[Premier01]

Hi is there a link to the website?

[ASK1945]

To what website do you want a link?

[Markyah]

Stansted was such a good airport back in the 90s and the Foster design was all about movement in a largely single direction from the entrance to the planes on the apron. It is now an airport to be avoided at all costs whilst the Foster principle has been wrecked by organised inconvenience. Air UK and KLM were simple and fun and I can recall an Air UK flight to Schipol once taking 42 minutes tarmac to tarmac. The pilot said, “well ladies and gentlemen, there is quick and there is quick and that was quick” as we touched down.

Kai Tak was always memorable. I wrote to Cathay a month before I took my last flight into Kai Tak just before it closed and asked if I could watch from the flight-deck. I had forgotten about it until the Purser told me the captain would like me to join the him on the flight-deck for the landing into HKG about 30 minutes before arrival. I sat behind the first officer with my headphones on listening to the AC chatter and picked up that CX250 was to be diverted down the South China Sea due to congestion at Kait Tak. So the experience lasted about an hour but my hair stands up even now as I recall the pre-landing checklist being called as we approached the checkerboard and the captain cooly steered the leviathan over the rooftops to land with barely a jolt with one hand on the control. I had sat and watched them turn right at the checkerboard so many times so to see of from up front of a Jumbo was very special.

Phuket was a lovely little airport back in the late 80s. Luggage was delivered to a shed with a single belt that could only take about a dozen passengers in it at a time. I recall the temperature being incinerating in what was effectively a metal tin. It’s a lovely approach from the East as you descend over Phang Nga bay with its amazing rock formations. The terminal has changed a few times now but that view remains. Just hope it’s not long before I can fly in again!

Taipei Sangshon is a good old fashioned city centre airport with a decent fly past the cavernous Grand Hotel on finals.

At the other end of the scale, Stornoway in the Western Isles always amused. The landing could be somewhat exciting as the weather or, more importantly, the wind was always unpredictable and either strong or very strong! A real four seasons place even on a short day visit. But the views could be stunning over the Islands or the mainland on the way up and often over both. Clearing security at Stornoway was always an achievement if you managed it without having your shoes X-rayed, your toilet bag being dismantled and the contents tested – the Emirates mouthwash in my Emirates amenity bag created a huge amount of interest and was eventually confiscated after wide consultation despite my pointing out it had been issued inflight.

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Frederic, cwoodward

[ASK1945]

[quote quote=1095479]At the other end of the scale, Stornoway in the Western Isles always amused. The landing could be somewhat exciting as the weather or, more importantly, the wind was always unpredictable and either strong or very strong[/quote]

Thank you for an interesting set of memories, Markyah.

You wrote about the wind at Stornaway. There must be lots of palces like that (St Helena maybe as a new one). We have been to Madeira twice. The first time was via the old very short runway, when the pilot made three unuccessful attempts to land, and only did on his fourth and last attempt. We left it many years before we went back.

The new (Ronaldo) airport runway has been built in the wrong direction (for the wind). Landing was ok, when we arrived from the UK. However, we were stuck there for two days when returning to the UK as the wind was so strong (in the wrong direction) so incoming planes could not land. BA put us up in luxury hotels for each of the two nights – at no cost to us. The manageress of the airport Business Lounge told us that the wind problem is a regular one.

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Frederic

[jjlasne]

You know I don’ t remember anything of Stansted besides that it is far, very far from London.

[jjlasne]

Cuzco airport. Very short landing and very long take-off at only certain times of the day. If the crew does not make it, it is a 4000m precipice. Makes you think.

[AMcWhirter]

[quote quote=1095508]You know I don’ t remember anything of Stansted besides that it is far, very far from London.[/quote]

In truth STN is roughly the same distance from London as is LTN.

Yu didn’t say when you last used STN.

But since 1991 STN has had a dedicated rail station (unlike LTN).

[Markyah]

The minor problem with Stornoway is, unlike Madeira, there are not many luxury hotels, but quite a few acceptable ones with warm welcomes! Always enjoyed the visit and the people despite the somewhat tortuous trip to get there.
Oh for the days of travel being returned 🙏🏻

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MartynSinclair, ASK1945

[BPP]

Anyone remember the quaint Business Class lounge with super food in the old Hanoi airport terminal? I last used it on a domestic flight Ha Noi-Da Nang some 4+ years ago.
BPP

[Tramor01]

Are you talking about the old domestic terminal or the old international terminal?
I remember using the international terminal lounges, upstairs from the departure gates.
Vietnam Airlines had their own lounge, then there was a combined lounge for most of the other international airlines.
I can’t remember the food in either lounge being super though? 🙂

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BPP

[BPP]

Hi Tramor01
The first time I used this lounge was in the old internetional terminal many years ago. The second and third ocasions departing on domestic flights as I said some time ago (time passing has dulled my memory of exactly when), but certainly after the new international terminal had opened.
I do however remember well that the Meat Balls and Pho were surprisingly very acceptable and the setting quite quaint!
I also seem to remember that one trip on what was I think an old A300B. There were just three of us in Business Class in very comphy indididual ‘Armchairs’ I still have a photo of this on my office wall.
I have only use the new terminal once since with very little recollection of the event.
Hanoi is a lovely city as long as it is not raining!
BPP

[Tramor01]

Hi BPP – I was told a story by a good friend of mine “who was in the know”, that not long after the new international terminal at Hanoi was opened, it had problems with items being pilfered from passengers baggage. Nothing was done to remedy the situation, until one day, the Chef of Hanoi Police returned from an overseas visit, and, when he retrieved his bags all his “goodies” had been stolen!

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BPP

[AussieJohn]

I haven’t done as much travelling as many of the members here, but I do have a few memories. My very first interantional trip was in 1968 when I flew from Melbourne to London. I was just 18 years old, and many people questioned the wisdom of my mother allowing me to do that on my own. Can’t remember now, but I doubt she had a say in the matter! It was my first time away from home so maybe a bit ambitious for an 18 year old back then. But I managed and lived to tell the tale!

Back then, long flights were basically milk runs as planes did not have the distance like today. So after a domestic flight to Sydney, I remember the old “international” terminal in Sydney being not much more than a big tin shed. Perth was the first stop, then on to Singapore and the old Paya Lebar airport as I recall. Changi was just a thought bubble in someone’s head then. I remember how “transit” passengers were segregated and you were hearded into a transit lounge till the plane was refuelled and recatered. From Singapore it was a short hop to Kuala Lumpur. We were not allowed off the plane due to problems in Malaysia at the time. Don’t recall what was going on at the time. Next stop was Delhi around midnight. No airbridges back then. Every flight was down the stairs and on to a bus or walk across the tarmac. I vividly recall reaching the door of the plane to descend and the heat and smell of India just hit me. I remember nothing of the terminal. From there to Teheran in the early hours of the night. We had the run of the terminal there but it was empty, and very few people around. A bit of serenity after the chaos of Delhi. Last stop before London was Zurich around 6am in the morning. Remember comning in over the alps and as we descended seeing the farms etc on the hillsides. Quite magical for me. Zurich was spotless and again we had the run of the airport. I used to tell people it was like they had cleaned Switzerland just for our arrival.

Other memories, on the way home 10 months later, Calcutta airport where the jungle came right up to the perimeter. There was a massive storm coming and they were trying to service the plane as quickly as possible so we could get away before the storm. I remember the screeching and squawking of all the animals in the jungle who also knew the storm was coming! After leaving Singapore we had an engine failure, and the pilot had to dump all the fuel as we were too heavy to land. We lost the air con and the plane was getting hot. People were panicing and it was nerve wracking to say the least. We landed safely, but were immediately surrounded by fire trucks and ambulances. But fortunately all was well, and we disemmbarked without incident.

As I travelled again in later years, Kai Tak in Hong Kong as many have mentioned. That was scary as was San Diego airport. I only flew in and out of there once! Coming in and taking off over the water at La Guardia also had me a bit on edge, given there didn’t seem to be a lot of runway to spare. Honolulu has been mentioned as well. I remember the little wiki wiki buses that used to take you to the terminal and then back to the plane.

Favourite airports, definitely Changi – well except for the carpet! But I’ve been in plenty of hotels where the carpet is just as revolting! Also HKG, and KUL. Finally, the old TWA Flight Centre at JFK designed by Eero Saarinen. Would love to go back and see it now it has been refurbished and restored.

Least favourites include LHR, LAX, CDG, CAI, SYD, Tegel (once was enough, but to be fair I saw it long past its prime), and last but not least my home town of Melbouorne, a shopping centre with a totally inadequate airport tacked on to it as an afterthought.

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Johnnyg, Montysaurus

[Author]

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