Many more event pictures now available!
![295-110309_0268[1]](http://www.starmegado.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/295-110309_02681.jpg "295-110309_0268[1]")
We’ve created a special picture blog of photos from the events. Visit them visit them here:
http://www.starmegado.com/plogger/
Feel free to click on the pictures and post comments, or select some for downloading.
Plane spotting at Toulouse
What great fun to be at the factory and see the planes from so many carriers all in one place. And there were plenty to be seen. Check out some of these beauties:
This is the plane we were touring in all day:
Not all the planes on the ground were Airbus, but they were still cool:
Some of the bigger birds on display:
Of course, the main focus of the visit to Toulouse was plane spotting of a different kind. We were there to tour the A380 final assembly line. We did, and it was amazing. More stories, video and photos from that soon.
A “missed approach” at Toulouse
When showing up to a party is is a good idea to make a grand first impression, right? So what about buzzing the field at Toulouse? I like it.
Our arrival at the Airbus facility was a spectacular event, highlighted by the expert fly-by executed by the first officer on our Condor air 757-300. Sitting in the middle of the plane, I knew that we were low to the field and I knew pretty early on that we were long on the approach. But just now, flying back to Los Angeles, I have had a chance to view a video taken from the cockpit and know just how close we were.
The voice of the computer counts down the approach. Fifty. Forty. Thirty. Twenty!
That’s right…Twenty. Feet, I think. That’s pretty ridiculous. And we cruised pretty much the length of the runway at that altitude.
And then the shouts from back in the cabin – sheer excitement as we cruise on down the field so close, yet so very far away from touching down. Finally, at the end of the runway, an ominous “six hundred remaining” is heard as the end of the runway is clearly visible and we’re very clearly still not on the ground. And then the thrust of the engines and only clouds and sky visible through the cockpit window as we climbed out and around for our actual landing.
Yeah, we made one hell of a first impression!
The second movie here is of the actual landing. Mostly the same except that we actually bothered to stop that time around. Still plenty of excitement from the cabin.
Fun ‘n’ snow in Oslo
First stop on the trip was Oslo to pick up a few more participants and to meet the folks from SAS who were kind enough to host us. They provided all the traditional Norwegian fare for us, including snow on arrival. Walking off the plane in a Hawaiian shirt and making a snow ball was quite enjoyable.
There was traditional music and dance:
And there were a bunch of displays set up around the hangar. The Air Force had a demo of their med-evac procedures on display and we were able to walk around one of the planes, including in the engine cowls and the landing gear areas. Very cool stuff.
There was a presentation from the folks at SAS about their airline and the Euro Bonus program as well as two singing performances by one of the flight attendants, including one where the wing of the plane was used as the stage. Video of that should be forthcoming shortly.
And then there was the biggest surprise of the morning’s events. The main organizer, Tommy, actually got to leave the plane via the evacuation slide:
Some others hopped on afterwards, but I am quite certain it wasn’t the same.
And then our stay in Oslo was complete. It was off to the de-icing pad and our departure for Toulouse. Another exciting flight and an even more exciting arrival!
Getting an early start to the day
I’ve never seen so many people quite so happy to be boarding a plane at 5:15 in the morning. And yet there we all were. Nearly 200 mostly awake and in a remote gate area of Frankfurt International Airport, ready to climb on board the first of three flights in our chartered Condor Boeing 757-300.
Plenty of sleepy eyes in the gate area but once boarding started most folks perked up in a hurry.
Maybe it was that we were giving out lies in conjunction with the first flight’s theme – a Continental Airlines flight from Hawai’i to Los Angeles in the 70s. Or maybe it was because the excitement all finally just bubbled over. Who really cares why…folks were downright giddy and it showed in their faces and behavior.
And the party never stopped. It would be days before things calmed down. But it is still before 6am on a Thursday morning in this story and we haven’t even taken off for our first stop, Oslo and a breakfast party with SAS.
Double-decker excitement
The A380 is simply huge. There is no other way to describe it. And the reception we received from the folks at Airbus and the tour that they provided was huge as well.
I wrote the above more than 5 hours ago in an attempt to be witty, smart and informative. In reality what I am is drunk and exhausted. Therefore there will be no more text in this post. Look at the pretty pictures and enjoy. Hopefully I’ll get more than 3 hours of sleep tonight (unlike the last three) and there will be more coherence in the morning.
Braving the snow in Oslo
Everything on the trip thus far has been incredibly well prepared theme-wise. The visit to Oslo and SAS was absolutely consistent with this expectation – we landed in a light snow! It was chilly outside but the hangar was plenty warm with good fun.
The SAS crew put on a great show, including a traditional dance troupe and one of their very own flight attendants who is also a quite good singer performing a couple tunes. She actually used the wing of the 737 as the stage for one of the performances; I’ve got video of that to post later.
There was a quite informative demonstration by the Norwegian Air Force of the processes they go through for evacuating soldiers. They had one of the planes configured inside with stretchers rather than regular seats and even a couple demo patients there.
As part of the safety and patient evac demo they popped one of the emergency slides and Tommy got to ride down it from the plane. The rest of us were only able to pretend but we still had some fun with it.
And then our time in Oslo came to an end. The band played on but we boarded the plane again and headed out to Toulouse.
See Willi in the snow
Willi, the Condor Boeing 757-300 chartered for the Mega DO, is enjoying the snow in Oslo.
Pictures courtesy of perlman and nickpiggot via Twitpic.
Fine dining with Star Alliance and Lufthansa
Wrapping up the first day of the tours here in Germany, our group was treated to a meal by the folks from Lufthansa and Star Alliance. The event was held in the main dining room of Lufthansa’s executive offices just off the airport grounds and we were very well taken care of, to say the least.
Good booze and good food flowed, as did good friendship and camaraderie.
Jan Albrecht was present, along with a number of other executives from airlines and the alliance. They were happy to circulate among the crowd and get feedback from our group, with one of them noting rather humbly that they knew that the FlyerTalk community has a more in-depth understanding of their products than even they do and that they depend on us a good amount to know when things are broken.
A few more speeches, including the very appropriate and heartfelt thanks being extended to the organizers of the event.
Lufthansa had some flight attendants at the event as part of the photo shoot and then to be at the party to show off some of the retro uniforms that they used to use. Quite sharp, to say the least.
Boarding passes being distributed:
John celebrating the fact that he managed to lose and find his passport in the 12 hours prior to the departure from the USA. He had great reason to drink and celebrate, not that we really need good reasons.
Getting ready to head out on the first charter flight now.
And The Big Day Begins – Flight DE9254 is ready to board!
Photo courtesy of Perlman via Twitpic:
