So I had afternoon airport standby yesterday. At 5:30PM I was called for a 6:45PM flight. I was slightly happy as it was to a city I haven't been to yet.
The flight went fine. Captains leg. Nothing too exciting. Lots of weather to go above and around.
[singlepic id=268 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=center]
I never get tired of sunsets...taken at FL390
This is another hotel (still working on a blog about hotels...haven't forgot about your question Ajin) that crews brag about. I will say it was nice. My room was the furthest one from the front desk. At least a 3 minute walk after leaving the elevator. Eh.
I woke up at 5AM for a 5:50AM van. I was filling up my plate with food from the breakfast buffet at 5:35AM. The rain steadily falling outside made me happy I carry not one...but two umbrellas. One is stashed in my flight kit and I have another in my computer bag. I don't like getting wet.
Five Fifty AM came around and we were all being whisked away to the airport. Just 3 minutes later we were all walking into the airport terminal.
The departure was set for 6:35AM. For some reason there were no gate agents at the gate at 6:02AM when we arrived. . My crew and I just waited at the gate for them to arrive. We have no access to the jet bridge. For some reason small town airports have the most high tech/complicated jet bridge access systems when compared to large hubs.
At my hub I carry a key that can open the door to any jet bridge my airline owns. The same key works for many jet bridges my airline operates around the country. Small town airports though...no way Jose!
I finally saw one of the agents on the other side of the jet bridge door at 6:09AM. She was having problems getting the door to open. Apparently her access card wasn't allowing her access. Turns out this tiny airport is super secure. The gate agents only have access to the door between the gate and the jet bridge. The rampers only have access between the ramp and the office area under the gate. The lady trying to open the door had ramper privileges.
While she was trying to open the door, passengers took turns coming up to the podium to ask questions. The flight attendant behind the counter was very polite and told each one she wasn't a gate agent and could only answer basic questions. I use the same wording when I get caught behind a gate podium. Just like gate agents have no idea the inner workings of the CRJ (for the most part), flight crews (for the most part) have no idea the inner workings of reservations/ticketing/seating assignments. Finally at 6:12AM we were walking down the jet bridge.
The rain had thankfully stopped long enough for me to do my preflight inspection. This was the same plane we brought in last night so unless something was damaged overnight, it should have been fine and it was.
Even with the late access to the plane we had 66 passengers seated and ready to go at 6:30AM...5 minutes prior to departure.
The Captain who I am flying with (who also sits afternoon standby on the same days as I do) came from the training department. I had one session with him in the CRJ cockpit mockup (AKA the paper tiger) when I was first hired. He is very nice and knows quite a bit about the CRJ. More than I do for sure. Each time I fly with him he sets the assumed outside temperature for Flex Thrust to the maximum value dictated by the performance charts. Most of the Captains I fly with will pick a number right in the middle of the actual outside temp and the max value. Forty-two degrees is a normal assumed temperature used with most guys. This value saves engine wear, but still gives more than enough power to takeoff and climb out. It's more of a psychologically safe number as we know we have much more power than required, yet still saving fuel.
The performance charts we reference list data for each authorized runway at the airport in use and with different scenarios (Engine ECS, APU ECS, Anti-ice etc). This morning we would be taking off from a 7000 foot runway that was damp,but had no standing water. With 66 passengers and 2500 pounds of cargo, the takeoff weight was 70250 pounds. The performance chart listed 48 degrees as the maximum assumed temperature we could use with Engine ECS and that's what the Captain used.
A 7000 foot runway isn't short....but it isn't really long. With this in mind I decided to set takeoff thrust as quickly as possible once I was given the controls.
As the Captain turned onto the runway he already had the thrust levers 1/3 the way up. Once he said "your aircraft", I replied, "my aircraft" and smoothly advanced the thrust levers into the takeoff detent. "Set thrust" I said, and placed both of my hands on the yoke. My eyes were focused on the end of the runway, which looked really short.
"Thrust set", replied the Captain. The plane quickly began accelerating down the runway. "80 knots" the Captain stated. I momentarily looked down at my PFD and answered, "80 knots". Looking back outside there was 4500 feet of runway left.
With a light quartering headwind I didn't have to work much to keep on center line. I could see the speed tape getting close to VR. My grip on the yoke got a little tighter. The end of the runway was getting closer and closer. Once I heard , "V1, rotate" , I smoothly pulled back on the yoke. The CRJ7 only requires a slight back pressure to raise the nose, once it's started, most of the pressure is released. The nose lifted into the air with roughly 2500 feet of runway left.
"Positive rate, gear up, climb mode" I stated and transitioned my eyes from outside the cockpit to inside on my PFD.
The initial altitude was 3000 feet. The Captain checked in with departure around 1200 feet and we were cleared to FL230 and to deviate as necessary around the weather. I looked outside and aimed for a break between two cloud banks. This was the first time in a while I just sat back and flew VFR like. Most of the time I have to follow a GPS RNAV SID on takeoff. Rarely on takeoff am I allowed to just do whatever I want.
With my right hand on the yoke, I reached down with my left hand and turned on the weather RADAR. The gap between the two cloud banks was plenty big to fit through. Once clear I made a left turn to avoid another build up. There was nothing painting on the RADAR past that point. Too bad as I was having quite a bit of fun hand flying while picking my way through the clouds, all the while calling for the flaps to be retracted and then the appropriate checklist.
I hand flew the plane until just past 14,000 feet and called for the autopilot.
After leveling off at FL380 the ride was smooth and we were above most of the weather.
[singlepic id=269 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=center]
Once on the arrival into base we were advised which runway to expect. The Captain setup the approach and I then briefed what I would do. The winds were calm...which I hate. We were vectored in high and then cleared for the visual. I clicked off the autopilot at 6000 feet and began turning toward the runway. A little flight spoilers here and flaps there. Reaching 800 feet the final checklist had been run....I just had to land the thing.
I hate no wind landings. I just do. Everything was looking decent at 500 feet. On speed, sinking 800 feet per minute. I adjusted the sink rate to 700 feet per minute and continued the descent. I ran the trim up to just below the takeoff trim setting. This tends to work for me as I have to put slight pressure forward on the yoke to continue the descent. By doing this I normally keep the plane from slapping itself onto the runway.
I pulled the power partially at 50 feet and closed it at 10 feet. The mains rejoined contact with the runway in an average manner. Eh I was tired. Short overnight...no winds....just not in my element. There is something wrong when the drive to and from the airport is in the dark.
[singlepic id=267 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=center]
Sunset to the overnight
[singlepic id=270 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=center]
Sunrise from the overnight
Once at the gate the Captain and I both called to get released. It was 8:35AM. We were both (almost like they planned it) assigned to 8 hours of rest and then be available for a 2 hour callout this evening at 5:45PM. Nice. It's a loophole in scheduling. There are many loopholes on both sides of the table. This is one they can use. I doubt I will be called, but this assignment keeps me from having a cocktail with my lunch.
Still working on my displacement plans...I have a few more days till it closes. I am still trying to write up a blog without being too specific.
Anyone know of an easy to use (because I am lazy) watermarking program for Mac ? Maybe IPhoto compatible? I've been finding several of my photos of other peoples websites without my permission.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The A380 has arrived at Oshkosh
So far (knocking on wood), I have never landed this hard. The true forces involved can be seen in the wing flex after landing. Wow.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iIG1ZOPLJA
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iIG1ZOPLJA
Southwest makes bid for Frontier! Republic might not lower the bar after all!
This would be a great thing overall although I do worry about the pilots at Lynx. One of my former students flies for them.
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/southwest-bids-frontier-airlines
Thu, 07/30/2009 - 11:58 — Paula Berg
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/southwest-bids-frontier-airlines
Thu, 07/30/2009 - 11:58 — Paula Berg
Q&A with Ron Ricks, Executive Vice President Corporate Services and Corporate Secretary
Today, Southwest Airlines confirmed that it is preparing a bid to acquire Denver-based Frontier Airlines, which will be sold at auction in bankruptcy court next month. We sat down with Ron Ricks, our Executive Vice President Corporate Services and Corporate Secretary, to discuss the bid and what this news means for Southwest Airlines.
Q: Ron, what’s the news today?
Southwest Airlines is preparing a bid to acquire Denver-based Frontier Airlines, which will be sold at auction in bankruptcy court later this month. The bid is worth a minimum of $113.6 million, and is a nonbinding proposal in accordance with the bidding procedures established in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
Q: What does that mean exactly? What’s in proposal?
A: Southwest is still preparing the proposal, so it's premature to comment on the specifics at this time. What we can say is that we are interested in a substantial investment in Frontier and to operate Frontier as a wholly-owned subsidiary, independently and separately from Southwest Airlines, for a period of time until the carrier could be combined into Southwest.
Q. When will we know if Southwest’s bid has been accepted?
A. A nonbinding submission of interest must be provided by August 3, 2009. Assuming that Southwest is determined to be a qualified bidder, Southwest has until August 10, 2009, to submit a binding offer. If there is more than one qualified bidder, an auction will be held beginning August 11. Southwest believes our bid ultimately will be seen as the strongest bid by all interested parties, including Frontier Employees, management, and its creditors.
Q. Who approached whom? Is this a response to Republic’s bid?
A. Frontier has been in bankruptcy since April 2008, and we’ve been considering a bid for some time, independent of any action Republic took with its bid proposal. In the past month, we began an intensive study of the airline and expressed that interest to Frontier.
Q. Obviously, we are in a tough economic environment. What makes this the right time for Southwest to seek to acquire Frontier?
A. We have always prepared in good times to weather the bad times and to be able to take advantage of a good opportunity, like this one, when presented to us. We have the cash, access to capital, and collateral that allows us to take advantage of this existing opportunity and synergies between Southwest and Frontier. We believe this is an opportunity to expand our network with legendary low fares, add jobs into Southwest, and boost competition in Denver as well as other cities with our low fares and high quality Customer Service.
Q. Is this a cash offer, or a combination of some sort? And, will Southwest accept all of Frontier’s debt?
A. We are still exploring what a final bid would be – it’s really too early to say.
Q: What would a possible acquisition by Southwest Airlines mean for the employees of Frontier?
A: We believe our bid proposal will allow Frontier to emerge from bankruptcy. Frontier would continue to operate independently and separately for a period of time with its Airbus aircraft and personnel. Over time, Frontier Employees would be hired into Southwest as needed to support our fleet growth and expanded operations. We believe the acquisition will boost low-fare competition across the country and certainly in the Denver market. And, again, we believes our bid will be seen as the strongest bid by all interested parties, including Frontier Employees, management, and its creditors.
Q: What about Lynx (the regional carrier operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Frontier)?
A. As part of our overall due diligence, Southwest Airlines will study Lynx. Until a bid is finalized, it’s too early to say.
Q. Do Southwest’s most recent Union agreements include language that would allow for acquiring another airline and its Employees?
A. All of our collective bargaining agreements have provisions for the acquisition of or merger with another carrier. This is not new to Southwest, as it has in its recent history purchased assets of ATA Airlines (2008) and acquired Morris Air (1993).
Q: Final thoughts?
A: From a Customer perspective, nothing today changes at either carrier. This is merely a preliminary step in the process. There are many details to be worked through, but we are excited about the opportunity to submit a bid. We see a strong fit between our Company cultures, a mutual commitment to high quality Customer Service, and our similar entrepreneurial roots. We are confident that our bid, if successful, will boost low-fare competition and benefit consumers in Denver and other cities our expanded network will serve.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The ball keeps rolling..... results from Colgan 3407
I'm glad to public eye is still focused on Regional Airlines. I was afraid after a month or two people would move on. CHANGE can't come fast enough.
http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/07/regional_airlines.html
FAA seeks rapid overhaul of rules that govern pilot training and scheduling for regional airlines
Scott Shaw/The Plain DealerMichael Zaite, recently a co-pilot with CommutAir flying the twin-propellor planes seen in the background, resigned rather than take a transfer to Newark, N.J. He said pilot fatigue and occasionally lax discipline in the cockpit raise safety concerns at the regional partner for Continental Airlines.
• Buffalo crash pilots discussed sickness, low pay
• NTSB report cockpit voice recording from Buffalo crash (PDF)
CLEVELAND -- Michael Zaite learned a lot when he flew as a co-pilot for Cleveland-based CommutAir, but it wasn't the education he was expecting.
Zaite, 30, saw how grueling schedules at the regional airline left crew members sleep-deprived, with bags under their eyes, "not thinking straight." He attended in-house training sessions where instructors skimmed over safety procedures. He sat in the cockpit next to rabid BlackBerry fans who text-messaged friends while the plane was taking off.
"They've got themselves deluded into thinking they have sufficient safety and sufficient training," said Zaite, a Garfield Heights resident who resigned from CommutAir in October rather than take a transfer to Newark, N.J. He now works for his family's business building musical amplifiers.
Zaite and other current and former pilots discussed their experiences with The Plain Dealer at a time of increasing national scrutiny for regional airlines, which have expanded rapidly and now account for half of all domestic flights.
In Cleveland, half of the passengers and three-fourths of the departures are on the smaller regional planes, often branded with the names of mainline carriers. Four regional carriers, for example, fly under the names Continental Express and Continental Connection, often serving the smaller markets where Continental Airlines' bigger planes don't fly.
Continental and its regional carriers say their planes are safe and their training thorough. A Continental spokeswoman declined to comment specifically about its affiliates but said safety is Continental's top priority "and we expect the same from our regional partners."
Nevertheless, the Federal Aviation Administration is seeking a rapid overhaul of rules that govern pilot training and scheduling because of concerns about a Colgan Air plane, flying as Continental Connection, that crashed in February in Buffalo, N.Y., killing 50 people. Investigators say the pilots were tired, insufficiently trained and poorly paid.
Legislation to require more stringent screening and training standards for pilots who fly for commercial air carriers is scheduled to be introduced Tuesday in the House.
A Plain Dealer review shows an increased rate of deadly incidents at regional airlines since 2002. Regionals doubled their annual flights between 2002 and 2008. But fatalities increased at a much faster rate, with 156 deaths in six crashes. U.S. mainline and low-cost carriers during the same period had three fatalities.
A decade ago the situation was the opposite, with fatalities at regional airlines a rare occurrence and major carriers marred by catastrophes that took 365 lives from 1999 through 2001 - aside from 265 killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Regionals during the same time had two fatalities.
"The statistics flipped," said Mary Schiavo, an aviation attorney and the Department of Transportation's inspector general during the 1990s.
Schiavo thinks major airlines cut their accident rates in part by modernizing their fleets. The airlines got billions in federal subsidies after the Sept. 11th attacks and used some of the money to buy new jets, she said.
Commuter airlines expanded their reach as major airlines cut capacity and outsourced less profitable routes.
CommutAir Chief Executive John Sullivan said his airline surpasses FAA rules on training and safety and pays on a par with other regional airlines.
"By any measure that is reasonable, the air transportation system, including the regional sector of it, is very safe," he said.
However, interviews with current and former pilots for regional airlines that serve Cleveland Hopkins International Airport reveal a startling picture of sometimes minimal training and experience of men and women in the cockpit.
The pilot flying a commuter plane out of Cleveland might be as young as 23. The co-pilot could be 18. They may be weary from a tight schedule, limited sleep and lousy food.
Amy Vidovich, a pilot for Colgan from 1999 to 2001, described a relentless schedule flying short hops throughout the Northeast.
On a single day she might go from Boston to Augusta, Maine, then to Rockland, Maine, then back to Boston for refueling. She'd fly out again, perhaps to Rutland, Vt., before heading to Augusta, then back to Boston, then repeat the sequence again. The weather was often foggy, and some days she flew 10 legs -- 10 departures and 10 landings.
"I remember being so tired at the end of the day that I couldn't do basic math to fill out the flight time in the log book," she said.
Dan Morgan, Colgan vice president of safety and regulatory compliance, said the airline's policies allow for rested and fit flight crews. The airline limits flying time to 7½ hours in any 24-hour period. Colgan pilots average four hours 44 minutes of flying time per day and as much as six hours, he said.
"It would be highly doubtful that anyone could fly 10 legs in a day," he said.
Federal rules now limit pilots to no more than eight hours of scheduled flight during one shift. But pilots can be on duty a total of 16 hours, with nonflying time spent on duties such as checking weather and dealing with paperwork. They must have eight hours off between shifts, but the minimum break includes waiting for a hotel shuttle and going through airport security.
The National Transportation Safety Board has linked fatigue to more than 250 fatalities in aviation accidents in the past 15 years. A military consultant at a recent FAA symposium on fatigue and performance said 80 percent of regional pilots surveyed said they nodded off during a flight. The first skills to go are vigilance and attention, researcher say. They liken the effect of deep fatigue to being drunk.
An examination of pilot training and experience are part of the post-Colgan-crash probe into regional carriers.
The FAA pushed to require "one level of safety" in the 1990s, requiring commuter airlines to comply with more stringent rules that applied to major airlines. But FAA rules provide only general subjects to be covered in training and minimums on flight hours. And as the majors assigned more marginally profitable routes to regionals fighting for the work, two levels of safety resurfaced, Schiavo said.
Zaite, the former CommutAir co-pilot, said the airline's in-house training wasn't rigorous.
"They go through the motions, repeat the power points as fast as they can and go home," recalled Zaite, who was hired with just 507 flight hours, 25 hours of it on multiengine aircraft like the twin turboprops at CommutAir.
Inexperience shows up in the cockpit, said a CommutAir captain, who asked not to be identified because he feared repercussions for talking to the press.
"It's very exhausting for me to monitor [co-pilots] because I have my own duties," he said.
The climb after takeoff, for example, requires multiple tasks in quick succession. Co-pilots raise the landing gear and wing flaps, talk on the radio to air traffic control and open the "air bleeds" at about 1,000 feet to pressurize the cockpit so it doesn't lose oxygen.
Some co-pilots are sharp; others seem "overwhelmed" and "frazzled," the captain said. And things get missed.
"You feel the popping of your ears and you look up and the air bleeds aren't on," he said.
Passengers shouldn't expect quick fixes to the regional airline industry, officers of the Air Line Pilots Association warn.
One stubborn issue is a business model that pits regional airlines against one another to win contracts with mainline airlines, said Capt. John Prater, ALPA president. Airlines that spend more on safety or pay higher wages risk being penalized in the marketplace, Prater said.
Weekly take-home pay for beginning pilots of $300 to $350 forces some to take second jobs to support their families.
Schiavo blames safety differences between mainline and regional airlines on the relative inexperience of pilots at smaller airlines and the rapid turnover -- when economic times are good -- as they move to more lucrative and prestigious jobs at the major carriers. Salaries at many regional airlines changed little as they ramped up, "meaning many pilots who can find better jobs do so," Schiavo said. "The experience level has fallen."
A statistical analysis to see if there is a link between accidents and pilot experience and pay is part of the government's post-Colgan accident review.
For all the talk about the stresses of flying, pilots say today's highly computerized cockpits relieve some of the cognitive demands of their job. Veteran United pilot Frederick Dubinsky says he taught his son to "fly" a Boeing 777 in a simulator in 45 minutes.
"Airplanes are big computer games, is all they are," he said. "Anyone who's sat in front of a Nintendo can do it."
But learning to fly and learning to be a pilot are not the same.
"When the picture goes bad," Dubinsky said, "these kids have nothing to fall back on."
News Research Director Dave Davis and researcher Jo Ellen Corrigan contributed to this report.
http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/07/regional_airlines.html
FAA seeks rapid overhaul of rules that govern pilot training and scheduling for regional airlines
Scott Shaw/The Plain DealerMichael Zaite, recently a co-pilot with CommutAir flying the twin-propellor planes seen in the background, resigned rather than take a transfer to Newark, N.J. He said pilot fatigue and occasionally lax discipline in the cockpit raise safety concerns at the regional partner for Continental Airlines.• Buffalo crash pilots discussed sickness, low pay
• NTSB report cockpit voice recording from Buffalo crash (PDF)
CLEVELAND -- Michael Zaite learned a lot when he flew as a co-pilot for Cleveland-based CommutAir, but it wasn't the education he was expecting.
Zaite, 30, saw how grueling schedules at the regional airline left crew members sleep-deprived, with bags under their eyes, "not thinking straight." He attended in-house training sessions where instructors skimmed over safety procedures. He sat in the cockpit next to rabid BlackBerry fans who text-messaged friends while the plane was taking off.
"They've got themselves deluded into thinking they have sufficient safety and sufficient training," said Zaite, a Garfield Heights resident who resigned from CommutAir in October rather than take a transfer to Newark, N.J. He now works for his family's business building musical amplifiers.
Zaite and other current and former pilots discussed their experiences with The Plain Dealer at a time of increasing national scrutiny for regional airlines, which have expanded rapidly and now account for half of all domestic flights.
In Cleveland, half of the passengers and three-fourths of the departures are on the smaller regional planes, often branded with the names of mainline carriers. Four regional carriers, for example, fly under the names Continental Express and Continental Connection, often serving the smaller markets where Continental Airlines' bigger planes don't fly.
Continental and its regional carriers say their planes are safe and their training thorough. A Continental spokeswoman declined to comment specifically about its affiliates but said safety is Continental's top priority "and we expect the same from our regional partners."
Nevertheless, the Federal Aviation Administration is seeking a rapid overhaul of rules that govern pilot training and scheduling because of concerns about a Colgan Air plane, flying as Continental Connection, that crashed in February in Buffalo, N.Y., killing 50 people. Investigators say the pilots were tired, insufficiently trained and poorly paid.
Legislation to require more stringent screening and training standards for pilots who fly for commercial air carriers is scheduled to be introduced Tuesday in the House.
A Plain Dealer review shows an increased rate of deadly incidents at regional airlines since 2002. Regionals doubled their annual flights between 2002 and 2008. But fatalities increased at a much faster rate, with 156 deaths in six crashes. U.S. mainline and low-cost carriers during the same period had three fatalities.
A decade ago the situation was the opposite, with fatalities at regional airlines a rare occurrence and major carriers marred by catastrophes that took 365 lives from 1999 through 2001 - aside from 265 killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Regionals during the same time had two fatalities.
"The statistics flipped," said Mary Schiavo, an aviation attorney and the Department of Transportation's inspector general during the 1990s.
Schiavo thinks major airlines cut their accident rates in part by modernizing their fleets. The airlines got billions in federal subsidies after the Sept. 11th attacks and used some of the money to buy new jets, she said.
Commuter airlines expanded their reach as major airlines cut capacity and outsourced less profitable routes.
CommutAir Chief Executive John Sullivan said his airline surpasses FAA rules on training and safety and pays on a par with other regional airlines.
"By any measure that is reasonable, the air transportation system, including the regional sector of it, is very safe," he said.
However, interviews with current and former pilots for regional airlines that serve Cleveland Hopkins International Airport reveal a startling picture of sometimes minimal training and experience of men and women in the cockpit.
The pilot flying a commuter plane out of Cleveland might be as young as 23. The co-pilot could be 18. They may be weary from a tight schedule, limited sleep and lousy food.
Amy Vidovich, a pilot for Colgan from 1999 to 2001, described a relentless schedule flying short hops throughout the Northeast.
On a single day she might go from Boston to Augusta, Maine, then to Rockland, Maine, then back to Boston for refueling. She'd fly out again, perhaps to Rutland, Vt., before heading to Augusta, then back to Boston, then repeat the sequence again. The weather was often foggy, and some days she flew 10 legs -- 10 departures and 10 landings.
"I remember being so tired at the end of the day that I couldn't do basic math to fill out the flight time in the log book," she said.
Dan Morgan, Colgan vice president of safety and regulatory compliance, said the airline's policies allow for rested and fit flight crews. The airline limits flying time to 7½ hours in any 24-hour period. Colgan pilots average four hours 44 minutes of flying time per day and as much as six hours, he said.
"It would be highly doubtful that anyone could fly 10 legs in a day," he said.
Federal rules now limit pilots to no more than eight hours of scheduled flight during one shift. But pilots can be on duty a total of 16 hours, with nonflying time spent on duties such as checking weather and dealing with paperwork. They must have eight hours off between shifts, but the minimum break includes waiting for a hotel shuttle and going through airport security.
The National Transportation Safety Board has linked fatigue to more than 250 fatalities in aviation accidents in the past 15 years. A military consultant at a recent FAA symposium on fatigue and performance said 80 percent of regional pilots surveyed said they nodded off during a flight. The first skills to go are vigilance and attention, researcher say. They liken the effect of deep fatigue to being drunk.
An examination of pilot training and experience are part of the post-Colgan-crash probe into regional carriers.
The FAA pushed to require "one level of safety" in the 1990s, requiring commuter airlines to comply with more stringent rules that applied to major airlines. But FAA rules provide only general subjects to be covered in training and minimums on flight hours. And as the majors assigned more marginally profitable routes to regionals fighting for the work, two levels of safety resurfaced, Schiavo said.
Zaite, the former CommutAir co-pilot, said the airline's in-house training wasn't rigorous.
"They go through the motions, repeat the power points as fast as they can and go home," recalled Zaite, who was hired with just 507 flight hours, 25 hours of it on multiengine aircraft like the twin turboprops at CommutAir.
Inexperience shows up in the cockpit, said a CommutAir captain, who asked not to be identified because he feared repercussions for talking to the press.
"It's very exhausting for me to monitor [co-pilots] because I have my own duties," he said.
The climb after takeoff, for example, requires multiple tasks in quick succession. Co-pilots raise the landing gear and wing flaps, talk on the radio to air traffic control and open the "air bleeds" at about 1,000 feet to pressurize the cockpit so it doesn't lose oxygen.
Some co-pilots are sharp; others seem "overwhelmed" and "frazzled," the captain said. And things get missed.
"You feel the popping of your ears and you look up and the air bleeds aren't on," he said.
Passengers shouldn't expect quick fixes to the regional airline industry, officers of the Air Line Pilots Association warn.
One stubborn issue is a business model that pits regional airlines against one another to win contracts with mainline airlines, said Capt. John Prater, ALPA president. Airlines that spend more on safety or pay higher wages risk being penalized in the marketplace, Prater said.
Weekly take-home pay for beginning pilots of $300 to $350 forces some to take second jobs to support their families.
Schiavo blames safety differences between mainline and regional airlines on the relative inexperience of pilots at smaller airlines and the rapid turnover -- when economic times are good -- as they move to more lucrative and prestigious jobs at the major carriers. Salaries at many regional airlines changed little as they ramped up, "meaning many pilots who can find better jobs do so," Schiavo said. "The experience level has fallen."
A statistical analysis to see if there is a link between accidents and pilot experience and pay is part of the government's post-Colgan accident review.
For all the talk about the stresses of flying, pilots say today's highly computerized cockpits relieve some of the cognitive demands of their job. Veteran United pilot Frederick Dubinsky says he taught his son to "fly" a Boeing 777 in a simulator in 45 minutes.
"Airplanes are big computer games, is all they are," he said. "Anyone who's sat in front of a Nintendo can do it."
But learning to fly and learning to be a pilot are not the same.
"When the picture goes bad," Dubinsky said, "these kids have nothing to fall back on."
News Research Director Dave Davis and researcher Jo Ellen Corrigan contributed to this report.
Hurry up....no Slow Down!
Monday I had my afternoon airport standby shift. Pilots can only work 6 days in a row max. My line for next month starts one the 31st of July. Due to a 7 day conflict I have airport standby Monday and Tuesday, off Wednesday (paid day off), then airport standby Thursday thru Sunday.
Yesterday there was lot of bad weather around the United States. Just as I explained in "When Weather Happens", crews misconnected. While sitting out my shift I got called at 4:25PM for a 4:50PM departure. Hmmm...nice.
The reason this flight became open was directly related to the weather, but in an odd way.
The First Officer assigned to the flight was supposed to start a 4 day trip earlier in the day. Due to the weather his first flight cancelled after he signed in for the flight. The first turn was a total of 6 hours. He saw it cancel and went home. Meanwhile the airline went into an "altered schedule" mode which allows them to reassign line holders to other flights. The entire crew was reassigned to the 4:50PM flight. Everyone but the First Officer showed up.
When there was no first officer in sight the airline called me, the standby guy. Nice.
I made my way to the crew room, grabbed my bags and headed to the plane. The Captain had already done the preflight inspection. This threw me off. I don't like flying planes I don't personally inspect. He said it was done, thus I didn't do it. I held a hard line last year with this Captain..nice laid back guy.
At 5:14PM we pushed out. The Captain took the initial leg. There was still weather in the area so the climb out consisted of being vectored around build ups. Being so late he climbed at a faster speed than normal to make up time.
[singlepic id=260 w=320 h=240 float=center]
[singlepic id=261 w=320 h=240 float=center]
[singlepic id=262 w=320 h=240 float=center]
[singlepic id=263 w=320 h=240 float=center]
The flight landed at 6:10PM and was in the gate at 6:17PM....20 minutes late. Thirty minutes later we were on our way out.
Flying back the weather wasn't as bad. I flew fast to make up time. Once again the winds were coming out of the north...but we were landing to the south. This time it wasn't as bad as the wins were 030/06 and I was landing runway 18.
I made a decent landing at 7:35PM. The flight was scheduled to arrive at 7:35PM. I made up 20 minutes. Things would have been perfect if the rest of my coworkers were ready to do their jobs.
We were cleared into the ramp at 7:38PM. Then everything stopped. There were no rampers to marshal us in. The Captain and I are both team players with fuel saving. During the turn at the outstation we taxied in on one engine. The ramp crew quickly connected the GPU and PCA thus we never started the APU. By not starting the APU we saved wear on the APU and fuel. Everything worked perfect.
However in the base things rarely go so smoothly. There we were waiting to be marshaled in. I called our operations for rampers. We waited. I called again. We waited. Finally at 7:45PM rampers appeared. Next we needed a gate agent. Without a gate agent to move the jet bridge, the rampers can't connect the GPU. Since there was no agent, the rampers disappeared. At 7:48PM the gate agent appeared. She moved the jetbridge into position.
Without the rampers we had no choice but to start the APU, thus we did. It really frustrates me to no end when my coworkers fail to do their job. I was talking to a ramper a few weeks ago. They make MORE money than 1st and 2nd year First Officers. One would think they would take pride in their work. Many don't. Sad.
After the flight I finished out my airport standby shift. After my shift I had a discussion with scheduling.
I was originally assigned to airport standby on Tuesday. Since I have Wednesday off, it made little sense to have me sit afternoon airport standby as I can't do an overnight. Because of this they assigned another pilot afternoon airport standby. However because this is my "line" they couldn't just take me off afternoon airport standby, I had to request it. I mulled it over, I would rather risk sitting at home on reserve and getting called than sitting airport standby. It was done. I was assigned morning reserve at home starting at 6AM.
This morning I walked out to my Lazy Boy at 7AM. I popped open the laptop and checked out the "situation". The morning airport standby got sent out on a flight. I figured I would be called to come sit standby. However there was also a turn open at 11:10AM. Hmmm...I guess that would be better. Well at 7:36AM I was called out for the 11:10AM turn.
The turn was pretty easy. The first flight left at 11:10AM and then returned to base at 1:50PM. Not too shabby right?
Being such a short turn I contemplated "princess parking". "Princess parking" is parking right at the terminal versus in the employee lot. The difference is $$$$. I would spend at most $5 to cover the time I planned on being out on assignment. Of course if flights were delayed I could spend more. The weather was nice....hmmm. Eh.... I need to save money. Employee parking it was.
I signed in at 10:23 AM...two minutes to spare. After grabbing my bags (I stored them overnight in the crew storage area thus I came to work "empty handed") I headed to the gate. The passengers from the inbound were streaming out. It appeared to be a full flight. I met the Captain and crew at the plane. During my preflight I noticed the nose strut was really low. I figured it was low due to the previous flight being full. It's normal for the strut to be low it the flight is full, but it will slowly rise back up.
[singlepic id=264 w=320 h=240 float=center]
Everything was looking good and we blocked out at 11:10AM. Right on time. Things were going too well. The push cart nosed up to the plane. Then the ramper came over the intercom. "Captain you need to call mantanence as t he nose strut is so low I can't attach the strap." Nice.
The mechanics were called. The passengers would have to deplane. So much for an easy turn. Glad I didn't princess park.
The mechanics estimated the repair would be done at 12:30PM. I had planned on eating lunch around 2PM when we were scheduled to get back. With this delay I wouldn't eat until 3PM at best. Fat man needs food. Off I went.
McDonald's at my airport seems to be staffed by, no nice way to say this, idiots. I normally grab grilled snack wraps and yogurt parfaits. Most of the time they get my order wrong. I get fried snack wraps of the wrong flavor and they leave out the granola from the parfait. I have to check my order each time.
Today I ordered a grilled BBQ snack wrap, a plain hamburger and a yogurt parfait. I used the word "plain" because they don't have the simple hamburger on the menu. Last time when I ordered a hamburger they asked if I wanted cheese. WTF? That would make it a cheeseburger. To avoid that situation this time I used the word "plain." Do you see where this is going? Below is what I got.
[singlepic id=266 w=320 h=240 float=center]
I ate lunch in the cabin (nice and chilly because the rampers hooked up external power...but no PCA...thus the APU burned away). Finally at 12:35PM the repair was done. All passengers were on board at 1:25PM. Problem? NO RAMPERS!
We called...and waited....and called...and waited. Finally at 1:40PM we had rampers. Ridiculous and embarrassing.
The Captain did his best to deal with the gust crosswind and touched down at 2:36PM. The outstation ramp crew was on the ball and had us parked at 2:40PM. Another flight from my airline was right behind us. They only have 1 GPU and PCA cart so they used them on the other flight as they would be on the ground longer. We used the APU the entire time. Just 20 minutes later we were taxing out.
The airspace around the airport was busy with military traffic (there was also NASA T-38 arriving as we left). Normally we are assigned 17,000 feet for an initial out of this airport. Right before taking the runway we were assigned 8000 feet and to fly runway heading (310).
The weather wasn't the best. Lots of build up and down drafts. The cloud base was around 9000 MSL.
During climbout it was smoothish till 6500 feet when we really started getting knocked around. We were given a left turn to heading 090. At 7000 feet I pulled the levers out of takeoff power and reduced the climb rate to level off at 8000 feet (I was till hand flying). I was hoping we would get higher and get out of this crap. It wasn't too be. The bumps got so bad around 7400 feet I called for the autopilot on as I was annoyed with dealing with it.
Level at 8000 feet we were being vectored around. Finally the Captain asked why we weren't given a higher altitude. The controller came back with a 17,000...he mistakenly thought he had told us. Nice.
Being so late I climbed at 310 knots. The FMS predicted us to be just 3 minutes late. Nice.
I kept the speed up until the arrival procedure slowed us down.
Gliding in things were looking good. The approach controller assigned us "at least 180 till BIZCO cleared for the visual". No problem as I was doing 230 knots. Right away another controller came on and stated to slow to 170 immediately. Who was this voice? Well at my airport there is one guy who simply watches arrivals and listens in. He only speaks up when he sees something that could be an issue. The Captain replied that we would slow.
Instead of having a smooth arrival, I had to pull out the flight spoilers.
The plane was descending through 3500 at the time. The CRJ can either go down or slowdown...not both. With the spoilers out I called for flaps 1, then 8 then 20. The engines were idled. I then called for gear down. We were still doing 190 knots while on glide slope. The Captain checked in with the tower. At the time the speed was down to 180 knots. The tower cleared us to land and advised we were overtaking a turboprop ahead by 100 knots. Nice. I called for Flap 30. Spoilers still out. At 170 knots I called for flaps 45 and stowed the spoilers.
The turboprop cleared the runway as we passed through 800 feet. I clicked off the autopilot and made a decent landing. Done.
While back in the terminal I stopped to talk to a First Officer who was just a few numbers senior to me on my aircraft. There was another First Officer who was also a few senior to me on my aircraft. For a few minutes we discussed displacement options. I just might choose to displace out of base. Stay tuned.
Yesterday there was lot of bad weather around the United States. Just as I explained in "When Weather Happens", crews misconnected. While sitting out my shift I got called at 4:25PM for a 4:50PM departure. Hmmm...nice.
The reason this flight became open was directly related to the weather, but in an odd way.
The First Officer assigned to the flight was supposed to start a 4 day trip earlier in the day. Due to the weather his first flight cancelled after he signed in for the flight. The first turn was a total of 6 hours. He saw it cancel and went home. Meanwhile the airline went into an "altered schedule" mode which allows them to reassign line holders to other flights. The entire crew was reassigned to the 4:50PM flight. Everyone but the First Officer showed up.
When there was no first officer in sight the airline called me, the standby guy. Nice.
I made my way to the crew room, grabbed my bags and headed to the plane. The Captain had already done the preflight inspection. This threw me off. I don't like flying planes I don't personally inspect. He said it was done, thus I didn't do it. I held a hard line last year with this Captain..nice laid back guy.
At 5:14PM we pushed out. The Captain took the initial leg. There was still weather in the area so the climb out consisted of being vectored around build ups. Being so late he climbed at a faster speed than normal to make up time.
[singlepic id=260 w=320 h=240 float=center]
[singlepic id=261 w=320 h=240 float=center]
[singlepic id=262 w=320 h=240 float=center]
[singlepic id=263 w=320 h=240 float=center]
The flight landed at 6:10PM and was in the gate at 6:17PM....20 minutes late. Thirty minutes later we were on our way out.
Flying back the weather wasn't as bad. I flew fast to make up time. Once again the winds were coming out of the north...but we were landing to the south. This time it wasn't as bad as the wins were 030/06 and I was landing runway 18.
I made a decent landing at 7:35PM. The flight was scheduled to arrive at 7:35PM. I made up 20 minutes. Things would have been perfect if the rest of my coworkers were ready to do their jobs.
We were cleared into the ramp at 7:38PM. Then everything stopped. There were no rampers to marshal us in. The Captain and I are both team players with fuel saving. During the turn at the outstation we taxied in on one engine. The ramp crew quickly connected the GPU and PCA thus we never started the APU. By not starting the APU we saved wear on the APU and fuel. Everything worked perfect.
However in the base things rarely go so smoothly. There we were waiting to be marshaled in. I called our operations for rampers. We waited. I called again. We waited. Finally at 7:45PM rampers appeared. Next we needed a gate agent. Without a gate agent to move the jet bridge, the rampers can't connect the GPU. Since there was no agent, the rampers disappeared. At 7:48PM the gate agent appeared. She moved the jetbridge into position.
Without the rampers we had no choice but to start the APU, thus we did. It really frustrates me to no end when my coworkers fail to do their job. I was talking to a ramper a few weeks ago. They make MORE money than 1st and 2nd year First Officers. One would think they would take pride in their work. Many don't. Sad.
After the flight I finished out my airport standby shift. After my shift I had a discussion with scheduling.
I was originally assigned to airport standby on Tuesday. Since I have Wednesday off, it made little sense to have me sit afternoon airport standby as I can't do an overnight. Because of this they assigned another pilot afternoon airport standby. However because this is my "line" they couldn't just take me off afternoon airport standby, I had to request it. I mulled it over, I would rather risk sitting at home on reserve and getting called than sitting airport standby. It was done. I was assigned morning reserve at home starting at 6AM.
This morning I walked out to my Lazy Boy at 7AM. I popped open the laptop and checked out the "situation". The morning airport standby got sent out on a flight. I figured I would be called to come sit standby. However there was also a turn open at 11:10AM. Hmmm...I guess that would be better. Well at 7:36AM I was called out for the 11:10AM turn.
The turn was pretty easy. The first flight left at 11:10AM and then returned to base at 1:50PM. Not too shabby right?
Being such a short turn I contemplated "princess parking". "Princess parking" is parking right at the terminal versus in the employee lot. The difference is $$$$. I would spend at most $5 to cover the time I planned on being out on assignment. Of course if flights were delayed I could spend more. The weather was nice....hmmm. Eh.... I need to save money. Employee parking it was.
I signed in at 10:23 AM...two minutes to spare. After grabbing my bags (I stored them overnight in the crew storage area thus I came to work "empty handed") I headed to the gate. The passengers from the inbound were streaming out. It appeared to be a full flight. I met the Captain and crew at the plane. During my preflight I noticed the nose strut was really low. I figured it was low due to the previous flight being full. It's normal for the strut to be low it the flight is full, but it will slowly rise back up.
[singlepic id=264 w=320 h=240 float=center]
Everything was looking good and we blocked out at 11:10AM. Right on time. Things were going too well. The push cart nosed up to the plane. Then the ramper came over the intercom. "Captain you need to call mantanence as t he nose strut is so low I can't attach the strap." Nice.
The mechanics were called. The passengers would have to deplane. So much for an easy turn. Glad I didn't princess park.
The mechanics estimated the repair would be done at 12:30PM. I had planned on eating lunch around 2PM when we were scheduled to get back. With this delay I wouldn't eat until 3PM at best. Fat man needs food. Off I went.
McDonald's at my airport seems to be staffed by, no nice way to say this, idiots. I normally grab grilled snack wraps and yogurt parfaits. Most of the time they get my order wrong. I get fried snack wraps of the wrong flavor and they leave out the granola from the parfait. I have to check my order each time.
Today I ordered a grilled BBQ snack wrap, a plain hamburger and a yogurt parfait. I used the word "plain" because they don't have the simple hamburger on the menu. Last time when I ordered a hamburger they asked if I wanted cheese. WTF? That would make it a cheeseburger. To avoid that situation this time I used the word "plain." Do you see where this is going? Below is what I got.
[singlepic id=266 w=320 h=240 float=center]
I ate lunch in the cabin (nice and chilly because the rampers hooked up external power...but no PCA...thus the APU burned away). Finally at 12:35PM the repair was done. All passengers were on board at 1:25PM. Problem? NO RAMPERS!
We called...and waited....and called...and waited. Finally at 1:40PM we had rampers. Ridiculous and embarrassing.
The Captain did his best to deal with the gust crosswind and touched down at 2:36PM. The outstation ramp crew was on the ball and had us parked at 2:40PM. Another flight from my airline was right behind us. They only have 1 GPU and PCA cart so they used them on the other flight as they would be on the ground longer. We used the APU the entire time. Just 20 minutes later we were taxing out.
The airspace around the airport was busy with military traffic (there was also NASA T-38 arriving as we left). Normally we are assigned 17,000 feet for an initial out of this airport. Right before taking the runway we were assigned 8000 feet and to fly runway heading (310).
The weather wasn't the best. Lots of build up and down drafts. The cloud base was around 9000 MSL.
During climbout it was smoothish till 6500 feet when we really started getting knocked around. We were given a left turn to heading 090. At 7000 feet I pulled the levers out of takeoff power and reduced the climb rate to level off at 8000 feet (I was till hand flying). I was hoping we would get higher and get out of this crap. It wasn't too be. The bumps got so bad around 7400 feet I called for the autopilot on as I was annoyed with dealing with it.
Level at 8000 feet we were being vectored around. Finally the Captain asked why we weren't given a higher altitude. The controller came back with a 17,000...he mistakenly thought he had told us. Nice.
Being so late I climbed at 310 knots. The FMS predicted us to be just 3 minutes late. Nice.
I kept the speed up until the arrival procedure slowed us down.
Gliding in things were looking good. The approach controller assigned us "at least 180 till BIZCO cleared for the visual". No problem as I was doing 230 knots. Right away another controller came on and stated to slow to 170 immediately. Who was this voice? Well at my airport there is one guy who simply watches arrivals and listens in. He only speaks up when he sees something that could be an issue. The Captain replied that we would slow.
Instead of having a smooth arrival, I had to pull out the flight spoilers.
The plane was descending through 3500 at the time. The CRJ can either go down or slowdown...not both. With the spoilers out I called for flaps 1, then 8 then 20. The engines were idled. I then called for gear down. We were still doing 190 knots while on glide slope. The Captain checked in with the tower. At the time the speed was down to 180 knots. The tower cleared us to land and advised we were overtaking a turboprop ahead by 100 knots. Nice. I called for Flap 30. Spoilers still out. At 170 knots I called for flaps 45 and stowed the spoilers.
The turboprop cleared the runway as we passed through 800 feet. I clicked off the autopilot and made a decent landing. Done.
While back in the terminal I stopped to talk to a First Officer who was just a few numbers senior to me on my aircraft. There was another First Officer who was also a few senior to me on my aircraft. For a few minutes we discussed displacement options. I just might choose to displace out of base. Stay tuned.
When weather happens......
Weather really is an amazing phenomanon. When the dark clouds roll in and rain begins to fall....flights get delayed. When flights get delayed even for just 30 minutes a domino effect begins.
From a passenger prespective, it there is a storm at 8AM that is over by 11AM and they have a flight at 3PM, there is no reason that flight shouldn't be on time. Right? Well not so much. For this example the passengers is leaving an outstation on flight 8000 at 3PM.
Flight crews (especially at regionals) typically fly in and out of a hub 3 to 5 times a day. Follow this schedule for a crew coming in from an overnight for a full day of flying:
Flight 1000 Outstation to Base - 7:30AM arriving 9AM
Flight 2000 Base to Outstation - 9:30AM arriving 10:15AM
Flight 3000 Outstation to Base - 10:45AM arriving 11:30AM
Flight 4000 Base to Outstation 1:30PM arriving 2:30PM
On most days this schedule works just fine. Turning (landing, pulling into the gate, getting the passengers and bags off the plane, cleaning the plane, refueling, loading new passengers and bags and getting off the gate) in 30 minutes is very doable at most airports. When weather comes in and flights start getting delayed, the domino effect starts.
Flight 1000 took off on time at 7:30AM. While en-route a thunderstorm over the airport shuts down operations. Now they are in a holding pattern starting at 8:30AM. Thankfully they have plenty of extra holding fuel on board. At 9AM they burn the last bit of the holding fuel and head to the alternate airport. Meanwhile crew scheduling is calling up reserve pilots and flight attendants to staff flight 2000. Flight 1000 lands at the alternate airport at 9:25AM.
The reserve crew for flight 2000 waits at the gate along with the passengers as there is no plane available for the flight. Contrary to popular belief airlines don't have a fleet of planes sitting in a hangar standing by.
Flight 1000 is fueled up and ready to go. The weather is clearing. The EDCT for flight 1000 is 10:15AM. Another flight in route to the base is able to land at 9:55 AM. The plane pulls up to the gate and will be used for Flight 2000. Flight 1000 takes off from the Alternate at 10:15AM. At 10:25AM flight 2000 pushes out of the gate. Due to the weather there is a long line of planes waiting to take off.
Flight 1000 lands in base at 11:00AM. Flight 2000 takes off at 11:00AM as well. The crew from flight 1000 obviously won't be flying flight 2000 and flight 3000.
My airline has rules in place for weather events and scheduling. The crew from flight 1000 has been reassigned to cover another flight from another crew that misconnected. They are now assigned the following:
Flight 5000 Base to Outstation - 11:50AM arriving 12:30PM
Flight 6000 Outstation to Base 12:55PM arriving 1:30PM
The crew scatters to find food (they have been going since 6:20AM when they hopped in the hotel van). They push out at 11:50AM and wait in line of a long, but dwindling line of planes to takeoff.
Flight 5000 takes off at 12:20PM and lands at the outstation at 12:50PM. The station personell work hard (most out station personell work much harder than base....but that's a different story) and turn the plane in 16 minutes. Flight 6000 pushes out at 1:06PM. The flight takes off at 1:10PM and lands in base (where the weather is downright beautiful!) at 1:45PM.
Due to the morning of delays, planes are arriving both on time and delayed. There are not enough gates and flight 5000 is forced to wait on a taxiway. At 2:10PM a gate opens up. The crew had planned on being at their overnight via flight 4000 at 2:30PM. Not going to happen. Meanwhile the passenger for flight 8000 arrives at the airport and is steaming that his 3PM flight is posted as a weather delay when the weather outside and in base is beautiful. They release their frustrations on an underpaid gate agent. Why?
Flight 4000 which was scheduled for a 1:30PM departure is now set for 3PM. At 3PM flight 4000 leaves the gate. The passenger for flight 8000 swears he will never flight ABC airlines again. Of course two months from now he will buy another ticket. Because ABC airlines had the best fare.
Flight 4000 touches down at the outstation at 4PM. The crew for flight 8000 is just starting their day. Flight 8000 leaves the outstation at 4:40PM and lands in base at 5:30PM. And the whole cycle continues.
Delays domino at airlines. They typically stop overnight. Sometimes they continue for days.
I am sure most readers of this blog understand weather delays. This was written for those that don't.
I had planned on writing another blog this morning, but I just got called from home to cover a flight...why? Because weather is happening. More tonight.
From a passenger prespective, it there is a storm at 8AM that is over by 11AM and they have a flight at 3PM, there is no reason that flight shouldn't be on time. Right? Well not so much. For this example the passengers is leaving an outstation on flight 8000 at 3PM.
Flight crews (especially at regionals) typically fly in and out of a hub 3 to 5 times a day. Follow this schedule for a crew coming in from an overnight for a full day of flying:
Flight 1000 Outstation to Base - 7:30AM arriving 9AM
Flight 2000 Base to Outstation - 9:30AM arriving 10:15AM
Flight 3000 Outstation to Base - 10:45AM arriving 11:30AM
Flight 4000 Base to Outstation 1:30PM arriving 2:30PM
On most days this schedule works just fine. Turning (landing, pulling into the gate, getting the passengers and bags off the plane, cleaning the plane, refueling, loading new passengers and bags and getting off the gate) in 30 minutes is very doable at most airports. When weather comes in and flights start getting delayed, the domino effect starts.
Flight 1000 took off on time at 7:30AM. While en-route a thunderstorm over the airport shuts down operations. Now they are in a holding pattern starting at 8:30AM. Thankfully they have plenty of extra holding fuel on board. At 9AM they burn the last bit of the holding fuel and head to the alternate airport. Meanwhile crew scheduling is calling up reserve pilots and flight attendants to staff flight 2000. Flight 1000 lands at the alternate airport at 9:25AM.
The reserve crew for flight 2000 waits at the gate along with the passengers as there is no plane available for the flight. Contrary to popular belief airlines don't have a fleet of planes sitting in a hangar standing by.
Flight 1000 is fueled up and ready to go. The weather is clearing. The EDCT for flight 1000 is 10:15AM. Another flight in route to the base is able to land at 9:55 AM. The plane pulls up to the gate and will be used for Flight 2000. Flight 1000 takes off from the Alternate at 10:15AM. At 10:25AM flight 2000 pushes out of the gate. Due to the weather there is a long line of planes waiting to take off.
Flight 1000 lands in base at 11:00AM. Flight 2000 takes off at 11:00AM as well. The crew from flight 1000 obviously won't be flying flight 2000 and flight 3000.
My airline has rules in place for weather events and scheduling. The crew from flight 1000 has been reassigned to cover another flight from another crew that misconnected. They are now assigned the following:
Flight 5000 Base to Outstation - 11:50AM arriving 12:30PM
Flight 6000 Outstation to Base 12:55PM arriving 1:30PM
The crew scatters to find food (they have been going since 6:20AM when they hopped in the hotel van). They push out at 11:50AM and wait in line of a long, but dwindling line of planes to takeoff.
Flight 5000 takes off at 12:20PM and lands at the outstation at 12:50PM. The station personell work hard (most out station personell work much harder than base....but that's a different story) and turn the plane in 16 minutes. Flight 6000 pushes out at 1:06PM. The flight takes off at 1:10PM and lands in base (where the weather is downright beautiful!) at 1:45PM.
Due to the morning of delays, planes are arriving both on time and delayed. There are not enough gates and flight 5000 is forced to wait on a taxiway. At 2:10PM a gate opens up. The crew had planned on being at their overnight via flight 4000 at 2:30PM. Not going to happen. Meanwhile the passenger for flight 8000 arrives at the airport and is steaming that his 3PM flight is posted as a weather delay when the weather outside and in base is beautiful. They release their frustrations on an underpaid gate agent. Why?
Flight 4000 which was scheduled for a 1:30PM departure is now set for 3PM. At 3PM flight 4000 leaves the gate. The passenger for flight 8000 swears he will never flight ABC airlines again. Of course two months from now he will buy another ticket. Because ABC airlines had the best fare.
Flight 4000 touches down at the outstation at 4PM. The crew for flight 8000 is just starting their day. Flight 8000 leaves the outstation at 4:40PM and lands in base at 5:30PM. And the whole cycle continues.
Delays domino at airlines. They typically stop overnight. Sometimes they continue for days.
I am sure most readers of this blog understand weather delays. This was written for those that don't.
I had planned on writing another blog this morning, but I just got called from home to cover a flight...why? Because weather is happening. More tonight.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Retired Pilot Saved In a Horse-Back Riding Mishap
A retired mainline pilot narrowly escaped serious injury recently when he attempted to horse-back ride with no prior experience.
The retired pilot mounted the horse, unassisted, and the horse immediately began moving. As it galloped along at a steady and rhythmic pace, the pilot began slipping sideways from the saddle.
Although attempting to grab the horse's mane the pilot could not get a firm grip. He then threw his arms around the horse's neck but continued to slide down the side of the horse. The horse continuted to gallop along, seemingly oblivious to its slipping rider. Finally, losing his grip, the pilot attempted to leap away from the horse and throw himself to safety. Unfortunately his foot became entangled in the stirrup and he was at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as his head and upper body repeatedly struck the ground.
Moments away from unconsciousness and probable death, to the retired pilot's great fortune a Regional Airline First Officer, working as at Wal-Mart to supplement his meager salary, observed the situation and quickly unplugged the horse.
The retired pilot mounted the horse, unassisted, and the horse immediately began moving. As it galloped along at a steady and rhythmic pace, the pilot began slipping sideways from the saddle.
Although attempting to grab the horse's mane the pilot could not get a firm grip. He then threw his arms around the horse's neck but continued to slide down the side of the horse. The horse continuted to gallop along, seemingly oblivious to its slipping rider. Finally, losing his grip, the pilot attempted to leap away from the horse and throw himself to safety. Unfortunately his foot became entangled in the stirrup and he was at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as his head and upper body repeatedly struck the ground.
Moments away from unconsciousness and probable death, to the retired pilot's great fortune a Regional Airline First Officer, working as at Wal-Mart to supplement his meager salary, observed the situation and quickly unplugged the horse.
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