G-YMME Boeing 777-236ER
LHR-GCM
After checking in very early at LHR Terminal 5, we made our way through the fast lane security and on to the BA Galleries Lounge South at T5a.
The south lounge is very large, @ 7am the help yourself breakfast buffet was in full swing.
There were plenty of cold offerings but the hot options are limited to breakfast rolls .
The hot bacon rolls are legendary here (not in a good way), very dry not good at all.
The egg & cheese ones were dry and rubbery but strangely enough, quite tasty .
After eating we made our way to the far side of the lounge near large windows overlooking the main T5 apron, I settled in here for an hour or so with a beer on a very comfy armchair watching the morning arrivals on 27L while other family members went shopping in T5.
The washrooms in Galleries South look tired, they are functional but not as clean or fresh as I would expect .
The lounge info screen showed that we would be departing from gate, the infamous A10...oh dear, its a cattle bus job to the aircraft ! The worst gate at LHR T5.
10 minutes or so ride on the bus airside we arrived at stand 575 near to the tank farm at terminal 5c where G-YMME (Boeing 777-236ER) was to be our transport for the journey.
The aircraft has 48 seats in club world business class, row 5 was a no no as it does not have a window, so I picked seat 10K.
This turned out to be a great seat, tucked against the bulkhead more like a mini suite with views from 3 windows. If you are sitting in the window seat and the divider between the seats is raised, you feel as if you are in your own little world.
Here are seats 11 J nd K where 2 of my family were sitting. The window seat in this row 11k is a good pick too.
My seat was very simlilar in row 10 but it faced towards the rear of the aircraft. It didnt bother me to be facing backwards, but it felt a little weird initially.
Soon after boarding, the Elemis amenity kits were handed out.
We were offered some Henriot Brut champagne while boarding continued.
This little number is very very nice, addictive, more on that later.
Push back was right on time and the aircraft departed right on the money at 09.50 even though there was quite a queue of heavies for rwy 27 right on that morning, by clever use of the many taxiways we seemed to cut the queue...thanks to the guys in the tower @ LHR !
Barely 5 minutes into the climbout the cabin crew handed out the menus and offered some drinks, again I chose the Henriot Souverain champagne, a really nice selection by BA much sweeter than the Tattinger one that they had on my last flight. I had already had 2 glasses of Henriot while the aircraft was boarding so I was just starting to get a taste for it ! Also a nice box of nuts and dried fruit. Just right !
Soon after, the cabin crew came around and took our selections from the menu.
Then another round of drinks, I decided to go for The Castelneau Brut NV champagne this time and I was curious about the rose selection on the champagne list.
The cabin attendant convinced me to try both.."You are very kind but..oh go on then" !
A very liberal smattering of top ups and a few beers followed.
Around midday and 2 hours into the flight, lunch service.
The starter of Smoked Salmon,which was beautifully presented. The small bottle of LA branded vinigarette for the crisp salad was from Andalucia,Spain and it tasted amazing.
My daughter sitting in front of me did not want a starter, but she kindly ordered one for me to try, the Mozarella and advocado with fresh tomato, again beautifully presented. Very fresh & very tasty. Some more of that fantastic vinigarette from Southern Spain for the salad...wow that was so so good !
Next, the main course was served. The seared fillet of beef. Very tender with a rich London porter sauce, horseradish potatoes and asparagus. A generous helping. Very, very nice indeed.
Some more drinks followed, the cabin service director suggested I try some very fine wine before the desert was served.
I conceded that this seemed like a good idea, and why not ?
The dessert was next.
White chocolate and hazelnut tart with mascapone cream tasted so good that I had half finished it before realising I had not taken a photo !
It was one awesome tasting dessert.
Stellar is the word i was looking for.
The photo doesnt do it justice I'm afraid. Unquestionably 10/10.
After the dessert, I finished my drinks and had a little nap on the lie flat bed, 3 and a half hours to be exact !
When I awoke we were approaching Bermuda.
Put the blind up and had a quick look out of the window, the Rolls Royce Trent 800 power plant purring away and the Atlantic Ocean passing by 38,000ft below.
With around 2 hours to run to Nassau, Afternoon tea was served .
A selection of finger sandwiches, a scone with jam and clotted cream, and some desert cakes to finish off. Lemon drizzle and choco cassis opera cake. Not as good as the lunch desert tart but a very solid 8.5/10 for both.
Yet more Drinks & top ups all round. Again I fell victim of "gentle persuasion" by the cabin staff.
Thats my excuse anyway !
The crew on this leg were just great. 10/10 for friendliness and customer service.
Very soon after this the seatbelt signs were switched on and we were approaching Nassau, as ever, the weather was very changeable indeed but the approach short finals into Nassau Airport offer some smashing views.
Note the angry rain cloud twinned with the baking heat on the shore which is typical of this location.
After landing at Nassau at around 2.00pm local time, there is an hour wait to enable a change of crew and unloading of cargo.
The BA crew have a nice day at the office when working on this sector. From leaving LHR ,it is 6 days before they return.
The cabin attendant and cabin service director who served us on this leg came over to our seats once again and said goodbye which was a really nice touch.
NAS-GCM (G-YMME)
A new BA crew boarded the aircraft to take us on "the shuttle" route from NAS 500 miles or so over to GCM.
With the aircraft very light (most passengers get off at NAS), the B772 went out of Nassau like a rocket with about 40 passengers on board total, and just my family group of 4 in the whole business class cabin.
The new crew passed around the by now obligatory Henriot champagne, no objections were received !
Another Amstel beer and another berry/nut combo box were demolished .
The landing at GCM is tricky, the very short runway is a tough challenge for any widebodied jet pilot due also to the constant threat of windshear and flash rainstorms which accumulate in Georgetown bay , around 1-2km out from touchdown.
Usually the landing is very heavy, and as the old saying goes.. "any landing you can walk away from is a good landing."
On short finals the aircraft ducked and weaved, engines very audible as it negotiated the very dark tropical rainclouds then 500m or so before touchdown, we were in the clear.
This landing was super slick, the smoothest I have seen yet in 6 trips to this airport.
The Captain flew the landing on this leg and he brought down that 150 ton bird like a boss.
Well done those guys on the flight deck !
A quick U turn at the end of the runway where the sea laps the tarmac at the far end and we taxied back down the landing runway and on to the main ramp where there is a specially re-enforced concrete stand constructed last year for one B777.
When we arrived at the stand, A pair of Cayman Airways 737s were on the apron VP-CAY and VP-CKY.
Lots of construction works going on at MWCR, a brand new terminal is under construction on the site of the old.
Sadly, the open air viewing terrace has been closed to the public (plus the cayman aircraft spotters) and will be dismantled in the coming months.
Note : The Cayman spotters have moved down the road to a supermarket car park which is parallel to the rwy threshold ,they still have largely unobstructed views of landing & departing aircraft. Not quite the same charm as the airport open air terrace but needs must.
Before we dis-embarked ,The very friendly and immaculate cabin crew accompanied by the Captain bid us a farewell at the door , they have to wait 3 hours at GCM before returning "the shuttle" back over to NAS later on this evening.
Goodbye to G-YMME and her crew, thanks for the trip.
It doesnt seem like 12 hours since we left LHR.
Part 2 , the return trip to follow.
Thanks for looking.
Mike
