Flights to ships

[Captain Kong]

I had another lousy flight. in 1978, I had paid off a tanker after a five month trip to the Gulf, in Tonsburg, Norway. Six of us paid off and we stayed overnight in a hotel in Tonsburg then in the morning the Agent took us to Oslo in a mini bus, We were all flying to different destinations, I was going to Manchester with British Airways at three o`clock in the afternoon, the other guys got away before lunch. I went to the check in desk and then they told me that British Airways had just gone on strike. I was stranded The plane was cancelled. As it was only a 90 minute flight to Manchester I had declined a sub. So I am stuck in Oslo with no money, I didnt know who the Agent was or where he was.

The BA desk suggeted that I try SAS if they had a flight going that way, I asked them if they were going to Manchester, they said No but if you go to Stockholme, Sweden, there maybe a flight from there.
I ended up in Stockholme, No flights, so I said you got me here get me out. They flew me to Copenhagen, Denmark, I could get nothing there. I went to the Sabina desk and asked them if they had a flight to Manchester, I then got a Sabena flight to Brussels,in Belgium, nothing there going my way. I went to the Lufthansa Desk, any thing going to Manchester I asked?
Wednesday night and Thursday nights I had to sleep on the benches in the airports, I was starving I went through the cafeterias and I saw a man place a cup of coffee and some sandwiches on a table then he went back to the counter, I was in like Flynn and picked them up and walked out with them , I really enjoyed them,I would have loved to see the mans face when he saw an empty table.
Then Lufthansa flew me to Franfurt in Germany. I thought if I keep this up I will be back in the Gulf soon. In Frankfurt I transferred to another one of their flights to Stanstead Airport late at night. I found a lady in a BA uniform and she got me into the airport hotel and a dinner and drinks on BA, I was pretty hungry by then,and certainly needed a shower,The following day the lady had booked me onto a Dan Air flight to Manchester and a friend picked me up and took me home on Saturday afternoon
Then the trouble started.
The wife had had a telegram from the Office saying I would be home on Wednesday afternoon at 3pm, I arrived home on Saturday.
She, ..".where have you been?," me saying ,.... "well I have been to Stockholme and then Copenhagen"..... she ,..."thats where all the porn is, keep away from me"..... I tried to tell her what happened but she would not listen. She was convinced that I had three days adrift in Copenhagen, I had never left any of the airports and got stand bys on the various planes, So my leave was spent in the Dog House. she, ...." Dont come near me, youve been to Copenhagen." Sometimes you just cant win.
So a phone call was made to the Office, ` Dont ever send a telegram to my home again`.
I had been in five different countries, flown with four different airlines instead of a 90 minute flight.

Cheers, Brian.

[John Arton]

In the 80's CP had a number of tankers on charter to PEMEX working the west coast of Mexico, fantastic run. We used to join in the loading Port Salina Cruz. This meant flying to the States, usually Dallas, then onto Mexico City for an overnight stop. Then down to Oxahaco, all on modern jets. From Oxhaco we got on an old twin engined DC7? to fly down to Salina Cruz, flying between the mountains as the cabin was not fully pressurised. On approaching Salina Cruz the pilot would circle the runway (which had actually been the main road into town until the Mexicans decided that the particular straight stretch would make the perfect runway so commandered it, forcing road traffic to make a detour round the airport on a dirt track) to clear any pigs, sheep etc. that were on the runway, before landing. The terminal building was one large hut with a desk in it and the airport only opened when a flight was due in, about once a day.
Great fun, Salina Cruz itself was pretty awful but some of the other paces we went to up and down the Mexican west coast were fantastic, never got to Acapulco though as that was reserved for the Pemex own ships.
rgds
Capt. John Arton (ret'd)

[Eric Whitfield]

my first ship was the texaco rochester1970 i had to fly out to join her, my last ship was the bangkok and flew out to join her and the other12 or so ships in between.

[David Williams]

I have noticed in some past postings, mention of being flown out [or back] to ships already in foreign ports.
When did this practice begin, and what was the main reason for it?
I was at sea until the early 60ies, and never heard of it.
I'm guessing it had to do with the owners and saving money somehow.
Den.

Hi Den.
I was on a Stanhope line ship,that was sold to a Greek Company,
we took her to Piarehus(Port of Athens),and were flown home.

Dave Williams

[Tom Abernethy]

Hi guys,
in 1962 i flew out to join burries marks la primavera. Air france, heathrow to nice, then a very good coach all the way down the coast road to marssailes. The new 1st officer was with us, so he too charge. Great guy, allowing us to stop for a drink in various bars allong the way. Once aboard he turned into a real t--t. Another story.
Next flight, 1965, b.p. British fern, brand new. Flew southend to stockholm on a ex raf dc?,owner driver,his mate flying 2nd and his wife doing the stewardess bit. They had put like old bus seats down one side and cargo strapped up with cargo nets down the other....cheepscate federation charter, say no more.......
The last time flying out was 1968 to join m.v. Cameo, gem line. Flew leeds bradford to ireland ( forget which airport ) and joined her in limerick. Did,nt stay long, there is another story attached to that.......
You guys who did not get to fly out missed a real treat.....
Tom abernethy. ( r721582 )

[John Arton]

Hello
Just remembered this,
Canadian Pacific also owned their own airline (may still do as far as I'm aware) and occasionally we used to use them for flights to Japan. That is until all the sea staff got banned from flying with them after one memorable flight when a certain 3rd mate who was well oiled aqnd who waqs getting miffed with the level of service he was getting from the cabin staff, stood up in the middle of the aisle and shouted to the back of the stewardess who had just passed him by again without serving him, the following
"Young lady, we too work for the Canadian Pacific, the difference being we are Officers and you are Crew, so please let us have some service".
Result...no further service that flight, report to the CPR board and a ban on sea staff fling with C.P. Air.
Cannot recall that ban ever been lifted.
rgds
Capt. John Arton (ret'd)

[Colin Pook]

Hi Dennis
I flew out from Blackbush to Treviso to join a ship that was dry-docked in Trieste, and some years later flew home from Gibralter after our ship dry-docked in Cadiz, (what a story, tell you about it some-time)
and the last one was taking the Harwich ferry to the Hook and then the train to the docks in Amsterdam.
I think it was a regular thing in the 50-60s
Cheers and Happy new year
Colin

[Stuart Cooper]

TWA from london direct to LA over the pole to join Texaco Southampton in Long Beach interesting experience

[Keith Adams]

Hi John, Thanks for resurrecting this 10 year old thread as it showed me a Merchant Navy poem i had not read or heard before
Reply #17 by Neil Morton showed a poem as part of his title. I see he doesn’t use it now. Anyway, I really like it.
One never heard of flying out to ships before the 1950’s because it was rarely done; much as we no longer see many general cargo ships … simply none available … same with long distance commercial aircraft at the time.
Three year Articles were the rule of the day so a forced crew change was made by having the vessel berth as close to home as possible and transport (exchange) crew by train. Otherwise a crew member was transferred to a homeward bound ship as a paid crew member or supernumerary passenger. Even did like competency crew member exchange with a a volunteer willing to give up going home. Assuming they had a clean Discharge Book !
As for Company personnel, one didn’t have much choice. I was taken off the Empress of Scotland at Liverpool Landing Stage and transferred to the Empress of France so as to be available to be Shanghaied to the Beaverburn upon arrival Montreal … the Beaverburn was on the Continent to Canada Service and didn’t touch UK. Had German Sailors, Dutch Catering staff and Flemish Firemen. Only Boson,Chippy, Storekeeper and Ch Steward were Brits. Had to make 6 round trips to be relieved. Trouble was that i had already applied with Bibby Line and had an acceptance letter from them. Even though i wrote a resignation letter to CPS i had to make 3 trips before i was released, and only then with the help of a Sailors Union rep and the Belgium British Consulate. My Merchant Navy Officers Union didn’t help me at all ! Home by train to Holland, Ferry and train home. Joined “Oxfordshire” in Liverpool.