Position: Walking on the ramp; KDEN (Denver, CO.)
Equipment: A320 with V2500-A-5 engines
Pax-on-Board: 122
Post-flight/pre-flight inspection...
It is midnight in mile high city. We are here only long enough to pick up a few pax and some Jet-A before continuing east. Our flight departed the west coast after sunset and will arrive on the east coast one hour before sunrise.
Night flight... This is what I do, mostly. The vampire schedule...
And the night is lovely down here underneath Fi-Fi. Her electronic life force permeates through me as I shine my little high intensity flashlight on her landing gear struts and tires, the still hot V2500 engines, wings and tail, flight control surfaces, and the ancillary power unit shroud.
And the night is lovely down here underneath Fi-Fi. Her electronic life force permeates through me as I shine my little high intensity flashlight on her landing gear struts and tires, the still hot V2500 engines, wings and tail, flight control surfaces, and the ancillary power unit shroud.
The air-conditioning/pressurization packs, located in her belly, mid-ship, and the brake cooling fans are wailing the loud song of heat dissipation. During the winter, the exhaust vents from the packs and are a good place to warm up when Canadian snowflakes are blowing up your pant legs.
Closer to her nose is the E & E bay, which I affectionately call the Star Trek bay. The cooling fans inside the bay are powerful and noisy, the exhaust strong enough to blow the captain's hat off... Wouldn't do for the pax to see the captain chasing his hat across the ramp... I stay clear of the discharge area.
KDEN station personnel are working furiously to do the bag swap and load more mail and freight. Underneath her right wing, the fueler is hooked up and pumping kerosene. There is a feeling of balance in Colorado's thin night air... It feels correct.
Before returning to the flight deck, I rub her smooth belly skin and tell this aluminum hottie you're lookin' good, baby.
Flight Level 390...
Closer to her nose is the E & E bay, which I affectionately call the Star Trek bay. The cooling fans inside the bay are powerful and noisy, the exhaust strong enough to blow the captain's hat off... Wouldn't do for the pax to see the captain chasing his hat across the ramp... I stay clear of the discharge area.
KDEN station personnel are working furiously to do the bag swap and load more mail and freight. Underneath her right wing, the fueler is hooked up and pumping kerosene. There is a feeling of balance in Colorado's thin night air... It feels correct.
Before returning to the flight deck, I rub her smooth belly skin and tell this aluminum hottie you're lookin' good, baby.
Flight Level 390...
The KDEN stop went very smoothly. We pushed at 0020 hrs. and were airborne at 0025 hrs... Denver ATC stopped us briefly at 19,000 feet for inbound traffic, then cleared us to 39,000 feet. The Electric Jet ascended into the starry heavens with ease.
Ahead of us, as far as these old eyes can see, are the small towns and villages of fly-over country. Incredibly beautiful... Little gatherings of humanity living underneath Orion the Hunter.
The tail-winds are spectacular up here. It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly thin atmosphere can have such motive force... Our groundspeed is 720 mph. Later this evening, I will be whining about the headwinds. Not this morning, though...
TOD (top of descent) is 130 minutes east of here... About where Scorpius rises. The auto-pilot is in soft cruise mode, i.e., allowing a 100 foot modulation of altitude; 50 feet either side of selected altitude. Fi-Fi slowly drifts between 38,950 to 39,050... Sort of like being on a calm ocean surface.
The co-pilot is not a big talker. He keeps his own council, which is OK. In the middle of the night, though, it helps me to stay awake if I can swap wild and unverified tales with the right seat. Oh, well...
I search the cockpit for contraband sport sections, usually hidden underneath the aircraft manuals. Nothing... It's a dry cockpit. The newspaper police have cleaned it out. I briefly consider my laptop... Uh, no way. I can see the headlines now...
Middle-aged airline pilot was caught using laptop computer during flight. Reportedly, he was reading politically incorrect blogs. Passengers say they were scared. An airline representative said an investigation is underway.
No laptops...
Well, I have an illicit paperback book buried in my flight bag. It's either that or the aircraft manual...
Life on the Line continues...
35 comments:
You need to pack a cheesy romance novel with one of those glorious covers in your flight bag. On nights like that bring it out and flash it around. LOL. That might give your quiet co-pilot something to share.....
Safe journey from the big wet flatlands of HHR.
Thanks as ever Captain Dave...
I loved the description of your struggle to stay awake...
Introvert tho I am, I would have loved the opportunity to chat to you and to hear your chatter before, into and beyond the midnight hour in your flight deck ~ Gemini that I am, you would probably have wanted to beat me into silence with the nearest frying pan / joy stick / whatever...
What about a member of the crew bringing in a cup of coffee to help you along ? Or is it that once the cockpit door is locked no-one can enter ? But, umm....you surely need to *leave* the cockpit once or twice during a long haul ?
Thanks again - I can never get enough....
Kindly,
Bev
Cape Town
"Orion the Hunter; rising Scorpius", etc etc.
You know all those planetary configurations and constellations so well.
You are quite at home among the stars, Captain Dave;-)
Is this, more or less, general ecucation among pilots, crossing those starry night skies?
"We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made up or only just happened."~Mark Twain, from the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Hi Captain Dave,
... made up or only just happened ... Thank you for this year of posts, whether made up, or just happepened you generously provide a unique position for us to view the sky, speckled with stars, whirling with solar energy, and just every once in a while like a calm ocean surface. It's been a wonder-full year up there ... and you do some cool stuff on the ground too! Thank you for sharing ... it's a gift.
~DeAnn
Don't you never film some flights of yours?
It would be very nice.
Goose bumps.
Awesome post!
Like someone commented, short videos and some imagery would be cool too see! (and help you kill the time) Of course, as long as those images dont end up in the headlines....
Safe flying!
Cap'n:
I have to admit that your inclusion of Col. Broughton sent me off to Google. I came away very impressed. Good choice, of a good man.
Happy Holidays, Skipper.
Frank
(sigh)
Captain Dave, I can't even imagine how perfect it must be to see the constellations of stars so clearly above and the constellations of cities below...
...gosh, if that doesn't fill your soul up, I don't know what could. :)
Thank you again for all the wonderful posts (and great pictures).
Merry Christmas!
Giulia (CYOW)
Hi Captain,
Being a fellow amateur astronomer, I really enjoy your references to the constellations. Your blogs are riveting! You have an incredible gift. Keep up the good work, and best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and the wife-of-your-youth.
Have a Merry and Safe Holiday Season Captain. Thanks for the Insights and the Prose - Magnificent.
Cheers
For those hoping for video...
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Anywhere else, I'd take the picture. Here, I'd much rather read the thousand words.
Thanks for the great stories Captain Dave!
Captain Dave,
I, as an aviation enthusiast, actually enjoy looking through airplane manuals. As odd as it may sound.
What books do you carry?
The MEL and QRH much be a necessity, right? Do you carry any part of the FCOM?
And if this is the last post of 2010, I'd like to thank you for all the exciting posts, and hope there will be lots more in 2011.
Were you lucky enough to get Christmas off? Anyway, Happy holidays!
Regards,
Edwin.
Since you started your tale on the ground, it opens the door for me to ask an "Airbus-on-the-ground" question I have had for years.
After landing and parking (and sometime before push-back), Airbuses (or is the plural Airbusi?) make a loud and pulsating on-off-on-off "electric motor whine" sound coming from somewhere in the mid section, near the wing roots. This is before the ground crew could have opened the baggage hold doors. Boeings, Embreairs, Tuplevs and Ilyushins all lack this feature, and sit in silence waiting for the pax to deplane. Only the Airbus whines obnoxiously. Is it because she is French?
amulbunny- yeah, that's an idea... I could borrow one from my wife. They always have half naked men on a white horse with a fair maiden reaching toward the saddle... Actually, that's a great idea...
Bev- Thanks Bev; Introvert? Anyway, I'm trying to cut back on coffee... Been drinking too much lately. In the bad old days, we would bring the youngest and prettiest flight attendant into the flightdeck to tell us her boyfriend problems... Those days are gone. Sigh...
Richard- not really. A lot of the folks I fly with could care less about the heavens. I do'n get it, but it is what it is...
DeAnn- thanks... Beautiful comment. Very literary... very erudite... Mark Twain is the best ever, I think.
fvdbelguim- nope; against the regulations. I know a lot of pilots do this but they better not get caught.
Lee MI- thanks...
Alex- it's against the regs to operate a video camera in flight. It is kind of like recording the violation for the FAA...
FrankVan Haste- Broughton is an amazing guy...
Giulia- thanks for the comments. It is amazing how clear the heavens are at altitude. Many of the messier objects are visible with the naked eye. Unfortunately, the Plexiglas kills optics. I have tried several sets of high-end binoculars to no avail. The naked eye is the best...
Sue- thanks... Hope you have a Merry Christmas, too.
Constantine- thanks for the compliments...
Ben- thanks... It is appreciated...
Edwin- QRH, MEL, Pilot Manual, Aircraft Manual, Operations Manual, expanded ECAM manual, Jepp Manuals, and I think that's about it...
D.B.- it is an electric hydraulic pump for the "yellow" hydraulic system. Provides 3000 psi to operate the cargo doors and other systems, if needed...
Sitting in the Admiral's Club in DCA, getting ready to fly back to DEN myself (via DFW). I've been following your posts for months now -- glad to hear you get to our fair city on occasion. Our house is about 30 miles due south of DEN -- I've actually spotted it once or twice on daylight flights from DFW.
Anyway, this has become one of my favorite blogs -- my first plane trip was in 1972 down to Central America on PanAm, and I've never quite lost the sense of wonder that comes from being 30,000+ feet in the air. Your writings just intensify that. Safe journeys and a merry Christmas! ..bruce..
Captain Dave,
I've only recently started reading your blog, though I wish I started earlier! Thank you for sharing all that you've written, it's amazing to read this. I work on the Human Factors side of aviation, and these days I recommend this blog along with other recommended reading material, just to keep the freshers interested :)
Thanks again, and I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Godspeed.
Captain Dave-
Another great read. There may be a few better places on a cold winters night to open up a good book but the cockpit is right up there in my estimation!
Concerning videos in the cockpit, it is amazing how many US regional guys are filming everything in the cockpit, including landings all the way through the rollout,from the right seat, with handheld cameras. Just have quick search of youtube.
I'll refrain from making any judgmental comments as I don't have any direct experience in the industry...yet. Sadly though, as I take out a $30,000 loan to finish up my training in the next month, the professionalism that you exhibit, seems to be increasingly absent. That's just my impression though.
ultrasweatproof- thanks... Glad to hear you are joining the fraternity. You are correct about video in the cockpit. It is, in my estimation, sort of silly to video tape your own violation of FAA regs. Reading a newspaper is one thing, but videotaping is quite another.
fulcrum- thanks for the compliments... Appreciated!
bwebster- thanks for the compliments. I guess I still have the sense of wonder, too.
Captain Dave -
Your work is incredible. I check back every day to see if maybe by chance you posted another entry. I thoroughly enjoy reading it and can't wait for another one.
I feel as thought I'm right there in the cockpit as you retell these experiences. Can't wait until I'm up front in a few years. Looking forward to the next entry. Happy holidays, Dave.
Ryan
Capt. Dave,
Do you remember what your tail wind component was to push you to 720MPH Ground Speed? It must have been 150mph+??
-Todd
During the winter, the exhaust vents from the packs and are a good place to warm up when Canadian snowflakes are blowing up your pant legs.
Very true! It's a great spot in the winter to huddle and vent warm air through ones parka.
Hope your vampire schedule allows you a great view of the lunar eclipse tonight!
Thanks, Dave. Great post, great comments, and great responses to comments. Love it all and revisiting.
A happy and safe Christmas to all.
Hi Captain Dave
Great Blog! As native German speaking Swiss, it is the only English written blog I read!
As I have nothing to do with airline business in normal life (I am an IT system engineer): Who or what is Fi-Fi?
Have a happy holiday & many thanks!
Frank
Captain Dave,
In my opinion the quality of your writing obviates any need for your hat!
Hey Dave...wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope you get to spend some time with those important to you this holiday season. And keep the shiny side down and the...erm...got that backwards methinks. ;-)
If you're willingly flying at night you should big the trans-atlantic routes. Not sure about yours but some carriers are using small 'buses and the A330 over the pond nowadays.
Cap'n I saw some of Fifi's cousins taking off from LAS on Wednesday afternoon in the big wet. Seemed like keeping the front wheel straight was a problem for everyone taking off that afternoon. We were on WN sitting in the penalty box for a 30 minute cool off thanks to LAX ATC so we got a front and center view of all the other aircraft taking off.
Happy Holidays, if you don't get home, I wish you a wonderful night in the air. Clear skies !
Joy to the world One and All.
Thank you Captain Dave.
Warmly,
Bev
Cape Town
6.01 pm local time
Captain Dave,
Thanks for another year of magic, and thanks for your take on the question of CRM. Have a good Christmas and New Year holiday - if you're tripping the airways, stay safe; if you are lucky enough to be with "the Wife of your Youth" - that's a bonus...
Thanks again / IanH
Just a random thought. Perhaps they should use the Navy's new EMALS system to launch commercial aircraft. Think of the dramatic improvement to on-time departures and arrivals!!
Great Post,
Merry Christmas Captain Dave
:-)
Captain Dave - Thanks for sharing your adventures with us, always enjoy reading what you are up to. Every time I see one of your company's jets fly over on the approach to CMH I wonder if it's you. Hope you have many opportunities to write more for us next year. Have a Merry Christmas.
Captain Dave,
I just started reading your Bloggs and they are very enjoyable and makes me want to be a Pilot everyday I read your posts.
I can not wait to read your next post.
Besafe and have a good weekend / Merry Christmas!!
Post a Comment