Position: Abeam KPIT (Pittsburgh)
Altitude: 28,000 feet
Groundspeed: 380 mph (330 kts)
Pax on board: 146
Destination: KSFO (San Francisco)
The mighty I-Phone alarm tripped at 00:50 hrs circadian time on the east coast of the Empire. My first conscious thought was no way. Yes, way... Uh, where am I? Does it matter? It is the same drill everywhere. Coffee maker started, shower started, double check report time, and then check it again.
03:50 hrs circadian time...
The lead flight attendant made a fresh pot of coffee a few minutes ago. Fi-Fi's coffee can be nasty as she uses water from her 200 gallon potable water tank in the tail. This morning's is particularly foul. It is so bad that the co-pilot and I are wondering if it could be used as jet fuel.
At 28,000 feet, the winds are on our nose at 140 mph, but are even stronger at higher altitudes. Rumor has it (my dispatcher) that abeam KORD (Chicago), the winds begin to lose strength at the higher flight levels. We will stay down here for awhile and live with the big fuel burns. The good news: The ride is smooth as glass... Not a single ripple in the captain's fetid cup of coffee.
04:50 hrs circadian time...
The mighty I-Phone alarm tripped at 00:50 hrs circadian time on the east coast of the Empire. My first conscious thought was no way. Yes, way... Uh, where am I? Does it matter? It is the same drill everywhere. Coffee maker started, shower started, double check report time, and then check it again.
03:50 hrs circadian time...
The lead flight attendant made a fresh pot of coffee a few minutes ago. Fi-Fi's coffee can be nasty as she uses water from her 200 gallon potable water tank in the tail. This morning's is particularly foul. It is so bad that the co-pilot and I are wondering if it could be used as jet fuel.
At 28,000 feet, the winds are on our nose at 140 mph, but are even stronger at higher altitudes. Rumor has it (my dispatcher) that abeam KORD (Chicago), the winds begin to lose strength at the higher flight levels. We will stay down here for awhile and live with the big fuel burns. The good news: The ride is smooth as glass... Not a single ripple in the captain's fetid cup of coffee.
04:50 hrs circadian time...
The sun is about ten degrees above the horizon in our six o'clock. Below us are clouds that look like ocean waves. The troughs are in deep shadow, yet the peaks are illuminated by the sun's rays. What a sight! They cover the Earth as far as I can see in all directions. Not long ago, the night sky disappeared over the western horizon... Simply amazing!
05:00 hrs circadian time...
05:00 hrs circadian time...
ATC cleared us to climb to 34,000 feet, where the winds are on the nose at 90 mph. KORD, covered by the ocean of clouds, is off our right wing tip. My dispatcher was absolutely correct. Fi-Fi's powerful nav computers think we are going to be OK on the KSFO arrival fuel. I entered the forecast winds aloft (before we pushed from the gate) to give them something to chew on enroute. My No.2 pencil, hand calculator, and paper estimate is within 1,000 pounds of the nav-bots. Actually, my WAG is probably a little more accurate than Fi-Fi's because she can not possibly know the ground track around KSFO. We shall see...
06:00 hrs circadian time...
06:00 hrs circadian time...
A sealed O2 mask is gripping my face and delivering 100% aviator's oxygen. It is cold and invigorating, yet dries out the throat. A combination of oxygen and replicated coffee will keep me awake for another two hours and fifty minutes. Below, we have reached the west coast of the cloud sea. I can see the fields of Nebraska.
The lead flight attendant told me that almost all the pax are asleep. The window shades are pulled down and the pressurized aluminum tube is dark and cool.
06:50 hrs circadian time...
The lead flight attendant told me that almost all the pax are asleep. The window shades are pulled down and the pressurized aluminum tube is dark and cool.
06:50 hrs circadian time...
The co-pilot is lip-syncing a song, apparently from memory. I do not see an I-Pod, and his right ear has the aircraft radios plugged in to it. Hmmm... Not a bad idea, actually. I always play tunes in my head during simulator training. Nothing like Ted Nugent to help with a V-1 cut at max weight. Maybe a little Journey would help me wake up this morning... How about Wheel in the Sky:
Winter is here again Oh Lord
Haven't been home in a year or more
I hope she holds on a little longer
Sent a letter on a long summer day
Made of silver, not of clay
I've been runnin' down this dusty road
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
I don't know where I'll be tomorrow
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
Yep, that will do...
Life on the Line continues... Somewhere over western Nebraska.
23 comments:
Now I understand about the coffee!
As a long-time reader and frequent flyer, I wonder if I have every flown with you.
Here is an idea. How about a "secret word" that you could use in your announcement -- something that would be known only to your readers. We could then give you a wink or a wave when deplaning.
Like your other readers, I have a much deeper appreciation for what my pilots do....
Jeff
Yeah - like perhaps you could sign off the flight deck PAs with:
Life on the Line continues...
Which seems to have become your 'tag line.'
Love the images - whether created with camera or words.
keep it up gr8 images and good writing. you guys use o2 no way.!
Capt. Dave, do you ever fly the larger, 180 seat version of Fifi?
I'd bever expected that a Captain would mentally sing a Ted Nugent song while in a Simulator Drill, and assumed that on his blog!
Aways surprising us with your smooth talk about flying and the "life on the line".
Best regards Captain Dave.
You remind me of all the beautiful thing that comes with the job.
Every time my heart sank with another story of pay cuts and warnings of the dire state of aviation, i would read your blog and be amazed of how much wondrous beauty i have missed along the way.
Thank you for the reminder.
i love my job.
why are you wearing the oxygen mask? is that standard procedure even though the cabin is pressurized?
Jeff wants a secret word to say to the crew, like "Hi, Dave".
Just as well yer name isn't Jack ;)
I'm also curious about the O2 mask. I understand most airliners are pressured for 8000 feet. Is the O2 in the cockpit just to give you a little extra?
There is a regulation requiring the mask to be worn above a certain altitude if the other pilot steps out of the cockpit to use the lav. Also, there is nothing like a straight shot of o2 to wake you right up if you are feeling sort of groggy.
Dave, do you find a lot of guys listen to Ipods while in flight? We've had some issues with it down in CommuterLand.
AWESOME!
And Journey is most appropriate.
Aaron
Anyone know what weather system creates the cloud waves?
joel p.- yes
anonymous 148- it wakes me up when I am about to fall asleep.
anonymous 539- yep, it is a legal kick in the brain; at night it sharpens the vision before landing.
ethan- i-pods are strictly forbidden. At 0300 hrs in the dark of the night, who knows?
Dave,
Great photo and an always entertaining read. You've inspired me to start my own blog http://deliveryshere.blogspot.com/ any thoughts or comments most welcome.
I love the wave picture on this post. If you look real close, you can actually see fifi floating on the clouds below.
No, you cannot use that as jet fuel. Nothing can consume its own waste products...
"My first conscience thought" should read "conscious".
Wonderful photo and posting.
Always enjoy your writing.
mark richards- thank you!
Thank you for taking us on another flight with you... always fascinating!
Great post, our coffee sucks too. I do believe it is the water!
I remember pre-911 and my younger years, when I used to visit the cockpit looking for my oxygen fix...great hangover cure;-)
Was in the system today, transiting through CLT from TPA en route back YYZ. MX snarled my travels last night, so I ended up overnighting in CLT.
Can't tell you how many crew I walked past today wondering if any of them were you.
PS. If you could pass on my compliments to the crew of 1292 on 0401. They did a decent job of getting through some nasty weather last night.
Lots of memories here...Ubon Thailand, 1970, loading bombs on F-4 Phantoms the hot sun, learning to only suck Oxygen from the aircraft that had not been serviced yet -- lest a crew chief adjust your attitude with a 16' wrench.
But it does kill even the worst of the hangovers...and give you a charge if you are suffering frmo lack of sleep.
Great photograph of the atmosphere in an undulating mood. Stuck to the ground as I am, I usually enjoy these clouds from underneath.
Also enjoyed your "No 2.pencil, hand calculator and paper estimate against Fi Fi's powerful computers."
The way you take a sportive approach into competing with the computers. It seems you won.
Reminded me of Mr.Kasparow, the chess player, when he was competing against Deep Blue. It seems he lost.
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