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Brainstorming! CCU-BOM (via BBI & HYD) on S2 & 6E

 
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jbalonso777
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 6:48 am    Post subject: Brainstorming! CCU-BOM (via BBI & HYD) on S2 & 6E Reply with quote

Hello everyone
This is a trip report from 2010, so I had to extract out a lot to get this on the forum. While I tried my best, it does not contain the level of detail that I usually have. Apologies for that. I posted this TR to bridge the gap between my two current TRs. I didn't know people write about their flights, so I didn't get much detail. Hopefully you'll enjoy!

Yet another fun filled summer in Kolkata spent, it was time to leave. Mum and I came into Kolkata from Mumbai in the Duronto Express, which took a night. After 2 weeks in Kolkata, I headed towards Bhubaneswar, taking a flight while mum was supposed to arrive next day after taking an overnight train. Dad was heading from Mumbai by Kingfisher Red IT3141 just a few days later.

So I booked my flight on Jetlite flight S2-6365 on 28 of May 2010. It was operated by a CRJ-200. It departed Kolkata at 0710 hours, and arrived at Bhubaneswar at 0805 hours. I web checked in for my flight and selected seat 11D. I didn’t mention what happened before this - my debut trip on CO’s B777 (to Orlando, eventually..) was cancelled because there weren’t enough people to go on that NASA trip. Oh well. Anyways, a redemption was the Hong Kong trip, the tickets which I found in my mailbox as a surprise while in CCU.

I left for the airport, early in the morning, and I reached the NSCBI Airport in about half an hour. I was there about 1 and a half hours before departure time, and I entered the very crowded airport in about 15 minutes time. I got my bags screened, as Kolkata uses the very old system of screening the bags before checking in. I then went through the extremely long security check line, which took a good 35 minutes. I then sat at the departure area, as my flight was leaving from the remote stands, boarding was from Gate 1. I then saw a very alarming news, that the Jyaneshwari Express had been derailed by the Maoists, with a lot of fatalities. May their souls rest in peace. And to make things worse, it was pretty close to Kharagpur, the route in which mum would be coming the same night. I immediately called my Mum and Dad, urging them to make alternate arrangements, and book Mum’s ticket on the next day’s Jetlite flight, or the Kingfisher Red. After still being stuck to the TV, boarding had started a few minutes later, about 15 minutes before departure time. I boarded the transfer bus, in which we were taken towards the international terminal and towards the cargo area. It was a HUGE surprise to see a Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-125! What a massive aircraft! It wasn’t something you see in Kolkata everyday! Well, after a long bus ride in the airport, we came across 2 Jetlite CRJ’s. One of them VT-SAP, which was taxiing for departure to Vishakhapatnam and our 50 seater CRJ-200. I boarded the pretty well maintained aircraft, where a steward and an air hostess (the only 2 F/A’s!) were welcoming us onboard.

Flight Details:
Date: 28 May, 2010
Registration/Aircraft type: VT-SAQ/ Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-200ER.
Seat: 11D Economy (Single class)
Scheduled departure: 0710 hours, Actual departure: 0712 hours.
Scheduled Arrival: 0805 hours, Actual arrival: 0801 hours.
Loads (estimated): Y=<95%

I then headed towards my seat, right up to the end of a pretty small regional aircraft. Boarding was completed in a few more minutes and we were ready to go. No push back was required, so the Captain instantly started those tiny GE CF34-3B1 engines. We then taxied towards the runway, with the Pilots constantly powering up the engines. A Kingfisher Airlines ATR 72-500 taxied in full speed to get ahead of us, which was really very weird! I later realized, it was the Kingfisher Red flight to Bhubaneswar, which had a departure time of 0705 hours. The race was on! The Kingfisher ATR took off before us, and we lined up with the runway for a long time, about 5 or 6 minutes! The Captain then applied full power to those CF34 engines which had a splendid sound! The captain then adjusted the course a couple of times, and we were on our way to Bhubaneswar! Then F/A’s then started the Buy-on-Board Jet Cafe service. I took a Non-Vegetarian combo, and Pineapple Juice, with a glass of water. All of this had a cost of Rs. 220, water was free. The combo contained a Barbecue sauce Chicken sandwich, a brownie and a Guava juice. I had no idea that the juice was also a part of the combo! Well, anyways, I took Guava juice in my bag, and finished the rest of my ‘breakfast’. After the meal service was wrapped up, the crew distributed the Jet Shoppe scratch cards and booklets, for bidding, and all of that stuff. I got a dining set from the scratch card, which was pretty much useless (for me).

Descent started in a few minutes, and we made a hard landing at Bhubaneswar, a few minutes before time, and quickly taxied out towards the parking bay. I was the last to get off of the aircraft, and I saw the Kingfisher ATR landing at that point! The ATR had an arrival time of 0810 hours. So, CRJ overtakes ATR mid air! And I absolutely forgot during the flight that we were in a race! Well, it was a good flight overall, nothing too special to be honest. It was my first flight with Jetlite, and it was pretty ordinary.

How did my days go in Bhubaneshwar? Well, Mum’s arrival had been postponed by 2 days. The day I reached there, all I did was see the videos I took, trying to distract myself. The thought of Mum traveling in the same very route gave me a lot of unwanted thoughts and visuals. Night one in Bhubanehswar was sleepless. One of the reasons was also the 40+ degrees temperature. Oh well, as Dad confirmed with me that Mum was now booked on the Kingfisher ATR flight, I felt reassured, with nothing much to worry about at all. There was an unused PSP lying at home, which I got attached to. I decided against the ballsy move of trying to convince Dad to buy me one. I also visited one cave like thing there…while it was quite vandalized, I did see the IndiGo flight depart, enroute to HYD and BOM. An unobstructed view of the Biju Patnaik Airport. And if you have read my 2011 BBI trip report, you’ll remember I fell terribly sick. What happened in 2010 was EXACTLY THE SAME, however, to a much lesser extent. A blocked ear and nose while fever of up to around 102 F stayed with me for about 2 days. Yeah. I’m very delicate.

Then a few days later, Mum came from Kolkata, in the same Kingfisher Red morning flight. The airport was only 5 minutes away from home, so my cousin and I went to pick up mum from the airport. The flight was delayed by about 45 minutes. Mum was on VT-KAD, an ATR 72-212A. Breakfast served was medu wada, served with sambhar.

The very next day, Dad arrived on Kingfisher Red flight IT-3141, on VT-KFI, an Airbus A319-100, which was delayed by over 2 hours. The snack which was served was Paratha’s with a curry of potatoes.

A couple of days spent in Bhubaneswar, we headed for the airport for IndiGo flight 6E-263 to Mumbai via Hyderabad. I could not web check-in, because passengers only with cabin baggage could do so, which was annoying (a policy which I believe today has been changed and almost everyone can web check in) We screened our bags, because Bhubaneswar still has those old before check-in screening process. After a long wait there, we headed for the check-in counters, where the total weight of our bags was just a kilo more, and they were making a lot of fuss about it! Not a pleasant start at all! We got seats 23D, 23E and 23F. Yeah and we did some adjustments to the bags too, since one kg wasn’t allowed (and in 2013, Mum informed me she could carry 17.5kgs of weight without any fuss. On IndiGo). We then waited at the departure lounge, where a once again heavily delayed VT-KAD Kingfisher Red ATR was heading to Kolkata. We then learnt the aircraft was doing a DEL-BBI-HYD-BOM routing. This was the most indirect route between the commercial capital and the capital of India! This was also my first ‘original’ A320 flight in a long. My other flights have been on A319’s and A321’s. The aircraft arrived. My first single bogey A320 flight would be operated on a slightly more than 2 years old bird VT-INR, the ‘Indian rupee’ plane (I couldn’t think of anything else….)

Boarding started on time and we were bussed to the aircraft. Since we were in the rear half of the Airbus, we had to take the stairs attached to door L4, and not the rather unique ramp attached to gate L1. A cheerful crew welcomed us into the rather warm Airbus, where the vapor was coming out of the AC vents. I must admit - it looked a bit more…classy on the Kingfisher A319s when I boarded that.. Maybe because it was the red seats with a plush head rest, and red everywhere, as compared to blue only, with white spots? Who knows…

As soon as we boarded, the overhead bins were being closed. The announcements were being made with a rather unique welcome for us children (yeah, I’m stuck between a ‘boy’ and ‘gentleman’ right now): ‘Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls…’. Wow, I said. Wow. They address us kids (like I said… I’m stuck in between at the moment..) A quick word on the person in 24F, she shall not be mentioned in the TR any longer: she kept kicking my seat and put her hands around the seat, so obviously, her palms were annoying me. Yeah. She was a small girl anyways, so I wouldn’t complain. The engines were soon fired up and we taxied down the runway for a full length take off. Almost the whole runway was taken up for taken and soon we were airborne.

Once up in the air, heading southwest towards Hyderabad, the crew started their service of selling buy on board foods. There was an announcement regarding the drinking water on board, the magazine in the seat pocket and the induction of a new aircraft and the subsequent launch of a new destination (which according to planespotters is VT-IGL). Almost 40 minutes into the flight, the trolley came to my row. Almost everything I asked for was not there. They offered to load it at HYD, so that I can have it on the HYD-BOM sector. At least, the chicken kathi roll was! I had that. As I was just finishing the last bite, the announcement of decent had started, and that just shows maybe how slow the crew were Sad

We quickly landed into Shamshabad, where I noticed a BA B764 and a SV B772. We parked at a gate and a bulk of the passengers got off. It was a slightly long layover (or so I thought..). I headed for the washroom then, much to the annoyance of the ground staff and the cabin, and boy what a royally disgusting mess the washroom was in! Shocked Another bulk of passengers boarded the Airbus and we were soon once again ready for departure. We didn’t use the entire runway this time, as we taxied in from one of the taxiways.

After take off, I decided to get some sleep, only to be woken up by some light turbulence and the same announcements that I’ve mentioned before.. The crew were once again quite robotic and took their time. Soon, we began approach and arrived into Mumbai. Just before touchdown, I noticed the International terminal (obviously! -_- ), which signalled the end of the domestic trip, and onwards to Hong Kong in under 2 weeks time! We taxied alongside a Jetlite Boeing 737-800 in a remote stand. The Airbus was full of vapor by now. A bit too much for my liking…a panic would’ve been possible if some thought this was indeed a fire onboard.

We got off from the rear of the Airbus again, and got into a bus. I also saw VT-JBQ on the way, which at the time was 9Ws newest B737 aircraft (and now VT-JFQ is the next one to be delivered…) I honestly do not remember how long the bags took to arrive, but the rain and greeted us.
That’ll conclude this TR. Please do check out my other 2010 Brainstorms and of course, the other recent trip reports!


Dad's Airbus..

CRJ:
Start up at CCU
Take off from CCU
Approach into BBI
Landing BBI

Airbus:
BBI take off
HYD landing
Taxiing
Taxiing and shut down..
Ground action
Saudia 777 taxiing
Pushback and start up at HYD
Take off from HYD
Long landing and arrival video at BOM
The Groundbus ride
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Nimish
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 4:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The ATR/CRJ race had the expected winner - the CRJ - no surprises there. Glad you had good flights, though the anxious waiting in BBI sounds like a bummer...
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jbalonso777
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 12:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nimish wrote:
The ATR/CRJ race had the expected winner - the CRJ - no surprises there. Glad you had good flights, though the anxious waiting in BBI sounds like a bummer...

Thank you for reading, sir Smile
For some reason, I was under the impression that the CRJ and ATR would be equally matched, since the CRJ had smaller engines. But then again, jets do outclass propellers, as I've found yet.
Yes that wait was very disturbing in many aspects, but I'm glad everything went off as expected with no major drama!

Regards
Jish
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ameya
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the old TR. Nice to see such CRJ days TR !

I never got an opportunity to be in it Sad
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

...and trust me to read the title as `barnstorming' (much like I mis-read Ameya's PNQ-DEL trip title), and wondered what Jishnu was up to this time! Thank you for dusting your old SD cards for the pictures, and jogging your old memories for this trip report! I wish I could also follow suit: I have many memories, both sweet, and those not-so-sweet, but I wish I had your eidetic memory (a la Sheldon of the Big Bang Theory?) Thank you for a TR on an exotic type, which most in India would have only got a brief period of time to have a try on, the CR2. One does not foresee any airline in India going in for a CR2: either now, or in the near future. Thank you for the lovely videos! I also recount with joy, the free food aboard Kingfisher Red, in 2010. that was a nice idea: to keep it somewhat light, and yet, filling. Thanks once again, Sir, and I look forward to the next ones!
Cheers, Sumantra.
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Theairplaneguy4ever
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice work on this TR Jishnu! Glad to see an oldie like this.

It's such a pity the CRJs are gone now.

Quote:
I boarded the pretty well maintained aircraft, where a steward and an air hostess (the only 2 F/A’s!) were welcoming us onboard.


I believe it's 2 FAs for up to 50 pax with an additional FA for every 50 pax after that on narrow bodies. Not sure though!

Quote:
The race was on! The Kingfisher ATR took off before us, and we lined up with the runway for a long time, about 5 or 6 minutes!


It's a fun experience racing another plane to your destination! You've documented it nicely.

Of course, the CRJ was faster!

The 6E flight seemed pretty ordinary. LCC travel is pretty boring in my opinion.

But, anyway, another nice short TR this is! I enjoyed reading the experience.

I look forward to the next one coming up!

Cheers!

Adi,

Theairplaneguy4ever
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jbalonso777
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 22, 2013 10:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ameya wrote:
Thanks for the old TR. Nice to see such CRJ days TR !

I never got an opportunity to be in it Sad

It is my pleasure, sir!
it is always such a joy to write these trip reports!
And as for old - I could be pushing my brain to think back to 2005/6/7. I'll try my best to show what aviation in India was back then, hopefully!

sumantra wrote:
...and trust me to read the title as `barnstorming' (much like I mis-read Ameya's PNQ-DEL trip title), and wondered what Jishnu was up to this time!

Ha ha!
Well, thank you again for reading this TR, sir! I really appreciate your comments!

sumantra wrote:
Thank you for a TR on an exotic type, which most in India would have only got a brief period of time to have a try on, the CR2. One does not foresee any airline in India going in for a CR2: either now, or in the near future.

The S2 CRJ's were around for quite a while, with Air Sahara of course. Those planes always fascinated me ever since I was a child (BLR days pre-2004), so imagine my surprise when I found of I would be flying on one of those mysterious birds 6 years later - only to find out they were retired just few weeks after the very flight! Weird indeed, but I honestly would've loved to fly on of those birds while they were still in the proper S2.

sumantra wrote:
I also recount with joy, the free food aboard Kingfisher Red, in 2010. that was a nice idea: to keep it somewhat light, and yet, filling.

Isn't it always a nice idea, especially for someone like you, to have any sort of free food being served on a flight? Wink

I do wonder at times though - what if the mergers in the last decade never happened? AI, IC, 9W, S2, DN, SG, 6E, IT, G8, you name it..would've been some scene today!

Theairplaneguy4ever wrote:
... Smile

Hey, TAG4E! Thanks for reading this one!
Well, CRJ's do exist in India today, however, I do miss those tiny short business jet looking aircraft: CRJ-200 of course, flying around. The -700 is a tad too lengthy IMO.
Like I mentioned, this TR was actually written back in 2010, so I preserved most of my writing styles and details. Also, my aviation knowledge was quite weak back then, hence my surprise in seeing only 2 F/A's Smile
However, I do believe your theory about the pax FA ratio is true.
Honestly, I completely forgot about the racing planes thing, like I mentioned Razz
Luckily, I saw VT-KAD land, so I remembered it and wrote it in this TR. In a single word: fluke xD
LCC's are boring, yes. But they are dominant, convenient, cheaper and attract almost ALL of the passengers in India. Oh well. Rolling Eyes

Writing for the next TR is underway, people!

Merry Christmas, Happy New year and happy holidays to all of you members!

Warm wishes!
Regards
Jishnu
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stealthpilot
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 5:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I read a lot of TRs a few weeks/days ago but never managed to reply.
Nice one Smile
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jbalonso777
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 12:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

stealthpilot wrote:
I read a lot of TRs a few weeks/days ago but never managed to reply.
Nice one Smile

We all writers appreciate the time you spend on these! Smile
Thank you so much!
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