Strange Virgin Atlantic VS074P flight

[scnickr]

I've just been tracking this Virgin Atlantic flight, looks like it's come from the Manchester direction but the trail ends so can't see exactly.

I've checked Gatwick arrivals live board and the flight number isn't on there, nor is there anything on the Manchester departures/arrivals board.

VS074 callsign looks like it's an MCO-MAN flight but why would it be landing at Gatwick?

Could it be a diverted flight or something?

Any ideas?

[zak123]

Its may be a ferry flight. Im not sure.

[speedbird1960]

Hi.
Information from LibhomeRadar, the 'P' in the callsign VIR74P stands for positioning flight

2011/02/21 11:03 VIR74P VIR74P -G-VAST Virgin Atlantic Airways B744

MAN-LGW
Code Airport name
MAN / EGCC Manchester, Ringway
LGW / EGKK London/Gatwick
Distance for the entire flight 303.14km / Estimated flighttime 0.41 hours

Mike / Speedbird

[Carl]

yes i also saw VS074P today which said it was operated by G-VAST and according to my information it departed Manchester at 11am for Gatwick which would make sense for a positioning in flight,i looked for the flights operated for this aircraft and the flight i got before VS074P was VS078 from Bridgetown to Manchester earlier this morning,so thats BGI to MAN then from MAN to LGW on a positioning flight but i don't understand the flight number itself VS074P,74 would mean a flight from MCO to MAN and with a p on the end would mean then on to LGW,it should be VS078P not VS074P if its BGI-MAN then to LGW ?? that doesn't make sense to me,can anyone else shed some light on this ?its confusing stuff lol

[speedbird1960]

Hi Carl.

VS074P is used on a regular basis for repositioning the aircraft.
G-VAST is now on LGW to MCO and passing over MAN at 35000ft @ 14:45

Mike / Speedbird

[Carl]

are you sure this aircraf GVAST is inflight on this route because its not showing up as on any flight at the moment ?

[Carl]

on data.flight24 it says that G-VAST is on flight VS15 but on v-flyer it says its G-VTOP ,2 different planes cannot operate the same flight at the same time ???????????

[Carl]

if an aircraft is on a positioning flight then they don't show up on the arrivals and departures,if you go to casper flight tracking and go back to 11am this morning G-VAST appears out of Manchester and i followed this aircraft down to Gatwick then i went on data.flight24 and it says this aircraft is now on flight VS015 LGW-MCO but on the v-flyer site it says V-TOP is operating VS015

[Carl]

now on airframes.org its saying that G-VAST is operating vs15 from LGW to LAS ???? this cannot be because VS15 is a flight from LGW to MCO not LGW to LAS,i think all these databases have got themselves in a right muddle there

[express1]

Virgin Atlantic's first A333 delivery due today, but not sure where it will be heading, it's not on LHR list, so maybe heading for LGW but don't quote me on that the reg is G-VSXY

[express1]

Aircraft deliveries and due deliveries for Thursday 24th Feb 2011
B-6528 Airbus A330-223 China Southern Airlines 2x PW PW4168A C24Y240 23-02-2011 painted in "SkyTeam" special cs
ferried TLS-CAN 23 - 24-02-2011 on delivery
N606NK Airbus A320-232 Spirit Airlines 2x IAE V2527-A5 F4Y174 23-02-2011 Leased from CIT
ferried TLS-YQX-MCO 23-02-2011 on delivery
SU-GDP Boeing 777-36N(ER) EgyptAir 2x GE GE90-115B C49Y297 23-02-2011 Leased from GECAS
ferried PAE-CAI 23 - 24-02-2011 on delivery
TC-JJL Boeing 777-3F2(ER) Turkish Airlines 2x GE GE90-115B1L C28W63Y246 23-02-2011 Karadeniz ferried PAE-IST 23 - 24-02-2011 on delivery

deliveries due today
G-VSXY Airbus A330-343X Virgin Atlantic 2x RR Trent 772B-60 W59Y255 Due 24-02-2011 Beauty Queen will be Leased from AerCap ( this was not a delivery flight in the end, it went ZRH then on to Hamburg i believe)
N884FD Boeing 777-FS2 Federal Express (FedEx) 2x GE GE90-110B1L Cargo Due 24-02-2011 ferried PAE-MEM 24-02-2011 on delivery

[speedbird1960]

Virgin Atlantic's first A333 delivery due today, but not sure where it will be heading, it's not on LHR list, so maybe heading for LGW but don't quote me on that the reg is G-VSXY

Hi.

Picked up Virgin's new A330 from Toulouse heading for ZRH, possibly picking up it's first load of passengers.
On approach to ZRH @ 17:39

Callsign: VIR813P (This Callsign / Flight number is used for maintenance and positioning flights.)
I can not see any Virgin flights out of ZRH, so it's possible it will carry on to the Hamburg Airbus factory for some finishing touches.

HEX: 4063E6

Mike / Speedbird

[express1]

well in that case it's not classed as a delivery flight as such!!

[express1]

Thanks for the update Mike

[speedbird1960]

Thanks for the update Mike

Your welcome Dave.

Planeplotters have it have down for cabin outfitting at ZRH.

http://www.planespotters.net/Production_List/Airbus/A330/1195,G-VSXY-Virgin-Atlantic.php

Mike / Speedbird