GLA-KEF-GLA with FI (and an old friend!)

[Comet]

After our first flight to Iceland from Heathrow (already reported), we decided we would fly from Glasgow on future visits. This was because we lived in the north of England, and it made more sense to go to a northern airport and fly north, rather than travel south to London only to fly back north again!

On this occasion, we had an afternoon (16:45) flight to Keflavik, but we had spent the night at Glasgow Airport Forte Hotel, which had given us an excellent view of the runway and was therefore fun for spotting. The Icelandair flight flew on to Copenhagen after landing at Glasgow in the morning, and called in at Glasgow on the return, hence the afternoon departure. I was standing at the hotel window with the binoculars, waiting for our aircraft to land. Before our aircraft, I saw an RAF VC10, and then there was the familiar shape of the Boeing 727 of Icelandair. I always love seeing our aircraft approach

We had plenty of spotting time in Glasgow, and the highlight of the day was a Tu154 of Aeroflot. It had been a sunny day until the SU aircraft left, and then it became very cloudy and murky.

We were in the departure lounge when our aircraft landed back in Glasgow from Copengahen, and when we went to board (from the outside), we saw that it was our "old friend" from the Heathrow flights - TF-FLG (also known as "Heimfari").


Heimfari in Glasgow.

We were seated in the very back row. I had a window seat, but the view was partly obscured by the left side rear engine. The window blind was broken as well! The safety demonstration was brisk and professional, and then we taxied out to the runway. I just loved the roar of those three engines as we began our take off run. We lifted off very smoothly, and then began a very steep climb (always more noticeable when you are at the back of the aircraft!) There was alot of cloud around that afternoon.

For meal, we had chicken salad and orange juice. The flight was smooth, and took around 90 minutes. We descended through some very thick cloud, and then we saw the familiar lava fields below us as we flew in on final approach to Keflavik. The landing was smooth, and it was brilliant to be back again.

The flight home was one week later. We had to be up at 4am, to go to the airport and get checked in. We were given exactly the same seat numbers as the previous week, and thought it would be funny if we were to be on the same aircraft again. We were! Heimfari was parked at the terminal being prepared for the GLA-CPH run.

The window blind was still broken. We had a good take off, and had a hot breakfast with scrambled egg, diced potatoes and mushroms for breakfast, and it was nice. The approach into Scotland is a good one. Flying in over Benbecula in the Hebrides, seeing the round tower of Oban below us, and the highlands was superb. We had a good landing in Glasgow, and left the aircraft via steps. It was always a shame to leave Iceland because we liked it so much, and Icelandair were great fun to fly with. We decided to go again the following year.


Heimfari in Glasgow, shortly after we had left the aircraft.

[Comet]

Here's another Boeing 727 taken in Glasgow on that same trip. It's a JAT one, which I took through the window of the Icelandair aircraft.

[Comet]

We flew on the Boeing 727 of Icelandair for one more year after this flight, and then the Boeing 737-400 aircraft were introduced. That was like the end of an era when we had always had our 727 flights in the same aircraft (even thoguh it was nott he only one of the type in the FI fleet, it was the only one ever scheduled on the flights we went on!)

[Avro]

Thx for the nice report Louise

It must indeed be funny to fly more then once with the same plane


Chris
8)

[Comet]

Thanks for your comments Chris. It was weird always getting the same aircraft, especially when we always got the same seats as well (the only time we had different seats on TF-FLG was the time we flew from LHR to KEF and KEF back to LHR!)

My first two VLM flights (LCY-BRU and BRU-LCY) were also in the same aircraft - OO-VLQ, I thought that must be the only aircraft scheduled for Brussels (well it is called "City of Brussels"! )

When FI upgraded to the 737-400 we flew on the same aircraft more than once (there were four in the fleet). I will say more about them in later reports because one of those aircraft went to Sobelair and became OO-RMV. I would love to know where that aircraft is now.