Weird or Wonderful

Category Archives for Weird or Wonderful.

New Safety Video: The Beans do Cabin Safety Badly

To illustrate how human beans can do better when travelling, CASA, Australia’s  Civil Aviation Safety Authority has put together a video featuring jelly beans as clueless passengers on what ends up being a doomed flight.   The video includes messages about limiting carry on, alcohol consumption, seat belts, seat reclining, listening to crew instructions, not smoking on board and not taking luggage off the plane in an evacuation: Here is the video: I am not sure when this film is meant to be shown. I could not imagine it being used on board on aeroplanes!…

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Naked Man in Phuket Airport Hurls Poo

Just when I thought I had heard about all that can happen in an airport along comes this one! According to the Phuket news, a 27 year old American of Korean descent from New York, was taken into custody at 1130pm on 4th January, 2017 for causing a public disturbance as he walked naked through the Departures Hall of the International Terminal. Mr Cho, an American of Korean descent was booked to fly to Seoul (ICN) on Korean Air’s flight 638 due to depart at 1am the next morning. It is claimed that  Cho removed his clothes…

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British Airways Magic Tear Jerker grants disabled child wish

No words for this. Christmas has come early with the help of British Airways for 12-year-old Scottish soccer fan, Finlay Sangster, who has cerebral palsy. British Airways has a program called #BAMAGIC which surprises and rewards people the airline views as special or deserving. This is the latest installment.    

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That cute Air NZ Christmas ad could have better sold NZ

Air New Zealand’s latest ad mocks the Kiwi (New Zealander) accent with its different vowel pronunciations and emphases. Air New Zealand crew save the day by fixing the linguistic glitches… It is a cute ad but one wonders if this is the best that Air New Zealand can come up with? The country punches above its weight internationally has some of the most amazing scenery in the world and just elected its third woman Prime Minister. The country has a lot to be proud of. And Australians, South Africans, Liverpudlians and Glaswegians all have their own unique…

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This year’s Heart Warming Heathrow Bears Ad makes eyes water- so does the airport

This heartwarming video may cause some sniffles! Based on the Heathrow Bear ad from last year (see video at end of post), this tells the story of how Doris and Edward Bear met in Christmas 1967 at London’s Heathrow airport when Doris returns Edward’s hat. It then follows their Heathrow reunions from then until now. Very sweet: Having been a LHR airport user since 1968 when I first flew out on a BOAC Viscount VC10, many elements seem familiar! Filmed in Heathrow Terminal One which opened in 1968, the year after the bears met in this ad! Poetic license is a…

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Air Berlin’s Transatlantic Farewell Landing -Daring, Dangerous or Deserved?

The pilots of Air Berlin’s last transatlantic flight to Dusseldorf airport last Tuesday clearly did not want a normal landing. As Air Berlin flight AB7001, an Airbus 330 descended toward the runway, the pilot requested a”flyby” over the airport. A request that was refused. The pilot sought permission from Dusseldorf Control tower to make a left turn should a go-around be necessary. (A go around is a standard procedure when a pilot deems that the landing will not be a safe one). Clearly, the pilot decided a “go around” was necessary! As the plane came into land, it pulled…

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Britain’s Ancient Roman Roads in Wonderful Transit Style Map

I love a good map and I especially find transit maps to be very absorbing. I am not sure what the official term for this “condition” is. Any thoughts? I was fascinated to find that Cartographer Sasha Trubetsko (pictured left) has created a map of the old Roman roads that crisscrossed Britain. The map is in the form of a transit style map! I love it. The Romans built a massive network of roads across Britain (except in Scotland which they could never quite conquer!). The roads allowed them to transport troops, goods and people across their…

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Air New Zealand 787 draws giant heart across NZ sky

Air New Zealand operated a special Koru Care mystery flight (NZ6257) on NZ Fathers Day for 50 New Zealand children with critical medical conditions such as cancer and heart disease and their caregivers. The children enjoyed a waiata (Maori Song) performed by Te Kura Kaupapa Māori ā-Rohe o Māngere school as they boarded their 787.  MCs Adam and Eve from The Adam and Eve Show entertained those onboard. The flight departed Auckland Airport just after midday on September 3, 2017 and drew a 440km long and 483km wide heart shape across New Zealand. The airline live streamed the top-secret route…

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Air New Zealand Crew volunteer to help hotel in Houston

Air New Zealand crew members stranded at their hotel in Houston, Texas due to Hurricane Harvey have been helping out at their hotel. Eight pilots and 22 flight attendants stuck in the city noticed that their hotel has been under significant pressure due to hotel staff being unable to make it to work. The crew have spent time volunteering in three-hour shifts by preparing meals for other guests, delivering room service, doing laundry and vacuuming! Check out the photos of the crew including a captain doing laundry at the NZ Herald. Air New Zealand flies…

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Which countries eat the most ice cream & what are their best flavours?

I am a huge ice cream fan. I try and have an ice cream in every place I visit. I was most interested to find that the World Atlas has identified the world’s top ten biggest national consumers of ice cream. This gave me the chance to share my favourite ice cream choices in those countries. New Zealand is number one with an average of 28.4 litres (7.5 gallons) per person eaten per year.My favourite is Tip Top Hokey Pokey which consists of Honeycomb pieces folded into Vanilla ice cream. Along with another delicious flavour Goody…

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