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Good things always come to an end
Hi everyone, thanks again for joining and using Meridiana courtesy ticket's last coupon ....
Getting from Pisa to Florence was by a short train ride and overnighted in a small hotel near the massive main station. They are two stations, both originally built during the 30s in typical Mussolini-Italian art deco architecture. Getting from downtown to the airport was by bus. Once there, I first went for a walk around to picture some details which I did not during the previous trip ...for instance some signposts
a more serious one courtesy of the Ministry of Transportation/Civil Aviation Authority telling of not obstructing the rescue vehicles' passageway
Locally based Delta Aerotaxi, which also run a flying school. I am still impressed in how accurate the Citation 500 sideview has been reproduced.
Street view of the terminal, two cabs coming as handy to better enhance its small size,
Then I retrieved my temporar badge to enter the ramp
The airport was served by Air Littoral (ATR42) Air Uk (146s) Lufthansa Cityline (Dash 8s) Sabena (146s) together with Air Dolomiti (still with the initial Boeing-Dash 8-300s), ATI/AeroTransportiItaliane (ATR42s), Avianova (ATR42s) and Meridiana, which based there a fleet of 146-200s for dedicated and exclusive ops from/to FLR. Some biz and corporate also showed up.
The ramp, two sides, one by the terminal, restricted to ATRs and similar and the opposite one cleared for BAe 146s, in the background, the lone hangar was Meridiana's deicated 146 maintenance unit.
Some most unsual residents were a couple of Piper SuperCubs used for fire prevention by the region of Tuscany and operated by Transavio, a general aviation and air taxi operator based at Milan/Bresso.
I-AETB
and sister-ship I-BALM, both hangared for the fall/winter
and a rather dormant Flying service Metro III
During the afternoon I was controlled by a not so routine patrol of the Carabinieri (State troopers) shortly after picturing the Super Cubs. Later, a local top brass asked me to follow me to his office in the first floor of the terminal building. Coming to my rescue were the gentleman of the CAA who handed me over the badge by presentation of the introductory letter from Meridiana which also delegated a gentlemen. Some warm discussion which turned into a real "Comedia del'Arte"
unfolded in the Carabinere's office. The latter came to the point of confiscating the offending badge by jailing it in some portable glass-case 
Nethertheless, I felt sorry for the two gentlemen who flew to my rescue. They told me not to worry, they were accustomed to. The day ended at the airline's VIP loundge until time for showing for the flight rang...
October 20th
IG/ISS 3387
Firenze/Peretola-Paris/CDG1, 544 nm
17.25/19.15
BAe 146-200, I-FLRX, E2170, Captain Lusso
Airborne 1 hrs 26.
[photoid=39436]
Boarding at 18.10 was punctuated by a round of champagne, the glass of which I then walked to seat 06D. On the P/A, Italian and English were the languages in use. Engines were spooled up at 18.25 and two minutes later, Romeo-Xray vacated the stand for an uptenth time. A single access linked the ramp with the runway, so we had to hold for a few minutes for a german registered King Air 200 which had just landed to exit the ramp. Finally, we rotated at 18.40 and climbed to FL280. While we overflew Genoa and then Geneva, a dinner service associated with spirits and concluded by some liquors was processed with. Later, next to Captain Lusso's agreement, I moved to the jumpseat. We got on short finals at 20.04 and according to glimpses of dialogs with the ATC, we were next to an Air Afrique DC.10-30 for runway 27/09 on which we touched down at 20.06. Four minutes later, the BAae 146 pulled along on the stand at Zulu 4 (Satelitte 4).
Your comments off course welcome
Till the next
Alain
Getting from Pisa to Florence was by a short train ride and overnighted in a small hotel near the massive main station. They are two stations, both originally built during the 30s in typical Mussolini-Italian art deco architecture. Getting from downtown to the airport was by bus. Once there, I first went for a walk around to picture some details which I did not during the previous trip ...for instance some signposts
a more serious one courtesy of the Ministry of Transportation/Civil Aviation Authority telling of not obstructing the rescue vehicles' passageway
Locally based Delta Aerotaxi, which also run a flying school. I am still impressed in how accurate the Citation 500 sideview has been reproduced.
Street view of the terminal, two cabs coming as handy to better enhance its small size,
Then I retrieved my temporar badge to enter the ramp
The airport was served by Air Littoral (ATR42) Air Uk (146s) Lufthansa Cityline (Dash 8s) Sabena (146s) together with Air Dolomiti (still with the initial Boeing-Dash 8-300s), ATI/AeroTransportiItaliane (ATR42s), Avianova (ATR42s) and Meridiana, which based there a fleet of 146-200s for dedicated and exclusive ops from/to FLR. Some biz and corporate also showed up.
The ramp, two sides, one by the terminal, restricted to ATRs and similar and the opposite one cleared for BAe 146s, in the background, the lone hangar was Meridiana's deicated 146 maintenance unit.
Some most unsual residents were a couple of Piper SuperCubs used for fire prevention by the region of Tuscany and operated by Transavio, a general aviation and air taxi operator based at Milan/Bresso.
I-AETB
and sister-ship I-BALM, both hangared for the fall/winter
and a rather dormant Flying service Metro III
During the afternoon I was controlled by a not so routine patrol of the Carabinieri (State troopers) shortly after picturing the Super Cubs. Later, a local top brass asked me to follow me to his office in the first floor of the terminal building. Coming to my rescue were the gentleman of the CAA who handed me over the badge by presentation of the introductory letter from Meridiana which also delegated a gentlemen. Some warm discussion which turned into a real "Comedia del'Arte"
unfolded in the Carabinere's office. The latter came to the point of confiscating the offending badge by jailing it in some portable glass-case Nethertheless, I felt sorry for the two gentlemen who flew to my rescue. They told me not to worry, they were accustomed to. The day ended at the airline's VIP loundge until time for showing for the flight rang...October 20th
IG/ISS 3387
Firenze/Peretola-Paris/CDG1, 544 nm
17.25/19.15
BAe 146-200, I-FLRX, E2170, Captain Lusso
Airborne 1 hrs 26.
[photoid=39436]
Boarding at 18.10 was punctuated by a round of champagne, the glass of which I then walked to seat 06D. On the P/A, Italian and English were the languages in use. Engines were spooled up at 18.25 and two minutes later, Romeo-Xray vacated the stand for an uptenth time. A single access linked the ramp with the runway, so we had to hold for a few minutes for a german registered King Air 200 which had just landed to exit the ramp. Finally, we rotated at 18.40 and climbed to FL280. While we overflew Genoa and then Geneva, a dinner service associated with spirits and concluded by some liquors was processed with. Later, next to Captain Lusso's agreement, I moved to the jumpseat. We got on short finals at 20.04 and according to glimpses of dialogs with the ATC, we were next to an Air Afrique DC.10-30 for runway 27/09 on which we touched down at 20.06. Four minutes later, the BAae 146 pulled along on the stand at Zulu 4 (Satelitte 4).
Your comments off course welcome
Till the next
Alain
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