J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Now, I know they cant do right for doing wrong and they do need it but was watching the news and they showed a machine that puts de-icing fluid on runways, it looked to me like your average small tanker truck with a rig sticking out the sides to spray the fluid, they said this cost £250,000.

I would have said £100,000 as I know stuff like that isnt cheap but where do they get that from, I cant see quarter of million quid in a vehicle like that, are the airports beign held to ransom by the companies that make them or are theyr very specialist, to me it just looks like some kind of scaled up garden sprayer.

IWatkins

It's a bogo sprayer on a tanker spraying pigs pee.

But has an iPhone 5 and a windscreen mount to stop the driver getting lost. Hence the cost.

PaulC72

Was it full when they said 250k? empty 100k ;-)

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Yep, last may the trainee was sent to every Halfirds to buy all the de Icer, 150 grands worth and he has been spraying each can into the tanker ever since.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Doesn't bloody work anyway, same ****, different year... hateful f**king airport!

HEathrow disruption

BA sorry for disruption (again)

SiPie

Flew in to Heathrow Thursday night from Auckland via Singapore, so lucky to get in and up to Edinburgh before the latest fiasco hit.

I watched utter chaos as my hand luggage was being scanned at terminal 5 for my connection to Edinburgh. The so called team 'leader' was a total incompetent imbecile who had the most disorganised crew of people working for him that I have ever seen.

It was so bad that bags that had shown up as needing searched were being done not in the order they came through but in order of when people's flights were due to leave. So the public was shouting that their flights were about to board so their bags would be checked first and the team leader just watched in confusion as I stood for 1 hour waiting for this bag to be searched.

You fly all round the world and things run smoothly (christchurch/Auckland/Singapore) and get met with the utter f#^} up that is Heathrow

Feel sorry for the poor souls who are delayed sleeping on the floors there and just glad we sneaked in before a few cm of snow grinds the whole fiasco to a halt

Angry (and jet lagged) from Edinburgh

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Precisely, but you will get told you are wrog by the experts on here

Chip

Positive as always

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Positive about things like this is what stops anything changing. If we all just look on the bright side nothing will ever be done about it. We are a nation of sheep that have been brainwashed to never complain about anything. I am just redressing the balance

FlightMan

I was I last night and as usual more uninformed bull**** from you. Direct your anger at BA. I'll say no more.

To the OP.

As for the £36,000,000. Yes that's spot on as I've seen the breakdown. You wouldn't believe how much we spend in 24 hours when it's snowed.

FlightMan

Lmao.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Say what you like, the fact remains that EVERY time there is a little bit of snow your beloved airport descends into chaos. Maybe instead of posting in here you should do something about it as you seem to know exactly what is needed and we are all so uninformed! Doesn't affect me as I will never use it again anyway! Manchester arport seems a far better run establishment thankfully

FlightMan

Again, your an ill informed, optinionated numpty who I won't waste my time on.

Oh and just for you.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

A numpty that knows the difference between your and you're though

Chip

Whereas I will continue to use it but in the knowledge that there is now no chance of ending up sitting next to you.

FlightMan

Unlike wrong and wrog.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Sorry, but there is a big difference between making the occasional typo and being thick which is why I didn't point out your 'optinionated' faux pas!

Anyway I will leave you to post your propaganda in here, see if you can get some grammar right will you though?

jef

iTrader: (13)

its not really EVERY time there is a little bit of snow though is it? its considerable snowfall really.
its so much more than clearing a runway tbh, youve got a massive system of taxi ways that need to be clear, stands and inter-stand roads ect to ensure ground crew can manouvre/feulling vehicles, baggage vehicles, cleaning vehicles along with all the airfield ops, security ect ect ect.
I do know snow clearing vehicles are massivley expensive to buy, run, teach operatives also - each vehicle and driver has to operate within an effective system to ensure each part of the process is effectively carried out. snow doesnt just fall and melt, it falls, clear everything, and falls again, clear again, falls again ect ect.
the priority is maintaining a safe aerodrome for fare paying passengers - most wouldnt be too happy having to evacuate in an emergency after there aircraft has slid off the end of a runway?

travelling is a horribly frustrating experience and any delay in any shape or form from weather to customs staff shortages causes a not unexpected increase in passenger experience. its a time where people are already generally highly strung, no-one really likes travelling, so any disturbance to the process is often jumped upon. Its not the passengers fault, but im sure 100% of people would rather get to and from destinations safely - than risk safety in any way?

there is a whole lot more to keeping aerodromes open than people realise

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

I do realise to an extent, but Heathrow always seems to suffer more than anywhere else. In Jan 2004 I think it was the whole airport ground to a halt because of 10mm of snow. I was there... we flew out of Manchester with much more snow on the ground yet Heathrow was in utter chaos. Anyway I have said my piece and like I say I won't ever use it again so no worries

^Qwerty^

No doubt about that, but my perception is that other places seem to deal with it so much better, Schiphol being the prime example.

I flew in to Schiphol one Sunday night to find my connection had been cancelled due to snow fall, however that snow fall went up to my knee in depth as I walked out the terminal building to catch a bus to the hotel, so it wasn't such a suprise. I flew out the following morning.

Had that being Heathrow I would no doubt still be there 2 days later......

jef

iTrader: (13)

aw cmon, i know you cant hold a grudge , heathrow is an absolutley massive setup.
many times the size of manchester with many times more aircraft movements. no doubt systems could be improved, but people have to remember this is travel where everystep is regulated/controlled and with good reason. - the result of any mistake can cause catastrophic events. People could and have died in the past - thats why we have these regulations imposed - honestly, i travel myself, and i agree its so incredibly frustrating to experinece - but really you wouldnt be happy to travel maybe with family unless every possible precaution has been taken to ensure the saftey of passangers.

Manchester has much fewer aircraft movements, less taxi ways, less stands, and the capability of accommodating smaller aircraft than Heathrow. Its all the small details that add up to the bigger picture. i agree its not pleasant when delayed, but its not done for fun , beleive me.

FlightMan

Careful with the spelling and grammar there Jef.

jef

iTrader: (13)

luckily ive been pulled up so many times for spelling and grammar, it now bounces off me like snow off a heavily used runway

FlightMan

Find another airport running at 99.2% capacity that does it better then come back to me.

Anyone flying with BA yesterday who found themselves on a 744 holding for a stand, might want to ask BA why they parked a 767 on a 747 stand all day, couldn't find a tow to move it, then found they had insufficient 744 stand capacity to service their aircraft.

FlightMan

Lmao.

jef

iTrader: (13)

honestly Schipol is an airport that can and has run effectively during periods of heavy snowfall - it is where many other aerodromes take advice and inspiration from. There is a but here however - they have had regular yearly experience, with staff with appropriate experience - its ever so easy to stand on the sidelines and veiw things - most have year round experience using equipment and tactics involved - and are part of a regular team - and it pays dividends clearly. but you can bet your bottom dollar if Schipol was few degrees off and snowfall was not regular then they would suffer also.
saying that its not an excuse, they do set a standard and tbh it is what most aerodromes try to follow. It does take time though - in the mean time im 100% sure safety remains the no1 priority.

im sure improvements are planned by most aerodromes. no-one wants a negative passenger experience.