Steve from England

This is my second low cost or ‘budget’ airline flight, my first being to Venice with the now defunct ‘Go’ airline. This time it was Ryanair and I was expecting basic. What greeted me made basic seems somehow luxurious. It was a 70’s meets 2004 combination of vinyl seats and GPS, I say that but that has to be an assumption on my part seeing as how we did seem to be going the right way and navigation by roads is not recommended for a Boeing 737. As we took off from Essex I was curious to see where we would fly. I had done the route several times myself as an avid fan of ‘Flight Sim’ on the computer but considered the possibility that this was Microsoft who are not renowned for their attention to little details like accuracy. It was not look, after an unsteady piece of banking, before we were headed for the Thames Estuary flying over Basildon, my home for a decade of my younger life, across the Thames and a quick wave to my dad as we flew over Herne Bay, over what used to be RAF Manston a...

This is my second low cost or ‘budget’ airline flight, my first being to Venice with the now defunct ‘Go’ airline. This time it was Ryanair and I was expecting basic. What greeted me made basic seems somehow luxurious. It was a 70’s meets 2004 combination of vinyl seats and GPS, I say that but that has to be an assumption on my part seeing as how we did seem to be going the right way and navigation by roads is not recommended for a Boeing 737. As we took off from Essex I was curious to see where we would fly. I had done the route several times myself as an avid fan of ‘Flight Sim’ on the computer but considered the possibility that this was Microsoft who are not renowned for their attention to little details like accuracy. It was not look, after an unsteady piece of banking, before we were headed for the Thames Estuary flying over Basildon, my home for a decade of my younger life, across the Thames and a quick wave to my dad as we flew over Herne Bay, over what used to be RAF Manston a...

Nick myself and Martyn drove down to Horley, just outside Gatwick on the Sunday. Our flight was Monday morning but we really didn’t want to get up early so decided to book into a guest house for the night. Typically, the journey was not without delay, British roads being what they are. The M25 had the speed restrictions in places way too early which caused traffic problems itself then the M23 had problems so a further delay, we were so glad we didn’t have to face all that on a deadline! We have stayed at the guest house several times before. It is typically British in that I felt as though I was visiting a long last aunt and uncle that barely knew me, yet, out of some sort of family obligation, were obliged to accommodate me. The couple were reasonable, as long lost and not very interesting relatives go. He kept himself to himself, probably keen to watch the cricket, she was friendly but with a smile the sort I would expect to see on the face of an air steward when greeting passengers....

Nick myself and Martyn drove down to Horley, just outside Gatwick on the Sunday. Our flight was Monday morning but we really didn’t want to get up early so decided to book into a guest house for the night. Typically, the journey was not without delay, British roads being what they are. The M25 had the speed restrictions in places way too early which caused traffic problems itself then the M23 had problems so a further delay, we were so glad we didn’t have to face all that on a deadline! We have stayed at the guest house several times before. It is typically British in that I felt as though I was visiting a long last aunt and uncle that barely knew me, yet, out of some sort of family obligation, were obliged to accommodate me. The couple were reasonable, as long lost and not very interesting relatives go. He kept himself to himself, probably keen to watch the cricket, she was friendly but with a smile the sort I would expect to see on the face of an air steward when greeting passengers....