Important Notice:
We regret to inform you that our free phpBB forum hosting service will be discontinued by the end of June 30, 2024.
If you wish to migrate to our paid hosting service, please contact billing@hostonnet.com.
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
ameya
Member
Joined: 09 May 2007
Posts: 3671
Location: Pune,Maharashtra
|
 Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 5:14 pm Post subject: 3/14 : Going by Jet...return by ... |
 |
|
Before writing the TR I had decided to name it Boeing Boring Bangalore !
Boeing boring togeather for my dislike towards the B737, and boring Bangalore togeather because of the frequent trips which I have made there since December.
However, as the day progressed, it continued to be Boeing and Bangalore but not boring ... while the whatsapp group got to know instantly, the rest should read on for the return TR hopefully tomorrow for the excitement I had and the stupidity which Jet showcased
Background
After closing the year with good 28 flights, its time to restart the count for this year and the first trip to be planned was fixed up long back in October for Bangalore for wedding of an ex colleague and a good friend.
With good amount of points in my account as well as my dads account, we did one re-imbursement from my JP and one for the wife from my the other JP. The wedding was at 1600hrs near MG Road and hence we thought of catching the 6E flight back 6E 103 2010 dep or the 9W 2120 dep ex BLR
So the plan was finalized as following,
Set out on 25th Jan by 9W 446 to BLR and return by 9W 2364 setting out at 2120 from BLR on 27th Jan
Eventually this was not the first flight of the year for me thanks to a previous BLR trip last week
The changes & Final booking
Our house thing came up much later and thus it was decided that I would go alone and on 27th morning. The revised booking was like this
9W 446 on 27th Jan and 9W 2364 on 27th Jan
MAFI
The MAFI NOTAM at PNQ meant that the flight had to be re scheduled
| Code: |
Q) VABF/QMRLC/IV/NBO /A /0/999/1835N07355E
A) VAPO
B) 14/01/15 16:30 C) 14/04/15 02:30
D) 1630-0230
E) RWY CLSD FOR ALL FLT DUE MODERNISATION OF AIRFIELD INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT. ALL OPR TO PLAN OPS ACCORDINGLY.
|
I got an email saying my flight is rescheduled to depart BLR at 1945 hrs and also an SMS saying the same.
Airport NOTAM & METAR
There have not been any new NOTAMS at either of the places since I last travelled which was only last week.
Spotting Options
I knew that PNQ would be complete chaos at this time of the day. The airport is now open from 1030hrs till 2200hrs and the first set of flights all land at 1030hrs.
The departures are as below at this time of the day
1030 – 6E to CCU
1030 – 6E to MAA
11:10 - 9W to BLR
11:00 - 9W to DEL
11:05 – 9W to MAA
11:10 – AI to DEL
11:15 - 6E to BLR
11:20 - G8 to DEL
As if this is not enough, SG would arrive from SHJ at 1045.
Rotation
Traditionally the 445/446 rotation was BOM MAA BLR PNQ BLR MAA BOM, it was then changed multiple times but it continued to operate MAA BLR PNQ and v.v until last season when it was changed to operate as COK BLR PNQ as 9W 445 and return as 446 only till BLR
Complete rotation would look like this
COK SHJ COK BLR PNQ BLR GOI BLR COK DOH
It reaches COK from MAA
This flight originated at a time when only connection to BLR was on AI via GOI and this flight pre the KF and DN days when BLR PNQ became a so called hot market for airlines
Friday Drama
Just before I left office on Friday I decided to take a print of the ticket with me and to my utter surprise the jetairways website said that one of my segments is not confirmed and hence the ticket is not available. The whatsapp group suggested that I call the CC. While I called them and waited for 16 mins for the Jet Child to come on line and during this time I checked under the Check PNR section on jet website.
Will give you a glimpse of what I am saying below !
schedule issue by ameyajoshi, on Flickr
There was a technical issue I figured out. The arrival time of the flight in BLR was revised by 5 mins and the way the system works, 9W 446 1110-1240 would be cancelled and re-instated as 9W 446 1110 1235 with all the PNRs going on the updated flight. My PNR had not gone automatically for some reason and hence the whole drama !
The JetChild understood my problem and said it would take 5 mins to update and then I can check. I obviously did not trust him and informed that I would wait online for him to update, check it myself and only then will I disconnect the call. It was promptly done in less than a minute and I could check it online.
Aircraft details
I had predicted that based on the rotation it would be VT-JBV. Jishnu informed that this was 9Ws 100th plane and I should expect a good aircraft without PTV
VT-JBV
MSN 26827
Delivered to 9W in Nov’11
12J 138Y config
Day of Departure
I had booked the travel time cab at 0850hrs anticipating it would take an hour to reach the airport and some buffer in hand. I had my web checkin done and printed, in anticipation of extra crowd at the airport.
At 0830hrs I got a call from Travel Time saying there is a problem with the vehicle and that next cab is available only at 0915hrs and I should make my own arrangement. This is not the first time that it happened with me or anybody else and is pretty regular in Pune. Its time some professional cab company launches operations in Pune.
None the less I managed to reach the airport quickly, by 0945hrs and there was a huge rush at the entrance to go in. Navigating thru the same, without a check in baggage and without a hand bag, I went inside to see the chaos. The immigration counters on the left were full of pax going to SHJ on SG flight and long security lines.
All the security points were open with extra staff and baggage screen was being done in an orderly manner. In no time I was on the other side and went to the first floor boarding area, which already was full.
On the ramp, two IndiGos were parked – VT IFV and VT IFP both with sharklets. One of which would operate as 6E 501 to MAA and other as 6E 523 to CCU. Boarding for them was announced at 1000hrs and huge lines were formed which made me think if the CCU flight is also going full !
At 1010hrs, VT JFD landed from MAA and taxied to Bay 3. This was followed by double bogey VT ESD from DEL which made itself comfortable on Bay 4. 6E was struggling to find 5 missing pax to CCU and finally they announced that it would be the last call for Chakraborty family flying to Kolkata on IndiGo flight 6E 523
VT JBV landed at 1022 and occupied bay 1 which is an aero bridge bay
I finally figured out the reasons for delay in baggage at PNQ by AI. The last set of pax were on the stairs and the ground crew had not opened the cargo door yet ! No wonder it takes an eternity for the luggage to reach ! The ground crew was struggling to open the aft cargo door on VT ESD
VT-IFV pushed back at 1025hrs and at the same time boarding was announced for 9W 366 to DEL. Jets flight to Indore was delayed by 2hr 30 mins.
VT IFP pushed back at 1030hrs, I am not sure if it was with or without the chakrabortys ! FIDS did not display 9W 446 at all ! and amidst all this VT SGJ (Cumin) which is ETOPS configured, occupied bay 2 having reached PNQ as SG 52 from SHJ. VT-SGJ has been with 4 airlines before with SG being the 5th !
METAR
VAPO 270330Z 08006KT 2000 BR SKC 13/12 Q1022 BECMG 3000=
VOBL 270400Z 08010KT 8000 FEW012 24/18 Q1020 NOSIG=
Boarding & Flight
Boarding was announced at 1040hrs and aero bridge was not used to avoid coming in contact with pax from SHJ who were de boarding from aero bridge 2
This meant a walk end to end at the terminal and with all the birds on the ramp, I was not complaining !
I entered VT JBV from the rear door and the aircraft was clean. I quickly occupied my seat – 19A, the overwing emergency row seat. Seated next to me was a regular traveler who comes to PNQ everyweekend and goes to BLR every Monday morning. All on 6E. This 9W flight only till the MAFI work is in progress. We got talking since the first thing he said after sitting down is – “ This boeing is not as good as airbus”. Fellow airbus fan I said and we got talking.
9W had the JW mariott Delhi aerocity advertisements in the plane. And the irritating auto announcements started – “ Direct Access Message Number 1” in robotic voice. I ignored all of them.
Next to us was VT-VDD, Government of Maharashtra’s Cessna Citation 560XL. (I could not identify the bird)
Boarding was complete at 1055hrs and we pushed back at 1105hrs, 5 min ahead of schedule. As we pushed back and made our way on the taxi way to go to the end of runway 28, there were 4 birds waiting to find a bay, AI from HYD, G8 from MAA, 6E from DEL & BLR and there was utter chaos on the ramp. This is now a common sight at PNQ between 1045 and 1145 and between 2100 and 2200.
As we went to the end of the taxiway, I was greeted with a wonderful sight of 4 Sukhois lining up next to our B737 and taking off one at a time ahead of us. We finally took off at 1120hrs from runway 28 and flew straight like a rocket for a long time, possibly due to traffic from BOM area as well as the Sukhois. We banked left only over Balewadi Stadium and took out path to BLR.
The flight was uneventful. JetChild quickly came and asked me which special meal I had booked. I said I had only requested for a non veg option and Jet Child went back cluelessly.
The PIC, Capt. Manoj came on PA and announced that we would cruise at 31000 feet and that F/O Reddy would fly us into Bangalore. This immediately made my neighbor smile and get back into a conversation about how he has had some horrible flights when the F/O was in command. We discussed about Fly by Wire and some regular B v/s A stuff, including how the cargo hold doors open and the regular doors, the sky interiors, etc and in the end we were on the same side of how the curve seen on the 737 is not there on the A320
The food along with tea coffee service was OK. Nothing great in this chicken roll.
We started our descend at 1155hrs and had a very scary and wavy approach into BLR. People had curious and serious look on their faces during this approach and finally F/O reddy made a pretty heavy landing into BLR runway 09.
My neighbor while de planning asked the air hostess for a safe next sector if the same pilot is going to land !
We taxied and came to the aerobridge and quickly de planed. It was after Diwali of 2009 that I used an aero bridge in BLR. The last time was on IT 104 BLR BOM on 21st Oct 2009 being operated by VT-KFG. IT 104 would then go onwards to JAI from BOM and return as IT 107 back to BLR via BOM from JAI
I quickly came out of the terminal and set out towards MG Road which became a meeting point for all the gang which was heading to BLR for the wedding. . .in the Vayu Vajra ! Interestingly every conductor claimed that their bus goes closer to MG Road. I opted for the one which was leaving first !
Flight taking off as I reach the airport in PNQ
Screenshot_2014-01-27-09-20-01 by ameyajoshi, on Flickr
Descend for 9W 445 has started
Screenshot_2014-01-27-10-07-19 by ameyajoshi, on Flickr
Sky interior is OK but why is the Emergency Exit sign not fitted properly
20140127_105905 by ameyajoshi, on Flickr
Food
20140127_113530 by ameyajoshi, on Flickr
Effects of a tight rotation ? No time to clean ?
20140127_122949 by ameyajoshi, on Flickr
What has now become my effort everytime - a shot of the wing
20140127_113008 by ameyajoshi, on Flickr
20140127_123123 by ameyajoshi, on Flickr
The exit at BLR
20140127_125049 by ameyajoshi, on Flickr |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
ameya
Member
Joined: 09 May 2007
Posts: 3671
Location: Pune,Maharashtra
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 7:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
And I forgot the rating 
Boarding process - 3/5
Meals - 3/5
On Time - 5/5
Aircraft cleanliness - 4/5
Crew - 3/5
Will I travel 9W again ? Most likely no
and the landing also reminded me of another quote which is something like this
A good landing is one you can walk away from and an excellent landing is one that allows the plane to fly again
Only this classifies the landing as excellent  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
shivendrashukla
Member
Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 1354
Location: Mumbai, India
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 10:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Nice TR ameya. MAFI at PNQ will continue till mid April and we can expect chaos till that time.
| ameya wrote: |
A good landing is one you can walk away from and an excellent landing is one that allows the plane to fly again
|
I have heard that somewhere 
Cheers
Shivendra |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sumantra
Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4685
Location: New Delhi
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Ameya Sir, based on what you sent me over a chat, tumI Pune-madhye Ahes, yA BanglUr-madhye? A wonderful TR again, replete with myriad technical details, NOTAMs, METARs and what not. Also a grand description of the PNQ post-MAFIa ops start, the first on this forum. | shivendrashukla wrote: | | ameya wrote: | | A good landing is one you can walk away from and an excellent landing is one that allows the plane to fly again |
I have heard that somewhere:-P |
Shukla Sir, Air Force pilots laugh at the civilian ones, and in turn, get laughed at by carrier-based naval aviation pilots 
Cheers, Sumantra. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ameya
Member
Joined: 09 May 2007
Posts: 3671
Location: Pune,Maharashtra
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 10:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
| sumantra wrote: | Ameya Sir, based on what you sent me over a chat, tumI Pune-madhye Ahes, yA BanglUr-madhye? A wonderful TR again, replete with myriad technical details, NOTAMs, METARs and what not. Also a grand description of the PNQ post-MAFIa ops start, the first on this forum. | shivendrashukla wrote: | | ameya wrote: | | A good landing is one you can walk away from and an excellent landing is one that allows the plane to fly again |
I have heard that somewhere:-P |
Shukla Sir, Air Force pilots laugh at the civilian ones, and in turn, get laughed at by carrier-based naval aviation pilots
Cheers, Sumantra. |
I think the carrier based pilots laughter will only increase with INS Vikramaditya set to start MiG 29K arrestor landings soon
I am in PNQ and shal have the next TR in few hours time ! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jbalonso777
Member
Joined: 05 Jul 2012
Posts: 1501
Location: Never, never land
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 9:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
May I start off by asking a simple question, I hope you do not mind - why the hate against the B737, sir?
Well, no denying that I am quite biased, but really, I do not hate the Airbus opponents, as much as you seem to hate Boeing!
Also sir, I'd like to make a correction - and before any of the people start making assumptions of being a JetFan: it was actually Rishul who pointed that VT-JBV fact out. He is the 9W encyclopedia, I do not know very much.
Yet, its sad how people still assume away. 
Nice to know you had company onboard, and of course, the rude comments! 
Great TR again sir, eagerly anticipating the rest! 
Regards
Jish |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ameya
Member
Joined: 09 May 2007
Posts: 3671
Location: Pune,Maharashtra
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 9:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| jbalonso777 wrote: | May I start off by asking a simple question, I hope you do not mind - why the hate against the B737, sir?
Well, no denying that I am quite biased, but really, I do not hate the Airbus opponents, as much as you seem to hate Boeing!
Also sir, I'd like to make a correction - and before any of the people start making assumptions of being a JetFan: it was actually Rishul who pointed that VT-JBV fact out. He is the 9W encyclopedia, I do not know very much.
Yet, its sad how people still assume away.
Nice to know you had company onboard, and of course, the rude comments!
Great TR again sir, eagerly anticipating the rest!
Regards
Jish |
Thanks for the correction. The credits rightly go to Rishul
As for the B737, its cramped as per me specially the front section where its difficult to adjust yourself on the window seat unlike the A320
Most of my flights have been domestic narrowbody and I am too used to the comfort of flying A320 since the time I joined aviation since both the airlines I worked had a complete Airbus fleet |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stealthpilot
Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 2325
Location: BLR, DXB
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:41 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Nice details + TR. Wish the gentleman next to you was a 737 fan- would have made the conversation more fun
_________________
eP007 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
