Some people are really optimistic about the climb performance of the good old Avro!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Observation flights to Corfu-Dubrovnik
Last friday, 9th of May, it was an early morning... but for good reasons! Out of bed at 3.30am to catch my flights: Destinations of the day: Corfu and Dubrovnik (or to be complete: Brussels-Corfu; Corfu-Dubrovnik; Dubrovnik-Brussels)! Weather was looking good so I was looking forward! Taxi this day: Jetairfly, B737-400 OO-JAM.
Arriving at the crewroom, I realised I was about to fly a charter company... The crew room was overloaded with people (cabin and flight crew), and it was only 5 am!
Met the crew of my flight, warm welcome as always...(kiss kiss) :) And so at sunrise, we took or taxibus towards the apron, where the Beautiful lady named 'Harmony' was waiting to lift off.
All pax on board, clearance received, ready for startup, push back, taxi and hold short off RWY 25R, request full take off length, we require backtrack from the B1 (save some engines)... Communications suddenly seem part of life instead of something really scary if compared with my first obs flight...
So cleared for take off, and off for a 2,5 hours first stretch to Corfu. Normally @ 7pm I turn around for another few hours, this day I observe the alps and have a coffee! Actually, to be honest, its not that bad...
Flying above the Adriatic Sea, Italy on the right, Croatia on the left. We could see Dubrovnik, where our next flight would end, and already ask the tower for the latest weather information, as Dubrovnik hasn't got an ATIS(yet). CAVOK all the way as expected :)
Approaching Corfu, Flying overhead the GARITSA VOR, overhead the airport, and for a visual approach RWY 35. The RWY is located close to water, and very close to the city and high terrain, so nice approach in VMC, but quite scary in IMC, with only a VOR to get you down... The minima are approx 2000ft for a reason!
After 40 minutes in paradise, we took off for the next one. What was ment to be a flight of 46 minutes became one of more than one hour, due to military activity... We were kept at high altitude and made a large arc around the Croatian coast before being cleared for an approach. Still being very high, the crew was quite busy calculating the maximum descent and preparing holding if needed. Speed brakes fully deployed (flight mode), we made a descend we couldn't affort if we would be flying the NG that day, I was told. The crew also gave me the wise words: 'always take fuel', you see what can happen, even if it is CAVOK! I'll think about it...
ILS approach RWY 12 @ Dubrovnik. On the apron, I saw a DA42, it was like a reminder we're not that far away anymore of flying those things for real... :)
Next would be the flight back to Brussels. Still CAVOK all the way. Passed Venice, Innsbruck, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Luxembourg before entering Belgium (which is really nothing from up there). ATIS confirmed my prayers: VOR DME approach RWY 07L! This would be a nice sight-seeing flight! and so it was! Passing Luik, Hasselt, St Truiden, Tienen, Leuven, EBBR, Brussels, sadly enough not Aalst, because we turned in base quite soon, and had a very nice and low final above Brussels centre!
It was 13.17 LT as we landed, we had been flying for almost 7 hours, I was awake for almost 10 hours, in other words: time efficient way of living!
On the apron in Brussels, it felt like arriving somewhere in Italy in the middle of summer! Imagine Brussels being the hottest place arriving @ this day!
So back to the crew room, for some paperwork, saying (kissing) goodbye the (cabin) crew, and driving home with the head still up there, looking to all those lucky bastards doing a VOR DME approach above Brussels..., ow yeah, just did that, I forgot!
So back home, finding myself at my desk with again a book in front of me, and thinking: why should I even open this book with this weather???
Ow yeah, that's a reason...
Arriving at the crewroom, I realised I was about to fly a charter company... The crew room was overloaded with people (cabin and flight crew), and it was only 5 am!
Met the crew of my flight, warm welcome as always...(kiss kiss) :) And so at sunrise, we took or taxibus towards the apron, where the Beautiful lady named 'Harmony' was waiting to lift off.
All pax on board, clearance received, ready for startup, push back, taxi and hold short off RWY 25R, request full take off length, we require backtrack from the B1 (save some engines)... Communications suddenly seem part of life instead of something really scary if compared with my first obs flight...
So cleared for take off, and off for a 2,5 hours first stretch to Corfu. Normally @ 7pm I turn around for another few hours, this day I observe the alps and have a coffee! Actually, to be honest, its not that bad...
Flying above the Adriatic Sea, Italy on the right, Croatia on the left. We could see Dubrovnik, where our next flight would end, and already ask the tower for the latest weather information, as Dubrovnik hasn't got an ATIS(yet). CAVOK all the way as expected :)
Approaching Corfu, Flying overhead the GARITSA VOR, overhead the airport, and for a visual approach RWY 35. The RWY is located close to water, and very close to the city and high terrain, so nice approach in VMC, but quite scary in IMC, with only a VOR to get you down... The minima are approx 2000ft for a reason!
After 40 minutes in paradise, we took off for the next one. What was ment to be a flight of 46 minutes became one of more than one hour, due to military activity... We were kept at high altitude and made a large arc around the Croatian coast before being cleared for an approach. Still being very high, the crew was quite busy calculating the maximum descent and preparing holding if needed. Speed brakes fully deployed (flight mode), we made a descend we couldn't affort if we would be flying the NG that day, I was told. The crew also gave me the wise words: 'always take fuel', you see what can happen, even if it is CAVOK! I'll think about it...
ILS approach RWY 12 @ Dubrovnik. On the apron, I saw a DA42, it was like a reminder we're not that far away anymore of flying those things for real... :)
Next would be the flight back to Brussels. Still CAVOK all the way. Passed Venice, Innsbruck, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Luxembourg before entering Belgium (which is really nothing from up there). ATIS confirmed my prayers: VOR DME approach RWY 07L! This would be a nice sight-seeing flight! and so it was! Passing Luik, Hasselt, St Truiden, Tienen, Leuven, EBBR, Brussels, sadly enough not Aalst, because we turned in base quite soon, and had a very nice and low final above Brussels centre!
It was 13.17 LT as we landed, we had been flying for almost 7 hours, I was awake for almost 10 hours, in other words: time efficient way of living!
On the apron in Brussels, it felt like arriving somewhere in Italy in the middle of summer! Imagine Brussels being the hottest place arriving @ this day!
So back to the crew room, for some paperwork, saying (kissing) goodbye the (cabin) crew, and driving home with the head still up there, looking to all those lucky bastards doing a VOR DME approach above Brussels..., ow yeah, just did that, I forgot!
So back home, finding myself at my desk with again a book in front of me, and thinking: why should I even open this book with this weather???
Ow yeah, that's a reason...
 |
| Corfu-Dubr |
Saturday, May 3, 2008
A dream comes true...
Looks like Jetairfly did some new recruitment.
I know somebody who will be very happy!
Enjoy
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