TripReport: Condor (Economy) | Frankfurt - Gran Canaria | Boeing 757-300

Описание: In this rather special trip report, I flew onboard a Boeing 757 for the first time! Not only did I fly the Boeing 757, but I managed to fly the more rare 757-300! With only 55 ever built, the Boeing 757-300 is harder to get onboard than the more common 757-200. Most of the 757-300s are operated by American carriers Delta & United, but over in Europe, the German leisure carrier, Condor, operates a few 757-300s, in fact they were the launch customer of the 757-300, though the prototype has since been retired. Speaking of which, the remaining 757-300s that Condor operate will be retired after October this year (2025), so there is still a few months left for anyone who is looking to fly a 757-300 in Europe.

This was Condor flight DE1404 from Frankfurt in Germany to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, on March 30th 2025. I was sat in seat 14A, which offers a perfect view of the left side Rolls Royce RB211 engine, which is why I chose to reserve that specific seat. This flight looked like it was filled to capacity, with most of the passengers being German holiday makers heading to the Canary Islands for a week. We got underway a little bit behind schedule, though we then had to wait for quite a few aircraft to takeoff ahead of us from runway 18, which was around an additional 15 minutes or so. Finally it was our turn to takeoff from Frankfurt Airports runway 18, & it was the moment that I had been looking forward to for so long, to hear the amazing sound of the Rolls Royce RB211 engine at takeoff power, which is definitely something that I didn’t think I would get to experience, but I’m so happy I did! The weather for the first 15 minutes of the flight was rather cloudy over Germany, but the weather over the other European countries we flew over was even better, & this flight turned into a bit of a sightseeing flight. I did put some text on screen with the names of the airports we passed over. In terms of service the crew came around the cabin serving food & drinks, & soon after duty free sales. During the service I decided to treat myself to 2 of Condors chocolate cookies to snack on during the flight & they were quite tasty. I did get up from my seat to check out to stretch my legs & use one of the restrooms, which are quite large compared to more modern aircraft like the A320neo or 737 MAX (both of which I flew on this day as well). Some time later when another onboard service was being done, I asked the crew if they could ask the pilots if I could have a flight deck visit as I was massive aviation enthusiast & that I’m on this flight for the sake of flying a 757-300 before they retire, & they were very accommodating & the request was approved. So after a few hours we soon started descending & eventually arrived into Gran Canaria Airport, & after we arrived on stand I was told to make my way down to the flight deck where the pilots were waiting for me. This might end up being my favourite flight deck visit I’ve ever done, as it lasted around 15 minutes, & I was also joined by another passenger who turned out to be a nervous flyer, so myself, her & the co-pilot all ended up chatting away for a good 15 minutes & we weren’t rushed out the flight deck like I have been a few times before, but the pilots & crew loved that we stayed back to have a flight deck visit & chat to them. Once my flight deck visit was over, I actually managed to get a clip of myself & a few of the male crew members with one of them saying you should all follow me (please do lol) & visit Sri Lanka (which I assume is where he is from if he is saying that) & us shaking hands & parting ways. This was such an amazing flight & this Condor crew clearly love their jobs, & also love it when avgeeks are flying on their flights for the sake of flying on that flight. This was the perfect flight with some of the best crew I have ever had, & a perfect Rolls Royce RB211 view! If this ends up being the only time I get to fly a 757-300 & get a perfect RB211 view, then I’m so happy I chose this flight! It honestly couldn’t have gotten any better!

Carrier: Condor
Aircraft Type: Boeing 757-300 (B753)
Registration: D-ABOH
Flight: DE1404
Route: Frankfurt Airport (FRA) - Gran Canaria Airport (LPA)
Seat: 14A (Economy)
Scheduled departure: 12:15pm
Actual departure: 12:50pm
Scheduled arrival: 3:50pm
Actual arrival: 4:02pm
Flight time: 4 hours & 13 minutes
Date: March 30th, 2025

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