CaptainStark
09-17-2004, 03:41 AM
Pilot report: Aug 12
PHX to TPA
Scheduled flight time: 4:15
Route of flight: East across Texas, Louisiana, Miss, and the panhandle of FLA, then down the west coast of FL to Tampa
WX concerns: Tropical storm Bonnie located over the panhandle of FLA. Hurricane Charlie, 120 mi south of Miami.
I arrive at the crew lounge Thursday morning an hour and a half early. After a week off I have Jeppesen approach plate revisions to get caught up on. I also want to check the WX for FLA prior to heading to the plane. Somewhere in there is breakfast if time permits.
The WX channel is on in our crew lounge 24 hours a day on a dedicated TV provided by SWA. I juggle between FOX News on the other TV and watch the storm progress in FL. After getting my paperwork caught up, I head to the plane early. This morning, my jet is coming from Orange County, CA rather than originating in PHX. That means preflight time will be only about 30 minutes.
As soon as the OPS Agent shows up with the flight paperwork, I check current WX in TPA. Then I call Mother (Dispatch) to get the latest realtime info. My concerns are the ride through Bonnie in the panhandle and where Charlie is off the Keys. I am told by dispatch that no complaints have been reported by aircraft in the panhandle area. That’s good news. Charlie is well off the coast and not expected to make landfall until well after we are scheduled to leave for Islip NY.
With only good news ahead, we get about preflighting the jet as it arrives. It’s a new -700 that can overfly hurricanes and tropical depressions. They rarely top out much over the mid 30’s. The 700 can climb to 41,000 (we call it “410”).
Another wrench in the system arises. President Bush is on a campaign swing through the western US and has overnighted in PHX. He is expected to depart on Air Force One about the time we are expected to depart. When the President moves, all aircraft traffic is stopped for security reasons. Our inbound flight is running a few minutes late because 5 deplaning passengers and four enplaning passengers required wheel chairs. With the potential of further delays caused by the Presidential issue, our Flt Attendant makes an impassioned appeal to those boarding to hurry as a delay may result otherwise. Our good SWA pax scurry to their seats and we are ready to push only five minutes after scheduled. Just prior to push I make my PA to the pax.
I inform them of the WX, the reported good rides through Bonnie, the current WX and forecast in TPA, a pass on that one airliner reported moderate turbulence over TPA an hour ago, as well as our alternate of Ft. Lauderdale and extra contingency gas we have “just in case.” In other words, we are loaded for bear and ready to meet any and all contingencies enroute. The Flt Attendants thank me for heading off all the questions in advance.
We blast out of PHX ahead of the “Prez” passing Air Force One as we taxi out. What an incredible sight, the blue and white 747 which has to be THE classiest ride on the planet. The color scheme for Air Force One was chosen by Jackie Kennedy in 1960 for the 707, the predecessor of the current 747.
The ride across AZ and NM is smooth and continues that way above lightly scattered clouds through TX. The seat belt sign remains off despite a minute or so of light chop which dissipates as rapidly as it appears. North of Dallas, we pull up the latest WX for TPA and it remains calm: scattered clouds, winds from the south at 9mph.
Approaching LA, we can see the clouds of Bonnie on the horizon. We query ATC as to rides ahead and they report light chop ahead at all altitudes. In an effort to put as much distance between us and the clouds ahead, we climb from 370 to 410 (41,000 ft) and find the ride very nice. The radar ahead shows no returns in our path but we are picking up the three or four small thunderstorms off to our right which are along the gulf coast. During a quiet spell, we ask ATC if they have any updates on the landfall location and timing for Charlie. Our passengers are interested because many are TPA/St. Pete locals heading home. The news is grim: Estimated landfall is between 4-7pm directly over St. Pete on Friday –the 13th. We pass the news to our passengers.
Approaching Pensacola, we are picking up the decaying line of thunderstorms east of Panama City. We are approaching the center of Bonnie. Only a few isolated cells rise above our cruising altitude and they are weak and easily avoidable. ATC advises us Bonnie fell below tropical storm status shortly after making landfall. From our view at 410, it looks like any other summer day along the Gulf.
Approaching our turn to the southeast over Seminole FL, we see the well defined narrow band of WX which we’ll have to deviate around in our descent to TPA. Traffic departing Florida climbs slowly so to avoid conflicts with arrival traffic, they start arrivals down way earlier than usual. This will put us into the clouds amongst the WX ahead. We advise the FA’s to start picking up the cabin as it may get bumpy ahead. We take our last visual look at the weather ahead. Ominously black, it appears benign on radar, the towering clouds blocking out the sun to clouds below. We give the FA’s the final “pick it up and grab your seats” call about 5 minutes out of the wall of clouds.
Entering the WX we find the ride to be pretty nice. A firm bump followed by intermittent chop caused by the wind currents inside the storm mass. After only a few minutes, we pop out of the clouds and see the real wall of weather we have been watching since it first appeared on the radar nearly an hour ago. It sits between us and TPA. We are granted deviations to avoid the WX and we go for a hole between red spots on the radar. In one of those enjoyable times that make this job so rewarding, we see a sliver of blue light in between clouds and roll the plane to the left to pass through this hole. In a couple of minor bumps we are free of the weather and staring at TPA 20 miles off our nose. The WX there is just as advertised except the wind has started to pick up from the southeast. We are cleared for a visual approach and follow another SWA plane into TPA where I luck out and squeak a one-in-a-hundred touchdown out of the gusty winds. Even a blind squirrel gets lucky sometimes.
Approaching the gate we have to hold out for five minutes. We have arrived 30 minutes early and there is a plane just about to push on our gate. After a short delay we pull into the gate about 25 minutes early.
In the jetway, I watch the faces of the deplaning passengers and it is unlike anything I have seen. The looks on the faces of the passengers deplaning reveal they are clearly preoccupied with what tomorrow may bring. Reports have the storm surge as high as 12 feet as it unfortunately coincides with high tide. One America West pilot who deadheaded in with us from PHX heads home to prepare. He lives on Tampa Bay and 2 feet of water will crowd his back patio. Four feet will flood his living room. God only knows what 12 feet will do. Later we hear the storm surge may hit 14 feet. The Ops Agent working our arrival is on the phone to his wife who is frantically making preparations at their home. The previous night I had a minor roof leak at my home in PHX during a heavy downpour which threatened the long awaited completion of my home remodel. I realize now how minor my problems are compared to what these folks face. Last night they seemed really important but they now seem trivial.
We are scheduled to give our jet away in TPA and the new crew arrives. They are heading back to PHX so we give them our ride reports. They blast off while we kill an hour looking for something healthy to eat during our hour ground time.
TPA-ISP (Islip, NY)
Our next leg is approximately 2:10 heading north up through Florida and then northeast to Long Island. The line we cut through just west of TPA stretches all the way to Maine! The incoming crew reports a dismal ride on their leg down from Islip. I must now decide if I want to pass this information on to our Islip bound passengers. I decide to wait and see what we encounter.
One of the last families deplaning in TPA is a couple with a small infant. I ask them if the live locally. They tell me they are here for a week of vacationing. I ask them if they realize a Category 2 hurricane is expected in about 24 hours. They rely “Oh yeah, we just wanted to come anyway and see what a hurricane is like. We didn’t want to cancel or vacation plans.” I marvel at their decision, especially later when I see the mass evacuation out of St. Pete on TV. Having lived through Camille in ’69, I know these folks will never again go anywhere near a hurricane. As they wander up the jetway I wonder why it is that you have to pass a test to drive a car but no test is required to be a parent. Later we hear that 2 million people have been asked to evacuate the area.
We hop aboard and load up our passengers who all know they are lucky to be getting out of Charlie’s path. The terminal is full of people trying to get any seat out of town. It’s the same scene I have seen during previous hurricanes: Young fathers seeing their wives and kids off at the airport, expecting to drive their cars away from the storm.
Our departure is uneventful and our climb is only intermittently choppy. We negotiate our way well to the east of the line heading northbound and find the ride only lightly choppy all the way north. The seatbelt sign is only turned on for a few minutes the entire flight.
ISP is overcast so we shoot the ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach to runway 24, breaking out only 600 feet above the airport. The cooler and calmer weather on Long Island is much better than TPA but the line of WX we paralleled on our flight north is moving northeasterly and will cross New York City and out Long Island overnight. The morning push for Chicago is forecast to be a wet one.
We head to the hotel after leaving our jet within an inch of the desired parking spot. The airplane we brought in terminates for the day in ISP and will be flown out the next morning to some other city. After a day of flying it may end up right back in ISP that evening.
Friday the 13th
ISP to Chicago Midway
The morning weather is kinder than forecast with only sprinkles falling intermittently. Just as we are about to push back, ATC calls and reroutes us citing WX as the cause. We delay at the gate five minutes or so reprogramming the navigation computer and then push back. Our departure is relatively smooth with only intermittent light chop all the way to 410. Other than 75mph headwinds, our flight to Chicago is uneventful.
Weather surrounding Chicago provides a few moderate bumps going through the high 20’s and we have the FA’s clean up early as soon as it smoothes out. There may be more out there ahead and I want them to be ready. Approaching 10,000 feet we feel a few minor bumps indicating chop may indeed lie ahead. I sit the Flight Attendants early and explain to the pax precisely why. The remainder of the flight is light chop until we pop out of the cloud bases at 8,000 feet and are greeted with a nice view of Chicago across the south end of Lake Michigan. Chicago, like Islip, used to be home for me as a kid so seeing it again brings back memories.
Under mounting pressure by my FOF friends to not do a “low and fast slammer” I laugh thinking of Bonnie’s comments. We fly right on our Vref (135kts) right over White Castle where I can see a man on a cherry picker staring up at me as he works on their neon sign. We maintain within 5 knots of our designated approach speed all the way to another sweet touchdown. Then all hell breaks loose.
This is normal because the runways at MDW are “rougher than stucco bathtubs.” I call it “A smooth landing interrupted by a nasty runway.” The taxiways and ramp areas have been repaved but the runways are overdue and suffer from the many patch and repair jobs over the years. Things smooth out as we exit the runway and taxi to the gate, arriving five minutes early.
MDW-LAS (Las Vegas)
3:35 enroute time
In MDW, I have SWA MX fix an MEL write-up and the aircraft is returned to fully capable status. A fuel pump in one of the tanks stopped working two days prior and was deferred in accordance with the MEL. Another pump in the tank served the purpose nicely alone. The MX crew gets the pump back on line and we depart for Las Vegas.
The departure is into clear western skies and the cruise is met by only light chop. I am sure this is getting repetitively boring to read. Are you starting to notice a trend here? Flight operations are routine, even when the WX is not. The crew will gather all the information they can and make the best decision based on that information. Through constantly changing conditions, the crews just roll with the punches and do what needs to get done. Time permitting, they try to pass on that information to you, the passenger.
Our arrival into Lost Wages was similarly uneventful. A few bumps passing through the thick cloud layers during our descent. A little wake roll on final from our America West friends ahead on final for RWY 25L. Due to the higher than normal summer headwinds, we pulled into the gate only about five minutes early.
I won’t bore you with the last leg into Sacramento because it was more of the same boring wah-wah. Tomorrow we fly four more routine legs to PHX where we get off and go back to our families. “Same stuff, different day,” as they say.
Ray
PHX to TPA
Scheduled flight time: 4:15
Route of flight: East across Texas, Louisiana, Miss, and the panhandle of FLA, then down the west coast of FL to Tampa
WX concerns: Tropical storm Bonnie located over the panhandle of FLA. Hurricane Charlie, 120 mi south of Miami.
I arrive at the crew lounge Thursday morning an hour and a half early. After a week off I have Jeppesen approach plate revisions to get caught up on. I also want to check the WX for FLA prior to heading to the plane. Somewhere in there is breakfast if time permits.
The WX channel is on in our crew lounge 24 hours a day on a dedicated TV provided by SWA. I juggle between FOX News on the other TV and watch the storm progress in FL. After getting my paperwork caught up, I head to the plane early. This morning, my jet is coming from Orange County, CA rather than originating in PHX. That means preflight time will be only about 30 minutes.
As soon as the OPS Agent shows up with the flight paperwork, I check current WX in TPA. Then I call Mother (Dispatch) to get the latest realtime info. My concerns are the ride through Bonnie in the panhandle and where Charlie is off the Keys. I am told by dispatch that no complaints have been reported by aircraft in the panhandle area. That’s good news. Charlie is well off the coast and not expected to make landfall until well after we are scheduled to leave for Islip NY.
With only good news ahead, we get about preflighting the jet as it arrives. It’s a new -700 that can overfly hurricanes and tropical depressions. They rarely top out much over the mid 30’s. The 700 can climb to 41,000 (we call it “410”).
Another wrench in the system arises. President Bush is on a campaign swing through the western US and has overnighted in PHX. He is expected to depart on Air Force One about the time we are expected to depart. When the President moves, all aircraft traffic is stopped for security reasons. Our inbound flight is running a few minutes late because 5 deplaning passengers and four enplaning passengers required wheel chairs. With the potential of further delays caused by the Presidential issue, our Flt Attendant makes an impassioned appeal to those boarding to hurry as a delay may result otherwise. Our good SWA pax scurry to their seats and we are ready to push only five minutes after scheduled. Just prior to push I make my PA to the pax.
I inform them of the WX, the reported good rides through Bonnie, the current WX and forecast in TPA, a pass on that one airliner reported moderate turbulence over TPA an hour ago, as well as our alternate of Ft. Lauderdale and extra contingency gas we have “just in case.” In other words, we are loaded for bear and ready to meet any and all contingencies enroute. The Flt Attendants thank me for heading off all the questions in advance.
We blast out of PHX ahead of the “Prez” passing Air Force One as we taxi out. What an incredible sight, the blue and white 747 which has to be THE classiest ride on the planet. The color scheme for Air Force One was chosen by Jackie Kennedy in 1960 for the 707, the predecessor of the current 747.
The ride across AZ and NM is smooth and continues that way above lightly scattered clouds through TX. The seat belt sign remains off despite a minute or so of light chop which dissipates as rapidly as it appears. North of Dallas, we pull up the latest WX for TPA and it remains calm: scattered clouds, winds from the south at 9mph.
Approaching LA, we can see the clouds of Bonnie on the horizon. We query ATC as to rides ahead and they report light chop ahead at all altitudes. In an effort to put as much distance between us and the clouds ahead, we climb from 370 to 410 (41,000 ft) and find the ride very nice. The radar ahead shows no returns in our path but we are picking up the three or four small thunderstorms off to our right which are along the gulf coast. During a quiet spell, we ask ATC if they have any updates on the landfall location and timing for Charlie. Our passengers are interested because many are TPA/St. Pete locals heading home. The news is grim: Estimated landfall is between 4-7pm directly over St. Pete on Friday –the 13th. We pass the news to our passengers.
Approaching Pensacola, we are picking up the decaying line of thunderstorms east of Panama City. We are approaching the center of Bonnie. Only a few isolated cells rise above our cruising altitude and they are weak and easily avoidable. ATC advises us Bonnie fell below tropical storm status shortly after making landfall. From our view at 410, it looks like any other summer day along the Gulf.
Approaching our turn to the southeast over Seminole FL, we see the well defined narrow band of WX which we’ll have to deviate around in our descent to TPA. Traffic departing Florida climbs slowly so to avoid conflicts with arrival traffic, they start arrivals down way earlier than usual. This will put us into the clouds amongst the WX ahead. We advise the FA’s to start picking up the cabin as it may get bumpy ahead. We take our last visual look at the weather ahead. Ominously black, it appears benign on radar, the towering clouds blocking out the sun to clouds below. We give the FA’s the final “pick it up and grab your seats” call about 5 minutes out of the wall of clouds.
Entering the WX we find the ride to be pretty nice. A firm bump followed by intermittent chop caused by the wind currents inside the storm mass. After only a few minutes, we pop out of the clouds and see the real wall of weather we have been watching since it first appeared on the radar nearly an hour ago. It sits between us and TPA. We are granted deviations to avoid the WX and we go for a hole between red spots on the radar. In one of those enjoyable times that make this job so rewarding, we see a sliver of blue light in between clouds and roll the plane to the left to pass through this hole. In a couple of minor bumps we are free of the weather and staring at TPA 20 miles off our nose. The WX there is just as advertised except the wind has started to pick up from the southeast. We are cleared for a visual approach and follow another SWA plane into TPA where I luck out and squeak a one-in-a-hundred touchdown out of the gusty winds. Even a blind squirrel gets lucky sometimes.
Approaching the gate we have to hold out for five minutes. We have arrived 30 minutes early and there is a plane just about to push on our gate. After a short delay we pull into the gate about 25 minutes early.
In the jetway, I watch the faces of the deplaning passengers and it is unlike anything I have seen. The looks on the faces of the passengers deplaning reveal they are clearly preoccupied with what tomorrow may bring. Reports have the storm surge as high as 12 feet as it unfortunately coincides with high tide. One America West pilot who deadheaded in with us from PHX heads home to prepare. He lives on Tampa Bay and 2 feet of water will crowd his back patio. Four feet will flood his living room. God only knows what 12 feet will do. Later we hear the storm surge may hit 14 feet. The Ops Agent working our arrival is on the phone to his wife who is frantically making preparations at their home. The previous night I had a minor roof leak at my home in PHX during a heavy downpour which threatened the long awaited completion of my home remodel. I realize now how minor my problems are compared to what these folks face. Last night they seemed really important but they now seem trivial.
We are scheduled to give our jet away in TPA and the new crew arrives. They are heading back to PHX so we give them our ride reports. They blast off while we kill an hour looking for something healthy to eat during our hour ground time.
TPA-ISP (Islip, NY)
Our next leg is approximately 2:10 heading north up through Florida and then northeast to Long Island. The line we cut through just west of TPA stretches all the way to Maine! The incoming crew reports a dismal ride on their leg down from Islip. I must now decide if I want to pass this information on to our Islip bound passengers. I decide to wait and see what we encounter.
One of the last families deplaning in TPA is a couple with a small infant. I ask them if the live locally. They tell me they are here for a week of vacationing. I ask them if they realize a Category 2 hurricane is expected in about 24 hours. They rely “Oh yeah, we just wanted to come anyway and see what a hurricane is like. We didn’t want to cancel or vacation plans.” I marvel at their decision, especially later when I see the mass evacuation out of St. Pete on TV. Having lived through Camille in ’69, I know these folks will never again go anywhere near a hurricane. As they wander up the jetway I wonder why it is that you have to pass a test to drive a car but no test is required to be a parent. Later we hear that 2 million people have been asked to evacuate the area.
We hop aboard and load up our passengers who all know they are lucky to be getting out of Charlie’s path. The terminal is full of people trying to get any seat out of town. It’s the same scene I have seen during previous hurricanes: Young fathers seeing their wives and kids off at the airport, expecting to drive their cars away from the storm.
Our departure is uneventful and our climb is only intermittently choppy. We negotiate our way well to the east of the line heading northbound and find the ride only lightly choppy all the way north. The seatbelt sign is only turned on for a few minutes the entire flight.
ISP is overcast so we shoot the ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach to runway 24, breaking out only 600 feet above the airport. The cooler and calmer weather on Long Island is much better than TPA but the line of WX we paralleled on our flight north is moving northeasterly and will cross New York City and out Long Island overnight. The morning push for Chicago is forecast to be a wet one.
We head to the hotel after leaving our jet within an inch of the desired parking spot. The airplane we brought in terminates for the day in ISP and will be flown out the next morning to some other city. After a day of flying it may end up right back in ISP that evening.
Friday the 13th
ISP to Chicago Midway
The morning weather is kinder than forecast with only sprinkles falling intermittently. Just as we are about to push back, ATC calls and reroutes us citing WX as the cause. We delay at the gate five minutes or so reprogramming the navigation computer and then push back. Our departure is relatively smooth with only intermittent light chop all the way to 410. Other than 75mph headwinds, our flight to Chicago is uneventful.
Weather surrounding Chicago provides a few moderate bumps going through the high 20’s and we have the FA’s clean up early as soon as it smoothes out. There may be more out there ahead and I want them to be ready. Approaching 10,000 feet we feel a few minor bumps indicating chop may indeed lie ahead. I sit the Flight Attendants early and explain to the pax precisely why. The remainder of the flight is light chop until we pop out of the cloud bases at 8,000 feet and are greeted with a nice view of Chicago across the south end of Lake Michigan. Chicago, like Islip, used to be home for me as a kid so seeing it again brings back memories.
Under mounting pressure by my FOF friends to not do a “low and fast slammer” I laugh thinking of Bonnie’s comments. We fly right on our Vref (135kts) right over White Castle where I can see a man on a cherry picker staring up at me as he works on their neon sign. We maintain within 5 knots of our designated approach speed all the way to another sweet touchdown. Then all hell breaks loose.
This is normal because the runways at MDW are “rougher than stucco bathtubs.” I call it “A smooth landing interrupted by a nasty runway.” The taxiways and ramp areas have been repaved but the runways are overdue and suffer from the many patch and repair jobs over the years. Things smooth out as we exit the runway and taxi to the gate, arriving five minutes early.
MDW-LAS (Las Vegas)
3:35 enroute time
In MDW, I have SWA MX fix an MEL write-up and the aircraft is returned to fully capable status. A fuel pump in one of the tanks stopped working two days prior and was deferred in accordance with the MEL. Another pump in the tank served the purpose nicely alone. The MX crew gets the pump back on line and we depart for Las Vegas.
The departure is into clear western skies and the cruise is met by only light chop. I am sure this is getting repetitively boring to read. Are you starting to notice a trend here? Flight operations are routine, even when the WX is not. The crew will gather all the information they can and make the best decision based on that information. Through constantly changing conditions, the crews just roll with the punches and do what needs to get done. Time permitting, they try to pass on that information to you, the passenger.
Our arrival into Lost Wages was similarly uneventful. A few bumps passing through the thick cloud layers during our descent. A little wake roll on final from our America West friends ahead on final for RWY 25L. Due to the higher than normal summer headwinds, we pulled into the gate only about five minutes early.
I won’t bore you with the last leg into Sacramento because it was more of the same boring wah-wah. Tomorrow we fly four more routine legs to PHX where we get off and go back to our families. “Same stuff, different day,” as they say.
Ray