Delta - Flight with just one passenger

Davy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88IQzcXcnZs

https://www.breakingnews.ie/discover/man-given-his-own-private-flight-after-being-the-only-one-to-turn-up-for-trip-943695.html

A man was given his own private Delta flight after he was the only person to show up for the trip.

Vincent Peone, a director from New York, was rebooked onto the empty flight after his original journey was cancelled.

The plane had to be loaded with sandbags to help evenly distribute the weight.

The director, who runs collaborative website Art Class Content, said: “It was a fun experience and I was in a good mood because my grandfather was doing better. The flight attendants really entered into the fun of it too.”

Seoda1

Why did they add the sand bags? Surely you can fly an empty plane?

RebelButtMunch

Seoda1 wrote: »

Why did they add the sand bags? Surely you can fly an empty plane?

Of course they can.

BlackandGreen

I was on an eirjet flight from Cork - Dublin maybe 15ish years ago and there was only 4 people on it.

Captain_Crash

I flew on a Delta 727 back in the 90's with just my family and another passenger. It was 5 passengers in total, with 7 crew.

L1011

If you're the sole passenger on an Aer Arran Islands flight, you're made sit in the unused first officers seat and told not to touch anything. Happens more often than on a larger airline and is a bit more interesting!

Myself and the wife went to New York with aer lingus (I think it was an a330) and there were no more than 40 passengers .
It was strange being on an almost empty widebody.
Was back was packed to the rafters

eusap

about 3 years ago i flew from Dublin to Cambridge with City Jet and i was the only passenger. My bag was delivered to the steps of the plane on arrival. Coming back there were only 4 people, can see why the route was cancelled quickly.

italodisco

I flew to poland with Lot polish airlines in the early 2000's, huge plane, just me and an embassy guy and 2 cabin crew, felt like a god lol

RocketRaccoon

Seoda1 wrote: »

Why did they add the sand bags? Surely you can fly an empty plane?

I've had to do it on small ATR aircraft, add ballast to counteract the weight up front and the fuel.

lobbylad

Back a long time ago, I think around 1994, I took a BA 747 from Johannesburg to LHR, there were only 4 other pax on the flight.

Crew told us to stretch out on the middle seats and enjoy the space! And that they would be down the back, and if we wanted anything just press the bell or wander down.

Stanford

L1011 wrote: »

If you're the sole passenger on an Aer Arran Islands flight, you're made sit in the unused first officers seat and told not to touch anything. Happens more often than on a larger airline and is a bit more interesting!

Thats an illegal act if its a scheduled public flight

L1011

Stanford wrote: »

Thats an illegal act if its a scheduled public flight

The Islander is still explicitly sold as a 9 passenger aircraft which requires use of that seat. I'm presuming the important controls are locked out - I didn't try!

Tenger

I was on a seaplane flight last month. 11 seater aircraft, (DH-3 Otter)
The pilot put me in the cockpit for the first sector.

martinsvi

Seoda1 wrote: »

Why did they add the sand bags? Surely you can fly an empty plane?

it looks like a CRJ - both CRJs and Q400s are naturally nose heavy and for base training or ferry flights we need to put anywhere between 200 to 400 kilos of ballast in the most rear compartment to get it within CofG envelope.

ted1

Flew to Paris after the attack’s with only about a half dozen people on the plane

punisher5112

Best free advertising any company could ever get.

Tabnabs

I've been one of four people on a South African Airways Dash 8 flight from Joburg to Richards Bay. Not the same as the OP, but still pretty unusual.

Kevski

I flew Dubai-Brisbane-Auckland on an A380 with Emirates two years years ago. The DXB-BNE legs was full but I’d say there was 50-60 at best on the BNE-AKL leg. Similar to a poster above, cabin crew told us to feel free to stretch out across the rows. It was quite a surreal experience to be on an almost empty A380!

ednwireland

about 15 people on a 757 in the 90's to levkas it was shipping sailing gear at the start of the season we were going out to route find for possible mountain bike tours !

Tefral

I was one of only 2 passengers to fly back from London to Dublin on an A321 in 2012. It was very weird.

I thought the flights couldnt take off unless they had someone in emergency exit seats?

Captain_Crash

Tefral wrote: »

I thought the flights couldnt take off unless they had someone in emergency exit seats?

No, the exits just have to be clear of obstruction and cant have anyone in them who is unable to operate them for any reason.

Stanford

IATA rules state that only licenced crew members are allowed in the cockpit

goingnowhere

Tefral wrote: »

I was one of only 2 passengers to fly back from London to Dublin on an A321 in 2012. It was very weird.

I thought the flights couldnt take off unless they had someone in emergency exit seats?

On the EI A321, there is 1 crew seated at each pair of doors. Airbus doors are so easy to open, just pull the handle up

L1011

Stanford wrote: »

IATA rules state that only licenced crew members are allowed in the cockpit

Aer Arann Islands are not a member of the IATA.

NH2013

Stanford wrote: »

IATA rules state that only licenced crew members are allowed in the cockpit

There's no real defined cockpit on an Islander, the whole inside of the aircraft is basically one compartment, both the pilots seats and passenger seats.

Skuxx

I flew Boston to Shannon last year on the October Bank Holiday weekend and there was 12 pax on the Aer Lingus 757!!

Phileas Frog

Stanford wrote: »

IATA rules state that only licenced crew members are allowed in the cockpit

Have you ever been in an Islander??

billy few mates

punisher5112 wrote: »

Best free advertising any company could ever get.

Not for the shareholders.

Kewreeuss

in 1991, we picked up a flight from Rome to London that was coming from Japan.
it had two aisles, don't know how many seats per row. I think there were four other passangers in all. it was the time of the gulf war.

Boxcar_Willie

Seoda1 wrote: »

Why did they add the sand bags? Surely you can fly an empty plane?

It's ballast , to correct the aircrafts "trim" .
If incorrectly trimmed the aircraft would fly at a slight angle .