The Assumption of Mary, trainee pilots, and Richard Branson

On 15 August, I checked in at Munich airport for my flight to London. In Southern Germany, 15 August is a public holiday to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. At the airports, passengers are kindly invited to attend a special religious service.

I felt tempted but I had to catch my flight so I gave the mass a miss. Also because I was not too optimistic about convincing easyJet that attending the service was an extraordinary circumstance that entitled me to a refund (Air Passenger Rights, p. 97). Slightly regretting this missed opportunity to be uplifted by the service, I found consolation in the fact that my easyJet flight also provided for an assumption, albeit temporary and to a much lower level than the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The plane was almost fully booked but after the usual easyJet passengers fight I managed to end up between the aisle and a free seat. The flight was quiet, both inside and outside the cabin, and also the approach to Stansted went smoothly - although seemingly a bit faster than normal.

When we were about to touch down the engines of the Airbus 319 suddenly made a roaring sound and were spooled up to full throttle. In moments we were slowly but steadily gaining height again. We had experienced a very elegant go-around (on 15 August also known as a Mary-go-around).

The senior cabin crewmember (easyJet still seems to have a hard time finding pursers) announced that the go-around was a completely normal procedure. Indeed, it’s a routine manoeuvre, and can for example be triggered by a non-cleared runway (but hey, this was Stansted, not Heathrow) or a dangerous weather condition (but hey, the weather was nice and quiet).

While the aircraft made a right turn back to the airport, the captain came on the intercom. The sound of his voice suggested he once must have pondered between becoming a pilot or a newsreader. Without apologising, he revealed that the first officer was only a trainee pilot and did not have that much experience with landing procedures. ‘When I saw that the approach was not done with the correct speed, I decided to intervene and to make a go-around as a fail-safe measure.’

The second landing went much better. Indeed, practice makes perfect, particularly when you practice on a plane with 150 passengers.

So what about these trainee pilots? On its website easyJet writes: ‘For those wishing to start an airline career as a pilot, we are able to offer a sponsorship scheme that will enable up to 24 applicants a year to achieve their dream. This exciting commitment by easyJet will enable a select few to benefit from a highly extensive training process. Of course, as we are expanding at such a high rate, our requirements may change.’

Erm, yes. Of course. The requirements for trainee pilots may change. Watch this space. Soon you may only need to have good newsreader skills.

I suddenly felt an urge to attend a service for the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. But at Stansted no such service was offered. It was only then I remembered that the only Virgin to be worshipped in this country is Sir Richard Branson.

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