 Poster: A snowHead
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At a New Years Eve party last night I got talking to a neighbour who is a pilot & trainer for an airline. He has just started training pilots for the airlines new service into Innsbruck. The level of training that pilots have to have to land here is quite assuring. Airport visits, jumps seat land and take offs etc etc. Not only that but it s a Pilot Only airport, no 1st officer taking over for in and out at this airport. A very dissorienting approach and all proceedures to be memorised because of this.
I was very assured by all he said but was entertained by his reporting of the looks that even experienced pilots had on their faces when he took them in and out for their 1st visit. He also mentioned how weight crucial take offs were, with maximum power and the steepest bank (30 degrees) being used to turn the plane around in the valley during take off. The inmpression that I got was that although not frightened his attention was focused to a massive degree ( if you know what I mean  )
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've used Innsbruck regularly over the last few years, mainly in winter but also this last summer. Have to admit I'm keen to try somewhere else, the luggage reclaim hall hasn't been big enough for the last few years and the check-in hall was similarly undersized / under staffed.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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It's a great airport and it is only a short ride to the city and the train station.
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It's a lovely approach. You almost feel that you could reach out and touch the mountains either side.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Always remember 'Ever landing is a controlled crash'
A reasuring comment from one of my friends who flys jumbos for BA
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Been into Innsbruck a few time
Best to sit on the left side for the best views if you like to watch when coming into land
Take offs are pretty tame though
Agree it’s not the biggest airport but have not had any great hassles there and I've experience far worse else where
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Could you pm me the airlines he's training? Innbruck's the next obvious gateway into short transfer skiing and doen't have much access right now...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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fallliner, I'd say access is pretty good... BA and Austrian. There was no scheduled at all after AirUK dumped the route about 10 years ago. If someone else went in there (like easyJet) I reckon either BA or Austrian would drop it. Plenty of charters at the week-ends and independent skiers can still jump on those.
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Bode Swiller, Easyjet are not necessary. Look at BA prices at the moment. They seem very reasonable to me. Good flights times too. We do not want budget carriers spoiling things.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Latchigo, I couldn't agree more.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I could do with BA using the regional airports near me though, they seem to be the preserve of the budget airlines mostly.
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When I was learning to fly one of my instructors was an ex-BA pilot who used to fly into Innsbruck. He told me that they used to trick all the new pilots in the simulator by making them do an engine out missed approach into Innsbruck - the trick being you can't actually do it without CFIT (that's controlled flight into terrain, ie a big bang and red faces all round)
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You know it makes sense.
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I skied with a pilot last year who wouldn't go to St Anton because it would mean someone else flying him into Innsbruck. 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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A bit like the old Hong Kong airport, because it's tricky and the crew have to be on their toes, it's very safe...
If you're at all worried about your chosen airline or airport, take a peek at this little list... http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnetGOjg/Disasters.htm you won't find Innsbrick anywhere on there. Happy flying.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've also used this airport a couple of times and the first time we bounced our way through the mountains on the approach as the weather was terrible and it was really scary.
The last time I went it was a clear day and the sun was setting and all the mountains were tinged with pink - it was stunning. On this occasion we sat near the front and for one of cabin crew it was his first time into Innsbruck. He commented that he'd never flown so close to the mountains before and could understand why we wanted a strong drink just before landing!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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FLown into Innsbruck in the summer - stunning run in through the valleys with what felt like a complete right angle turn at one point. Booking for Obergurgl next Chrimbo just so we can do it in the snow!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Bode Swiller, you're wrong. Innsbruck is on the list. 29/2/64 - an incoming aircraft hit a mountain.
AFAIK, it closed the airport to "big" aircraft for many years.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Elizabeth B, alright... apart from that one!  Confess I didn't go that far back as aviation is a bit different now. You've obviously got some time on your hands.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Bode Swiller, no....I remember reading about it a while back, and knew it was in the 60s.
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This one...
29/02/1964 Innsbruck, Austria. Bristol, Britannia. British Eagle International Airlines. Hit a Mountain. 84 dead.
A quick call and I learn that it was after take off (so, they'd had their holiday at least), trouble gaining height for some reason and my informant reckons the plane hit somewhere around St Christoph. Is this accurate? My mate's memory is a bit sketchy.
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Sorry, more duff info... this is what happened (and they hadn't had their holiday yet!)
British Eagle Flight 802/6 departed London at 12:04 GMT with destination Innsbruck, Austria. At 13:35 the flight contacted Munich ATC and reported over the Kempten NDB nine minutes later, changing its IFR flight plan to VFR from Kempten to Innsbruck. Two minutes later the crew contacted Innsbruck and reported descending VMC directly to Seefeld. Over the Innsbruck VOR at FL110, the airplane was still unable to break the clouds. The last message from the flight was at 14:12 when it reported at FL100. The descent was continued until the airplane collided with the steep eastern flank of the Glungezer Mountain at an altitude of 2600m (8500 ft). An avalanche occurred, carrying most of the aircraft debris downhill for about 400m.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The primary cause was the erroneous decision of the pilot-in-command to descend, below the stipulated minimum safe altitude in the weather conditions prevailing at the time, as a result of which he was unable to conduct the flight in accordance with visual flight rules."
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Bode Swiller, I remember the news of the crashes in Tenerife and also Staines(which was then plagued by sightseers).
Interesting to see that there was a crash in Cricklewood in 1920.
I could not find reference to the plane that killed either Otis Redding or Buddy Holly though.
http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnetGOjg/Disasters.htm
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Not sure about Otis Redding, but Buddy Holly was definitely not on a "commercial passenger airline" as the page states that those listed are.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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provenjohn, done it many times and never a nervous moment... at least it's straight in. No, for scary I offer you the three "go arounds" I suffered in a violent snowstorm in Siberia about a year ago... I didn't enjoy vodka before that night! If you look through the list and see just how many disasters have been contributed by our Russian friends over the years, you'll see why I was sure I was going to die. The problem out there is that there's nowhere to divert to!
If you enjoy airline disasters  , or want to check out the safety record of your airline or particular version of a jet, you should visit http://aviation-safety.net/database/type/index.php?type=jet - you'll be pleased to know that the modern 737s used by the likes of easyjet have suffered no losses, nor have most modern airbus. Some planes like 777s and A340s are unblemished. Hey, it's safer than the taxi ride to the airport.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Bode Swiller, Yes, did Skiathos in summer, you have reminded me of a ski flight some 20 years ago in Bulgaria, never heard passengers give a round of applause before when we had finally stopped !!! 
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A few years ago I was in a twin engined prop-plane to do a parachute jump and we lost an engine after take off, about 5,000 feet if I remember right (we were over Scunthorpe at the time). Of course the dozen jumpers in the back (me included, 2nd to last out) just had to wait til we were back over the airfield and we got out, the pilot got it safely back down again on the one engine.
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You know it makes sense.
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I guess if you're going to have engine trouble, then when you're planning on doing a parachute jump must be the best time
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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The only issue we had was getting back over open ground before we lost too much height, we'd cleared off away from the airfield as we were en route to 13k feet and were downwind of the landing zone.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| FenlandSkier wrote: |
| A few years ago I was in a twin engined prop-plane to do a parachute jump and we lost an engine after take off, about 5,000 feet if I remember right (we were over Scunthorpe at the time). Of course the dozen jumpers in the back (me included, 2nd to last out) just had to wait til we were back over the airfield and we got out, the pilot got it safely back down again on the one engine. |
That's nothing. I was on a trans Atlantic flight once that ran out of gin. Had to make an emergency switch to vodka. So, no more of this namby panby 007 stuff please.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Innsbruck is in a good location - its just utter rubbish if your flight is delayed - my god its boring, I think only 1 shop after you go through security and a rubbish beverage counter. We were stuck there on the way home for many hours and it drove me quite insane!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I think I flew there once with Tyrolean or something. The next time I visited I got the train from Munich, which was preferable from memory, because I love the Austrian countryside and it only takes a couple of hours.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Used INN many times on the way to St Anton. My initial reaction - WTF - only tame take-offs and landings, but I guess I was not in the cockpit.
Lovely scenery on the way in, no crowds in the luggage hall (probably a factor of coming in on a Dash  , and a short bus or taxi ride to the station. Have landed at 8am and made the 8:39 train to St A. A lot going for that airport...
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