The Air Serbia A319-132 I flew on to, leaving Tivat – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
There are no non-stops to Tivat Montenegro from Prague, so on a recent trip, I had made my way to Belgrade on an Air Serbia ATR-72-500. On my previous flight, I was impressed with what the airline had to offer in economy on a turboprop and I was very much looking forward to see what Air Serbia had in their premium cabin on an Airbus A319.
I had arranged to learn more about the airline for my review, and when I landed at the Nikola Telsa Airport (TIV), I was greeted by Ivana with the airline. I was quickly escorted to the airline’s Business Club to wait for my next leg.
The Belgrade Business Club – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
The lounge was comfortable and nicely decorated, but I felt that the food was a little uninspiring. It didn’t surprise me too much, that the lounge was not actually owned or operated by Air Serbia.
I imagine that the lounge will be improved as Belgrade builds its status as a regional hub.
Hurricane Hunters have seen the unimaginable – Photo: NOAA
As the summer season comes around, the climate in Florida changes from hot to humid. However, that’s not surprising. Neither is the extreme weather the Sunshine State receives from the massive rain storms that, often times, turn into tropical storms off the east coast.
Recently, I had the opportunity to head down to the Northeast Florida Regional Airport (KSGJ) in St. Augustine, to see the Hurricane Hunters at work!
The Floridian community was invited to see the Lockheed WC-130J and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Gulfstream IV put on display.
Approaching the C-130 – Photo: Steven Paduchak
With the purpose of tropical storm and hurricane reconnaissance, the Hurricane Hunters, also known as the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (53rd WRS), operate out of the 403rd Reserve Wing at Kessler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. Though they are technically under the Department of Defense, their purpose falls under the direction of the Department of Commerce.
I went down to the airport for the afternoon with a couple of friends, and once we arrived, we immediately saw the two aircraft on display. Members of NOAA and the United States Air Force (USAF) were in attendance to show off their aircraft, which mainly fly into category 3 hurricanes or higher at 10,000 feet.
Their role is to serve as the primary response team for hurricane and tropical storm analysis. The Hurricane Hunters seek out each storm’s magnitude, and send all information back to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Proceeding under direction of the National Hurricane Operations Plan, the squadron flies in the interest of public safety.
This is the oldest An-12 still flying, which was recently repainted. EW-338TI is an An-12BP of RubyStar. Here it is in Vitebsk – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
But Bernie, you already flew on an Antonov An-12 last year! Do you really think I’d settle for one An-12? Come on now, who am I?
Since I was already in Minsk, after having made my way there on a Tu-154M, there had to be another plane to fly on, or some other diversion to pass the time in Minsk. Well, other than the ominously-named “Texas Show Bar” in the hotel. That place was scary!
Anyhow. Thankfully, my friend had already taken care of this and set up an An-12 with quite the livery! Built in 1961 for the Soviet Air Force, its history becomes murky after the collapse of the USSR. We know it was floating around Bulgaria in 2001 and, heck, it is unclear if it was even built in Voronezh, Tashkent, or Irkutsk! It didn’t matter — I wanted it to fly — with me on it.
Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal at Frankfurt Airport. Is this the ultimate airline lounge?
Every major airline in the world tries to ensure that their hub lounges are the best that there can be. I am lucky enough to have visited a few of these in my life. From the Singapore Krisflyer Lounge to the Qantas First Class Lounge. However, there has always been one lounge in my sights that I never thought I could attain – one lounge that seemed unreachable.
So many people have visited it and raved about how amazing it was. Surely, I could find a way to visit it once in my life. What am I talking about, you are probably asking by now? That would be Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal (FCT) at their Frankfurt hub.
A ray of hope in the darkness of European flying, sitting on the ground at Prague’s Ruzyne Airport – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
No matter where in the world, when you fly economy on a small turboprop, you likely are not going to have high expectations. This will just be some basic transportation to get from point A to point B. I was shocked when I recently flew an Air Serbia ATR-72-500 from Prague to Belgrade.
Often, flying in Europe can be an even-less-pleasant experience than flying in America. When I landed in Europe, after my not-so-stellar international experience, I said to myself, “I bet you Air Serbia can beat this.” And they did!
