CaptainStark
09-17-2004, 03:39 AM
PHX-TPA Version 2: Same stuff, different day.
(For those of your who tuned in last week, this week Ray is doing the same trip as last week without the tropical depression and the hurricane.)
WX: Rain in Arizona moving north away from PHX. Central Texas radar map shows lots of gray and black in a big blob right in the middle of Texas. Grey=rain and moisture buildup. Black=thunderstorms. Safety tip: Avoid the black stuff. WX depiction is an hour old and we have about an hour and a half before we arrive there so we expect the WX to move northeast. TPA WX is fine: Scattered clouds, 82 degrees with afternoon thunderstorms forecast. (Typical late summer weather for Florida.)
Our five week old 737-700 reeks of new leather seats. We blast off into clear skies with about 120 people. Climb and cruise is smooth and relaxed all the way into Texas. Crossing over El Paso, we can see about 300 miles ahead the very western edge of what our WX chart depicted. The storm has indeed moved north but, with only a 10 degree deviation to the south, we will cruise right by. That’s the way most weather encounters are at cruise: We just avoid it if we can. As we approach central Texas, the ride gets a little choppy so we sit the folks down as a precaution. It’s not bad but better safe than sorry should an unforeseen bump appear.
As we round the southern tip of the WX system in Texas, we see ahead there are a few isolated (visible by themselves as opposed to buried in clouds like the stuff we just avoided) thunderstorms. We spend the last half of Texas wandering back and forth avoiding these cells as they appear on the radar. It’s like a video game after awhile. Just north of Dallas, we hear ATC advise some aircraft that Dallas and Houston are now shutting down due to thunderstorms clogging up the arrival and departure corridors. We cruise on, unaffected.
As we approach the Louisiana border, the chop intensifies. We sit the FA’s down for their safety and they enjoy a little seat time as a break. We tell the pax why they are seated and encourage them to remain seated as the seatbelt sign suggests. We hear ATC announce to Houston arrivals that they are to expect holding. Things are backing up in Houston.
In central Louisiana we see towering storms off the coast to our south. As we cross into Mississippi we break out into clear air. The ride improves within a minute or two. To our south the last of the storms pass by just west of Mobile, Alabama. As we pass Pensacola a few minutes later I wave at Mom and Dad. They are buried on Pensacola NAS.
Though we are in late summer weather, the outside temperature at 41,000 feet is 62 degrees below freezing. Below us on Ft. Walton Beach it’s 85 degrees.
As we pass the white beaches below, we can see all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, the seacoast delineated by a thin white line of beachside clouds. We can also see the thunderstorms near TPA. The panoramic view from the cockpit is spectacular.
We try to take a shortcut across the Gulf but are reminded by ATC that the warning areas south of Tyndall AFB in Panama City are hot. These areas are used for military (primarily Air Force) training and testing. As soon as we clear the border, ATC clears us to cut a big corner saving us a couple of minutes. Just as we did last week, we start our slow descent way early to accommodate northbound Florida departure traffic. The descent is only occasionally choppy.
About 200 miles north of TPA, we can see very clearly the thunderstorms in the TPA area. Closer in, we get a much better paint of them by the radar. We can now see that they are not too big despite all the associated clouds and they are over St. Pete, well to the south of TPA. To be sure, we have seated our FA’s a little early and now it appears this might have been unnecessary. My rule is: I’d rather have ‘em seated and wishing they were up than up and wishing I had seated them. We are soon on approach control where we are vectored for another landing on 18L. The landing is uneventful until three large birds appear just to the left of my windscreen. I jog to the right and they go left. No strike but a little off alignment with the runway. I know any of you might be wondering what caused the movement but I am too busy to comment on it now. We land and taxi to the gate 20 minutes early.
TPA-ISP
After an hours worth of fine dining at Tampa International Airport we are ready to head to Islip (ISP). The crew arrives a couple minutes late and tell us the ride was great on the way down from ISP. We blast off and turning over Tampa Bay to the north, we see the rain showers that were over St. Pete earlier have moved inland out of our way. We fly north on ATC vectors nearly to the panhandle in smooth air. Crossing into the Great State of Georgia, we have more of that outstanding visibility and can see well into Southern Carolina. There we see the southern edge of a big system heading up the Eastern Seaboard just like last week. And again, just like last week, it’s all west of our flight path. We inquire about going higher to save a little gas and find the altitude is available. Confirming that we are light enough to climb to that altitude, we head up after the computer indicates we’ll save approximately $100 in fuel costs by doing so. The total fuel burn for this leg is about 5 tons of jet fuel. Every little bit of savings helps us keep our ticket prices low. Multiplied by 3500 flights a day, it adds up.
As we cross the Atlantic shoreline heading direct to Long Island, we hear ATC announce a “Severe Weather Advisory Program In Effect” for the areas around the storms to our west. Not an issue for us as we begin our descent. ISP WX is reporting 6 miles visibility with scattered clouds. We set up and fly the ILS to 24 just like last week only this time we see the runway six miles out. My partner greases another one on and we taxi to the gate. The plane is done for this day and we head to the hotel.
The next day: ISP to Chicago Midway (MDW)
ISP WX is typically overcast with fog. Just prior to push we get another release which adds additional fuel to our load. Dispatch (Mother) has decided to give us a precautionary WX alternate of Indianapolis just incase the WX goes goofy in Chicago. The Texas WX from yesterday is just south of Lake Michigan as we depart for MDW.
The climb is smooth with a bump now and then as we transit cloud layers and wind shears in the eastern US. As we level off, ATC asks us to speed up to max forward speed for spacing to MDW: There is a plane right below us and he wants us to gain some distance on this plane so we are not a conflict for descent into MDW. We accelerate to Mach .81 (81% of the speed of sound). Unfortunately, westerly winds are picking up and Mr. Computer indicates we are only going to land five minutes early at best.
While at cruise, the FA enters the cockpit to coordinate food requests at our favorite MDW eatery (Potbellies! GREAT sandwiches.) She gazes out our forward windows and comments that there is no horizon or anything to see outside (we are in the cloud tops). “How do you know where you are going?” she asks. She leaves saying, “It always worries me when you guys can’t see where you are going.” Doesn’t worry us.
As we near Chicago, the weather starts to affect the ride and we seat the pax. As we start the descent, we tell the folks we’ll be seating the FA’s soon because of possible “jiggliness” ahead. Don’t want to use that ”turbulence” word! While I am thinking this looks a lot like a winter weather pattern we enter an area of precipitation that is collecting on the plane in the form of ice. We have the engine anti-ice on and I marvel at the extremes Mother Nature offers in the middle of summer. The 737 is not bothered by airborne icing and I know once we descend below the freezing level, any ice will melt off anyway before landing.
We seat the FA’s as moderate rain showers pelt us crossing the southern end of Lake Michigan. We are vectored to an intercept with the ILS beam off runway 31C. We latch on to it and drive into the runway. Like magic, the airport appears directly in front of us about six miles from the runway.
Last week we talked about departure “slotting” by tower. Now we are part of that event. Ahead of us about 3.5 miles is an ATA 737. Waiting for departure is a company (SWA) 737. We hear tower advise the waiting SWA jet to be ready for a prompt “position and hold” awaiting ATA’s exit of the runway. Immediately after ATA passes the runway threshold, MDW tower issues instructions for him to take the runway, “in position and hold.” The SWA pilots know we are now only about two miles out and as soon as ATA exits, tower will clear the plane on the runway to blast off. That’s exactly what happens and again, it works like clockwork. We manage another smooth landing that immediately disintegrates into a controlled crash across the rough and bumpy runway. As we exit tower clears the next plane on the runway behind us for an immediate takeoff.
Exiting the runway, we get stuck in traffic taxiing to our gate and end up arriving about five late. I run for Pot Bellies and the crew readies the jet for boarding.
MDW to Las Vegas (LAS)
This flight is totally uneventful until a lady lights a cigarette in the forward lavatory at cruise altitude. The FA’s up front smell the smoke despite the lavatory smoke detectors silence. At first, the passenger denies having smoked anything. Then she tells the FA she “flushed it down the lav.” Later she shows the FA the actual cigarette proving she did not place it in the waste basket. Fire aboard an aircraft is THE worst emergency one can face and a fire as a result of careless or reckless disregard for the posted and briefed NO SMOKING policy aboard aircraft is inexcusable. This event requires crew response and this passenger will be met by the authorities and her fine will most likely total several thousand dollars.
Travel Hint: If you are a smoker and think you can sneak off a quick smoke inflight, DO NOT TRY IT. You will get handed over to the authorities. If you think you can’t make it on Nicorette and gum drops, DON’T FLY! The rest of us would appreciate your driving rather than risking our lives. The only passenger who makes me angry is one who thinks he/she knows better than the crew. GRRRRRRRRR!!!
The landing in LAS in uneventful. We find ourselves once again behind our America West friends dodging their playful wake.
LAS-Sacramento (SMF)
Big delays getting out of LAS as the “air traffic control experts” manage departures. We join the line as number 12. When cleared for takeoff, we count nearly 20 planes behind us.
Enroute to SMF the ride is smooth with scattered clouds all around us. Some distant thunderstorms are visible but none threaten our route of flight immediately.
Crossing the Sierras, we experience the usual nibble of chop and minor deviations for buildups over the mountains. Finally, as we head toward the start of the arrival into SMF, we see a line of rain showers building that extend right up to the arrival start point. As we are assessing our options, we see a nice clear hole between rain showers and ask ATC if we can deviate through this line. They approve it. Up front we are meandering between gorgeous white clouds towering above us. In the back, all the passengers see are rain showers building above us.
Well on the west side of the sierras –and the WX, we ask for permission to head to a point on the arrival past the first point and more direct to SMF. They clear us and we take advantage of the shortcut to shave another minute or two off our already late flight.
Approaching the airport we are told to maneuver behind SWA ahead of us and we follow company to the runway where we land.
Another flight comes to and end, arriving at the gate about 15 minutes late. Time to head to the hotel.
Until next time,
Ray
(For those of your who tuned in last week, this week Ray is doing the same trip as last week without the tropical depression and the hurricane.)
WX: Rain in Arizona moving north away from PHX. Central Texas radar map shows lots of gray and black in a big blob right in the middle of Texas. Grey=rain and moisture buildup. Black=thunderstorms. Safety tip: Avoid the black stuff. WX depiction is an hour old and we have about an hour and a half before we arrive there so we expect the WX to move northeast. TPA WX is fine: Scattered clouds, 82 degrees with afternoon thunderstorms forecast. (Typical late summer weather for Florida.)
Our five week old 737-700 reeks of new leather seats. We blast off into clear skies with about 120 people. Climb and cruise is smooth and relaxed all the way into Texas. Crossing over El Paso, we can see about 300 miles ahead the very western edge of what our WX chart depicted. The storm has indeed moved north but, with only a 10 degree deviation to the south, we will cruise right by. That’s the way most weather encounters are at cruise: We just avoid it if we can. As we approach central Texas, the ride gets a little choppy so we sit the folks down as a precaution. It’s not bad but better safe than sorry should an unforeseen bump appear.
As we round the southern tip of the WX system in Texas, we see ahead there are a few isolated (visible by themselves as opposed to buried in clouds like the stuff we just avoided) thunderstorms. We spend the last half of Texas wandering back and forth avoiding these cells as they appear on the radar. It’s like a video game after awhile. Just north of Dallas, we hear ATC advise some aircraft that Dallas and Houston are now shutting down due to thunderstorms clogging up the arrival and departure corridors. We cruise on, unaffected.
As we approach the Louisiana border, the chop intensifies. We sit the FA’s down for their safety and they enjoy a little seat time as a break. We tell the pax why they are seated and encourage them to remain seated as the seatbelt sign suggests. We hear ATC announce to Houston arrivals that they are to expect holding. Things are backing up in Houston.
In central Louisiana we see towering storms off the coast to our south. As we cross into Mississippi we break out into clear air. The ride improves within a minute or two. To our south the last of the storms pass by just west of Mobile, Alabama. As we pass Pensacola a few minutes later I wave at Mom and Dad. They are buried on Pensacola NAS.
Though we are in late summer weather, the outside temperature at 41,000 feet is 62 degrees below freezing. Below us on Ft. Walton Beach it’s 85 degrees.
As we pass the white beaches below, we can see all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, the seacoast delineated by a thin white line of beachside clouds. We can also see the thunderstorms near TPA. The panoramic view from the cockpit is spectacular.
We try to take a shortcut across the Gulf but are reminded by ATC that the warning areas south of Tyndall AFB in Panama City are hot. These areas are used for military (primarily Air Force) training and testing. As soon as we clear the border, ATC clears us to cut a big corner saving us a couple of minutes. Just as we did last week, we start our slow descent way early to accommodate northbound Florida departure traffic. The descent is only occasionally choppy.
About 200 miles north of TPA, we can see very clearly the thunderstorms in the TPA area. Closer in, we get a much better paint of them by the radar. We can now see that they are not too big despite all the associated clouds and they are over St. Pete, well to the south of TPA. To be sure, we have seated our FA’s a little early and now it appears this might have been unnecessary. My rule is: I’d rather have ‘em seated and wishing they were up than up and wishing I had seated them. We are soon on approach control where we are vectored for another landing on 18L. The landing is uneventful until three large birds appear just to the left of my windscreen. I jog to the right and they go left. No strike but a little off alignment with the runway. I know any of you might be wondering what caused the movement but I am too busy to comment on it now. We land and taxi to the gate 20 minutes early.
TPA-ISP
After an hours worth of fine dining at Tampa International Airport we are ready to head to Islip (ISP). The crew arrives a couple minutes late and tell us the ride was great on the way down from ISP. We blast off and turning over Tampa Bay to the north, we see the rain showers that were over St. Pete earlier have moved inland out of our way. We fly north on ATC vectors nearly to the panhandle in smooth air. Crossing into the Great State of Georgia, we have more of that outstanding visibility and can see well into Southern Carolina. There we see the southern edge of a big system heading up the Eastern Seaboard just like last week. And again, just like last week, it’s all west of our flight path. We inquire about going higher to save a little gas and find the altitude is available. Confirming that we are light enough to climb to that altitude, we head up after the computer indicates we’ll save approximately $100 in fuel costs by doing so. The total fuel burn for this leg is about 5 tons of jet fuel. Every little bit of savings helps us keep our ticket prices low. Multiplied by 3500 flights a day, it adds up.
As we cross the Atlantic shoreline heading direct to Long Island, we hear ATC announce a “Severe Weather Advisory Program In Effect” for the areas around the storms to our west. Not an issue for us as we begin our descent. ISP WX is reporting 6 miles visibility with scattered clouds. We set up and fly the ILS to 24 just like last week only this time we see the runway six miles out. My partner greases another one on and we taxi to the gate. The plane is done for this day and we head to the hotel.
The next day: ISP to Chicago Midway (MDW)
ISP WX is typically overcast with fog. Just prior to push we get another release which adds additional fuel to our load. Dispatch (Mother) has decided to give us a precautionary WX alternate of Indianapolis just incase the WX goes goofy in Chicago. The Texas WX from yesterday is just south of Lake Michigan as we depart for MDW.
The climb is smooth with a bump now and then as we transit cloud layers and wind shears in the eastern US. As we level off, ATC asks us to speed up to max forward speed for spacing to MDW: There is a plane right below us and he wants us to gain some distance on this plane so we are not a conflict for descent into MDW. We accelerate to Mach .81 (81% of the speed of sound). Unfortunately, westerly winds are picking up and Mr. Computer indicates we are only going to land five minutes early at best.
While at cruise, the FA enters the cockpit to coordinate food requests at our favorite MDW eatery (Potbellies! GREAT sandwiches.) She gazes out our forward windows and comments that there is no horizon or anything to see outside (we are in the cloud tops). “How do you know where you are going?” she asks. She leaves saying, “It always worries me when you guys can’t see where you are going.” Doesn’t worry us.
As we near Chicago, the weather starts to affect the ride and we seat the pax. As we start the descent, we tell the folks we’ll be seating the FA’s soon because of possible “jiggliness” ahead. Don’t want to use that ”turbulence” word! While I am thinking this looks a lot like a winter weather pattern we enter an area of precipitation that is collecting on the plane in the form of ice. We have the engine anti-ice on and I marvel at the extremes Mother Nature offers in the middle of summer. The 737 is not bothered by airborne icing and I know once we descend below the freezing level, any ice will melt off anyway before landing.
We seat the FA’s as moderate rain showers pelt us crossing the southern end of Lake Michigan. We are vectored to an intercept with the ILS beam off runway 31C. We latch on to it and drive into the runway. Like magic, the airport appears directly in front of us about six miles from the runway.
Last week we talked about departure “slotting” by tower. Now we are part of that event. Ahead of us about 3.5 miles is an ATA 737. Waiting for departure is a company (SWA) 737. We hear tower advise the waiting SWA jet to be ready for a prompt “position and hold” awaiting ATA’s exit of the runway. Immediately after ATA passes the runway threshold, MDW tower issues instructions for him to take the runway, “in position and hold.” The SWA pilots know we are now only about two miles out and as soon as ATA exits, tower will clear the plane on the runway to blast off. That’s exactly what happens and again, it works like clockwork. We manage another smooth landing that immediately disintegrates into a controlled crash across the rough and bumpy runway. As we exit tower clears the next plane on the runway behind us for an immediate takeoff.
Exiting the runway, we get stuck in traffic taxiing to our gate and end up arriving about five late. I run for Pot Bellies and the crew readies the jet for boarding.
MDW to Las Vegas (LAS)
This flight is totally uneventful until a lady lights a cigarette in the forward lavatory at cruise altitude. The FA’s up front smell the smoke despite the lavatory smoke detectors silence. At first, the passenger denies having smoked anything. Then she tells the FA she “flushed it down the lav.” Later she shows the FA the actual cigarette proving she did not place it in the waste basket. Fire aboard an aircraft is THE worst emergency one can face and a fire as a result of careless or reckless disregard for the posted and briefed NO SMOKING policy aboard aircraft is inexcusable. This event requires crew response and this passenger will be met by the authorities and her fine will most likely total several thousand dollars.
Travel Hint: If you are a smoker and think you can sneak off a quick smoke inflight, DO NOT TRY IT. You will get handed over to the authorities. If you think you can’t make it on Nicorette and gum drops, DON’T FLY! The rest of us would appreciate your driving rather than risking our lives. The only passenger who makes me angry is one who thinks he/she knows better than the crew. GRRRRRRRRR!!!
The landing in LAS in uneventful. We find ourselves once again behind our America West friends dodging their playful wake.
LAS-Sacramento (SMF)
Big delays getting out of LAS as the “air traffic control experts” manage departures. We join the line as number 12. When cleared for takeoff, we count nearly 20 planes behind us.
Enroute to SMF the ride is smooth with scattered clouds all around us. Some distant thunderstorms are visible but none threaten our route of flight immediately.
Crossing the Sierras, we experience the usual nibble of chop and minor deviations for buildups over the mountains. Finally, as we head toward the start of the arrival into SMF, we see a line of rain showers building that extend right up to the arrival start point. As we are assessing our options, we see a nice clear hole between rain showers and ask ATC if we can deviate through this line. They approve it. Up front we are meandering between gorgeous white clouds towering above us. In the back, all the passengers see are rain showers building above us.
Well on the west side of the sierras –and the WX, we ask for permission to head to a point on the arrival past the first point and more direct to SMF. They clear us and we take advantage of the shortcut to shave another minute or two off our already late flight.
Approaching the airport we are told to maneuver behind SWA ahead of us and we follow company to the runway where we land.
Another flight comes to and end, arriving at the gate about 15 minutes late. Time to head to the hotel.
Until next time,
Ray