One year anniversary for US 1549

A US Airways A-320 in position, awaiting takeoff clearance on runway 4 at LGA. You can see the Empire State building in the background in Manhattan. This is exactly how 1549 appeared a year ago today, 1/15/09.

A SHORT TRIBUTE TO A PROFESSIONAL AIRLINE CREW

Just a short post to congratulate the crew of US Airways flight 1549 for a job well done as they assemble in New York today to celebrate their anniversary. The praise and recognition that Sully, Jeff, Donna, Doreen and Sheila have received and the manner in which they've handled it speaks volumes about their character. They are quick to praise others and deflect credit and are probably the finest representatives of what an airline crew is and represents. They were five individuals, assembled by the oddities of the monthly bid process, that acted as one to save 150 passengers and countless others who would have been severely impacted by a tragic outcome. But we don't need to think about that do we? Even with all the automation, downsizing and industry uncertainty, humans make up the most important part of this equation. And here are five humans at their best.

For those unfamiliar with LGA, this is the view that Sully and Jeff experienced as Jeff advanced the power for takeoff. You're looking down runway 4 with the LGA control tower to the right.

I just finished reading Sully's book, Highest Duty, which I loved by the way and strongly recommend, but I wanted to share just one of his thoughts. When asked by his daughter Kate what "integrity" was, he answered her, but continued with this for his readers.

"Integrity is the core of my profession. An airline pilot has to do the right thing every time, even if that means delaying or canceling a flight to address a maintenance or other issue, even if it means inconveniencing 183 people who want to get home, including the pilot. By delaying the flight, I am ensuring that they will get home. I'm trained to be intolerant of anything less than the highest standards of my profession."

The de-icing announcement!

You may wonder what that collective groan we just heard from the back of the airplane was all about. My copilot just returned to the cockpit from his walk-around and advised that we needed to be de-iced. This was of no surprise to me, but as I picked up the PA to welcome our passengers on board and advise that we'd make a quick visit to the deice pad, a general groan filtered its way forward, like a small wave picking up energy as it traveled. I don't blame passengers for this reaction; your time is valuable, this takes time and you're anxious to be on your way. But there is some good news, we accomplish this decontamination exercise with the engines running these days which dramatically speeds up the operation. Also, do you really want to go flying in an aircraft that has snow and ice clinging to it? With a little knowledge, I'm sure that you'll arrive at the same logical conclusion that we do about this process.

This just might be my most favorite airplane photo. I love its monochromatic simplicity and grace. What do you think?

It's a nasty day out here, about ten below in blowing snow, but nice and toasty in our comfortable cockpit with a bottomless cup of delicious airline coffee. (That should spur a few comments.)

But this de-icing thing, why do we do this you may be wondering.

Is it really necessary?

Let's see if I can shed a little light on this subject. There are two terms that you'll need to know and we'll discuss them after we close the door, finish our checklists, load our weight & balance numbers and pushback from the gate.

"Ramp, Northwest 219 to push from A 68."

"219, push after the northbound Three-twenty, nose north."

"Brakes released, cleared to push after a northbound Three-twenty, nose north fellas" I instruct our pushback crew.

"Roger, cleared to push after a Three-twenty, nose north and you're cleared to start."

We're underway!

The DTW airport people do a great job clearing taxi and runways

"Push complete, brakes set?" we hear from the push coordinator.

"Brakes set, pressures normal, cleared to disconnect, thanks for the smooth push fellas and have a good day" I say to our push crew as my FO has just completed the left engine start and reaches for the right engine start switch.

He selects "ground" on the right igniter switch, waits for max motoring N2 RPM, about 28%, places the fuel control valve on and hacks his clock. Within 120 seconds the starter motor cuts out, the generator cuts in, relieving the APU from its electrical duties and all temps and pressures should be stabilized. He'll now close APU pneumatic valves, open engine bleed valves and as soon as the APU cools, he'll shut it down. If we were dispatching with a generator inoperative, we'd leave the APU running as a back up electrical source if an engine driven generator were to fail.

And just as soon as our push crew and the airport plow have moved from our path, we'll start our taxi out.

The NWA de-ice crews do a wonderful job and are an intregal part of the operation.

We've started both engines, selected engine anti-ice on, extended our flaps, completed our "after start" and "taxi" checklists, received our taxi clearance and made our way out to the 4R De-ice pad. It's not very crowded out here this afternoon with all six slots manned and only two aircraft in front of us. We'll be out of here in no time, winging our way to SFO on our first leg of this five day trip. A clipped conversation with "iceman" that would sound heavily coded to the uninformed, lays out in detail exactly what is about to happen, as deice trucks and crews move into position. I learn that we'll de-ice first to remove existing contaminant, then anti-ice later because light snow is falling, with a specific mixture of Propylene Glycol and hot water. The coordinator will furnish me with the start and end times for this procedure so I can figure my hold over time. For the chemists among us you'll recognize this product as CH3CHOHCH2OH.

Another view of a de-ice truck approaching with an A-320 landing in the background. These folks really help keep the airline moving during inclement weather.

Close up and personal with a de-ice crew member

OK, as the first boom truck approaches, let me explain the process. We have snow and ice (contaminant) on our wings that needs to be removed, which we'll accomplish by deicing. If it weren't snowing outside, we'd then be on our way. But contaminant is falling too, light snow in this case, so we'll need to anti-ice as well which is a second spray application. This second application allows us a specific amount of time (hold over time) to taxi to the runway and depart, preventing new contaminant from sticking to our flight surfaces. If we exceed this time... yup, it's back to the deice pad, but that rarely happens.

But some meteorological conditions, such as freezing rain or freezing drizzle simply stop all operations. We can de-ice it but can't sufficiently anti-ice for it to guarantee a safe takeoff. So we don't and would wait for improved conditions. Better to get there tomorrow than make the front page of USA Today.

But why do we do all this anyway? The wing of a modern jet airplane is thin and sleek and when flaps and slats are extended, they lower our stall speed, which means we can takeoff and land at lower speeds. If these sophisticated lift surfaces are "contaminated" with snow, ice and yes, even frost, a smooth airflow over the wing is jeopardized and lift is severely impaired or destroyed, making flight questionable. Pilots don't like "questionable" so we take the time to insure flight safety and get rid of the contaminant.

An Airbus A-320

This Airbus next to us is anti-icing with a mixture of Propylene Glycol and Water. Glycol is very expensive, costing as much as $10 per gallon, so is cut with water. When heated to 150 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and mixed as a 65/35 solution, (fluid to water) their holdover time will be in the neighborhood of twenty minutes. If the taxiways are crowded and they determine that their takeoff may be delayed longer, Iceman will adjust the mixture accordingly.

You may be wondering about our electrically actuated, pneumatically operated, wing anti-icing system. The leading edge of our wings are "plumbed" to direct hot bleed air to prevent ice build up. But this is used only in flight, has nothing to do with ground operations and on most jets is prevented from being actuated on the ground. Engine anti-ice is another matter and is used in flight and on the ground.

I just used a term you may be unfamiliar with. "Bleed air." Bleed air is hot air tapped from the engines to operate a variety of items, such as our air conditioning packs, wing anti-ice, pressurization and to rotate our engines during the start procedure. Hot air is a byproduct from a running jet engine, so we simply use it to power certain components. Nothing, not even "hot air," which there's plenty of in a commercial jet airplane, goes to waste!

Boeing B-717's

These Air Tran B-717's are de-icing and as you can see by the weather conditions will be anti-icing shortly there after. As we start these procedures we announce that we'll be "shutting off the air conditioning system" by selecting the packs off. This is to avoid sucking glycol fumes into the airplane. Designed with corrosion inhibitors and wetting agents, glycol is a colorless fluid with a rather sweet odor that you may have smelled when we reactivated the air conditioning system. Due to its expense, at our hub airports, ie DTW and MSP, we vacuum the area after a spray, collect the fluid, filter and clean it and use it again. It's a good use of resources, wouldn't you agree?

Airborne of runway 22L at DTW

Anyway, we've completed our de-icing and anti-icing procedures, have been cleared for takeoff on the Palace Three Departure and SFO is a mere four hours and 27 minutes west. Even with the delay, we'll arrive within 2 minutes of or scheduled arrival time due to light westerly winds aloft tonight. So the next time your captain comes on and advises that you'll be de-icing today and the person next to you rolls his eyes or groans just a bit, lean over and with authority teach them why this is to their benefit. There's nothing like an educated consumer!

Honolulu, Waikiki and Diamond Head in the background

Here's my reward the next day as we've descended on the MAGGI3 Arrival, pass over Koko Head, Diamond Head, Waikiki and line up for HNL runway 8L as Pearl Harbor slides beneath our left wing.

Bill and I have just finished day 2 of this five day trip, complete a shutdown checklist, join our flight attendants curbside and head downtown for a 28 hour layover. De-icing back in DTW seems like a long time ago as we enjoy 80 degrees at 20 degrees north latitude.

Waikiki and Diamond Head under a full moon

A little later tonight, we'll meet up with other crews who've flown in from LAX, SEA, PDX, SAN and NRT (Narita) at Dukes on Waikiki and enjoy dinner and swap tall tales beneath swaying palms and a soft Pacific breeze. But tomorrow we'll be back at it for day three of five as we fly a red eye trans-pacific east bound to LAX. I love this job! Thanks for following along and I'll see you again soon.

A Christmas Gift For My Crew

I just received this Christmas card from Gary Orlando, probably the most informed F-27 and FH-227 collector in the country. To visit Gary's site and learn more about these airplanes click on WHISTLE PIG to enjoy his collection. Gary and I have been contacted by a film production company in Dallas, Texas to participate in a new documentary film concerning the 1972 Fairchild crash in the Andes. Much has been written about this accident, including a movie titled ALIVE. More about this later.

NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE

The first flight of a B-787 occurred on 15 December 2009 and you can watch it via a Boeing Webcast right here. Click here to visit this site and witness this highly anticipated event.

For another perspective concerning this historic flight, click on Fox News.

Ship 5813, a B-757-300 at the gate in HNL

Next stop LA

Just a few days ago, Greg (another New Hampshireman) and I flew flight 2622 from HNL to LAX with an LAX based flight attendant crew. We'd enjoyed our typical morning and afternoon on the beach, visiting the Waikiki Apple store, followed by watching the Patriots loose to New Orleans in the dome. Now at 7 and 4, our season isn't shaping up too well, but things would look up by the time we arrived at the gate. The agents handed me our paperwork and as I turned to leave told me that Josh and Ari were already on board. Hmmm... "who are Josh and Ari" I wondered? I'm due for a line check, must be a couple of check pilots, maybe the FAA, or simply a couple of jumpseaters trying to get home.

Ari and Josh in the command seats of a Boeing 757-300

(Apparently this isn't a line check!)

After loading the computers, pre-flighting the flight deck and exterior (it takes a little longer now as we've adopted Delta procedures and the copilot does just about everything as I offer moral support) our lead flight attendant brought Josh and Ari forward. I enjoy having kids come in to explore the cockpit and ask questions. Most are very shy and need to be coaxed, but not Josh, as he confidently walked in, introduced himself and his brother and asked pertinent questions. When I put them in our seats for this picture, the typical big brother directed his younger sibling... "don't touch anything." Most adults don't think to mention this!

After arriving in LAX and the passengers had departed, I corralled Josh, Ari and their mother Dana for a shot with most of our crew. Josh is holding drawings of aircraft that he'd seen at gates during his travels and Ari has my Twix bar. Now you know they had to be good kids to get me to part with a Twix.

Above and below are examples of Josh's art work, now safely stored with my very extensive airline collection.

Flight 2622 covered 2,276 nautical miles across the Pacific tonight, burned 44,200 pounds of Jet-A, arrived 10 minutes early at LAX and experienced this beautiful sunrise. Rather looks like something out of "2001 Space Odyssey" don't you think?

But the best part of this trip was that we'd had a hand in uniting a family during the holiday season. Josh, Ari and Dana weren't just on holiday visiting Hawaii, they were there to unite with the boys Dad and Dana's husband, Neil. Neil serves in the U.S. Army, was on R&R from Iraq and has since returned to theater. He, like thousands of others who have answered the call of our Armed Forces, have made this flight and all of my flights for that matter possible. Thanks to all of you and especially to Neil, who entrusted us with the safe transport of his family across the Pacific tonight. And like Josh, we're all proud of his Dad.

Merry Christmas,

Rand

05B20

I was completely unaware that someone had taped my solo flight in 1971. Thought you might enjoy it! Actually it's just a different take on the old flying farmer routine

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas

Blair, Samantha and Ian

Rand & Linda

Sam's engagement party last Spring

It's cooling down here in New Hampshire, the leaves have fallen, the migratory fowl that populate our marsh have mostly flown south and the aroma of wood smoke and snow fill the air. Another year has passed and I have much to be grateful for. They include our new home, our many family members and good friends whose company we enjoy. Thanks to all of you who follow my airline adventures and take a moment to comment. I wish the best for all of us and hope that you enjoy this holiday season.

Sincerely,

Rand

The cockpit is comfortably warm, the coffee is good and only the sound of air past our windscreen at 500 knots, lets us know that we're in motion high above the worlds largest, deepest ocean. This is a moment to savor before returning to VHF radio communications, descent and approach procedures and the reality of an LAX arrival. Tranquility will soon be replaced by work; but work that is enjoyable as more than two-hundred trusting souls snooze in deep sleep behind us.

My friend Bill from Texas, a former Braniff pilot and NWA retiree via Republic Airlines, just sent me this link. For those of us who enjoy history and Charles Lindbergh it's wonderful. Thanks Bill.

My thoughts....

Thoughts are like bellybuttons... everyone has one.

I can't tell you how many emails and comments I've received concerning NWA 188, the now infamous Airbus flight that overflew MSP by more than 100 miles. I'm reluctant to comment because I have few facts and am not privy to investigative information. Their certainly seems to be no shortage of speculation though. I just returned home from flying a four day trip and as you can imagine endured many thoughtless, unsubstantiated remarks by passengers. I knew that I'd experience this and contemplated my response even before backing out of my driveway.

Someone willing to make callous comments, or seeing the event as comedic, or as an opportunity to take a shot at our profession doesn't warrant an answer. I handled them simply by looking at them, maintaining my silence and turning and walking away. Sometimes silence speaks louder than words. I mean really, does anyone think that it's intelligent or humorous to walk past the cockpit while boarding and yell up, "hey... you guys had enough rest?" and then kill themselves laughing. I also try never to speak when angered, as those comments usually return to haunt me.

On the other hand, several passengers approached and simply asked "what went wrong?" or "how could this have happened?" Their approach was different. It was sincere, neither sarcastic nor a shot at our profession, but an expression of genuine bewilderment. In my mind they were making a strong statement. "We trust you guys every time we climb into one of these things, can that be restored?" Now this was a thoughtful approach and warranted discussion, to which I offered a few thoughts.

So, here are those thoughts.

I'm bewildered too. Assuming that the pilots had pulled out their laptops as offered, I can't understand being so absorbed that neither looked at their displays to determine their position for 90 minutes. If they failed to monitor time and position, when did they last check their fuel state? I can't comprehend why not communicating with a center controller for 90 minutes didn't trigger a reality check. I've switched off my ATC receiver many times when the lead flight attendant has called to conduct business and then failed to turn it back on. I'm confident that I'm not the only one who has done this, but after a few minutes of flying in silence, you suddenly realize that it's just too quiet. A quick investigation reveals that the number one comm is off. Whoops! And when selected on, the busy, noisy world of a commercial jet cockpit is restored.

An A-320 approaching DTW

One erroneous tidbit that I'm reading in the news these days is "how these airplanes practically fly themselves." This is a popular distortion of the truth perpetuated by ignorance. Ask someone who makes this remark, "how do they do that? The reply usually sounds something like this. "I don't know but I've heard that." Or, "my uncle's, first cousin's Dentist who lives in Dubuque and flies a Cessna says..." Believe me, if they did, Northwest Airlines would have furloughed all of us if they could have gotten away with it. I'm referring of course to the "old" Northwest that existed during the contentious Douglas Steenland era. So far under Richard Anderson, I'm optimistic with what I'm seeing at the "new" Delta. Please, let me digress for just a second. On 29 October we celebrated the first year anniversary of this union and it's going well; much has been accomplished in a rather amiable atmosphere with a single operating certificate on track by December. To learn exactly what has been achieved, read this article in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, forwarded by my good friend Captain Ron Turner. (USAir ret.)

OK, back to business. The autopilots (we have three in a 757 and two in a 320 if my memory is correct) do a fantastic job, but they don't "think." If they flew themselves and pilots were an after thought, flight 188 would have descended on the Minneapolis arrival profile, slowed, configured, extended the gear and landed on 30L. Autopilots/computers can't do that, they're "directed" to do this. I often joke with passengers who state that we're just "button pushers" and that they could probably get this airplane down if need be. I ask, "Yes, perhaps, but do you know which buttons to push, when to push them and in what sequence? Which button or buttons would you push or pull for an engine failure, fuel imbalance, hydraulic or electrical failure, to intercept an ILS or initiate a go around?" This is important stuff that you'd need to know to successfully fly one these babies! I've mentioned this a time or two before, but this also explains why I deplore the name "airbus." I lends to the image that we're "bus drivers." It denigrates the responsibility and the decision making which really, the job is all about.

A 757 at the gate in MSP

Take a look at this video concerning an A-320 and autopilots, then come back and continue reading. See you shortly.... This video graphically demonstrates why pilots are there. The autopilot doesn't care if it flies the airplane into the ground, but certainly the pilots will recognize that somethings amiss. Well, maybe not these two, but they were test pilots at an airshow. And the remark about "the first fully automated airplane..." There's no such thing, not yet anyway and if this is what "fully automated" or "designing the pilot out of the cockpit" gets, I want nothing to do with it. Would you? How does that old joke about new, automated, pilotless aircraft go? "Ladies and gentleman we've reached 37,000 feet, so sit back and relax, nothing can go wrong, go wrong, go wrong... I have a cartoon somewhere in my collection that shows two empty pilot seats in a commercial jet cockpit at altitude. Behind the seats, attached to the rear bulkhead, is a little glass enclosure that looks like the type that would house a fire extinguisher, with a pilot sitting inside. The sign beneath it says. "Break glass in case of an emergency."

Another popular thought concerns tedium at altitude. This is true. The push back, taxi out, takeoff and climb profile are busy. Out of places like LAX, SFO, LGA, AMS, NRT and ORD, SID's (Standard Instrument Departures) are very busy. The same is true concerning STAR's. (Standard Terminal Arrival Routes) The descent on an arrival procedure, receiving radar vectors, configuring the airplane, intercepting and flying an approach in or near adverse weather, landing and planning a missed approach are complex. The 225 people sitting behind me into LAX tonight have no comprehension of this, any more than I do of their business that they spent years preparing themselves for. But they don't need to, they're paying me for that, just as I engage their services when needed. The free market, it's a wonderful thing. But en route flying, sitting at 37,000 feet for five, six, seven or eight hours is taxing. Complacency raises its ugly head particularly at three or four o'clock in the morning on a red eye over the North Atlantic or vast Pacific. Discipline, staying engaged while "monitoring" the jet can be difficult. Most of us fly these flights with the dome lights on, flooding the cockpit with light, staving off the urge to close your eyes... even for a few seconds.

A North Atlantic planning chart

Contrary to several popular studies, the FAA insists that "pilot napping" is less than productive, thus illegal. I strongly disagree and support the European standard of controlled napping. Think about it. I'm sure you've been in your office at 3:30 in the afternoon, experiencing a boring day while rain streams down your window. That is if you're not in a cubicle and are lucky enough to have a window. Your head is bobbing and eyes heavy as your brain fogs over and yearns for a 10 minute nap. If you don't think that this occurs to a surgeon during surgery, to an attorney arguing a case or in a commercial jet cockpit, then you're naive. You though can close your door, push back and close your eyes for five, 10 or 15 minutes to revitalize your energy and tackle the rest of your day. It's amazing what a 15 minute nap can do! Logically, I think we should be able to do the same in the cruise phase, notifying the other pilot of your intentions and to insure that I'm awake in 15 minutes. Crossing six or seven time zones during a four or five day trip, sleeping in different hotels and eating on the run is fatiguing. A clear, rested brain performs much better on the Modesto3, Sadde6, Janesville5 or Milton3 arrival procedures, transitioning to an ILS to minimums with heavy rain or snow streaming back over the windscreen. That's the easy part... then you have to taxi to the gate! Take a look at this article published way back in 1992.

The descent procedure into Osaka

But getting back to flight 188. In the final analysis, until an investigation is complete, I have no idea what went wrong and refuse to jump to a conclusion and get a rope. Neither do (holier than thou) David Letterman nor Jay Leno, but that doesn't stop an nonobjective mind from using it for personal gain. Nor has it stopped the FAA from yanking licences before an investigation has concluded. This is a knee jerk, "ready, fire, aim" reaction directed at placating the public. The airline has grounded them and if found negligent, they'll likely be terminated. As in any incident/accident, I want to know what happened... I mean really happened so that I can add that information to my knowledge base, learn from others and avoid pitfalls in the future. But please, let's have the hearing first. I do know however, that irreparable damage has been done to our profession and how we are viewed. Is it any wonder?

Be assured though that the overwhelming majority of us, those of us proud to call ourselves professional airline pilots, are vigilant, on the job and take our responsibilities seriously. I'm proud of what I do and my fellow aviators who do it every day, day in and day out, throughout the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of conditions and circumstances. In 2008, considering only scheduled, U.S. based air carriers, we flew more than 741 million passengers throughout the world. That's more than twice the entire U.S. population. What does this tell us about our system, pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, dispatchers, meteorologists, sales reps, FAA controllers and everyone else who has contributed to getting me airborne tonight?

Thanks for flying with us, contributing to these numbers and utilizing the worlds safest mode of transportation.

Rand

Before I leave I wanted to pass along information that has just come my way, it concerns a group called the "Pease Greeters." They're an organization that gets together to meet returning veterans as they arrive at Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, NH. They gather to welcome our servicemen and women home and let them know how much we value their service to America. Today is Veterans Day, click on their site... maybe you'd like to participate if you live in New Hampshire, Massachusetts or Maine near the coast.

The Northeast Airlines Reunion

Thanks to AIRWAY's editor John Wegg for the photo above. Note Mackey, on the side of the car door and a fire extinguisher in position for radial engine starts. Mackey, formed in 1946 merged with Eastern Airlines in 1967 and flew primarily from Florida to the Bahama's and the Turk's & Caicos Islands. Their fleet included DC-3's, DC-6's and Convairs.

January 1980. Dad's retirement flight in a 727 as we were inbound to BOS for his last landing on runway 27. I rode in the jumpseat. This 727 was the first "stretched," or 200 series three-holer delivered to the airlines and NEA in particular in 1967.

As many of you know, my Dad flew for BOS based Northeast Airlines from 1946 through 1980, during the "golden age" of American Air Transport. I can practically recite the 1957 seniority list with names that included; Anderson, Bean, Mudge, Lord and Chaves. I wanted desperately to fill a slot on the NEA seniority list, but was too young when they merged with Delta in 1972. I interviewed with Delta in 1978 while flying with BOS based Air New England, but when they discovered that I was "Red's boy," I was done. DAL employed a nepotism policy in those days.

My father flew what may have been Northeast Airlines last flight. He departed BOS in a Northeast DC-9 on September 30 and and landed in Miami just after midnight on October 1, 1972 in a Delta DC-9. September 30 was the last day of operation for 39 year-old NEA as it officially merged into DAL the next day. NEA was the launch customer for the stretched or -200 series 727, in fact DAL had no 727's in its inventory at the time of the merger.

Three NEA DC-3's on the ramp in Montpelier, VT (MPV)

Montipelier, 160 miles north of BOS just south of the Green Mountain Range, was an outlying station and it was abnormal to have three 3's here at one time. This picture was given to me by retired NEA/DAL captain Dick Barnes, who holds the distinction of flying Northeast Airlines last DC-3 flight. Dick Greene was his copilot and Helen Chase was the stewardess on this historic flight from Nantucket (ACK) to LaGuardia in December 1966. There are no longer any NEA pilots flying with DAL.

Kent Greenough and Randy Luce manned this station for NEA then and later ran it for Air New England. I was fortunate to have known them and acquired much of my NEA memorabilia from them. I lived in Stowe, VT and commuted to BOS from here as well as flying Twin Otter flights in/out. Every time I came home from a trip, another piece of NEA history would be sitting inside my trusty Land Cruiser awaiting my arrival. It was like Christmas in July sponsored by these two generous fellows.

A Northeast DC-3 on the ramp in Lewiston, Maine (LEW)

Constructed in 1942 for the US Army Air Force.

You may have read my story in AIRWAYS concerning Lufthansa and their restoring a Lockheed Constellation in Maine. If you did, the hangar that we enjoyed their festivities in, is located directly in front of the nose of this DC-3... only 50 years later!

This picture was on display in the LEW passenger waiting area for many years, when our ANE station manager Suzy ???? acquired it for me in 1975. Just to clarify, I made a copy of it and returned it later!

An Air New England DC-3 overhead Nantucket. (ACK)

I never flew for NEA, but was lucky enough to be hired at HYA based, later BOS based Air New England in 1974. This was a company promo picture of one of our six DC-3's over Nantucket in either 1973 or '74. Our demise followed in October 1981 and employment later at Orion and Republic Airlines was attained through ANE friends already there. Ward Dunning secured me a sideways (727 FE) seat at Orion and Wes Lundquist, Bob Finnigan, Owen Hickey, Dan Hallinan and others somehow convinced Karen Dompier to hire me at Republic a year later. Republic merged with Northwest Airlines in 1986 and Northwest with Delta Airlines only recently. It's funny how life unfolds isn't it?

My father, sometime in the mid 1950's, dual qualified as a DC-3 and Convair 240 captain and on his retirement flight in 1980.

Aging Eagles

Not only do I love seeing my Dad's contemporaries at Captain Bill Grady's NEA reunions in June and October in Plymouth, NH, but more and more Air New England pilots are showing up too. From left to right: Wes, hired with me at ANE in 1974 and instrumental in getting me hired at Republic in 1985. Today he's an A-330 captain at Delta. Alec recently retired from USAirways and has just written a book. Rand. Christine was an FH-227 Stew who married Hook, one of ANE's most beloved pilots who went on to fly at Continental. Sadly he died of cancer a couple of years ago. Gary went to People Express and retired a few years ago as a 767 captain at Continental. Jack, who also went to Republic, retired a few years ago off the 747-400 at Northwest. Howard was a training captain and Chief Pilot at ANE. Tom, like Wes, migrated to North Central just before ANE went under and is a 757 captain at Delta today. Tom's wife Sidney (not pictured) another ANE alumnus is a DAL A-330 captain today. Eddie, another 1974 ANE classmate, went to Allegheny Airlines in 1978 and is the VP of Flight Operations at USAirways today. This picture represents just a small sampling of the 175 ANE pilots whose friendship I still enjoy today.

I made this short video from clips taken at the October NEA reunion to show some of the eclectic airplanes that these folks arrive in. There are many others, including Bob Trinque's restored Beech-18 and a plethora of little tail draggers.

My Dad and me at his home in Amherst, NH on the morning of his last flight.

I rode jumpseat during this flight. At the time, Delta had a no jumpseat policy; it took him months to achieve approval for this. Jim Baker was the BOS Chief Pilot then, had flown as a DC-6B Flight Engineer for my Dad years earlier and helped expedite this request. My mother and sister were in first class as we all enjoyed the trip up the east coast from sunny Tampa to an inclement Boston.

The sun had set on a cold, dark January evening as he flew radar vectors over the old Boston Light established in 1716 and the historic Outer Harbor. General Washington assumed command of the Continental Army here in 1775 during the "Siege of Boston" and ran the British out with Colonel Knox's captured cannon just off our left on Dorchester Heights. USS Constitution, America's oldest commissioned warship, better known as Old Ironsides, as well as the Old North Church, Bunker Hill and Fort Independence are there too; reminding us of a time before jet air travel.

Out of 12,000 feet and slowing to 250 knots, he disconnected the autopilot to enjoy the feel of Jack Steiner's fabulous design one last time. With inboard and outboard ailerons, assisted by flight spoilers and a rudder load limiter, this is an amazingly responsive jet. He called for "engine anti-ice, flaps 2, then 5 and finally flaps 15" as we slowed and maneuvered for a left base to runway 27 at the old East Boston Airfield. Buffeted by a moderate wind from the east and shrouded in snow squalls, made visible by our landing lights, the gear came down and the flaps reached 30 degrees as we passed 1,500 feet inbound from the outer marker.

Dimly visible now through dark and snow, moisture streaming back over our heated windscreen, we sighted the runway end identifier lights. The end to his accident free, 25,000 hour, 34 year career was in sight, but I couldn't help but wonder how many times he'd enjoyed this scene since his first experience here in 1946 aboard a DC-3. Go ahead, ask any professional pilot which phase of flight he or she enjoys most. Without hesitating, they'll confirm that breaking out at minimums in a hand flown ILS approach is just plain fun! The lower and windier the better. With a little crosswind control tonight, Dad will roll on the upwind mains, bleed speed and fly the downwind mains and the nosewheel to the runway, extend the spoilers and gently pull his "dependable" JT-8's into reverse and lightly apply the brakes.

At the gate in BOS after his last flight with Captain Stafford Short. In the center is retired Captain Ron Pach who was the Flight Engineer on this flight and the FO was retired Captain Bob Hobbs.

The satisfaction of delivering 150 fellow humans home in adverse conditions, professionally, safely and smoothly, is immensely gratifying. But it doesn't end there. When I see a young mother struggling in the jetway with a stroller I think of my niece, or an older couple overwhelmed by it all my parents come to mind. It takes but a moment of my time to choose to help out and offer a hand. What would my father have done? What would he have expected from me? I really don't need to ask myself these questions... I know! Most aviators love this craft. Many pilots don't however and it surfaces in their skills and attitudes toward other crew members and passengers.

Just in case you may have been wondering, these two photos (above/below) will give you a feel of what its like to fly a visual approach to runway 27 at BOS. The shot above, much as it might have appeared in 1946 was taken from within Air New England DC-3, "Triple Six" in 1975. The shot below was taken on final to the same runway from a B-757. As usual, thanks very much for following along, I hope that you've enjoyed flying on my Dad's last flight and meeting some of my ANE pals.

Rand

Right on the VASI

HNL to LAX and my first visit to the Delta gates

On the ramp in Honolulu at gate 11, preparing to leave for LAX. Something new tonight though. When we arrive tomorrow morning at 0630, we'll taxi over to the south complex and park at the Delta gates. This scene occurred about a month ago, as the march towards consolidation continues. With nearly half our airplanes repainted, NWA is fading into history. In today's Minneapolis Business Journal (10/07/09) there's an article concerning the sale of NWA's World Headquarters in Eagan, MN. To employees it was known as "Building A," among other names that you might imagine.

We departed off runway 8R, flew the MKK4 departure, climbed past 10,000 foot Haleakala on Maui hidden in darkness and fog, entered the Pacific track system at CLUTS and settled in for a five hour, 22 minute, 2,200 nautical mile flight to North America. I've mentioned this several times in the past, but the Hawaiian islands are the worlds most remote archipelago in the world largest ocean. Finding this little needle in a haystack today is easy with Flight Management Computers, but navigating here from the mainland in the late 1930's and '40's in flying boats required a herculean effort and nerves of steel. What we'll fly in four and a half hours tonight, took as many as 18 hours in a state of the art, lumbering, Boeing 314. Nearly 70 years later, we're still spanning this ocean in yet another (not quite so lumbering) Boeing.

We've exited our track just west of Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands, as we observe this mornings sun rise over the San Gabriel mountains east of Los Angeles. Beautiful isn't it?

Our original flight plan included the VTU6 (Ventura6) Arrival, but we're leading the Pacific inbounds and have been cleared directly to EXERT, "keep your speed up" for an ILS to runway 6R. If I were in my Cub (which is no longer mine by the way) I'd look at that sucker hole just ahead as my portal to Nirvana... or at least to LA! The San Gabriel's, just ahead, loom larger now, as does my bed at the Wilshire Grand Hotel downtown. Which reminds me... I'd like to thank the management of the Wilshire Grand. They offer us 50% off in all of their restaurants and free Internet! I've enjoyed wonderful meals at Cardini Ristorante and City Grill at more than reasonable prices. Thanks!

View from our cockpit towards the LAX tower and Encounter Restaurant as our ground crew prepares to tow us into the gate.

We'd landed on 6R, turned off and taxied west on Echo, south on Sierra and east on Bravo towards C8, in search of gate 54A. This is all new territory for us as we contacted the Delta Ramp tower. "Cleared into the alley and look for your tow in crew" we heard as we saw a tug and several men approach our airplane.

Tow in gate! What's this all about? Just kidding... I'd read the bulletin and was prepared for the event. The alleyways in this complex are considerably more narrow than I'm accustomed to and to prevent damage and injury to equipment and personnel with jet blast, Delta will tow us into the gate. I've experienced this several times now, they're always in position waiting for us and there is no delay.

A closer inspection of Encounter reveals that it is still under going renovation, but is open to the public. A couple of years ago I wandered into the restaurant before heading to the hotel one evening to explore this highly unusual building. While taking a few low light interior pictures, I met the Chef, introduced myself and explained that I planned to write a story for Airways Magazine. He personally guided me through his restaurant suggesting angles for pictures and asking patrons to remain still while I shot. "Ladies and gentlemen, the captain needs to take a few pictures... let's help him out," he announced. And they did. That was easy!

In fact, here's the chef and one of the interior shots that I took that night. I wrote that story and it appeared in the August 2006 issue of Airways Magazine. Thanks very much to the folks at Encounter and at Airways for publishing it.

Very Jetsonesque, it's well worth your time to visit Encounters if you're transitioning through LAX.

A view of a Frontier Airbus as we continue towards the gate. Frontier has just emerged from bankruptcy and has been purchased by Republic Airways. You may remember the bidding war that raged between Southwest and Republic for control of this Denver based airline. Republic is a holding company that owns several smaller airlines, such as Chautauqua and Shuttle America.

In a related story, management at Milwaukee based Midwest Airlines announced recently, that it plans to return its fleet of B-717's and outsource all of its flying to Republic Airways. Actually, as of July 31, Midwest is a wholly owned subsidiary of Republic. The result of this decision? All of Midwest's flight crews, pilots and flight attendants, who contributed to the success of this small airline will be laid off and Republic will fly these routes with 76 passenger Embraer 170's. I wonder if they'll spare the chocolate chip cookies from the unemployment line? Midway has laid off some 1,800 employees this year. I understand economics, but its a sad state of affairs when those who built the airline are jettisoned, while an outsourced group takes over. I find it very difficult to believe that the high level of quality that Midwest once achieved will now prevail. The Frontier pilots are between a rock and a hard place. The seniority deal offered by Southwest was poor, but how will life aloft unfold with Republic Airways?

When will we as a pilot group learn to avoid eating our young? I may be wrong, but my understanding is that Southwest planned to simply staple the Frontier pilots to the bottom of their list. If I'm incorrect about this I apologize, but this is what I've learned from some involved in these negotiations. If this was a tactic to avoid a merger I get it. But if not, I don't. I've managed to survive two mergers; one very ugly and the other, at least to this point, very amiable. I prefer the second scenario! In both cases my airline was acquired, not because I'm such a nice guy, but because the Board of Directors at the surviving carrier thought it made good business sense. Or because they thought they would personally benefit. None the less, the employee groups are simply pawns, maneuvering for position in the grand scheme of things.

Well, we're almost to the gate and we'll head downtown to the Grand Wilshire where I can finally turn in and get some sleep. But after a few hours I'll get up, turn on my computer and start writing. Why? Because I enjoy it, but also because I'm trying to earn independence from my airline, have a back up plan to which I can fall back should I become outsourced. If you've read my Ask the Captain column on my website, you know that I'm a strong believer in "the backup plan."

Airline flying is a wonderful job, it's worked out well for me. But it's at the whim of the deal makers in the smoke filled back rooms and when it goes away, I don't want to be caught flatfooted. According to 121 FAR's we can't take off without a backup plan, ie. an alternate, either an arrival or departure alternate based on present or forecasted weather. Perhaps we should guide our lives by this tenet too, the forecast is ominous.

Here's a funny parody with regard to outsourcing and crew scheduling that I hope you enjoy. Unfortunately it's taking on an all to realistic look though.

NWA's rapidly diminishing fleet of reliable Douglas DC-9's

But before you leave, hold on for just a minute. I want to tell you about a DC-9 that I once flew. N962N, a DC-9-31, built originally for North Central Airlines in 1969. Oh my gosh, that was forty years ago! For greater, more interesting details click here to learn what Perry Van Veen can tell you about this marvelous airplane.