Wide bodied domestic positioning flights...

[bailey_uk]

My location is North West UK, and 99% of aircraft flying within sight of my house is FL300 and above.

However yesterday I was lucky enough to spot a Virgin 747 positioning flight, Flight ID VIR72P heading straight for my house, at FL180 enroute from EGPF (Glasgow) to EGCC (Manchester), which was an amazing sight, considering ive been looking up at the skies at my home location for over a decade and not seen anything as big and as low before!

Are these positioning flights common? Im guessing it was a Positioning flight due to its P in the call sign.
Im just wondering on why a Virgin 747 would be at Glasgow as they are not sheduled to fly from there?

Regards

James

[EK01]

James,

Virgin have a short summer seasonal program to Orlando from Glasgow. I think it runs until the end of July/Start of August. Presumably it was this aircraft you spotted repositioning to Manchester. The flight is a weekly departure therefore keep a lookout for it over your way.

Cheers,

Ian (Glasgow Area)

[John Racars]

Im guessing it was a Positioning flight due to its P in the call sign.

Hi James,

VIR is using the "P" in their callsign as well in flights from the UK to EHAM where Virgin aircraft get maintenace by the KLM.

So they use callsigns VIR801P / VIR802P for maintenance-flights to / from Amsterdam Schiphol until sofar and as I can see.

Hope this helpes.

[bailey_uk]

Thanks guys thats all good to know!

Ive always known that P usually stands for Positioning and its the first time I have seen it by using my RB!

Im somehow going to check Virgins Timetable to see inbound flights to Glasgow, and then look out for the domestic leg a few hours later!

Its hard to describe how strange it was to see such an aircraft just hanging there at 370kts and FL180, where usually its like a FL280 and above motorway over where I im based! ( Between the Reporting Points 'Lakey' and 'Shapp')

James

[EK01]

James,

Good spot being located between Lakey and Shap.
The Virgin flight is VS071 from Glasgow to Orlando departing Glasgow at 14.05. It returns from Orlando as VS072 arriving Glasgow at 09.35.
Now comes the difficult bit. According to the Virgin website the next lot of Glasgow departures will be on 19/6, 4/7, 11/7, 2/10, 3/10 and 10/10. The return flights leave Orlando on 3/7, 18/7, 25/7, 16/10 and 17/10 arriving in Glasgow the following day. Just how the rotations are worked out with these dates is anybody's guess.

Cheers,
Ian

[John Racars]

Hi All,

Herewith an exemple of what we discussed last week about the letter "P" in VIR-callsigns.

The 747 is enroute to EHAM (KLM) for maintenace.

I also take this opportunity to correct the flightnumbers; they should be 811P (inbound EHAM) and 812P (outbound).