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Passengers asked to balanace plane - would you have flown?

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    Passengers asked to balanace plane - would you have flown?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/8115216.stm

    Dozens of holidaymakers returning to Newcastle refused to fly after they were asked to act as human ballast.

    A jammed hold door meant luggage could only be loaded into the front of the Thomas Cook plane at Mallorca airport.

    Passengers were asked to move seats to distribute the weight, but 71 left the plane, fearing for their safety.

    Thomas Cook said it was standard procedure for airlines to ensure cargo and passengers were evenly distributed, and there was no safety risk.

    Those who refused to fly on Saturday had to arrange alternative transport for themselves.

    Rowen Laybourne, 17, from Cramlington in Northumberland, was with a group of five teenagers.

    She said: "People were refusing to fly.

    "They were saying it was not safe enough if we had to move about to balance the plane.

    "The pilot came out to speak to us and told us it was perfectly safe.

    "When someone asked if the hold door could open when we were in the air at 20,000ft, he couldn't understand and walked away."

    Her group were among those who left the plane. They spent the night in the airport before catching another flight.

    A Thomas Cook spokeswoman said: "It is standard for all airlines to ensure cargo and passengers are evenly distributed on an aircraft and there will be times when passengers will be asked to move to the front or back of a plane.

    "This is a routine industry procedure and poses no safety issue.

    "We are disappointed that despite reassurances from the captain and crew, a number of passengers decided not to travel."


    Yeah Im familiar with a plane's centre of gravity but if I'd been booked on the flight, I think I'd have told them to **** off and find me another plane.
    I couldn't give two fornicators! Yes, really!

    #2
    yup this is pretty standard stuff - I would have flown, in fact I have before.
    This default font is sooooooooooooo boring and so are short usernames

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      #3
      Originally posted by MPwannadecentincome View Post
      yup this is pretty standard stuff - I would have flown, in fact I have before.
      Same here, storm in a teacup.

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        #4
        I've been on a flight when we've been asked to do that before. Don't think anyone thought anything of it, i certainly didn't.

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          #5
          Thomas Cook Airlines = Charter flight = Idiot Chavs
          ‎"See, you think I give a tulip. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I'm thinking; How can I give less of a tulip? That's why I look interested."

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            #6
            Originally posted by TykeMerc View Post
            Same here, storm in a teacup.
            Yup, me too. Can I phone a friend though? CyberTory's our aviation expert on here isn't he?

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              #7
              I'll never get on a plane with really fat people ever again !!

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                #8
                It happens all the time - you just don't notice it. They balance seat and luggage allocations to ensure the plane itself is balanced.

                The problem here is that after they had boarded, they realised they couldn't put the baggage where they first thought, so they had to crunch the numbers again which meant moving passengers.

                I've been on a plane where they put too much fuel onboard, so they had to move a few of us around to rebalance

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                  #9
                  I have done this before too.

                  People who fly charter flights are a bit rough usually, so the story doesn't surprise me.

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                    #10
                    As long as the crew don't look worried, neither am I.
                    Originally posted by MaryPoppins
                    I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
                    Originally posted by vetran
                    Urine is quite nourishing

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