Whenever I have an early start I set multiple alarms. My wife thinks I'm nuts, but most of the time I set 3 separate alarms 1 minute apart. I rarely need them.
Well the night before my last trip I only set two. I thought I set two. In the morning at 4:29AM my wife asked if I was getting up. Glad she did. My phone had locked up so no alarm. The other alarm wasn't activated. Better go back to three.
I made it to work with time to spare as I had a 5:40AM report time.
Two day trip worth 8 hours. The Captains' name looked familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. When he arrived at the flight deck I recognized him, he was the Captain I spent 3 days with stuck at a hotel due to weather. We can laugh about it now.
First turn was just an hour each way. Descending into the area I flew less than a mile away from the house I grew up in. Would have made for a great photo...but the FAA and sterile cockpit rules. Sigh. We were twenty minutes early without trying.
Quick turn. Once back in base we were again 20 minutes early. Entering the ramp we had a last minute gate change. This was odd as the original gate was open. The new gate was occupied.
The reason for the change was another aircraft had a mechanical. Rather than move the people and bags to a new gate they wanted us to park there so they could use our aircraft.
It took 24 minutes to move the aircraft off the gate and for us to park. Arrived 4 minutes late.
The flight to the overnight was 2 hours.
Long 18 hour overnight in a hotel in the middle of nowhere. Plenty of time to exercise and relax.
Day two was an easy 3 legs. Only excitement was the arrival on leg 2. It was to an outstation close to a military base. There are only charted approaches to the north as the military base north of the airport. Winds were stiff out of the south which meant a visual approach. No big deal except we were number 2 following a 172.
We had to keep it slow and tight to avoid the military airspace and give room for the 172. It was fun and different.
Happy to have a drama free trip.
Off for 3 days.
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