Review of Aurigny Air Services flight Dinard/Pleurtuit → Guernsey in Economy

Later during October, I hear that Aurigny will stop to fly with their TRISLANDERs. Early during the summer 2015 Aurigny withdrawn his famous TRISLANDER G-JOEY. I was not able to attend to this last flight. But I decided to fly later with this airline.
Also Aurgny is looking for to fly with some new planes, the Dornier 328. When I made my booking, is was planned that my return flight would be operated by AeroVIP, which is small portugese airline.

Early in the morning I arrived in St Malo by TGV (french fast train) where I had my lunch. It was great, I ate a galette and a crêpe with some cidre. I enjoyed it. After my lunch, I decided to go to the airport. There is only one way to go to the Dinar airport, by Taxi. I took one at the St Malo train station. It drives me in 25 minutes to the airport. It cost me quiete a lot of money, 35€ !!! Taxi is not so cheap in France.

After I arrived to the Dinar airport, I realised it was a very small airport ! There were only two counters, Ryanair and Aurigny. Inside the terminal, it was clean (but toiletts were not) and I found also some renting cars counters. There is also a free wifi, which runs fast thanks to the low passengers amout. When I arrived the Aurigny counter was not opened I had to wait few minutes before to be able to check in for my flight.











When the Aurigny couter opened, a lady asked my passeport, and if I had some check in luggage, I answered that I have only a single cabin bag. Following these questions, she gave me my boarding pass, yes, it's a big antic, but at Dinar airport they are making the ticketsby hand. The lady told me that also when there is a Ryanair flight, they do the same.

After receiving my Boarding Pass I went though out the passport control and then the security one. Everything was made quickly. Then I arrived into the waiting lounge which is quiet small. On today's flight we will be only 3. There were a young lady flying back to Manchester after few years in France, and a old man visiting some friends in France, and then me, flying to Guernsey for a little birthday-weekend.

After 20 minutes our plane arrived from Guernsey. Onboard were only 2 passengers, a lady with her child… We wait another 10 minutes before we started the boarding, I had the right to take some photographs thanks to the airport staff, cause they told me that normally it was forbiden. Before to sat in the plane, we were called by our name and asked to enter one by one into the TRISLANDER.











Once I was inside the plane, I found it comfortable. It's hard to think that this plane is arround 40 years old. Windows were large allowing us to have a great view later during the flight about the landscape. Actually the weather was cloudy. After everyone were onboard the plane, the pilot (who was a female today) realised a little safety briefing and told us to enjoy the flight.

It will be a short flight about a part of the Channel. The pilot turned on the propelers and we start the taxi. The Dinard airport is not a big airport, so after a short taxi we were on the take off taxiway and were ready to take off. After a big propellers roar we start to fly, and that point, a flight with all the flying feeling started.





After the take off we turn to the right, the flying sensation are absolutly wounderful !!! Quickly we enter into the clouds and during this time we had some turbulences. We had a little view on the St Malo/Dinar cost. During the climb I saw a little rainbow and when we were a bit higher than the clouds I was able to see the plané's shadow. I enjoyed the begining of this flight.







When we were a bit more far away from the french cost, the weather was a bit better, we had more sun. The flight was soft with just sometimes some turbulences. The space for the legs is not so large, but it makes the flight better !!! That is a real flight experience which is really different than all new airbuses or boeings that we can fly on these days.

The landscape arround us was amazing. The good point for this flight, is that we have a great view on the "flight deck". On the right panel, there is a map which show us our route to Guernsey. At that time we were in the middle of our flight. During this moment I took time to read the inflight magazine that we can find in the seat pocket in front of us. Also inside it we can find the safety card, the special "baby flotation caution" safety card and finally the sickness bag.







After 20 minutes flight, we start to be close to the Guernsey Island. As you can see on the top photography, it's not a such big island. It is easy to realised a bus ride arround Guernesey. The sun was still with us during the approach to the island. It was not so windy, as you can see also the see was quiet.

The we start to turn to the right allowing us to be closer to Guernsey. The old man who was seated in front of me took some pictures during the approach. During that time I was able to chat a bit with him. It's not so easy to chat in this plane due of the propellers noise. Then the pilot told us, "please fasten your seatbelt we are close to land". I didn't know that I was able to remove my seat belt during the flight cause the seat belt sign stay on during the whole flight.











The plane has an auto-pilot, but it is swich off for landing, allowing the pilot to have the full controle on his plane. This plane is great about the view that we can have for the landing. Also the flight sensations we great !!! I enjoyed to really feel the plane movements, when it was balancing with the wind.

At that time the pilot was fully concentrated for the land, she swich on the landing light, were cleared to land. When we approach to the landing runway I saw another Aurigny plane which was ready to take off after us, it was an ATR42.





The taxi after the landing was quick. The parking area for the TRISLANDERs, is not so far away. Then after a little turn, the pilot swich off the engine, a little bus was waiting us. Then a man open the doors allowing us to leave this wounderful plane. After that time, the bus drive us to the main terminal were some other passengers took the bags that they check in at Dinar.

A big thank you for the Aurigny staff which allow me to realize a great flight onboard their TRISLANDER !!! Next time will be on the Dornier for sure !!!

Thank you for your reading and see you next flight.