Position: 50 West of ICT (Wichita)
Altitude: 39,000 feet
Groundspeed: 609 mph (530 knots)
Destination: KJFK (New York City)
Pax on board: 150/2 pilot jumpseaters/1 flight attendant jumpseater
I cannot see the sun's orb behind the tail, but from the orange light on the instrument panel, it must be a spectacular sunset. The co-pilot says he can sort of see the sun if he presses his face firmly against his side Plexiglas. Our beautiful aluminum bird is a heavy chevy this evening; every seat of any description is mated to a warm body. It is snowing at JFK, but the forecast is OK... Marginal nighttime visual weather conditions. Our alternate airport is Newark, NJ.
The cabin altitude is steady at 8,000 feet above sea level; the ride is smooth and Air Traffic Control is quiet. The Electric Jet is happy and purring like a fat cat lying in my lap with all four paws up. I am scratching her metal belly... Easy baby, easy. Life is good high above Kansas. Two hours and forty minutes to go...
Recently, an aviation magazine editor told me that he flew his light aircraft to Houston to interview a couple of senior airline captains about life on the Line. Instead of stories of high altitude hijinks and politically incorrect behaviour, he got tales of woe; evil airline CEOs, pilot union warfare, and disappearing retirement funds.
At 39,000 feet, looking down at the fading orange light spilling across the snow covered fields, I am shaking my head, not in disbelief, but in bewilderment. Wait a minute... There is not enough oxygen up here to be thinking about such morose things. According to my Jepp High Altitude chart, we are flying above the Bravo Sierra (bs) level in this sector.
Well, that puts a different slant on these dark thoughts. I can wait until we descend into New York airspace to continue this line of semi-abstract reasoning, or something like that...
Life on the Line continues...
17 comments:
I think you'r a cut above the rest Dave,...not like a lot of other Captains. Keep the passion alive and have a safe and Merry Christmas.
What is a Bravo Sierra level ?
Dave,
Awesome Blog! My bride is one of your politically incorrect "senior sky mommas" (25 years and counting!) I love your perspective of flying, much better than the view from coach these days ;-).
@ Seb Bravo Sierra is a euphemism for the excrement of a male bovine. LOL
Aaron
Ha ha ha - so that's why I couldn't find it in my Aviation Terms list!! Now I can appreciate the subtle humour of the post.
What a wonderful visual image of the Electric Jet as a cat on the lap...
Hmm! I bet you wrote the headline deliberately.... There was me expecting a different interpretation of BS!
Another great one Dave. Keep it coming, but in the meantime, wish you and loved ones a great Christmas.
Incidentally, I have a story on the A320 with blended winglets on my Bangalore Aviation blog.
Fifi, a kitten with big ears. :)
Devesh
One just has to consult some pilot forums endlessly lamenting about pilot union welfares and the like to see what you, dear Captain Dave, are talking about.
How bright the sun shines above the clouds.
Dave, I became a regular reader in mid-2008 (and went back and read every single back post with pleasure.) Wanted to take the occasion to wish you happy holidays and smooth air for 2009.
Dave,
I love your log. Though I just lurk.
Dave I an not agree more with the other readers about your writting.. The cuts in aviation jobs got me a few years ago, age and the thought of starting at the bottom pay scale has kept me from returning.. however, my fondest memories as a dispatcher were those magical flight deck jump seat rides to/from work.. I always gave me a reality check and recharged my batteries, reminding me of the symple joy of flying and the wonderful sights rolling by the windscreen.
You sir have kept those memories alive for me and many others.. I hope you don't mind, but I cut and past your writings for my own personal reading from time to time..
You really should produce a movie and write some books Dave, you have a magical way of describing what all of us birds of a feather feel but can't quite put into words.. Your the best!!
Darn it Dave, I think I would have just done a swift 360 degree just to have a look at that sunset - no one would have known tee hee!
heh.. I agree with DeeJay.. should've asked KC Center for a quick spin so you could've enjoyed the sunset.. and you could stop your FO from smudging the window ;)
Dave, what is your take on the Continental accident? Does it look like a situation they will blame on the pilot or will they applaud his efforts to abort?
Merry Xmas to you and the wife of your youth - be safe
cheers
Steve
New Zealand
Dave,
Yesterday, 12/22, I was on an Airbus between PHL and LAS (flight 797). As we passed Chicago, which looked like an incredible frozen empire from FL340, I noticed an airbus from my window which was trailing thick, black smoke. It appeared to be maintaining altitude,and was moving slightly away from us, a few degrees off of our course. I was curious if you have any idea what I may have seen here? This was not a contrail, nor anything I've seen trailing any other aircraft from my many rides on airlines. It was definatly a thick black smoke trailing directly from the aircraft, against a clear blue sky at around Noon. Any thoughts would be appreciated...
anonymous 1250: I have been looking at this accident with much interest. My gut feeling is that it was a severe mechanical failure of the rejected take-off braking system combined with two very surprized pilots. I hope they are found blameless.
neil: I do not know what that could have been. If it was thick black smoke, they must have had a problem.
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