#UKRAINE #TurkishAirlines #Istanbul

The 30th of March 2014 was a historic day in aviation. This date was also the exact date with the very last scheduled Aeroflot service on a very special piece of metal, russian built metal. And this is also the time now to dedicate these story to the people working on this airliner






The trip in one word:

MARVELLOUS


"The theme for the first trip of 2014 is as simple as it is, to fly a real special machine!"


Алло, Hello, dear readers

and welcome.

Here we see what´s going on with this part of the new story:



Thanx to, once again:

http://www.gcmap.com/

Looks like simple, isn´t it?. But when we know how tricky the game is to catch the special plane on this rotation beside all that Airbusses it isn´t that simple at all.
I´ve done an at least in terms of the aircraft type unsuccessful try in late November and I should do it again.
More successful?. We will see!.




Saturday, 04.01.2014

STR (Flughafen Stuttgart)
IST ("İstanbul Atatürk Havalimanı")

Service TK 1702 operated by Turkish Airlines
Scheduled:  11.40  //  15.30

Here is a map with the checked airlines:


AIRLINES CHECKED auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen

And another one with the plane types recorded:


PLANE TYPES RECORDED auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen

The first 200 visited airports:


Visited airports auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen

And the new examples:


Visited Airports II auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen


All the visited countries:


VISITED COUNTRIES auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen

The final Tripreporter 2013 data:


TRIPREPORTER 2013 auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen

Just to compare 2014:


TRIPREPORTER 2014 auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen


Not that I've flown on Turkish Airlines ever and especially not on this service, no way, never ever!.
OLCI works well 24 hours prior to the flight with the TK  website, no print as usual, I need the classic airport piece of paper.
A relaxed late morning departure it is. What about leaving at 09.30 am?. Some two hours prior to the flight sounds ok at a Saturday morning and well, it is!. The car asked for the permission to stay this time at the covered car park. Well with these special occasion ok, granted and much earlier than expected I´am on the short walk to the terminal. By the way, the ticket is secured with Opodo and the fare is 75.00 Euro´s. The SSK donated me an boarding pass as expected and what´s on the screen?


The plane is earlier than expected at the "Flughafen Stuttgart", like me today!.
Not a minute at security and also passport check.
The Star Lounge is waiting for me, for me alone!.
Good for a view around the gate 337 later on, isn´t it?


No idea, absolutely no idea, why these Aeroflot colours closeby fitting perfectly to this story!


Welcome to TC-JRM "Afyonkarahisar" now, an A321 like the schedule told me.
Leg no. 28 on type and new to the log


Since 30.03.2011 with TK, one of 41 examples in the fleet.
There are no stories to show here


And well, late boarding is also today the way to go
for comfortable seating, 32F, the second to last row and three for me.
The nice middle aged male FA working the rear cabin told me about a completely sold out service inbound.
There are 7 FA´s on the plane, the aforementioned nice guy, one younger and also nice male FA, one elder, nice, too and one ok style elder male.
Three women, one elder, black hair, ok,
one middle aged, well built, ok and one slim, middle aged with black hair, ok.
"Turkish" on the way at 11.30 am, ten minutes ahead to schedule ex runway "Zero-Seven" at 3 degrees, cloudy but dry. 2.25 hours to go


Cockpit crew is from Turkey, the "Kaptan" with a short nice welcome during boarding and nice again detailed inflight but not easy to follow.
Routing is Linz-Balaton-Timisoara-Veliko Tarnovo at a maximum of 37000 feet.
Legroom is ok here and just a view for the cabin
with the well used dark blue black leather seats


What a nice intro to start the service


And it´s really good once again on TK. The nice guy asked me several times for something more to drink or eat.
What is on the IFE or maybe in the kitchen?


The menu and some seat details


This is it and as usual, the middle part is good for someone else but right and left hand side is ok with me!


On the way, but wait, this is close to IST, so fast


Descending through a couple of clouds


And a view to the upfront good loaded cabin,
german and turkish pax well mixed


Touchdown at the 2580 meters runway "Zero-Five",
3.00 pm, impressive 30 minutes ahead to schedule at
"İstanbul Atatürk Havalimanı" with 12 partly cloudy degrees.
Bye now to Turkish Airlines, there is a hotel to check.
But first the immigration experience where my Star Alliance status baggage tag helps to do the extra lane without a further question. Just a minute or two to wait and I feel really sorry for the others in the standard queue


The hotel is easy to reach by the Metro, the station is called Atakoy-Sirinevler, a bargain at 3.00 TL.
This is the Tempo Suites Airport Istanbul


With a pretty nice welcome from the guy at the desk
and well designed it is


So, we are in the evening, early January, time to catch some sleep now, isn´t it?.
Hah, no way, this is Istanbul an exciting and vibrant city. Not the first time for me, but definitely something not to miss.
Close to Aksaray Metro


Looks like nice in the evening


And this one especially, too


Beautifully lit, isn´t it?


No, this is not Egypt!


Take care, I see you!


And perfect, not that much people around


Simply amazing, the Sultan Ahmet Cami


Up for the clear sky


Or amybe onwards for the Aya Sofya?


Yes, this is it


Ah, this is mood lighting!


Hungry?. Ok, just for the sweet party


Ok, I admit it, like me!


The Yeni Camii


The Galatasaray Bridge


It seems this is the right way to walk for me!


And believe me, I need not more than a minute or two to walk along these shops!


Till the veg´s, a short night, where is the time gone? and breakfast


Well, I´am not sure if I´am right here?.
The nice guy at the reception confirmed it later on.
The hotel is also located not that far from a large hospital,
totally overcrowded with wounded Syrian refugees. And to sum it up just a couple of days ago there was some political motivated unrest here in Istanbul with also lots of people injured. A good number of these people received medical treatment in the hospital but spend the time in between here in the hotel with no rooms available at the hospital


Well, that fit´s


Bye not to the Tempo Suites, there is a flight to catch.
Certainly the standard A/B plane for an everyday destination. Excuse me, but now it gets boring, or not?


And the Metro shuttles me straight for the lounge. Really?.




More to come, maybe with these special airliner, hopefully soon.
The Tripreporter.