MyTravel Crew Training Centre and A320 Flight - Pics/Vids

Back in January, I spotted a post on an aviation forum about an Enthusiast Day held by MyTravel Airways but I had unfortunately missed that one so when I spotted they where holding another in April, I made sure to get booked onto it. The cost was £149.

The price included a tour of the MyTravel crew training facilities, a 55 minute flight including an intentional missed approach and finally a tour of the MyTravel Aircraft Engineering Facility at Manchester Airport included Ops and Planning.

The day started at 09:00 on the 29th April 2007at the Alteon Centre at Cheadle (near Manchester Airport). The centre is jointly used by Flight Safety Boeing and MyTravel Airways for crew training.

Upon arriving at the centre, Cabin Crew where stood outside directing drivers to the car park, welcoming people and showing us where to go.



Once I entered the building, more cabin crew where stood inside taking people through to the check-in area where we received a welcome pack containing information on day, flight plans, weather charts and a MyTravel Key Ring and Pen as well as a name badge.



Once I received my pack, I was shown to the check-in desks where I was asked the usual security questions before being given my Boarding Pass for the flight later on. Another crew member then took me to the room where the rest of my group was waiting - Group A. As I was early, not all of the group where here and so MyTravel had the Airtours A330-200 DVD filmed with ITVV (MAN-SFB) showing on the projector.

Once all the group had arrived, MyTravel’s John Tenison-Collins came in the room to give us all a brief on the day ahead and to welcome us. He told us it was their job to ensure we all left at the end of the day with smiles on our faces and if we didn’t, they’ve failed. I must say, everybody was extremely welcoming and so friendly!

Shortly afterwards, we started the first part of the day which was a talk on fire fighting and prevention. This including a demonstration on the fire simulator and some volunteers where picked to ‘fight the fires’. He explained how to put a fire out successfully, the tools used and dangers of fire on an aircraft. He simulated a toilet, overhead stowage and oven fire:


Two volunteers putting out a fire

After the demonstration, we moved on to the next room for a quick brief by the Senior Crew Trainer before entering the crew training facility. The hall includes the UK’s only full motion cabin simulator, A330 evacuation slide, a newly acquired B767 door trainer, life raft trainer and various other facilities. Elsewhere in the facility, its also home to B757-200, B767-300, A320, A330 and A340 simulators.

Once in the hall, we where further separated in to groups of roughly 10. Our group was first of all shown the A330 slide with a talk about it and how it works, how to evacuate correctly etc followed by a demonstration by the Senior Crew Trainer:



We then proceeded to the full motion cabin simulator which is used for such purposes as smoke filled cabin training, severe turbulence simulation, evacuation training and can simulate all kinds of other things such as a collapsed gear on landing. The simulator is fitted with a B757 door, A320 door and a B757 3R door as well as a full working galley. Interestingly, the cabin trainer is also where the Scholl Flight Socks advertisement was filmed - the one where everybody in the cabin is lifting their legs over the seats to stretch them!




One of the Crew Trainers demonstrating how the A320 door operates normally and in an emergency


B757 Door 3R

He explained how they can train the crew for all kinds of eventualities such as the door handle locking, the slide not automatically deploying and such like.

He then filled the cabin with smoke and turned the lights off to show what it may be like in an actual emergency:



After this, we proceeded to the newly acquired B767 door trainer as demonstrated by crew trainer; Lisa. She demonstrated the operation of the door and how it is different to other aircraft. She demonstrated how to open it normally, how it automatically opens when it is armed and how 3L works. She then demonstrated the verbal commands MyTravel use if they need to evacuate:









Afterwards, we proceeded to the third room which was a presentation on how they train their and other airlines crews as well as how they operate their open days for colleges doing crew training courses. Included in this was a talk on how a Cabin Crew training course is conducted and they passed around some items the crew have to learn and pass an exam at 100% rate such as the location of emergency equipment. They also explained who else uses the facility such as Jet2.com, First Choice Airways, Thomas Cook, XL and Garuda. They also mentioned someone quite high up at Kingfisher visited the week before. What was also good to hear is that despite what a lot of people think, all these airlines get on very well with each other. There is no rivalry.

This was followed by lunch before we boarded the coaches to Terminal 1 at MAN.

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Airline - MyTravel Airways
Depart - Manchester Ringway International (MAN) – Sunday 29th April 2007 13:45 ATD 13:47
Arrive - Manchester Ringway International (MAN) - Sunday 29th April 2007 14:40 ATA 14:33
Flight - MYT7097
Aircraft - G-GTDL A320-231 | MSN: 476 | Delivered: 10 June 1994 to Translift / 31 March 2000 to MyTravel Group
Seats/Cabin - Economy Row 08 Seat D
On The Web - MyTravel.com

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Photo © David Roura - Iberian Spotters

View Large View Medium Photo © Javier Rodriguez - Iberian Spotters

View Large View Medium Photo © Jian Tan

We went straight to security as we had already been checked in where there was a queue time of about 15-20 minutes. Once through, it was straight to Gate 22 for boarding:


A320 G-GTDL On Stand Just Before Boarding



Rows 1-10 where called first and once onboard, we received a warm welcome and where directed to our seats. The cabin has recently received MyTravel’s new leather seats and new carpets and was very fresh and clean onboard.



Unfortunately, I didn’t have a window seat but those next to me where quite obliging in letting me take pictures.



We had 3 senior captains on the flight deck today including Mike Newell who would be doing the commentary.

Today’s route: EGCC - WAL1S - WAL - TIPO1E - EGGP - WAL2T - WAL - ROSUN - EGCC (Company Route R01).

Once boarding was complete, Mike came into the cabin to do a PA on what to expect and what we would be doing.



Once he returned to the flight deck, he fed the ATC through the PA so we could all hear it. First of all the ATIS followed by Delivery and Ground for our push clearance. Mike then explained the start procedure in full and also explained the ‘barking’ noise you can hear mid cabin as being the Hydraulics testing themselves. Literally everything was explained from start up to shutdown. Flaps where in CONFIG 3 for today’s flight. Once push was complete we heard the ATC requesting taxi out to RWY06L.



We where passed over to tower who asked if we would be ready on reaching to which the captain advised we would be and we continued our taxi out passed the NEA and the AVP to the threshold. We went for a rolling take-off. Mike explained we where doing a reduced Flex departure today as we where so light. I did make a video of the departure but it is woeful so I will not subject you to it however, I do have the Go Around and Landing vids which are much better!



We climbed out to 5000ft where the crew where released but not for too long as a few minutes later the engines spooled back for descent into Liverpool for our missed approach.



I will let the video do the rest of the talking for this part:



The Go Around was absolutely amazing, the power of this A320 was incredible! I have always wanted to experience one! We began our return to Manchester now and Mike continued the ATC feed over the PA.

Here is the approach and landing vid:



A round of applause filled the cabin to which Mike came over the PA and said ‘His Landing Wasn’t that Good!’  Once we handed back over to Ground, they advised a Flybe EMB145 was waiting for us and after that we had to hold for a Jet2 B757.

They cleaned the aircraft up as we head to our remote stand by the World Cargo Terminal. Once on stand, we where soon able to disembark for some photo opportunities:







We where bussed over to the domestic arrivals area via a ramp tour passed the MyTravel hanger we would shortly be visiting and T1 with MyTravel A320 G-DHRG pushing for Agadir.

We then proceeded to arrivals where we re-boarded the coaches. There where many MyTravel crew around. They where very excited as some of them had never experienced a Go Around before and couldn’t get over the power of it! It was great to see such enthusiasm and interest from them!

A short coach ride later and we arrived at the former FLS Aerospace hanger now MyTravel Aircraft Engineering or MTAE - a wholly owned subsidiary of MyTravel Group.



As soon as we passed through the security zone and into the hanger, the first thing I noticed was MyTravel’s newly acquired A321 - G-OMYJ former First Choice Airways G-OOAF which I was chatting to a cabin crew member about and she said just that morning, it hadn’t had the logo applied but it was now sporting it.

We had a presentation from the Power Plant manager at MTAE about the duties of the hanger and the checks they provide for MyTravel and other airlines such as SilverJet who have an office at the hanger. There where various aircraft parts on the display including an APU and other engine parts. The spares department at the facility houses over £100m worth of parts alone and they also have a stock of spare engines not included in that valuation which are 2 V2500s, 2 CFM56-5Bs, 2 RR Trent 772B and 1 GE CF6. MTAE have locations throughout the world including New York Newark for an airline who they have a contract with their, Cancun, Sanford and Montego Bay as well as seasonal bases in Jeddah for the Hajj, Greece, Spain and Turkey.

Following the presentation, we where permitted to look around the hanger. Perfect chance for some more photos!

MyTravel Airways A/S OY-VKI was in the hanger being prepared for its Summer lease to Canadian partner airline SkyService:







MyTravel Airways UK G-NIKO was also in for a ‘Light Check’:







G-KKAZ was parked outside the hanger following its return from Canadian duties over the winter with SSV:





Also in the hanger for attention with MTAE was Monarch B767-300 G-DIMB:





Former MyTravel A320 G-JOEM was parked outside the other side of the hanger ready to enter service with Batavia:



And Finally, G-OMYJ:



After our look around the hanger, we then proceeded upstairs to the Operations and Planning department for several presentations. The first one was by the Planning Dept Manager who talked us through how routes are selected, how they are filed and plotted as well as ETOPS etc… We then proceeded to another room where Mike went in depth on a routing between EMA-AGP which was very interesting. We where then shown around the Ops suite which is extremely impressive! The communication between departments at MyTravel is immense, the team work is incredible and the dedication is unrivalled. All these factors contributed to them winning the Number 1 spot for On Time Performance for the last 2 years and well deserved it is too! Following the last presentation, we returned to the coaches for the ride back to the Alteon Centre to go home.  

Back at the centre, I was talking to a Birmingham based crew trainer who trains new crew during the winter and flies during the summer. We where chatting about the day and about the Thomas Cook merger. He said he just hopes nothing changes too much as MyTravel are a fantastic company to work for.

This was an absolutely amazing day providing a very rare look behind the scenes at an airline and was certainly worth every penny… and yes, I left with a smile on my face! They are holding two more this year so I would highly recommend getting yourself booked on one of them! I am certainly considering going again!

I hope you enjoyed my report and as always, feedback is welcome and appreciated!

Next Expected Trip Report
MyTravel Airways - Manchester - Kefalonia - Manchester - A321 - May 2007

Thanks For Reading!
ThomasCook