Just Planes - World Air Routes SpiceJet 737, SAS 737/MD-80 & Lan Chile

Join the crew of three different airlines on a variety of equipment ranging from Boeing to McDonnell Douglas and travel to destinations including Sweden, Denmark, India and Chile. See what happens on the flight deck and learn more about the real life of airline operations from the flight crew themselves.

SAS 737-600/MD-80

Highlights

After viewing this DVD, I was very impressed with the overall presentation. While this is not in the HD format of the newer DVDs released by Just Planes, it is nonetheless very entertaining. The first presentation features the MD-80 on flight to various destinations within Sweden and Denmark.

Some of the highlights you will enjoy are the external walkaround of the aircraft along with the bird’s eye view of the procedures involved with flying the MD-80. One of the features I was hoping would be included is a cockpit presentation but this was not the case. Overall the presentation was very interesting and it nicely sets the tone for the final segment which features an aircraft we don’t see very often.

The final segment features the 737-600 on flights to Paris and destinations within Sweden. The flight planning phase is the very first presentation and it nicely showcased the preparation work of the pilots before getting to the aircraft. The flights that followed were all very interesting. While some were very scenic, others were a bit more informative.

Some of the informative bits focused on the Heads Up Display and its functions while others focused more so on flying procedures. In the end I think that this is a DVD that will definitely appeal to anyone who loves the MD-80 or the 737.

Additional Information

SpiceJet

Highlights

The SpiceJet DVD was sold out for quite a while after its initial run. Seeing that this DVD has made its way back to production, I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to see what made this DVD so popular.

The DVD starts off with a presentation from a company manager who discusses some operational details of the airline. From the very beginning it is clear to see that this DVD pre-dates the HD DVD productions we have seen from Just Planes lately. However, the content of the DVD is very intriguing to say the least.

Apart from the stunning scenery of India and the many destinations flown to, the presentations given by the pilots were very beneficial. Two of the presentations that will immediately capture your attention is the thorough cockpit presentation and external walkaround of the 737.

Throughout these presentations you will learn a significant amount of information about the 737 that you may find useful as an enthusiast or a flight simmer. Since the production of this DVD, SpiceJet has upgraded their 737-800s with the addition of winglets and they have also gotten rid of the cockpit eyebrow windows. In addition they have also added the Dash 8 Q400 to their fleet.

This DVD presentation was well put together but I am hoping that Just Planes will revisit SpiceJet to capture the current operation of this airline in HD! Overall this is a good DVD and it’s clear to see why it was sold out for such a long time.

Additional Information

Lan Chile

Highlights

The first series of flights featured on this DVD takes us on a trip from Chile to Spain and then onward to Germany. From the very beginning we are greeted with a presentation by the first officer on the then brand new A340-300 cockpit. The presentation itself was not very extensive but it gave a nice overview of the A340 cockpit that would be interesting to persons not familiar with Airbus aircraft.

The flight to Madrid was uneventful with most of it taking place during the dark hours of night. The arrival at Madrid was very scenic but it did not feature any approach briefings that included the viewers as you may have expected. The flights that followed, which takes us back to Chile, were more or less the same in content.

It seems like the segment featuring the A340 was more of an observer’s perspective rather than an interactive one with the pilots. By far, the highlight of this first segment was the arrival to Santiago which was breathtaking to say the least. The views from the cockpit while flying over the mountainous terrain was an awe inspiring experience.

The second segment of this DVD features flights onboard the A320 to destinations such as Iquique and Arica, Chile. We start off on the ramp at Santiago where the Captain does an external walkaround of the A320. This is definitely a presentation that Airbus lovers will enjoy since the Captain takes us around every square inch of the A320 exterior.

Highlights from the flights that followed include more scenic views, cabin service presentation and a presentation on the Laptop performance program used by the pilots. A point of interest that made some of these flights very interesting was the vastly different weather conditions at each destination. At times you depart in hazy weather to land in what seems like a desert region. On the other hand, at times the reverse is true. While this is an almost insignificant point it still added variety to the flights.

Before moving into the 737-200 segment of this DVD, there is a short presentation on Santiago and the maintenance division of Lan Chile which was very interesting. The final segment of flights onboard the 737-200 takes us from Santiago to destinations of Cordoba, Valdivia and Concepcion. All of these flights featured many of the highlights previously mentioned and overall it brought a fitting end to yet another good DVD from Just Planes.

Additional Information

Summary / Closing Remarks

Once again, these DVDs were an absolute pleasure to watch and I think anyone who loves aviation will enjoy them. At a cost of $15-30 each they are a bargain. These are perfect for days when you what to see or do something aviation related but also want to enjoy the comforts of home.

What I Like About the DVDs

• Scenic Views
• Creative editing and camera views
• Features very unique destinations and aircrafts

What I Dislike About the DVDs

• Perhaps a request rather than a dislike would be to feature these airlines once more to film in HD!