Position: Abeam YZP (Sandspit, BC)
Jan 2, 2011... 0405 hrs local
The wife-of-my-youth warned me a couple of times about relying on the iPhone alarm without a back-up. As usual, she is correct. Of course, I will have to tell her when she sees my slovenly, unshaven appearence.
The good news is that we pushed back from the gate on time. That counts for something, right honey? And I hid from the passengers... No one saw me.
She might buy into it.
Jan 2, 2011... 0500 hrs local
The Moon and Mercury are rising ahead of the sun. That falls into the major cool category of airborne sights. I start to tell the co-pilot about it, but he is studying the overhead panel for his next checkride. The guy is totally dedicated.
I am slipping into the before sunrise fatigue zone. It's time to don the oxygen mask, double check the 100% O2 flow button is pushed and breath deeply. The whiskers that I should have shaved are biting my face under the tight sealing mask. Oh, well...
OAT: -47 C
Life on the Line continues... In a dirty uniform.
Altitude: 31,000 feet
Mach: Point seven nine
Equipment: A319
Pax-on Board: 123
Airborne...
Jan 2, 2011... 0400 hrs local
I am not sure I heard the Vancouver ATC guy correctly, so I ask him to repeat what he said to the airliner in our seven o'clock and eighty miles.
"Oh, I was just wondering if any of you guys were affected by the iPhone problem. We had a flight through this airspace running late because something is wrong with the iPhone and one of its crew overslept."
Hallelujah!!! Vindicated... Sort of...
My vaunted iPhone 4.0 failed to wake me one hour before crew van time in PANC. I awoke naturally five minutes before report time and was four minutes late for the crew van. I did not take the time to shave, took a twenty second cold shower, donned yesterday's uniform, and packed my overnight bag like a bank robber stashing cash.
Pouring gasoline on the fire was the call from the front desk one minute prior to walking out of the room... Captain, your crew is waiting for you. Being late for the crew van is not good... Unprofessional, and in this case, it's the captain of the Airways! What a way to start the New Year.
Climbing into the crew van, I am met with smirks and smart aleck comments... Yeah, I deserve it. I apologize numerous times and explain that my iPhone malfunctioned, and yes, I should have set a second alarm.
Their facial expressions tells it all... Poor guy. He's so old he can't figure out how to set his iPhone alarm.
Dec 31, 2010... 2305 hrs local
The Electric Jet breaks out of the icy clouds at 8,000 feet, her belly illuminated by the lights of Anchorage. The co-pilot says, "There it is..."
"Yeah, baby! Look at the fireworks." Seemingly, every backyard underneath us is launching bottle rockets. Visually, it is very satisfying to see something except cockpit instrumentation and the dark, starless void outside. We have been en route almost six hours and are at the end of our fuel range. Anchorage never looked better than this very moment in time.
The V-2500 A-5 engines are rolling over at idle thrust as we trade altitude for airspeed on the downwind leg, base leg, and final. PANC approach control clears us for a visual approach to runway 7 Right... Please contact tower over TULLI.
Jan 1, 2011... 0900 hrs local
New Year's Day in Anchorage... Not too bad. The sun is still well below the horizon as I walk, very carefully, toward my favorite breakfast place. I stayed in the hotel last night after seeing the streets filled with young, drunken revelers and the numerous police cars chasing them with lights flashing and sirens blaring.
The debris from bringing in the New Year is scattered everywhere.... Discarded party hats and burned out bottle rockets. These Alaskans know how to party!
Jan 2, 2011... 0405 hrs local
The wife-of-my-youth warned me a couple of times about relying on the iPhone alarm without a back-up. As usual, she is correct. Of course, I will have to tell her when she sees my slovenly, unshaven appearence.
The good news is that we pushed back from the gate on time. That counts for something, right honey? And I hid from the passengers... No one saw me.
She might buy into it.
Jan 2, 2011... 0500 hrs local
The Moon and Mercury are rising ahead of the sun. That falls into the major cool category of airborne sights. I start to tell the co-pilot about it, but he is studying the overhead panel for his next checkride. The guy is totally dedicated.
I am slipping into the before sunrise fatigue zone. It's time to don the oxygen mask, double check the 100% O2 flow button is pushed and breath deeply. The whiskers that I should have shaved are biting my face under the tight sealing mask. Oh, well...
OAT: -47 C
Wind velocity and direction: 165 knots (189 mph) from 300 degrees
Groundspeed: 525 knots (603 mph)
Hydraulic pressure: 3000 psi
Oxygen pressure: 1400 psi
Fuel flow: 5200 lbs/p/hr
Life on the Line continues... In a dirty uniform.
34 comments:
Oh Man...The Iphone should NOT (I yell) fail at a simple electronic task like this..I dont own one but am on my umpteenth Nokia and it has never ever let me down. Very very annoying for you aaand thanks for the posts...much enjoyed down here in Kiwiland
Well, okay Capt. Dave, for a brief moment you lost that god like status, unshaven and in a day old shirt and uniform. It's all the rage, ya know. I'm thinking you probably looked a lot like George Clooney (or from my day Humphrey Bogart) That makes up for being a few minutes late for the van and hell, you did push on time. I'm also thinking "the wife of your youth" still thinks you're #1, even if your Iphone failed you. BTW I just aquired on of those gadgets, haven't a clue what to do with it. I'm grinning here, thanks for letting us in on a little red faced moment. (Still a big fan here...:)
You're not alone Captain: http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2011/01/iphones_alarm_problem
If you ever make it to IND let us know, we have a good plce to take you and the wife of your youth to.
So what's up with the O2 mask? Is there an oxygen tank somewhere on board, and pilots can use it whenever?
Also: pretty funny that in the world of aircraft and their redundant systems and strict regulation, failure of the captain's iPhone alarm can throw a wrench in the whole thing.
JS,
Capt. Dave will probably give a better answer but all planes have oxygen masks in the cockpit (think the topgun type rather than the yellow plastic ones you guys get in the back) that can be donned and relied on in the event of depressurisation, fed from a separate tank thank the passengers.
Of course 100% oxygen also has the ability to help with fatigue and other ailments and is used in this way as well. My question for Capt. Dave is, is this an officially sanctioned use of the O2?
"My question for Capt. Dave is, is this an officially sanctioned use of the O2?"
Checking whether the O2 masks are functional is part of some checklist no doubt, so you could always excuse your use of the mask as checking whether it's working :)
And having a bleary-eyed captain isn't good for safety, so a sniff of pure O2 to wake yourself up might well count as a valid use of emergency equipment too :)
From previous posts I thought you always set three alarms ... I considered this an exemplary failsafe mentality, to which my own two-alarm redundancy (for early "report times" at the classroom podium) compared poorly. Still, you pushed on time, so all's well. Bet you're back to the three-alarm setup now, though. Happy 2011, and thanks for another fascinating glimpse of life on the line.
I'm sure Capt Dave can say more in regards to the 02 masks in the flight deck, however at least at most airlines (and i'm fairly certain this is an FAA regulation) above 25,000 feet when a pilot leaves the flight deck to use the lav or for any reason, the remaining pilot must be on 02 until the other pilot returns.
Is this what mother commands of you as well, Dave?
I do sympathise. I was also late to work due to the iPhone bug. No one believed me either.
if that mask bites your face with your whiskers, imagine what it is like to kiss that. You (pilots) have conditioned us (pilot wives) to prefer clean shaven...and the second you kissed her when you got home she knew! I guarantee ;-)
Shoulda got a Droid! Just kidding, thanks for the post Captain and Happy New Year.
An interesting observation, Herman, re Dave's not being the only one let down by his Iphone alarm on January 1.
Dave, do I remember rightly that you used to set two back-ups for those early starts?
A few years ago my friend and I - en route from Western Australia to Anchorage - stopped over at San Francisco. I set the alarm clock for 1 hour's rest intending to spend the a/noon exploring and sleep that night. My friend tells me the alarm went off, I banged at it and mumbled something like "just 1 more hour", and we both woke up several hours later, in the dark. The alarm clock was found under one of the beds!
Rob, I think you can take it to the bank that if Capt. Dave's use of the O2 mask was even the mildest sort of transgression, it would have gone unmentioned.
Use of 100% O2 to ameliorate the effects of fatigue is an honored tradition in aviation. It's demonstrable that poor blood oxygenation manifests as fatigue, and 100% O2 will certainly help with that. But if you are perfectly well oxygenated and fatigued just because your butt is plumb wore out, then the O2 may be a placebo.
Oh, btw, the alarm on my Droid has been working just fine. :-)
Frank
Well, it takes a self-assured man to admit his mistakes. Kudos to Capt Dave for that. :)
I also have a question about the O2: How often are those bottles replenished? As far as I understand my ATPL literature, your crew supply should last at least 2h (since you are certified above FL250), so using a bit now and then shouldn't eat too much into the contingency O2, but that assumes the bottles are not allowed to run half-empty...
I wish you a happy new 2011 with many more posts and fewer (as in no more) iPhone hickups!
/Niclas @ 64N
Hahaha. The iPhone alarm glitch was announced in advance, but I expect those of you in the air so much of the time may or may not have the opportunity to pick up these little tidbits. Seems like someone (Apple? AT&T?)should have texted a warning to all users. :)
Captain Dave, some folk of more delicate disposition might be tempted to set multiple alarms, alas they are unlikely to be taking on mother nature's Newtonian challenges with the nonchalance required of 'Captain of the Airways". In any case your ramble in Anchorage - conjuring us to be there with you over the new years is a classic, well captured and thank you. Happy New year!
Larry Jones- Bogart! What a stud!
JS- cockpit has four O2 masks. Yes, we can use them anytime.
Rob- yes, using O2 to wake-up is officially sanctioned.
jwenting- correct...
Ben Read- I used to set three alarms, but got spoiled with the iPhone's utility and magnificent technology, obviously stolen from the UFO crash in Roswell (just kidding). I have learned my lesson!
Nate Berger- that's correct. One pilot must have O2 on above 25,000 feet when the other is out of the flight deck. We can use O2 anytime we feel the need.
Chris- I guess a lot of folks got bit...
Joanna- Yeah, she knew. Instantly...
Noella- I set three alarms for years, but became enamored with the iPhone's ease of use. Ooops!
Frank de Haste- correct!
Niclas- depends on how many people are in the flight deck. We use a pressure chart that gives required psi for 2, 3, & 4 persons. The bottles are serviced during aircraft inspections well before min psi is reached.
Lee I- I agree... You would think at least captain Dave would be on Apple's contact list.
Buach- thanks...
Captain Dave-
Maybe keep the unshaven, old uniform look during Alaska operations? Might really go over well with all those freight and bush pilots at your favorite spot.
Speaking of,...have you seen that new series on National Geographic called Alaska Wing Men?
Captain Dave...to complete Larry's picture all you'd need is a DC-7, four turning props and the 50 mission crush. Stud-ly indeed.
Happy 2011 and may it be a great year for you!
When I heard about the iPhone glitch the first thing I wondered was if I'd be reading about a late wake-up in your blog.
Would have liked to see those fireworks coming into Anchorage.
Dear Capt
I'm a first officer from m'sia and flight ops woke me up at reporting time! I almost missed a flight to Taipei (boss not gonna be happy) but was on time eventually. I had the same iPhone problem. Thing is all my other friends using the iPhone says I'm mad. I'll be linking your blog as proof!
Happy landing Capt dave
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. (...to push on time.*)This is to have succeeded.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Looks like you've got it covered!
That bag packing had me laughing ... and the photo is really super cool ... iPhone 4 camera app?
~DeAnn
"but he is studying the overhead panel for his next checkride."
Ahahahahaha :0D That's the funniest thing you've ever said! (And that's a hard-run race! :0)
This blog is phenomenal. Captain Dave, you are the man.
Hey Captain Dave. As a frequent long-haul pax, your posts never fail to impress, overawe and delight me. May the line continue for ever.
As a long time lurker of your blog, I felt moved to post for the first time after reading of another Captain with a capital 'C';
http://www.elliott.org/blog/southwest-airlines-pilot-holds-plane-for-murder-victims-family/
I've been getting up to speed since discovering this blog a few days ago and have become addicted. I now find myself waiting with bated breath, running low on oxygen with a desire to reach for (C)aptain Dave's O2 supply, in anticipation of his next post. Great blog. Insightful look into the sometimes humorous "life on the line" world as experienced from the flight deck. Thanks for the enjoyable reading, and all the best for 2011. I'll keep my eyes open for you and your crew while putting around in Cessna territory.
Captain Dave, you absolutely Crack Me Up, about being late...So your moving so fast you already home and your foot isn't out the door yet..thats fast!Should have told them in the "SERIAL KILLER" crew van, "next time you'll make it count"..I say "lets give ourselves a break"! So do you have your backup and the Die Hard battery that goes with it...enough is enough....YOU SAW FIREWORKS!!!!!thanx so much for mentioning that!!! speaking of beautiful sights in the sky, last night, I saw the Spacestation pass over, well it wasn't really over, but overthere...it was bright bright..then faded off following the curve of our earth...it was 7:03 pm, and I was very excited!!!! and it's those times, damn sure wish someone was here to see this, and feel the same. In closing your uniform wasn't dirty..its a "certified used" uniform. hey its your kooties...remember what Momma told you.."clean underw*^# son, what if you get in a wreck... on that high not...misstwa signing off
Thats funny, I work at YVR and a few weeks back the crew of a 767 freighter BOTH overslept and reported in an hour late. Plane was loaded, doors closed and marshallers standing around with wands, scratching their heads as to the wherabouts of the crew. I drove them to the plane, but had a hard time believing their story of BOTH alarms going off late, or possibly not at all. I wonder if they had iPhones, and I wonder if they were the subject of Vancouver Centre's mirth?
To Jason, I also read the story about the Southwest Pilot holding his flight.....from my "Flightaware" weekly newsletter via e-mail. Nice people doing Nice things...WHO KNEW!!!!!!
I just love the names of the VORs in the US and Canada. Evocative things like Sandspit, Bowling Green, Snowhill, Grindstone, Marconi - I could sit any daydream all day about them, but ATC usually interupt the train of thought!
Happy New Year Dave, keep 'em coming
I know someone whose iPhone failed to wake him up at his home base, so there was no crew van to alert him that he'd overslept. Someone covered for him so he didn't get called the minute he missed his report time, so the poor guy arrived to an airplane full of waiting passengers.
Capt. Dave disrupts the entire U.S. flight system due to an iPhone. Funny story...thanks for sharing.
Be well, be safe and best to the wife of your youth.
Dear capt Dave,
You wrote "We have been en route almost six hours"
With A319? What configuration you have (MTOW, fuel tanks)
You perform visual app during night time . Under what conditions and on which airports? This is very rare here in Europe, does not exist on large airports.
Ivan- We fly six hour legs against the wind quite a bit in the winter using the 319. We have tip tanks, mains, and center tanks. Six hours can only be done if the weather is OK at the alternate.
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