ?

Yes exactly what I was thinking !

julmops wrote:Happy to see it all ended well ... On a lighter note, do they really make Tom Daley fly in Y ?

Y-fronts?

Given that they WERE informed of what was going on, and that it was a precautionary landing for a technical fault, it was completely and utterly irresponsible of him to do what he's done. With recent events, he was either being ignorant, insensitive, or (worse) actively trying to grab attention for his own gain - in any of those cases, it's just wrong.

Oh, and a "celeb", behind the engines? Interesting...

julmops wrote:Happy to see it all ended well ... On a lighter note, do they really make Tom Daley fly in Y ?

You sit where you pay to sit I guess, and rightly so.

I agree with preiffer, a bit irresponsible of Tom to tweet that, but then how can you stop anyone from doing so?

Why do folks think he was travelling in Y? Is it because of the photo he tweeted too? For all we know he might prefer to travel in Y, it's not as though he or his boyfriend couldn't afford UC.

preiffer wrote:With recent events, he was either being ignorant, insensitive, or (worse) actively trying to grab attention for his own gain - in any of those cases, it's just wrong

Mr PR, he is only a kid, a kid of the social media age, I think we can afford him a bit of latitude

julmops wrote:Happy to see it all ended well ... On a lighter note, do they really make Tom Daley fly in Y ?

Y not?

His partner is more vocal on twitter suggesting VS did not provide any info on the delay... "‏@DLanceBlack @VirginAtlantic What kind of issue makes you dump fuel over Mongolia and land in Russia? A plane full of people would love to know!" Give VS their due they were very quick to reply to both Tom and others about VS251 and the issues. Has it taken off to London or are they sending another aircraft to Irkutsk?

LREDI wrote:His partner is more vocal on twitter suggesting VS did not provide any info on the delay... "‏@DLanceBlack @VirginAtlantic What kind of issue makes you dump fuel over Mongolia and land in Russia? A plane full of people would love to know!" Give VS their due they were very quick to reply to both Tom and others about VS251 and the issues. Has it taken off to London or are they sending another aircraft to Irkutsk?

Saying this at the moment on FlightAware:

Irkutsk Int'l (UIII / IKT)
Scheduled: 07:20PM IRKT
Actual: 05:20AM IRKT

London Heathrow (EGLL / LHR)
Scheduled: 07:25PM BST
Actual: 05:25AM BST (+1)

Duration: 8 hours 5 minutes
Monday, July 21, 2014
Status Scheduled/Delayed (Track inbound flight)
Aircraft Airbus A340-600 (quad-jet) (A346 – photos)
Speed Filed: 436 kts (graph)
Altitude (graph)
Distance Direct: 4,053 sm Planned: 4,053 sm
Route n/a

Latest update on VS website, now require a replacement part and passengers to be accomadted at a hotel
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/tr ... 2014-07-21

VS trying to get staff and possibly aircraft to Irkutsk

He is more a sports person than celeb and deserves recognition for that.
The only reason he is also a celebrity is because he is well fit and a very polite and sweet young man.

International Hitman wrote:

julmops wrote:Happy to see it all ended well ... On a lighter note, do they really make Tom Daley fly in Y ?

Y-fronts?

I wonder if SRB will be introducing a speedo class

Well whilst not celebs/olympians, I know a fair few people who are Partners, Directors and CEOs in firms and choose to fly in Y or PE. For some people even if they have enough money they'd rather spend an extra grand on the hotel than on the flights!

Now KSS is being sent to rescue Tom and friends, and no doubt to take some spares for Lady Luck. I guess there arent many spares for 340-600's held in that part of the world...

Mmm KSS going hopefully she doesn't have the same fault as I seem to remember KSS having the same fault a few years ago when she was departing to MCO and had to turn back and perform emergency landing at LGW

benchsmith wrote:Mmm KSS going hopefully she doesn't have the same fault as I seem to remember KSS having the same fault a few years ago when she was departing to MCO and had to turn back and perform emergency landing at LGW

I'm sure the was G-VSXY?

almost landed on a river...hmmmmmm.

HWVlover wrote:almost landed on a river...hmmmmmm.

So presumably in the crew told them this?

And the Irkutsk "army camp with an airstrip". Why there rather than the Irkutsk airport that "serves as a diversion airport on transcontinental flights and Polar route 2."

Citizen journalism, I salute you.

HWVlover wrote:almost landed on a river...hmmmmm.

That is absolute b***ocks.

The crew may have put masks on as a precautionary measure if the warning had been real so as to prevent incapacitation.

Judging by the pics 'engine smoking' is most likely the fuel dump.

The river landing piece is most likely fiction.

This is an entirely unfortunate event but really isn't anything unusual. It's just a bit of a PITA to get people out of Siberia!

clarkeysntfc wrote:That is absolute b***ocks.

B***ocks?
B***ocks?

Surely not, this is the BBC, old chap.
Hmmmmmm, on the other hand, let me revisit that!!!!

I also heard there was a snake on board -- but luckily a singing nun [with guitar] managed to charm it until they landed safely

Gpik wrote:

benchsmith wrote:Mmm KSS going hopefully she doesn't have the same fault as I seem to remember KSS having the same fault a few years ago when she was departing to MCO and had to turn back and perform emergency landing at LGW

I'm sure the was G-VSXY?

Indeed I am always getting them two mixed up lol

International Hitman wrote:I also heard there was a snake on board -- but luckily a singing nun [with guitar] managed to charm it until they landed safely

"There is only one river, there is only one sea....."