Annoying trip to Melbourne

iceman (Mike) · #1 06-02-2008, 08:27 PM

Well I had to go to Melbourne for work, yesterday and today.. what an annoying trip it has been.

1) First, it was my birthday yesterday. Didn't get to see my family on my birthday.
2) Plane yesterday morning had a fault - found AFTER we were sitting on the plane waiting to taxi. Had to get off and get on another. Got to Melbourne 2+ hours late.
3) Plane coming back today was delayed before we left Melbourne
4) Had to go through storms on the way back
5) Lightning at Sydney Airport meant we sat on the tarmac waiting for the ground crew to get back to work. They wouldn't work during the storm.

So it's now 8:30pm, and we're still not at the gate. I was supposed to be off the plane 2 hours ago.

I'm on the laptop with wireless, keeping myself entertained.

We've just started moving!! We might be at the gate soon.. I hope.

Loooong trip. both ways.

citivolus (Ric) · #2 06-02-2008, 09:03 PM

I feel your pain

I sat on the tarmac in Phoenix for two hours once while they worked out that they had a burnt out indicator light in the instrument panel. The whole time we had to keep our seat belts on as we were on an active taxiway. The only consolation was that the bimbo across the isle had fallen asleep and somehow managed to "pop" out of her shirt. I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of how that happened. Talk about your in flight entertainment

Starkler (Geoff) · #3 06-02-2008, 10:06 PM

I wonder what the statistics are on flights leaving on time or within reasonable limits <20 min late.

In my experience its probably around 50%

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #4 06-02-2008, 10:40 PM

I've flown too much during my business life. Literally hundreds of flights all over the world. I can't remember any of them ever leaving AND arriving on time. I'm glad I don't need to fly any more.

All yours Mike.

xelasnave · #5 06-02-2008, 11:31 PM

Mike given the weather I would be happy simply to get home even if delayed...
alex

erick (Eric) · #6 06-02-2008, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceman

Well I had to go to Melbourne for work, yesterday and today.. what an annoying trip it has been.

And you didn't stop by and say hello!

I apologise for Melbourne and the airlines - I often have too!

But we had some real heavy showers late today - I was on the road at the time and we were down to crawling - almost Sydney/Brisbane type downpours!!

I've had lots of experience with aircraft problems and delays around the world. One I remember was leaving Perth for Melbourne. Big delay at the gate because a navigation computer was misbehaving. 40 mins later we took off, climbed for five minutes, then turned back to land again. Computer's gone again, captain says. We're all shouting out, we can direct you to Melbourne - fly that way until you hit the coast, follow the coastline for four hours, you cannot miss it! But to no avail, it was off the plane for a couple of hours then reboard for an uneventful flight - following many hours delay!

Night Owl · #7 07-02-2008, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starkler

I wonder what the statistics are on flights leaving on time or within reasonable limits <20 min late.

In my experience its probably around 50%

I would rather be 2 hours late, or have to catch a bus, than be in a pit full of blazing magnesium and randomly mixed DNA.

I.C.D (Ian) · #8 07-02-2008, 06:59 AM

Mike,
For the last 20 years I always have my Birthday week off so thing like that can't happen .
But starting a new job it mite be a bit rude to have a week for your birthday

OneOfOne (Trevor) · #9 07-02-2008, 08:10 AM

I was held over once in Canada at Calgary airport, on the way to sunny Saskatoon! One of the guys, naturally he was American, was complaining about the delay of a couple of hours. He could not see why would could not take off, he would be late for an appointment. All I could see looking out the window was snow (it was early December) and the plane was covered in it! Some of the drifts were higher than me. Personally, I would rather arrive late than dead on time

Tell you what, you think it can get cold in some places here (Ballarat comes to mind...Ken). It was about -30C when I arrived, but the people I was working with said it was lucky I didn't come the previous week as it was cold, apparently it got down to -42C.

PCH (Paul) · #10 07-02-2008, 10:15 AM

A mate of mine back in England went to South Africa for a trekking holiday and during a sortie into (I think !) Botswana, his whole group got taken hostage by some group whose name I forget now, and were kept for close to 12 months.

Now that IS a delay

Cheers,

Satchmo · #11 07-02-2008, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Night Owl

I would rather be 2 hours late, or have to catch a bus, than be in a pit full of blazing magnesium and randomly mixed DNA.

Pilots have a saying :

Better you were on the ground wishing you were up there, than in the air wishing you were on the ground

goober (Doug) · #12 07-02-2008, 05:24 PM

Phew, reading closely it appears Melbourne didn't do anything to you. Most of the problems appeared to be either in the air or in Sydney ... as expected

Glenhuon (Bill) · #13 10-02-2008, 06:12 PM

When the family and I were coming to Aus the plane was due to land in Bahrain, we spent an hour going round in circles, dumping fuel over the sea. Landed with no flaps. I had flown before but the Mrs hadn't so I noticed. Pilot said there was something on the runway, I knew different. Gearbox in the flaps had stuffed up, only mechanics were in London as the Quantus ones were on strike. Spent 30 hours in a Bahrain Hotel. Wasn't too bad though, Quantus paid the bill and they had (cold) british beer on tap

Won heaps of Saudi Reals from the pokie in the bar, bought everything in sight at the duty free shop to get rid of them before we left.

Bill

kljucd1 (Daniel) · #14 10-02-2008, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goober

Phew, reading closely it appears Melbourne didn't do anything to you

Yep...that's a whole other thread!!

gbeal · #15 10-02-2008, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satchmo

Pilots have a saying :

Better you were on the ground wishing you were up there, than in the air wishing you were on the ground

Or, "if you have time to spare, go by air".
That a glider in your avatar Mark?
Gary

iceman (Mike) · #16 11-02-2008, 05:22 AM

Of course I'd rather be safe, was just having a whinge while sitting on the tarmac

Dujon · #17 11-02-2008, 09:34 AM

Eee, stop tha whingin, lad.

I do, Mike, sympathise with your predicament. Regrettably delays such as yours are not confined to our sky vehicles. On the same day as your trials and tribulations my good wife travelled (as per normal) to Katoomba in order to put in a few hours (7) of volunteer work.

She left home at 0715 and arrived at her destination at 1030. The return trip? She left her erstwhile destination at about 1600 and arrived home just after 2000. That's over 7 hours of travel for just 5½ hours of work. The 'normal' travel time is 50 minutes each way.

As she would say, but hasn't, 'welcome to the club'.