WOSR
07-07-2008, 12:22 AM
Last month I was sent away to Phuket for a conference, rang a few friends active in ATC and asked the aircraft type, they confirmed it would be a Thai 777-2 series.
Pristine looking aircraft, took off at midnight local time from Brisbane and arrived in Bangkok at 6am local. Flight was absolutely full.
I was lucky enough to have a window seat and the seat pitch was quite good for economy class. We cruised at 41,000 feet. I thought the aircraft was a little noisy though...I was sitting immediately behind the wing, and I like to sleep resting my head on the side of the aircraft, just behind the window, but the whole thing was vibrating so much it gave me a headache...also the "hum" of the engines was quite loud!
Arrival over BKK was just before dawn so not much could be seen. We came in on ILS 19L and landing was good, although looking out the window I though this was the narrowest runway I had ever been on!!! Just as I thought that, the aeroplane surged quite quickly to the right twice, as two enormous bootfuls of rudder were applied, and behold, the rest of the runway came to view...we had obviously landed to the left of the centreline and a quick correction made after touchdown.
We waited on 2 hours before taking off to Phuket in an A300-600R...must admit I have a soft spot for these birds, had a lot to do with them in a previous life. This aircraft did not have IFE, it reminded me of the interior of the current Qantas 767 fleet, but it was in VERY good condition! Seating arrangement was 2-4-2 with plenty of room, and again, it was totally full.
I have always loved to see their Flaps 1 setting for takeoff, and had a chuckle as a few people were talking aloud that the pilots had forgotten to lower the flaps for takeoff! Take off was very powerful indeed, steep nose up into light turbulence as the heat of the day is starting to make itself noticed. A relatively short 40 minute flight later, we were on finals to Phuket runway 27.
The approach was a typical Airbus-academy high nose angle approach which so many carriers discard...it felt a bit awkward, lots to power corrections and we came for one of the hardest landings I have ever experienced...it felt like we left a divet on the runway....then a high bounce and down again for another hard touchdown....up in the air and we finally settled on the runway....hard application of brakes and reverse, and we stopped at the piano keys on the other side of the runway!! The Airbus did not move forward any more as the taxyway at the head of runway 09 was to our left and slightly behind us! A hard left turn and we taxied to the terminal. The weather was very hot and humid, but no wind.
The return trip saw us board a relatively new Airbus A330 for the sector Phuket-Bangkok. Again, the aeroplane was in very good condition and every single seat was taken. The seat config was 2-4-2 once again, very comfortable, although it surprised me that it did not have IFE.
After a powerful takeoff, we climbed to 35,000 feet and made a visual approach to 19L in Bangkok. I was lucky to have a window seat yet again, and was very impressed with the quietness of the cabin, I had a good 30 minute sleep. Very smooth landing and we taxied to the terminal.
After another 2 hours, we boarded a B777-2 for the trip to Sydney. Again I scored a window seat on the right hand side this time, and I was 4 rows from the end. The power of the B777 came to its fore when takeoff time arrived, and I remembered how noisy it gets....I cursed having a window seat...note to self, when flying in a B777, get an aisle seat if you want to sleep!!! As it was, managed 40 minutes' sleep in this overnight flight, arrived at sydney at 6:20am absolutely exhausted. Landing was firm was excusable....there was a stiff crosswind on runway 34L.
All in all, a very good experience, got to fly different types of aeroplanes in one of the most picturesque places in Asia!!
Pristine looking aircraft, took off at midnight local time from Brisbane and arrived in Bangkok at 6am local. Flight was absolutely full.
I was lucky enough to have a window seat and the seat pitch was quite good for economy class. We cruised at 41,000 feet. I thought the aircraft was a little noisy though...I was sitting immediately behind the wing, and I like to sleep resting my head on the side of the aircraft, just behind the window, but the whole thing was vibrating so much it gave me a headache...also the "hum" of the engines was quite loud!
Arrival over BKK was just before dawn so not much could be seen. We came in on ILS 19L and landing was good, although looking out the window I though this was the narrowest runway I had ever been on!!! Just as I thought that, the aeroplane surged quite quickly to the right twice, as two enormous bootfuls of rudder were applied, and behold, the rest of the runway came to view...we had obviously landed to the left of the centreline and a quick correction made after touchdown.
We waited on 2 hours before taking off to Phuket in an A300-600R...must admit I have a soft spot for these birds, had a lot to do with them in a previous life. This aircraft did not have IFE, it reminded me of the interior of the current Qantas 767 fleet, but it was in VERY good condition! Seating arrangement was 2-4-2 with plenty of room, and again, it was totally full.
I have always loved to see their Flaps 1 setting for takeoff, and had a chuckle as a few people were talking aloud that the pilots had forgotten to lower the flaps for takeoff! Take off was very powerful indeed, steep nose up into light turbulence as the heat of the day is starting to make itself noticed. A relatively short 40 minute flight later, we were on finals to Phuket runway 27.
The approach was a typical Airbus-academy high nose angle approach which so many carriers discard...it felt a bit awkward, lots to power corrections and we came for one of the hardest landings I have ever experienced...it felt like we left a divet on the runway....then a high bounce and down again for another hard touchdown....up in the air and we finally settled on the runway....hard application of brakes and reverse, and we stopped at the piano keys on the other side of the runway!! The Airbus did not move forward any more as the taxyway at the head of runway 09 was to our left and slightly behind us! A hard left turn and we taxied to the terminal. The weather was very hot and humid, but no wind.
The return trip saw us board a relatively new Airbus A330 for the sector Phuket-Bangkok. Again, the aeroplane was in very good condition and every single seat was taken. The seat config was 2-4-2 once again, very comfortable, although it surprised me that it did not have IFE.
After a powerful takeoff, we climbed to 35,000 feet and made a visual approach to 19L in Bangkok. I was lucky to have a window seat yet again, and was very impressed with the quietness of the cabin, I had a good 30 minute sleep. Very smooth landing and we taxied to the terminal.
After another 2 hours, we boarded a B777-2 for the trip to Sydney. Again I scored a window seat on the right hand side this time, and I was 4 rows from the end. The power of the B777 came to its fore when takeoff time arrived, and I remembered how noisy it gets....I cursed having a window seat...note to self, when flying in a B777, get an aisle seat if you want to sleep!!! As it was, managed 40 minutes' sleep in this overnight flight, arrived at sydney at 6:20am absolutely exhausted. Landing was firm was excusable....there was a stiff crosswind on runway 34L.
All in all, a very good experience, got to fly different types of aeroplanes in one of the most picturesque places in Asia!!