British Airways plane tracker's flight of fancy as Maidstone moved to Thames Estuary
A British Airways plane's
navigation system had Maidstone in the Thames Estuary
by Andy Gray
Are we all at sea? British Airways certainly seems to think
so.
An eagle-eyed passenger was surprised to see the company's
in-flight navigation system show Maidstone as being in the Thames
Estuary off the coast of Sheppey.
Michael Benson, 47, was on a BA flight from Copenhagen to
Heathrow when he noticed the geographical gaffe.
A mere 20 miles separate Maidstone and Sheppey, but the two
locations are oceans apart in size and culture.
But as far as BA's tracking system is concerned, the county town
and the island share the same cosy nautical berth.
With the national carrier serving 193 destinations in 90
countries and millions of passengers each month, the odd technical
glitch is probably inevitable.
Father-of-three Mr Benson, a marketing consultant from Benenden
pictured right, said: "We were coming into land when I looked up to
see how far away we were from London.
"It's then that I noticed Maidstone wasn't where it should
be.
"It makes you wonder if we really know what countries we’re
flying over when we’re in the air."
Heathrow is the busiest international airport in the world,
handling nearly 1,500 flights a day.
Mr Benson, who took a picture of the screen and its skew-whiff
orientation, said in-flight entertainment these days goes beyond
videos, magazines and drinks trolleys - you just need to know where
to look.
He said: "An out of sorts tracking system could make for a more
interesting and exciting flight - especially if you're a nervous
flyer."
British Airways did not return requests for a comment.
Have you ever spotted a rogue map of Kent? Leave your comments
below.
08/02/13
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