Понеже вече имам подобен трип репорт ( http://forum.bgspotters.net/viewtopic.php?t=1674 ) ,a и за разнообразие реших този да е на английски . Ако модератора реши че не му е мястото тук , моля да го премести.
My first trip report in English , so please take it with a pinch of salt …
Only a day after I came back from my visit to Gdansk , I had to pack again and head to Dresden for some urgent testing and training. When planning the flights I had to find the best price/schedule , keeping in mind that on 19th we travel again (this time on vacation) and settled on that Austrian + code share operated by Bulgaria air :
14 May FB409 SOF-VIE (Boeing 737)
14 May OS215 VIE-DRS (Dash
17 May OS218 DRS-VIE (Dash
17 May OS795 VIE-SOF (Fokker 100)
This gave me the chance (finally) to have some day flights on the Dash and capture some landing/take off video clips.
This meant as well quite an early start this Monday (again). For first time after so many years I woke up only on the second alarm!!! The taxi was already waiting downstairs and I had to dash through the bathroom , put on the working clothes (suit and tie) and still veeery sleepy head out to the airport.
The first flight was an Austrian code-share , operated by Bulgaria Air so I could not reserve seats on Internet . I’ve asked for a window seat and was assigned 7A by the check-in lady. Judging on the queue at the two check in desks I guess that it will eb a light load (I was right
).
The code-share also meant two other things :
1. No frequent flyer miles on both Miles and More or the Bulgaria Air FF program.
2. No complimentary visit to the business lounge (as a MM FTL)
There was hardly time for that anyway . I headed to the bus gates in the ground level and just 10 minutes later the boarding started. The bus took us to the tired looking LZ-BOQ (if I am not mistaken one of the ex-United aircraft)
14 May 2007
FB409
SOF-VIE
Boeing 737-500
LZ-BOQ
7A/15A
Beware! 7A (and 7F) on LZ-BOQ is a window seat without an actual window 9smilar to 5th row in Avro 85) . I am sure it is some specific version of the 737-500 , because on none of the other aircraft of that series I noticed anything like that.
Fortunately the load was light (about 40%) and after the “Boarding complete” announcement I moved to the proper “window seat” 15A.
The flight attendants did a manual security demonstration under the pathetic reading from a male colleague of theirs , who had problems not only with the English , but also with the Bulgarian text .
Shortly after that we took off above the Sofia ring road :
Bulgaria Air Boeing 737 take off Sofia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVaoiLBcVpY
I snapped (a not very good one) picture of the runway :
15 minutes into the flight the service started :
The guy with the white shirt is the one who can not read
Standard (for so many airlines) sandwich, hot and cold drinks were offered.
With the coffee I received one of the few Bulgaria Air branded stuff on board – a package whose content slightly different from the sign on it (inside it had one spoon , sugar, creamer and a refreshing towel) :
I was quick to finish the breakfast and drifted off in the Morpheus hugs .
Woke up only when the approach to Vienna airport was in final stage.
Here is the landing :
Bulgaria Air Boeing 737 landing Vienna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN3Lk-mfH-E
Vienna airport was busy waking up :
The transfer was quick and just 22 minutes later I boarded the bus form the B gates in Vienna airport.
14 May 2007
OS215
VIE-DRS
Dash 8 - 300
OE-LTI
12A
Finally a daylight flight on my favourite turboprop. I prefer flying turboprop aircraft for a number of reasons – e.g. usually they fly on a lower altitude , you feel the flying – all the turbulence and sudden up/down movements during ascent and decent etc .
My seat was in the back with an excellent view to the landing gear .
Here is the video from the take off:
Austrian Dash 8 taking off Vienna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBMMF8JbkDU
After we levelled , we were treated to some nice views of urban :
and agricultural Austria:
It was a single (female) flight attendant for the 100% full flight and she really struggled to serve all the meals / drinks etc , especially considering that there were 4 pax in business class as well.
The landing was a little bumpy because of the thunderstorm cell near the Dresden airport.
I had again 1st row seat and a very detailed view of the landing gear :
Here is the amazing video of the landing approach and touchdown:
Austrian Dash 8 landing at Dresden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH6kaM0skB8
On the ground there were a lot of small aviation aircraft, most of them parked :
Here is the Dash 8 bird , before continuing on the (really) short hop to Leipzig:
Dresden airport is planned for bigger than its current traffic , so in just 18 minutes I was already driving to the small village of Obergoseln
The three days were eventful, some late nights, but also some very nice asparagus meals (just the season for it) .
Seats reserved already, again it was an early start for the flight back.
Cleared security in less than 5 minutes I took a stroll through the terminal.
There was almost no action on the apron.
So I headed to the small business lounge for a light snack.
15 minutes later the airport was already waking up :
Some unknown airline Dornier :
Air Berlin (who have sizeable presence at DRS) Boeing 737 :
10 Minutes later I saw our Dash coming from LEJ and we boarded the bus , which gave good photo opportunities :
Here is a stolen glimpse from a T-Mobile logo jet :
And an interesting registration:
17 May 2007
OS218
DRS-VIE
Dash 8 - 300
OE-LTK
12A
Same seat, same 1st class action during the take off :
Austrian Dash 8 taking off Dresden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXAZThEmnog
The flight was again 100% full , but this time there were two flight attendants ,which combined with the slightly longer flying time made up for not-so-rushed service on board.
And again time to praise Austrian for standing out from the hordes of sandwich offering so called “full service” carriers - Austrian offers nice cold (and on longer flights hot) meals.
The weather was rather cloudy all the way , so not much photo opportunities , just some sun on the final approach :
Here is the last of the amazing Dash 8 series landing videos:
Austrian Dash 8 landing Viena
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G320pYNABI
Vienna airport transfer was as usual quick. The gates this time were the bus A gates on the upper floor:
With some original decoration:
The bus took us to a Fokker 100 , which slowly filled (again) close to full capacity.
It is clear that Austrian does something right to support these load factors.
17 May 2007
OS795
VIE-SOF
Fokker 100
OE-LVH
6A
Outside it started raining , which somehow spoiled the otherwise nice views:
Air One , parked next to us :
Passing Aeroflot (don’t you find their livery stunning on the A320) :
10 minutes later we were moving , and passed next to the new terminal construction :
Just before we turned for take off , a cargo jumbo jet landed :
As usual here is the video from the take off:
Austrian Fokker taking off Vienna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpjC44sHs8M
En route it was cloudy again :
Just some sunshine over lake Balaton :
Austrian served hot meal on this flight and it was delicious veal with bread dumplings.
Clouds , clouds and more clouds and what was my surprise when I saw we are approaching for landing over Sofia , and even the clouds have given us a break :
Here is the most amazing landing video clip of landing at Sofia (of the ones I shot anyway) :
Austrian Fokker landing at Sofia part1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeD5y52Xkj4
Austrian Fokker landing at Sofia part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kouC1NHFrKI
It left me breathless being there, i am not sure how it will look on the (not very good quality) video .
I hope you’ve enjoyed it anyway.
Thanks for the patience reading up and excuse my (inevitable for a non-native speaker) language mistakes.
That was it !!! I hurried it a bit, but have to pack for our vacation tomorrow !
Coming up next is my first flight(s) with Sky Europe’s new 737-700 (with winglets)
Очаквам Вашите въпроси и коментари !
!!! наистина жалко !
