Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
This is: A Taste of the Deep South (2013)
Flight Log 1: BA1443
Edinburgh (EDI) - London Heathrow (LHR)
Boarding got underway at around 1143, so that it was clear from outset that the chances of an on-time departure were slim. With the scheduled A321 replaced by an A320, it also seemed likely that the aircraft would be filled to capacity and indeed this proved to be the case: plenty of attention was being given to passengers' hand baggage, both at the gate and during the boarding process. It seemed to pay off and I thought we did well to manage a 12-noon pushback, making our way towards the north-easterly runway (06) to be airborne within ten minutes of leaving the gate. Immediately after take-off I had superb views first of Silverknowes and then the whole city of Edinburgh on what had turned into a glorious spring day.
We executed a sharp left turn over the Firth of Forth and soon I was enjoying more views of West Fife and up the river towards the Ochil Hills and Stirling. We almost got as far as the Kincardine and Clackmannanshire bridges before making another sharp left turn to pass over Grangemouth, then just south of Cumbernauld and over parts of both Airdrie and Coatbridge. By this stage I could clearly see the entire city of Glasgow and beyond, all the way to the Clyde coast - what a great day for flying!
Cabin service soon got underway and I had a spicy tomato juice and a coffee, accompanied by one of those minuscule packets of hand-made crisps. I thought the coffee seemed nicer than recent offerings on BA. I was still enjoying the views as we crossed the Solway Firth and passed along the Cumbrian coast. When it subsequently became hazy, I turned my attention to some reading to keep me occupied.
Those of us who fly regularly realise that it is
not a particularly uncommon occurrence for cabin crew to begin an
announcement, only to have to break it off for whatever reason.
Perhaps they need to deal with something more important, or
maybe a colleague is trying to tell them something, or it could be
that the speaker has simply forgotten the script or their mind has
just gone blank. Whatever the cause, a memorable instance of this
phenomenon occurred as we approached our destination and the PA
system broadcast a message that came over as: "Ladies and Gentlemen,
the captain's now turned on".
Perhaps a little uncharacteristically, especially given that I was travelling
alone at this stage, I expressed aloud my hope that he would keep
his mind on his work, which caused some amusement in Row 2 behind me.
Take Two revealed the full message, to the effect that the seat belt signs had been
illuminated.
After an approach over Berkshire, which would have given a good view of Windsor Castle to those on the other side of the plane, we touched down at 1325 on runway 09L at a grey and dull Heathrow Airport. Shortly thereafter, we pulled in at the north end of Terminal 5 - good news, as I knew that this area was set up for the direct airside transfer of connecting passengers.
 |
| Date: Fri 17 May 2013 |
| Aircraft: Airbus A320 |
| Scheduled dep: 1150 |
| Actual departure: 1200 |
| Scheduled arrival: 1315 |
| Actual arrival: 1330 |
| Cabin: Economy (Domestic Shuttle) |
| Seat: 1F |