Hello(!),

Thought I'd try to write another trip report (apologies if they're too many) for another intra-European flight I took just recently (yesterday evening). Have been taking a lot of flights recently because I've actually submitted my application to Easyjet to work as cabin crew maybe if they're hiring but I'm still a bit of a nervous flier so to try to get over my nerves have booked lots of flights(!) (and Ryanair are very cheap if you book in advance). Anyway this was a short evening flight to Milan (Bergamo) for dinner really. The flight was about 1.40hr so was a little longer than the normally 45min flights I've been on to Dublin or Shannon or Belfast.

Anyway on with the pics (hope the report turns out ok and Milan Bergamo is an interesting destination).

Weather was quite nice when I left home (my parents' house) in the afternoon. The flight was departing at 3.50pm so I left a few hours earlier for the drive round the M25 motoray to London Stansted (about 1.30hrs):



The drive round the M25 (it's my Dad's Mercedes!):



I parked in the Mid-Stay car park and took the shuttle bus to the terminal (Stansted has only one terminal so far), arriving there about 1 hour before my flight was meant to depart which was quite enough time since the lines for security at Stansted are normally not too long whenever I've been there.



Stansted landside (Ryanair checkin counters although I had already check in online for both outward and return flights and had printed my boarding pass at home):



London Stansted airside. Lots of shops and restarants/internet terminals makes for quite a nice place to have to wait for a while if you have to (although my flight was already telling me to go to the gate when I arrived there):



Frankie & Benny's are Bar Est Cafe:



Starbucks coffee has like an island:



Ryanair Boeing 737-800's (with winglets) on the way to gate no. 50:



Ryanair Boeing 737-800 (with winglets). The weather was a little cloudy but not bad at all:



Gates 40-50 in what is probably the main pier. The women on the right are selling priority boarding (which costs 3 pounds each way with booking and I think is the same price on the gate):



Ryanair flight to Dublin boarding:



Boarding (we boarded well on time but had a little wait in the stairs leading down to the tarmac):



Ryanair Boeing 737-800 (with winglets):



Wing view (from seat 23A) and another Ryanair plane:



Boarding (lots of large cabin baggage although the flight wasn't that full, maybe a little over a half if I remember right):



Pushback/taxi/engine start:



View of Stansted's terminal I think while we were on the Runway (Stansted's Southwest runway 22? I think):



Rolling down the Southwest Runway:



Takeoff/the major road running just parallel to the airport boundary:



English countryside near Stansted (Essex probably):



Counrtyside:



Stansted airport and countryside:



Fields:



Turning right above the clouds:



A power station on our way to Dover. The captain/first officer had told us that our routing would take us to Dover then I think Belgium/Luxembourg then Germany and across the Aips to Milan. Flight time was 1.40hr.:



Flying above the clouds:



Another clouds/sunset shot:



Inside the cabin. I think by now the cabin crew had started taking orders of hot food before coming round to offer drinks/snacks too (buy on board):



Clouds as it's getting darker:



About half way into the flight it was dark outside:



City lights somewhere:



I saw a UFO in the darkness(!) that red light to the left of the wing. Seemed to be at about our altitude and wasn't really moving, just a red light (although we were a bit far from Area 51!):



Another shot of the UFO/red light(!):



City lights/turning left:



More city lights/turning left (apologies for the bluriness):



Final approach to Milan Bergamo:



Landing Milan Bergamo:



Parked at the stand. Another Ryanair and DHL plane:



We took the bus from the aircraft to the terminal where there was luckily no line for immigration. This is a picture upon entering Milan Bergamo airport in the arrivals section, looking right:



Finding my way. The sign to departures, info desk, restaurants etc. all to the left:



The main concourse at Milan Bergamo (apologies if the shots came out a little dark):



Outside the main concourse. It's very dark but there's a big Darty (French I think big electrical store) electrical store just opposite and I think a few other big shops/businesses. Lots of buses too making it quite a lively airport for a Ryanair destination (I think Ryanair has a pretty big base there).



One of the many espresso/cafe/sandwich/snack shops in the main concourse/departures:



Small book/magazine store:



Another wine/food place:



The far end of the main concourse. Fruit bar, checkin desks etc.



Departures board at the far end of the main concourse. The evening has lots of Ryanair flights to Dublin, Frankfurt Hahn, Paris Beauvais, London Stansted plus an Alitalia flight to Rome FCO:



My dinner (half finished). I went upstairs to the self service restaurant and had some Turkey and potatoes which was really pretty nice (with a little Rosemary). I washed it down with a pretty nice Peroni beer.



My laptop in the self-service restaurant (unfortunately there was no wifi in the airport except at the departures gate but I couldn't get that to work). I asked at the information desk and they advised me to go to the arrivals section where there was a few internet terminals (paid). However I managed to send an email but they were at least for me a little temperamental at the time.



Upstairs/self-service restaurant:



After a few hours having dinner/relaxing etc. it was time for me to check in for the flight back. There was quite a long line but it moved fast and soon I was through security etc. This is the duty free shop airside which was quite nice:



Lots of Ferrari stuff on sale:



This flight was from gate 7 I think and was pretty busy. I think Trapani is in Italy but I'm not sure. The flight to London Stansted was in gate 2:



Cafe near gate 2. I had a nice cappucino here (I already had had a nice espresso and pastry after my dinner in one of the main concourse cafes):



DHL plane (from the bus to take us to the aircraft). Ryanair uses buses sometimes to shuttle people from the terminal to the aircraft. However they still have a separate section for those with priority boarding on the bus so they still get on the plane first which is quite cool.



I'm not sure why I took this photo. Couple of Ryanair planes (there were a few of them around where we were):



Boarding from the front stairs:



Pic from the window seat (I think I was maybe row 16A or something like that this time, just in front of the engine on the left side):



Taxi to runway 28:



Entering runway 28 (apologies for the blurriness):



Departure:



Departure:



Wing view:



City lights somewhere over Germany maybe. The captain had said that our route would take us North to Stuttgart and then towards the UK.



Boeing 737 lavatory. I actually think it would be cool to have some Ryanair soap that they use there in the dispenser(!) (I like Ryanair stuff!):



Leaving France:



Descending through cloud:



Final approach to London Stansted:



Final approach to London Stansted (apologies for the blurry pic):



Landing London Stansted (I think runway 22):



Taxi back to the gate (apologies for the blurriness):



Parked next to another Ryanair plane:



London Stansted baggage claim area (luckily the immigration hardly took any time at all here too - maybe because it was quite late, my return flight departed at 10.05pm and landed at 11.05pm):



WHSmith in the arrival section of London Stansted airport:



The internet kiosks in the departures section of London Stansted. I chilled out a little here and checked Airliners.net and email etc. before the drive home.



That's pretty much the whole trip. Was just a short trip but hope people might like the pics of Milan Bergamo airport which I found quite a cool place and the flights too (and the UFO!).

Any comments/criticism etc. welcome.

Many thanks,

Pierre