Position: Over Beckley, West Virginia
Altitude: 29,000 feet
Fuel-flow: 5,000 lbs. p/hr
Equipment: A320
Pax-on-Board: 145
Destination: KDCA (Reagan National)
Airborne...
Two night pilots extraordinaire are coming out of the dark into the morning's early light. The sunrise is moving further north each day with the approach of spring and summer causing many folks to think of green grass, flowers, and butterflies. Me, I think of Level 6 leviathans, take-off thrust at maximum exhaust gas temperature or slightly beyond, big weather deviations straining the fuel load to the limit, and trying to keep pax cool on sweltering taxiways.
The blue-green waters of Cancun are far away this morning as my Latin American trip recedes into the past at 500 kts. For this captain, back to Industrial Strength Flying, the meat and potatoes of a Line pilots career until the very end... The end being located at the top of that seniority mountain where all trips have connections with blue-green water and white sandy beaches. I am almost there, crampons biting the ice, oxygen flow on HI, and leaning into the cold and bitter pilot union winds. I can see it! I can see it!
Whoa! There I go again; feeble mind wandering toward palm trees and little paper umbrellas in my drinks. Been flying all night... Gazing at the heavens and drinking Fi-Fi coffee made from her aft potable water tank and coffee grounds from the cheapest bidder. It is best not to linger on that thought for more than a second or two... Surely, the forward galley coffee maker is heating the water enough to kill the unspeakable.
I need the sunrise to hurry.
The co-pilot is a bright spot on this trip, as she is one of my favorites. I try to fly with the same small group of co-pilots via buddy bidding, and it usually works well. This one is and has always been very impressive; physically attractive, young (guessing about 30-34), and has a beautiful mind. She misses nothing, ever... Fi-Fi likes her, too. When she is the flying pilot, smooth is the word.
And she is the flying pilot a lot; when it is my turn, I will say, "Hey, why don't you take us to LA." She does not seem to mind. Anyway, why risk making a fool out of myself? I can sit over here and be the wise ole' silver-haired captain talking to ATC and doing light paperwork.
Sort of like Emergency Captain; break glass in case of dual engine failure, exploding underwear, or meteor strike.
The sun is cracking the horizon... Late night goblins are evaporating in the light. Time to break the Revos out for the descent into DCA. The captain's smile is spreading... It is one of those moments.
Life on the Line continues...
24 comments:
Hello Captain Dave,
I follow your blog for some time now but I've never commented.
Just to say that I'm a big fan and that you always make me smile.
Please, keep up!
I love it! I'm right there with you, as I've reached my limit of those upstate NY turns in the dead of winter. Bring on the tropic flying. Good post again. BTW, doesn't the sunset go farther north in the spring and summer? Just checking...
Ryan
I second marvalar. Throughout the day I check this site hoping for an update. Best pilot blog in the internet. Keep up the good work.
Well. That was funny and just plain lovely.
You've got smiles spreading across all your readers' faces.
Sunrise is the best part of the day.
And I'm no astronomer, Captain Dave, but is it possible that it's your thoughts that keep drifting south to Cancun whilst the sun is moving north?
I, too, have followed for a while but never commented.
I love your writing style and photos, and while working for the airlines isn't in the cards for me, I enjoy your insight into what goes on in that world!
A fabulous post!
Another question from the 14-year-old simulated pilot, how did you start out before you archived your Airline Pilots Liscence? Was it right into the big airlines, the regional partners for your airline like United Express, or a smaller, independant, regional airline.
Keep them coming, you are an insparation to me.
So whats your ETA to the summit? does your seniority number change very often?
Perhaps I am misunderstanding, but doesn't the sunrise move further North as we approach Summer?
Regardless,
As always you paint a great picture with your words.
Capt Dave, I've been down in El Centro for a month soaking up the sun...Looking up at the contrails in the mornings I wondered if one of them might have been you and FiFi. "Mornings Early Light" is another great piece. Watching the day begin from 29k never gets old. (and I like the photo of Ripley too) Keep up the good work!
Great story as usual,
But doesn't the sun come up closer to north as summer approaches?
marvalar- thanks for the compliments
Ryan- thank you and yes the sun moves north. Oops! Thanks for the correction.
Jason Goldberg- thanks
Cathy- well, that's what I meant. I need a new proof reader. Thanks for the correction.
dph- Yeah, the sun moves north. Oops!
Dean- you are correct. North, of course... I was thinking south to Cancun. Thanks for the correction.
you can't be blamed for that Dave!
Cheers mate
Thanks for the new post - I check daily, and about once a week I find a nugget like this.
You have never said what airline you work for, although from the types and routes I can make a good guess. Last week I was on an A319 from LAS to DFW, and as I deplaned I asked the 4-striper at the cockpit door how was Fi-Fi today? His face lit up, to know that someone in the back knew and cared. Made my day, too.
"...until the very end... The end being located at the top of that seniority mountain where all trips have connections with blue-green water and white sandy beaches. I am almost there, crampons biting the ice, oxygen flow on HI, and leaning into the cold and bitter pilot union winds. I can see it! I can see it!"
Oh hell (C)aptain Dave,
This blog elicited very mixed emotions.....
How close are you to "the end"? which feels(to me), from what you say, way tooooo close for comfort.
I mean, I discovered you in only mid 2009 and here you are swanking ever-so-lightheart'dly that you're about to go beach combing....
It was awful how down I felt at your mention of "retirement" (...truly!).
Much as I tried to fill the glass halfway I just couldn't manage!!
How soon are you to leave us?....so that I can prepare myself for your departure....
So then, let me again say thanks so very much for what you've contributed to my personal enjoyment since I discovered you.
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE US !!!
Warmly,
Bev - Cape Town
Thanks for the great post Captain - a little different from usual but all the more interesting because of that.
Don't wish yourself to the top of that pyramid Captain, it'll come soon enough. And when you're there, it's fleeting with only one more place to go: Looking up at the contrails whilst on shopping trips with the wife-of-your-youth.
(A non-flying 40 years with an airline and now retired).
Dave,
Just for kicks I went back to the first blog entries available on your site from several years ago. While the entries were more frequent, they do not compare to the gems that we now eagerly await these long days between posts. Please keep the passion that you have developed for both the writing and the flying. I know "You should write a book" has been said before, but maybe if you just printed out all the blog entries and stapled them together and sent them to a publisher, they might bite on it as a series of aviation essays or something.
Or maybe we fans of your blog should just be happy we know about it and enjoy what you share with us! Anyway... Thanks!
Tim G in MN
Reading your post again.
Trying to analyze why it just keeps giving.
It's the balance. The immediacy. The light touch that darts and flirts with the serious undertones.
But never too serious and never lapsing into slapstick.
I think that's what you accomplish.
That balance between happy abandonment and full throttle action with life on the line.
That edge.
Good for writing. Good for flying.
Yeah, that's it.
Bev, I have this dream that one day this fan club of Dave's will get together and fill all FiFi's seats, with Dave and one of his favourite First Officers at the helm, taking us to their favourite destinations.
Can you imagine the interesting conversation in the cabin as Capt. Dave's fans gather from all corners of the Earth!
I enjoy the comments which follow each posting, and Dave's reponses. I have learned so much and love our Captain's humour!
Cap'n Dave,
I'm grounded now due to insulin dependant type two diabetes. This makes you my surrogate sky eye and I could not ask for better. Please, for all of us, ride your bike carefully, look after yourself, and brighten our days with many more reports.
Your comments on sunrise brought to mind that for years I thought the sun came up and went overhead in, more or less, a straight line. This website, http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/infosheets/planets/the-sun-and-the-seasons/ admittedly from my location south of the equator, shows that in some locations the sun can rise BEHIND you and pass the meridian AHEAD of you.
Anyhow, as a captain with age and seniority both creeping up on you, as far as I'm concerned you can have the sun come up anywhere you damn well please. I salute you.
I had a pair of bitchin' old school nylon framed Vuarnet Nautilux shades -the ones with the three layer lenses- that were around my ex wife's neck for some unknown reason when she caught the boom in the gut on a J-24 spinnaker jibe and went overboard. The ex surfaced. The Vuarnets did not.
Just my luck........
Andy
www.smokingtoaster.com
wow, im new in blogs and bloging about aviation stuff but i have to say your blog is awesome ...keep up the gr8 work
http://aviation2010.blogspot.com/
I love plane photos. How cool to get to see some from a pilot!
super
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