06-04-2014, 05:49 PM
Amatuers
Try flying in Central America.
1) Flew to Tegucigalpa on Eastern (way back when), circled and tried to land three times on a beautiful, calm day. The pilot then flew back to San Pedro Sula (like flying to Detroit and landing in Chicago), the entire flight crew got off the plane and wished us luck. A crew from Tan Sasha came aboard and flew us back to Tegucigalpa. The Eastern crew was afraid to land.
2) Flying out of Tegucigalpa on American. The plane breaks down and we all have to spend the night while American flies a mechanic and part down on a Taca flight the next day for a 30 minute repair.
3) Stuck in Le Ceiba for 9 hours because the Islana plane is stuck in a rainstorm in another city. Le Ceiba is the hub but they wouldn't switch out to another plane for our 20 minute flight to the islands.
4) Took off and landed in Managua four times - on the same day - on the same flight and we never went anywhere else. Literally take off, circle, land each time. No one came out and worked on the plane, no one ever got on or off.. just take off, circle, land… no explanation except after the last one we were told to deplane due to low fuel.
5) I wasn't on it but in the mid-80's my wife flew Miami to Tegucigalpa on a very cheap ticket we found aboard Challenge International Airline (seriously, worse name ever for an airline). Upon boarding she discovered she was the only woman on the flight. Every other passenger was a young, in-shape man with very short hair. She said the flight was great and her every whim was taken care of (it was an all-male crew as well), while the guys were ignored. We figured out later that she was aboard a CIA air america flight during the Contra war. Challenge International Airline
6) no delays, just bazaar -- Tegucigalpa to Roatan on a DC3 with no seats, sharing space with two goats tied to the frame of the fuselage.
BUT my all time favorite…
I was booked on a Taca (affectionately called Take A Chance Airline) to fly from Roatan to Miami on a direct, nonstop flight. The plane never came in the night before, so we were put on some puddle jumpers to San Pedro Sula to catch a flight from there. Well we caught a flight, except we went to San Jose, Costa Rica. We laid up there for seven hours and were not allowed to leave the International boarding area (which had no food or drink, they brought us a bottled water and an unheated airline sandwich). Then we loaded back aboard and were told we were going to Managua. While airborne, the pilot came on and asked if anyone was disembarking in Managua. No one indicated such, so he said we would not be landing as the plane was full and no one was getting off. So the flight continued north for Miami - except we needed fuel and would land for that. Where did we land? Roatan, the same place we had left that morning.
Try flying in Central America.
1) Flew to Tegucigalpa on Eastern (way back when), circled and tried to land three times on a beautiful, calm day. The pilot then flew back to San Pedro Sula (like flying to Detroit and landing in Chicago), the entire flight crew got off the plane and wished us luck. A crew from Tan Sasha came aboard and flew us back to Tegucigalpa. The Eastern crew was afraid to land.
2) Flying out of Tegucigalpa on American. The plane breaks down and we all have to spend the night while American flies a mechanic and part down on a Taca flight the next day for a 30 minute repair.
3) Stuck in Le Ceiba for 9 hours because the Islana plane is stuck in a rainstorm in another city. Le Ceiba is the hub but they wouldn't switch out to another plane for our 20 minute flight to the islands.
4) Took off and landed in Managua four times - on the same day - on the same flight and we never went anywhere else. Literally take off, circle, land each time. No one came out and worked on the plane, no one ever got on or off.. just take off, circle, land… no explanation except after the last one we were told to deplane due to low fuel.
5) I wasn't on it but in the mid-80's my wife flew Miami to Tegucigalpa on a very cheap ticket we found aboard Challenge International Airline (seriously, worse name ever for an airline). Upon boarding she discovered she was the only woman on the flight. Every other passenger was a young, in-shape man with very short hair. She said the flight was great and her every whim was taken care of (it was an all-male crew as well), while the guys were ignored. We figured out later that she was aboard a CIA air america flight during the Contra war. Challenge International Airline
6) no delays, just bazaar -- Tegucigalpa to Roatan on a DC3 with no seats, sharing space with two goats tied to the frame of the fuselage.
BUT my all time favorite…
I was booked on a Taca (affectionately called Take A Chance Airline) to fly from Roatan to Miami on a direct, nonstop flight. The plane never came in the night before, so we were put on some puddle jumpers to San Pedro Sula to catch a flight from there. Well we caught a flight, except we went to San Jose, Costa Rica. We laid up there for seven hours and were not allowed to leave the International boarding area (which had no food or drink, they brought us a bottled water and an unheated airline sandwich). Then we loaded back aboard and were told we were going to Managua. While airborne, the pilot came on and asked if anyone was disembarking in Managua. No one indicated such, so he said we would not be landing as the plane was full and no one was getting off. So the flight continued north for Miami - except we needed fuel and would land for that. Where did we land? Roatan, the same place we had left that morning.