Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Christmas Day 2006
Christmas Day 20o6
Position: 100 miles south of Salt Lake City
Altitude: 30,000 feet
Groundspeed: 530 m.p.h.
Fuel flows: #1/2690 #2/2700
The Chief Pilot promised turkey, gravy, and dressing for his crews working today. My co-pilot and I are licking our chops... Historically, the airline provides good food on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have a 52 minute turn time in Phoenix. That will be enough for a quick meal, pre-flight, re-fuel, paperwork, and tighten the cinch for Anchorage.
The sun is setting in the west; Santa's sled is back in the hanger at the top of the world. Last night, at midnight, we were level at 38,000 feet enroute to Salt Lake City. I did my best Santa Claus has been sighted crossing the border of Canada routine; the one I do every Christmas for the children on-board. I asked the number one flight attendant what the reaction was.... Not much. I guess children are getting more sophisticated.
Feet Wet, 4.5 hours later...
We are over water, a few miles past the half-way point to Anchorage. Our expected Christmas meal in the pilot lounge did not happen; only food shrapnel remained on the floor, but there were several of my buds lying around like my cat does after she eats, "Hey Dave, you should have been here a bit earlier. It was really good!", as they rub their pooched tummies. Yeah, well, our maximum speed is Mach .82 (82% of the speed of sound). Looks like we needed a bit more to make the 2006 Christmas feed.
Ten minutes before pushback for Anchorage, the airline delivers hot Christmas meals to our airplane, plastic plates wrapped with foil. The Chief Pilot kept his word. I was impressed...
Now, at 36,000 feet, both of us are face against the heated Plexiglas looking up at the heavens. It is one of those nights of extremely clear skies. My co-pilot is an astronomy nut, as I am. We are calling out the asterisms (constellations) we can see from our respective side. Directly above the airplane lies Cassiopeia, the wife of King Cephus. Behind the left wing, Orion, my favorite... And many more in all quadrants. The star cloud of the Milky Way is... Well, words cannot describe the beauty. It is inexpressible in human terms.
The Anchorage weather, tonight, is typical Alaskan winter weather - freezing fog, low visibility, low clouds, low temperatures, and an icy airport surface. The runways should have good braking action, though. Our landing alternate is an Air Force base located at Fairbanks, 49 minutes north of Anchorage. Their forecast was better than any others within fuel range of our A319.
And so it goes in these few remaining minutes of Christmas Day 2006...
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Great Pst. Glad you got your christmas dinner.
Merry Christmas, An avid reader from the UK
Merry Christmas, An avid reader from the UK
# posted by 
: 1:58 PM, December 26, 2006
: 1:58 PM, December 26, 2006
Hey I think thats so cute how you "spot santa"!!! I love it, but too bad you had to be away from home for chistmas...
That's a great picture...now if only someone could photoshop santa flying back to his North Pole Hangar ;-)
Well, look what I found...How lucky to find your blog. I will start from the firt post.
Best regards,
Wilson (from Monterrey, Mexico)
Best regards,
Wilson (from Monterrey, Mexico)
# posted by : 8:07 PM, December 26, 2006
: 8:07 PM, December 26, 2006
Dave I have a question that came up while I was playing flight simulator.
I was in a heavy 747 taking off, and around V1 (didn't know V1 exactly) I was in the midst of rotating when the RTO brakes for whatever reason were activated. I rejected just fine and all was dandy, but its only flight sim. Lets say in the real world your brakes, for whatever reason, are activated past V1, would you continue with the takeoff by trying to release the brakes, or do a high speed abort?
I was in a heavy 747 taking off, and around V1 (didn't know V1 exactly) I was in the midst of rotating when the RTO brakes for whatever reason were activated. I rejected just fine and all was dandy, but its only flight sim. Lets say in the real world your brakes, for whatever reason, are activated past V1, would you continue with the takeoff by trying to release the brakes, or do a high speed abort?
# posted by : 12:44 AM, December 27, 2006
: 12:44 AM, December 27, 2006
I still have not yet worked on equipments with RTO. As far as I know , you arm them before take off roll. And they will become active if you bring the thrust back after they were in the take off setting. Also after you pass 80 knots RTO became unarm. Meaning they will not work if you cut back the thrust you will have to brake on your own. Dave please correct me on this one.
Wonderful writings, Dave! I have flown vicariously with you over your recent postings to/from Anchorage, bringing back memories of magnificent approaches and a snowy departure from there. I am yet to see the Aurora borealis. I should have been departing Australia for Anchorage tomorrow night, and our recent days over 100°F make snow sound very attractive!
Thank you for bringing much pleasure through your first-class postings and photographs. I am learning so much which fascinates me, and your effort is greatly appreciated by so many.
Merry Christmas to you and your wife, and best wishes for good health and safe flights in 2007.
Thank you for bringing much pleasure through your first-class postings and photographs. I am learning so much which fascinates me, and your effort is greatly appreciated by so many.
Merry Christmas to you and your wife, and best wishes for good health and safe flights in 2007.
Dave, fantastic writing here! Just curious... How hard is it to get Xmas off at the airline? It seems like you had to work both eve and day. I assume you are a fairly senior captain that may be able to bid atleast one of those days off? Maybe you get overtime pay? Just an aspiring professional pilot thinking about the future....
# posted by : 9:40 PM, December 27, 2006
: 9:40 PM, December 27, 2006
I love when the sky is really clear. (Yep, another astronomy nut) When my wife and went to Australia we spent the night we stopped at Ayers Rock taking pictures of the night sky. My favourite is the one of the Milky Way toward Scorpio and Sagittarius.
anon#1- well, if for some reason the auto-brakes activated while on take-off roll, you would not be flying. By the time you could de-activate them, too much speed would have been lost.
vic- they arm themselves after about 80 knots and will come on line in the case of thrust lever movement to idle position.
noella- roger that...
anon#2- very hard to get the major holidays free from duty, unless in the top 100 Captains, which I am not.
vic- they arm themselves after about 80 knots and will come on line in the case of thrust lever movement to idle position.
noella- roger that...
anon#2- very hard to get the major holidays free from duty, unless in the top 100 Captains, which I am not.
Belated Christmas greetings to one of my favorite aviators and bloggers. I guess if you had to fly on Christmas at least you were enroute to one of your favorite places. Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2007 to you and Mrs. FL390.
I got to fly over Florida at 390 once, and counld see the lights along both shores of the state. Probably not as beautiful as a clear night over Alaska, but memorable all the same.
To Traveller, yep, the night skies in the great Australian outback are awesome. One of my favourite pasttimes is camping under a dome of billions of sparkling stars from horizon to horizon, as the country is so flat, counting the 'falling stars' and satellites passing overhead. It is astounding the amount of activity going on up there.
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