Gatwick to Oshkosh..Part 1

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,078

Well, almost Oshkosh

Started with catching the train from Andover to Gatwick. Thought I'd treat meself and go 1st class (waste of bloody money, dont bother !). !st class passengers all stuffy and no-one said a word the trip to Clapham where I had top change to Gatwick. Had to stand all the way, not impressed.

Gatwick was busy and there must have been an awefull lot of ex-Navy pilots flying that day cos there where loads of hard bouncy type landings.

Plane Reg was 1244 in NWA colours but being run by KLM.

Taxi out to take off at 192 feet altitude !!!!! 50 minutes from boarding to pushback.

Take off run 51 seconds. Not the same acceleration as a Tristar.

Lots of turbulence until 9k altitude.
Cruise altitude 31 K (think they're scared of heights).
First food delivered after 1hr 20. Veggie pasta or chicken sweet n sour.
Full cloud cover ...including flying between cloud layers at height. Plane didnt seem to fly at same nose up degree of the other's I've flown in. Est time of flight 7hrs 46 mins OAT -50.

Routing Corke Newfoundland Detroit. Flew over Goose Bay (Turbulence again and seat belts on.

6hrs 7 mins into flight turned left approx 15 degrees (wow, it mustve been all go in the front office !)...scared sh*t out of me cos we'd been flying straight and level for hours and I looked out the window at the wrong moment !. Saw the ground at last.
Noticed all the roads very long and straight.
Flew down past Toronto towards Detroit, Alt now 35 K, GS 475 OAT -47, ETA 16:52 local.
7 hrs 6 mins into flight engines reduce thrust, cabin alt down to 1560 metres and descending..

Touchdown 16:52 local, total flight time 7:43, very smooth landing

Its bl**dy raining !

Absolutely fell in love with the tunnel to the next boarding gate...all pretty lights and starnge soothing music. brilliant.

I'll do the next part from Detroit to Appleton later

Original post

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 4,209

Nice pics, although that meal does not look very appetising!

Member for

20 years 9 months

Posts: 2,114

kool pics love the tunnel pics :D

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 4,213

Nice pics, although that meal does not look very appetising!

id eat it Mark

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 4,209

You'd eat anything...

Member for

19 years 10 months

Posts: 841

Great report. No PTVs on a Transatlantic flight these days is a bit disappointing though :(

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 409

nice report! like the tunel! cant wait to read the next half

Member for

20 years

Posts: 2,929

I remember that Chicago tunnel very well - we had an hour in transit there in August so I thought I'd nip out for a smoke - the queue for security on the way back in meant that I had to sprint through what felt like the Channel tunnel to get back to my gate!

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 5,019

You'd eat anything...

lol. Great pics

Member for

20 years 10 months

Posts: 2,513

Plane Reg was 1244 in NWA colours but being run by KLM.

I suspect you mean it was a codeshare with KLM not actually operated by KLM. The NWA pilots would be up in arms if one of their aircraft was flown by another airline. ;) :)

Great report BTW.

I remember that Chicago tunnel very well

That's the Detroit tunnel in the NWA terminals. It's similar to the United ORD tunnel but I prefer the Detroit version more. :) With the soothing music and lights I always feel tired when exiting the other side.

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 41

nice, detailed

Sam