C-GTVG was our return ride from Frank Pais Airport (HOG) in Holguin, Cuba back to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Toronto on January 24, 2018. We had a chance to photograph the Sunwing Airlines Boeing 737-800 while waiting in the VIP Lounge at the airport. If you ever fly out out of HOG, the lounge is a must and the cost is quite low.
For full-size high resolution versions of any of the photos in the image gallery, simply click on the individual pictures. See below for more detailed information on C-GTVG, the Boeing 737-800 model in general and the airline. Also, below is a video taken from our window in row 10, showing the takeoff and climb until leaving the island of Cuba over the Atlantic Ocean.
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C-GTVG
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C-GTVG Sunwing Airlines Boeing 737-800 Image Gallery
C-GTVG
C-GTVG took its first flight on April 24, 2007 and was delivered to Travel Service in the Czech Republic on May 5, 2007 as OK-TVG. Since 2010, the Boeing 737-8Q8 has been leased seasonally to Sunwing. In 2016, on the European side, the B738 was transferred to SmartWings. The airliner has a maximum capacity for 189 passengers, all in economy class.
2013 wasn’t the best year for C-GTVG. On May 16, 2013, flying for Sunwing, the Boeing 737-800 was flying from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Santa Clara, Cuba. Climbing through 500 feet, crew heard several loud bangs, followed by streaks of flame from the left side engine. The engine was shut down and the airliner diverted safely back to YHZ a short time later. The incident was the result of a bird strike.
Later, on August 11, 2013, the airplane was back in Europe and flying as OK-TVG. On a flight from Katowice, Poland to Bodrum, Turkey, flying over Sofia, Bulgaria, the right side engine failed. The aircraft diverted safely to Sofia with a replacement B738 brought in to take the passengers on the rest of their journey.
Later that month, on August 25, 2013, OK-TVG was flying from Bourgas, Bulgaria to Pardubice in the Czech Republic. After seemingly landing safely at Pardubice, the aircraft then overran the end of the runway, stopping 150 metres beyond, on soft ground. No injuries or damage occurred.
Boeing 737-800
The most popular variant of the Boeing 737 Next Generation Family, the Boeing 737-800 is a stretched version of the 737-700 at 19 feet longer. The model first entered service in 1998 with Hapaq-Lloyd Flug (now TUIfly) and since, over 4,500 have been delivered.
The B738 is 40 metres or 130 feet in length with a wingspan of 36 metres or 118 feet. The height at the tail is 13 metres or 41 feet. The flight range for this aircraft is 5,436 kilometres.
Sunwing Airlines
Sunwing Airlines was founded and commenced operations in 2005. The charter airline is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario and has a fleet of 29 aircraft. The fleet currently consists entirely of Boeing 737-800 aircraft but the airline has four Boeing 737 MAX 8 variants on order. Sunwing flies to 73 destinations in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central American and South America.
C-GTVG Video Taking Off From Holguin
On January 24, 2018, we flew from Holguin, Cuba to Toronto, Ontario on board C-GTVG. Sitting in row ten, overlooking the front of the left side engine, we videoed our takeoff with the GoPro Hero 5 Black. If you like what you see, be sure to hit the ‘Thumb’s Up’ in YouTube. If you love it, be sure to share with friends and hit the ‘Subscribe’ button – for that we’d be very grateful!
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