V-Flyer

First visit here the other day, many many thanks all, damn useful resource.

I'm taking the GF on her first UC trip next week (VS023 16Apr04) and she's asked what treatments are available in the salon at LHR. I've found a list of the treatments avaialable on-board but can't find anything relating to the salons. I know they do hair-cuts, manicures and clothed massages but she wants a list to be able to pick and choose from! Any ideas?

And vaguely related.. anyone with an iPod know what laptop it's equivalent to power wise. Am hoping to be able to charge it on board via my laptop but in case that plan fails figure it must chargable via the in-flight system if I can know which power adapter it needs.

Cheers and TIA
Russ[/font=Arial]

Not sure whether there is a direct adapter for the iPod, but an interesting idea. The original iPods were powered through their firewire connection, and the new style use an odd dock-style connector (which ultimately ends in a firewire connect when plugging it into the charger or to connect it to the 'puter)

The system onboard is called EmPower. Targus make a range of adapters (and they're also the brand that VS loan to passengers). If you've got a name-brand Windows PC, they'll probably have the appropriate nib. If you've got a Mac or Windoze Clone, it's probably worth investing in your own adapter.

Don't have the V.Touch menu to hand, but no doubt someone will have a recent list...

Pix

The inseat power should never be used to recharge any equipment onboard an aircraft as it is a fire risk!!!

It should only be used to power up ur device and not recharge it

How are you supposed to tell your laptop not to recharge its battery when its connected to power? You'd have to remove the battery, and i'm not sure all laptops would be happy about that.

A method of powering the iPod via the seat power would be very useful - but again, impossible to stop the iPod recharging itself, and the battery isn't removable.

WRT iPod charging I use a Belkin PCMCIA/Cardbus 3 port firewire card to charge my iPod via the firewire to dock connector cable supplied with it. I don't think that Targus do an empower adpter for the iPod.[:(]

quote:Originally posted by declansmith
The inseat power should never be used to recharge any equipment onboard an aircraft as it is a fire risk!!!

It should only be used to power up ur device and not recharge it

Declan, I have to admit as a Chartered Electrical Engineer and MIEE (although I've doing software for the last 16 years!) I'd be fascinated to find out the rationale behind this one. Battery charging is very much an arcane subject but this is the first time I've heard this.

Keith

I've seen airline information regarding powerpoints (for example, AmericanAirlines) that actually makes a point of saying that you could charge your cellphone on the flight so it's ready for you to use when you arrive, or that you can work on your laptop without worrying about the battery running out.

I don't honetly think that any airline would not allow you to charge things using the power points.

Otherwise what's the point of having them there? As Onionz has said, how do you connect your laptop to the powerpoint without it also charging your battery??

I have heard cabin crew mention things about not charging laptops, etc, so there's probably some reference to it in VS policy. However, I imagine this is more a concern if you are attempting to do an unattended charge (ie, whilst not using it) rather than the trickle charge that happens if you are using your laptop. As has been mentioned above, if you're using EmPower points whilst using your laptop, you cannot avoid charging the battery on most machines.

Specifically for the iPod, it recharges its battery whilst connected via 6-pin firewire (ie, the flat connector rather than the little square ones). If your iPod is hooked up to your laptop via 6-pin firewire, and your laptop is in turn being powered by the in-seat power, then both laptop & iPod will be getting a trickle charge during use. I would advise against leaving your system plugged in whilst not in use, not for any electrical reason I know, but more because the mess of wires will be a safety hazard not only for you, but other passengers in case of an emergency. On a more practical level, you really don't want to go off to sleep with a birds nest of wires and computers around you - you're liable to wake up trussed up like a Sunday roast.

Pix

Pix

quote:On a more practical level, you really don't want to go off to sleep with a birds nest of wires and computers around you - you're liable to wake up trussed up like a Sunday roast.

LOL - of course, not forgetting the potential for burning of some sensitive areas if you're not using the tray table

Cheers

A lot of the safety / security rules imposed while flying do not stand up to close scrutiny. I fail to see how me using an iPod or Gameboy during takeoff and landing is going to risk bringing the plane down:)

Having said that I suppose it is always better to err on the side of caution and a blanket ban is easier to enforce than a selective one.

Nick

I have been asked to remove headphones for takeoff and landing previously, cant remember the airline. The reason that was voluntarily given was that it may prevent me from hearing an emergency evacuation announcement.

More recently (flying Virgin) I have been asked to stow loose personal items 'as they may go flying about the cabin' in the event of an emergency. I guess this applies to Gameboys also but not newspapers and books?

Safety reasons aside, the music to Super Mario Bros is *extremely* irritating!

I suspect this is a much covered topic but...

There is some evidence that odd behaviour of navigational equipment has been (anecdotally) associated with the use of PED see

http://aviation-safety.net/events/ped/ped-case.htm

and

http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/report_sets/ped.pdf

Modern electronic equipment do generate a wide spectrum of frequencies at low amplitudes, however, aircraft navigational equipment is very sensitive so there is a potential for a problem. This was especially true before CE and other assessment programs started taking EMC seriously.

When doing Risk Assessments for these sorts of things, although the probability of the risk occuring is low, the impact of the risk occuring can be very high, so these risks tend to end up in the, 'we ought to have a mitigation strategy for this one' category which usually ends up as a hard to rationalise rule baning the use of such devices at key phases of the flight or altogether.

My problem with the battery charging being a fire risk is that any piece of equipment in this state is a fire risk anyway, regardless of whether it is charging the battery and being used - or - charging the battery and not being used.

Keith

Its just Virgin Policy, for example you cant plug your laptop in and go to sleep then wake up and have your battery fully charged for your Limo journey!!!

I am sure thats its ok for it to be charging while in use.

I flew on Aer Lingus and the Crew told me i could not use a CD player on the flight or my MP3.

Headseats should not be worn for take off or landing for saftey reasons.

If your sitting opposite a crew member at an exit you should be asked to stow any loose articles before take off and lading including newspapers and books, if the you incur a Rejected take off the crew member will be the one hit by a flying book or newspaper!!!

The first thing I do when the Empower points come online is plug my lap-top in to charge it up and it is sometimes left plugged in for the entire flight. If I'm in a window seat I leave my lap-top standing up between the cabin wall and the UC seat or if no-ones next to me I just leave it on the seat next to me (usually covered with something). Never had any problems what so ever in doing this nor has any VS cabin crew ever said anything to me about this. The Empower points are offline during take off and landing - they only come online with the IFE systems.

On a side note - it's always interesting when people leave things on top of the side bins on the upper deck of VS 744's and on take off everything slides to the back of the cabin.

quote:
On a side note - it's always interesting when people leave things on top of the side bins on the upper deck of VS 744's and on take off everything slides to the back of the cabin.

:D

So apart from kicking off 'the great bsattery charging debate" anyone have a menu for the V.Touch salon at LHR? TIA