Position: Over the Marker Beacon; KBOS (Boston)
Configuration: Landing gear extending, flaps 20 degrees, slats 22 degrees
Groundspeed: 172 mph (150 kts) and slowing
PAX: 124
Our A319 has descended out of the celestial sphere with every seat full. Admittedly, three hours behind schedule, but I have an excuse; thunderstorms on a planetary scale, huge and towering, easily punching through the tropopause. Thankfully, the monsters were collapsing back on themselves as we quietly and nervously tip-toed past them over Ohio.
Yep, it is 0340 hrs local time. We are running about one hour ahead of the freighters; most of the outbound crews are still sleeping in their hotel rooms about to be rudely awakened by the alarm clock. The co-pilot and I have struggled to stay awake, as we were supposed to be in bed by this time, fast asleep. The lead flight attendant has been helping us with super-strong airplane coffee, a vile mixture of lowest bidder coffee bags and fetid liquid from the 200 gallon potable water tank in Fi-Fi's belly. It is strictly an emergency measure to stay awake. No mystery to me why most airline pilots do not live long after retiring.
The glow of Boston has diffused the clouds with orange light as we penetrate the wispy ceiling over the airport. The spoilers are fully extended as we maneuver for the downwind leg, high and fast. Our engines have been at idle thrust for the last 100 miles and 35,000 feet. I am trying to arrive at the marker beacon using only gravity for airspeed and altitude control. The secret is to carry a bit of extra energy (altitude) to use in the airport area. If you do not need it, there are several methods to get rid of it, such as S-turns, spoilers, landing gear, and steep bank angles. Fi-Fi is slick and clean, indicated airspeed of 250 knots, as she descends beneath the cloud deck, feet wet, east of the airport.
The co-pilot tells the tower that we have the runway in sight. Tower clears us for the visual approach. This is so very, very cool... The airspace east of KBOS is mine to do with as I wish. I have three 90 degree turns to accomplish before lining up with the runway. I can use each one to shed a substantial amount of energy. The vertical path is clear in my mind's eye and I am now sure that I will not need any withdrawals from my energy account I built during the descent. Time to toss it into the early morning sky for the next crew that might need it.
Nose up a few degrees, thirty degree banks, engines idle thrust... Do it three times and we are over the marker beacon lowering the landing gear, flaps and slats. Ahead of us are the approach lights identifying the end of the runway; they look so awesome. After thousands of miles, rarified atmosphere and stratospheric thunderstorms, there they are...
Life on the Line continues...
22 comments:
Dave - what an amazing read! I love your accounts of precision flying. Idle power descents are an art form, and I am sure that evening, you felt something similar to what John, Paul, George and Ringo felt when they nailed the "keeper" take of Revolution: Pure magic!
At a much smaller scale, I can completely identify with this post, as I have experienced the magic of perfectly executed flight maneuvers, and good flying days in my, much smaller, Cutlass 172 RG. Its a superb - grand feeling...as if you and the machine have fused together, and the limitations of yokes (or side controllers) and switches, and levers finally dissapear. GREAT POST! Thank you!
You are a wonderful writer...hope you had some time to enjoy Boston, after sleeping in of course: ) It happens to be my hometown and my favorite city!
If only you could put a car in neutral and coast the last 100 miles to your destination...Excellent post as usual. [making mental note to refuse coffee/tea on next flight...]
Dave - great post again. Question: do you keep engines on idle all the way to touchdown? I thought jet engines had to be "spooled up" on final in preparation for a possible go-around.
Capt., I chanced upon your blog a few hours back and what a journey its been so far!
You don't fly to India, do you? :-)
Any chance of having your airline pics you might have shot over the years, shared?
Aviation freak,
Baidik, India.
Dave, brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT!
Thank you for keeping up the posts!
Love your description of the coffee. I never touch the onboard stuff.
Very cool description of "the visual". No doubt backed up with the localizer/gs, but essentially a big standard pattern ( downwind, base, final ) turn.
I can remember only one such approach to Phoenix, (appreciated from the cabin) where the 757 went to idle thrust crossing overhead the airport and stayed there. I felt like applauding but would have been alone, I doubt anyone else noticed.
I rode in the back last week from Charlotte to Boston. We had equipment problems out of Phoenix and therefore missed the connection in Charlotte -- the airline bought dinner, thank you very much -- and ended up on the flight arriving a little after midnight. Not as late as your arrival but, with an early customer appointment the next day, I was glad to see my bed at the Hampton Inn.
One nice plus for us passengers, a 321 was substituted at the last minute and the back was only about half full. No doubt you guys lost money on that one. But we sure did enjoy spreading out and getting our feet up.
Almost like First Class!
Thanks for your consistency on the posts, great thing to look at each week! Keep up the good work.
Dave, what does "feet wet" mean?
awesome post - question for you - do you need to turn off some of the autoflight computers to execute turns like that before final?
Cal in MN
Does that last 30 minutes count towards a glider rating?
"Feet Wet" means flying out over the water. KBOS is very close to Chesapeake Bay, actually has water on 3 sides of the airport. Go to http://maps.google.com and search for KBOS. :D
Thanks again for the wonderful descriptive wording which expresses the very essience of what we do.. and why we love it so... it's like we are give a pair of angle wings with permission to experience the world from a very rare vantage point..
Thanks for keeping the visual in my minds eye and from fading into the black.. MCO Craig
Spinning Hat,
You must mean Boston Harbor. The Chesapeake is in Maryland.
Ha ha ha...that coffee description - just great!
And the way you describe the descent from level 350, that gliding and idling part of the flight. Handling all that energy; thanks for the insight!
You know, one recurring theme in this blog is the sleep deprivation which pilots must constantly contend with. You guys have weather delays robbing you of sleep on the one hand, and already super-short layovers robbing you of sleep on the other. And those are just two flying-related sleep-deficit causes. You guys are highly trained and unblievably skilled and dedicated, but the thought of two guys up on the flight deck fighting to stay awake I must admit is unnerving.
Anon, you are right about Boston Harbor, but the Chesapeake is not "in Maryland". Maryland does border the Chesapeake, but so does Virginia.
I love reading your blogs. I'm just a everday passenger trying to keep you guys in business! I have absolutely no idea what you guys are saying half the time since I know nothing about planes. But the little I've learned made me grin on a recent flight to Florida from Hartford.
I was sitting there & going, ah, so that's why it makes that sound or after take-off when I always seem to feel a slight drop after about 1200 feet up. Now if we were only allowed to sit in the cockpit & take amazing pictures from your view...
On the subject of the flight-idle descent... Just read a great story from John Deakin on the subject: Pelican's Perch #80Is Fifi's gear warning solely connected to the throttle? I suspect the warning systems are better these days.
"After thousands of miles, rarified atmosphere and stratospheric thunderstorms, there they are..." You really are quite the romantic, albeit still just an excited kid! I've only recently come across your blog, and over the last few months have finally read them all. Now, I'll no longer have the exquisite enjoyment of sitting down for an hour and reading of your airborne adventures. Like so many others now, i'll have to sit here and wait for your next upload. Peace. Sean from Downunder.
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