Thanks to everyone who read, and better still commented, on my earlier account of experiencing the A380 evacuation up close and personal. As promised, there will be a more detailed story in next week's Flight International which will of course appear on www.flightglobal.com as usual.
Among other things, it will describe just how I personally got out of the aircraft - and perhaps spark an interesting debate about game theory and actions that are good for an individual not necessarily being good for a group. You'll see what I mean.
But I did immediately want to clear up one loose end that I left hanging in my first post and which I've since been able to discuss with Airbus. That is the mysterious question of what happened to evacuee number 737.
You may recall that I mentioned previously that this was a woman who was escorted off the aircraft a short while before the evacuation - this was important because it appeared to leave only 852 on board and not 853 as planned. Other passengers said she looked ill and we assumed that was why she'd gone.
Well, I am assured that in fact the poor lady needed the bathroom and furthermore that, categorically, she did get back on. Fact is that I didn't see her return, but it is quite true that there were a lot of comings and goings by various programme staff and I'm happy to accept that I just missed it. Hey, I had a lot on my mind!
Are you sure that it was "evacuee number 737" and not number 747-8 ?
GI