V-Flyer

Not a great start for the new VS109, first one went OK yesterday but todays is still sat at MAN, latest ETD is 0935 tomorrow, ooh dear.

Seems the incoming flight from Atlanta came a cropper during the water cannon salute for the inaugural flight, when the fire service sprayed foam instead of water from the fire engines ! Did a great job of clogging the engines ! Photos on Daily Mail website. The poor Fireman who pressed foam instead of water, I dread to think of the cost of cleaning this up. Ooooops.

Yes I noticed that this afternoon the newspapers will probably jump on the story. Think this is a one off event but still highlights the fact the Virgin need more aircraft based at MAN because if they had another A330 spare then in would of gone. They need to get VS109 and VS110 right, because DL65 and DL64 was very popular with business class passengers and if the flight gets delayed people miss their connections in ATL. I used that flight multiple times last year to go to Tampa and once so far this year be interesting the see what the Delta passengers make of Upper Class.

Joshl257 wrote:Yes I noticed that this afternoon the newspapers will probably jump on the story. Think this is a one off event but still highlights the fact the Virgin need more aircraft based at MAN because if they had another A330 spare then in would of gone.

I don't believe that VS base any planes - let alone a 'spare' at MAN but they rotate from LGW / LHR as appropriate.

In anycase it looks like this incident was out of VSs control.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/trave ... -FOAM.html

at240 wrote:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3018369/Inaugural-Virgin-Atlantic-flight-cancelled-botched-water-cannon-salute-sees-firefighters-spray-plane-FOAM.html

She looks filthy !

at240 wrote:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3018369/Inaugural-Virgin-Atlantic-flight-cancelled-botched-water-cannon-salute-sees-firefighters-spray-plane-FOAM.html

You made me click that link and now I feel...grubby....

tontybear wrote:She looks filthy !

Yes, I agree! Ironic, given her name...

pjh wrote:You made me click that link and now I feel...grubby....

You need to go and stand under a water cannon to cleanse yourself.

tontybear wrote:

Joshl257 wrote:Yes I noticed that this afternoon the newspapers will probably jump on the story. Think this is a one off event but still highlights the fact the Virgin need more aircraft based at MAN because if they had another A330 spare then in would of gone.

I don't believe that VS base any planes - let alone a 'spare' at MAN but they rotate from LGW / LHR as appropriate.

In anycase it looks like this incident was out of VSs control.

Yeah of course the A330 is LHR based how will they rotate that then unless they swop at ATL from the LHR flight.

Yep will prob be like the 744s at MCO and they'll rotate one of the two LHR 330s with the MAN once a week

Joshl257 wrote:Yes I noticed that this afternoon the newspapers will probably jump on the story. Think this is a one off event but still highlights the fact the Virgin need more aircraft based at MAN because if they had another A330 spare then in would of gone. They need to get VS109 and VS110 right, because DL65 and DL64 was very popular with business class passengers and if the flight gets delayed people miss their connections in ATL. I used that flight multiple times last year to go to Tampa and once so far this year be interesting the see what the Delta passengers make of Upper Class.

Good intentions but just a mistake, a very costly one I agree, but totally out of the control of VS. I have been reading the various comments on Facebook and twitter and I'm pretty sure the flight would have gone if it could, but most likely the crew ran out of hours also or the issue could not be resolved timely.

I would say also that from what I have seen and heard the Delta passengers are very much enjoying Upper class and VS generally. On my flight to JFK earlier this month, I was the only Brit in UC and I lost count of how many were Delta elites.

Jon

Joshl257 wrote:

tontybear wrote:

Joshl257 wrote:Yes I noticed that this afternoon the newspapers will probably jump on the story. Think this is a one off event but still highlights the fact the Virgin need more aircraft based at MAN because if they had another A330 spare then in would of gone.

I don't believe that VS base any planes - let alone a 'spare' at MAN but they rotate from LGW / LHR as appropriate.

In anycase it looks like this incident was out of VSs control.

Yeah of course the A330 is LHR based how will they rotate that then unless they swop at ATL from the LHR flight.

Indeed I see "Beauty Queen" when she gets away from Manchester tomorrow is planned to then switch to the VS116 at ATL back to LHR.

Joshl257 wrote:
Yeah of course the A330 is LHR based how will they rotate that then unless they swop at ATL from the LHR flight.

VS are well used to swapping planes they do it at MCO once a week where an arriving flight from MAN becomes the return LGW flight and an LGW arrival turns into the departure to MAN

The plane flying into LGW then has her weekly maintenance check.

An alternative is that on return to MAN the plane does a positioning flight to LHR and an LHR plane positions to MAN.

It's not particularly complicated.

Someone will be having a chat, no tea and no biscuits...

I see "Lady Stardust" is operating the VS110 from ATL this evening back to MAN so that resolves the A330 capacity issue for tomorrow.

Sadly it has meant one of the LHR flights has been delayed overnight until tomorrow evening from Atlanta.

Jon

Had a quick chat with hubby about the foam incident as he is ex RAF engine fitter.

He said its like the foam in the fire extinguishers for putting out fires, very corrosive and action has to be taken immediately to rectify. If caught in time they could start the engine to flush it out or otherwise may need a whole strip down. A very costly mistake, wonder who will get the bill

Apparently not the first time this has happened either as UA had a similar incident with one of their B777's somewhere in the US with someone again pressing the wrong button on the fire apparatus.

I think it would have made more of an impact if they accidentally pressed the jelly baby button on the fire engine instead.....

G-VSXY hasn't had the best of luck in her life so far. She was involved in an overweight landing and evacuation on the runway at LGW a few years ago due to a fire warning.

I do love the Daily Heil site, well worth dipping into it on occasion for the comments, such as:

"This is just typical of Manchesters with their lo levels of intelligence, faces like the back end of an elephant and intelligence of a microbe." (sic.)

"Good job, Virgin. Was the guy with the brain on vacation?"

Oh to be a UKIPper .

Lots of A330's up at Manchester Today Lady Stardust departed earlier Uptown Girl has just landed and Beauty Queen is getting some TLC. Im guessing that Uptown Girl is taking today's load of passengers this afternoon.

Are yesterday's problems anything to do with today's 103 to ATL being cancelled? Or is that a separate problem?

I believe the VS 103 cancelation today was due to the high winds

slinky09 wrote:I do love the Daily Heil site, well worth dipping into it on occasion for the comments, such as:

"This is just typical of Manchesters with their lo levels of intelligence, faces like the back end of an elephant and intelligence of a microbe." (sic.)

"Good job, Virgin. Was the guy with the brain on vacation?"

Oh to be a UKIPper .

But it didn't tell us how much the pilot's house was worth.