15th October 2003-
It all started two weeks before the flight when I found out I would be going on My Travel's 32 year-old DC-10-30 (
VERY dodgy!)
At 5.30am I got up, got ready an set off to MAN with my mum, dad and brother for a relaxing two weeks in the Canary Islands of Fuerteventura. When I checked in I just sat in the T1 departures just spotting the early morning Wednesday traffic for approx 2 hours. At 10.00am we were then called to "Gate 22" to board "MYT 195"
Then.. "Ladies and gentlemen we are sorry to anounnce that we will have to do a short stop at Tenerife before Fuerteventura to drop another My Travel pilot off". I couldn't believe it
Atleast I could get a couple of shots from there though
Not good news for my mum cause she
HATES takeoff
I got on the DC-10 and the thing absolutely
stunck of sick! I can't exactly remember the seat I was sat in but I remember it having a massive hole at the bottom of it! I suppose I couldn't complain though as I was ramdomley sat behind the wing which was very flooky indeed
As we were sat waiting to taxi they left the back door open for a few minutes so you can imagine the smell of fuel from the 2nd engine as the wind was blowing behind us!
So, we were off! We taxied to 06L (easterly winds at the time) and pasted a 747-200 European in the engine test bay which was a very nice suprise
We also got a very nice welcome from the spotters at the Aviation Viewing Park
So we got to the holding point for 06L and was "cleared for takeoff already"! It was a very powerful takeoff (my mum panicing) and only used half of the runway suprisingly
The funiest thing was one of the overhead cabinets came down whilst wizzing alon the runway
We then made a left turn towards the south and passed EGGP. Shortly after that the captain spoke to us and gave us a flight briefing.
An hour or so into the flight the cabin turned into a bloody "kiddies fun house"! We were then given chicken and potato pie, which was very nice
by the cabin crew, one being a very fit blonde girl
Nothing much really happened after that.
So, we started to really drop now into TFS (my ears popping as usual) and went through some really thick cloud sending us into what seemed like a massive drop of 80ft (according to the captain when I spoke to him later). We got some really nice scenery from both sides of the aircraft of the villas and swimming pools
We had a very smooth touchdown at our short stay at TFS and got to do abit of spotting from the DC-10 window
Mostly Iberia A320's and Volar 757's. In 15 minutes off we were to Fuerteventura
We had another very powerful takeoff as we left TFS and climbed to a height of 10,000ft sighting some very nice scenery of "Las Palmas"
We appraoched finals for runway 01 some 20 minutes later and once again saw some very nice villas and swimming pools
Another smooth touchdown at FUE with full flaps, reversers and speedbrakes
As we taxied into Gate 9 we let all of the "happy families" get off first as I wanted to get a cockpit photo
And that I did! We had a very nice captain (Max) he took a photo of me sat in the left seat and showed me all of the instruments on his and the FE's panel
I returned two weeks later (on the DC-10-30 again as MYT 196
) looking very tanned and cool
It was only last week I found out that it "was a load of crap" about dropping the pilot off in TFS and that there was a technical fault with the aircraft instead.
Overall I would give My Travel 6/10. I suppose I would fly with them again but not on their dodgy DC-10
!
Hope you enjoyed my experience, Dale Coleman.
[img][/img]
MAN-TFS-FUE on My Travel's DC-10-30 (G-BYDA)
:P 
's in there if you ask me. 
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