Osaka-Saga
Link to this weeks column
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/getline/2005-06-20-ask-the-captain_x.htm
"Preflight Notes"
1. Previously postponed San Diego radio interview has been changed to this coming Sunday, June 26th (also know as Cap'n Meryl's birthday!). The hostess, Sandy Dhuyvetter has moved up to bigger and better distribution so this interview will no longer be broadcast in San Diego but will be available worldwide over the Internet. Sandy's show airs from Noon to 2:00 PM EASTERN TIME and my live interview will air at around 1:15 PM EASTERN TIME for about 10 minutes or so. (You might also hear a radio commercial I just recorded for my Ground School for Passengers but I don't know exactly what time that will air.) When the time comes, click here: http://www.traveltalkradio.com/TTR_760kfmb.html and look for the live link in the upper right-hand part of the page or again further down that column. If you have any problems, I'll be posting the interview on my own site as soon as it's archived at Sandy's site www.traveltalkradio.com. Although this show will be airing on many radio stations across the country, the hostess has changed broadcast affiliations so recently she doesn't yet have a current station list.
2. Added "Chicago - Osaka" Album to Photo Gallery at
www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery
Also, several new photos were added to the "At Home" Album. When a thunderstorm struck at sunset, Cap'n Al The Web Guy and I got some dramatic photos from our rural Colorado home. When you get to this Album, click Last Uploads to see all the latest additions to this Album.
"Osaka-Saga"
It's Tuesday, June 14th as I start this Weekly Update. I've just been assigned a flight from Chicago to Osaka which I haven't flown other than on my very first B-777 flight, when I still had a check airman along to make sure I was comfortable with the airplane. That was in January of this year-2005.
When we check out in a new airplane, first there is ground school and an oral exam, then simulator training and a very hairy check ride to obtain the captain's "type-rating" for the aircraft, and THEN we get to go fly a real airplane with real passengers with a check airman riding shotgun (bad choice of words these days, I guess).
This is a good trip from a pilot standpoint as it's just two legs-over and back-and we'll have two relief pilots to trade with for lots of rest time. This is when I get a lot of stuff done as I've never learned to sleep on airplanes, not even with a comfortable bunk or fully reclining seat.
Cap'n Al The Web Guy, on the other hand, had his flying down to a science when he was still active as a pilot. He's retired now, but his last several years were spent mostly flying to Sydney a few times per month, enjoying fish n'chips n' beer down under, then flying home again. He never had any trouble sleeping during his breaks. I'm just the opposite, unfortunately for me.
I'll write about my trip when I get back, if there's anything worthy of note.
Today (as I write this on June 13th) is the day my weekly column came out, the one about having the great cockpit view. By the time you receive this, the subsequent column will be out, having to do with turbulence. USAToday.com linked directly to my Photo Gallery for the June 13th column and I knew a lot of people were coming to my site, but we really got slammed today with hits-as many as 40,000 in a single half hour! Our server all but crashed and we had to make new arrangements midday for a new one with even more capacity. Our site went down for an hour while Cap'n Al The Web Guy scrambled.
In last month's Update, about my comments with regard to the name Frankfurt am Main, several writers reminded me that the "am Main" which means "on the Main (river)" is to distinguish it from the other Frankfurt, which is "Frankfurt an der Oder," located near the German-Polish border on the German side. "An der Oder" means "on the Oder (river)." "Oder is pronounced pretty much like the word "odor" in English, although in this case "Oder" is a proper name. It's often written just "Frankfurt Oder" and is much smaller than the other Frankfurt, the one on the Main River. The Oder River forms the border between Germany and Poland. I just thought you should know.
Thanks to all of you who sent "congrats" regarding the book award, and for the nice comments about the pictures taken at that event. If you missed them, they're at www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery in the Speaking Events/Awards Album.
You may recall I mentioned I lost several really neat pictures of my flight into and out of Frankfurt. Cap'n Al The Web Guy determined that the card in my digital camera went bad, causing several photos to not load up. I'm lucky any of them came out. I'm using a new card now so hopefully this won't happen again.
Four days later…
Okay, just back from Osaka. I've posted a new Album called "Chicago to Osaka." The most interesting pictures, in my opinion, are the ones of the volcano I took just after departure from Osaka on the way back to Chicago. This isn't Mt. Fuji, by the way, in case you're wondering, but I don't know the name of this one. We weren't far enough north yet for Fuji and never did see it. You can see just a little "poof" of steam coming out the top, and just a little snow on the sharp sides of this volcano. Check it out here:
http://www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=21&pos=17
The flight over was uneventful. I met my crew in Chicago Flight Operations-two men and a woman. The woman was one of the relief pilots. Two relief pilots were required as always for flights over 12 hours. This flight was scheduled for just under 13 hours
Once airborne, we volunteered to get out of the way of a B-747 which took off just behind us and which was being slowed down. 747's fly just a little faster than the B-777 I fly, so we were turned north, then south again to allow them to go by. As we banked left (south) I got a nice aerial shot of an airfield near the Lake Michigan shore, which you can see here: http://www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=21&pos=5 and which you'll also find in the new "Chicago to Osaka" Album Lake Michigan. You'll also see the B-747 as it waited for takeoff behind us at O'Hare, and later on as it passed us overhead.
The return trip is where the title "Osaka-Saga" comes in. The four of us (pilots) looked at each other, realizing we did not know where we were, or how to get where we were going. Suddenly, everything looked the same-a mystifying world of gray and white-and we were not in a position yet to have established good communications. We went for what seemed like endless miles and were about to despair of ever finding our way. We discussed the situation and were about to give up and call for help when we saw it-our airplane! It was sitting at the departure gate at Osaka, right where it should be! Whew! That was a close one!
Did I mention Osaka's Kansai Airport has one of the most confusing terminals through which I've ever had to navigate? Our Flight Operations is in another building, which is connected to the main terminal, making for a treacherous route. Of course, once we were in our airplane, everything was just fine again and we had a good flight home.
Until Next Time…
Maintain Airspeed!
Cap'n Meryl
http://www.fromthecockpit.com
http://www.flyingfearless.com
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/getline/2005-06-20-ask-the-captain_x.htm
"Preflight Notes"
1. Previously postponed San Diego radio interview has been changed to this coming Sunday, June 26th (also know as Cap'n Meryl's birthday!). The hostess, Sandy Dhuyvetter has moved up to bigger and better distribution so this interview will no longer be broadcast in San Diego but will be available worldwide over the Internet. Sandy's show airs from Noon to 2:00 PM EASTERN TIME and my live interview will air at around 1:15 PM EASTERN TIME for about 10 minutes or so. (You might also hear a radio commercial I just recorded for my Ground School for Passengers but I don't know exactly what time that will air.) When the time comes, click here: http://www.traveltalkradio.com/TTR_760kfmb.html and look for the live link in the upper right-hand part of the page or again further down that column. If you have any problems, I'll be posting the interview on my own site as soon as it's archived at Sandy's site www.traveltalkradio.com. Although this show will be airing on many radio stations across the country, the hostess has changed broadcast affiliations so recently she doesn't yet have a current station list.
2. Added "Chicago - Osaka" Album to Photo Gallery at
www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery
Also, several new photos were added to the "At Home" Album. When a thunderstorm struck at sunset, Cap'n Al The Web Guy and I got some dramatic photos from our rural Colorado home. When you get to this Album, click Last Uploads to see all the latest additions to this Album.
"Osaka-Saga"
It's Tuesday, June 14th as I start this Weekly Update. I've just been assigned a flight from Chicago to Osaka which I haven't flown other than on my very first B-777 flight, when I still had a check airman along to make sure I was comfortable with the airplane. That was in January of this year-2005.
When we check out in a new airplane, first there is ground school and an oral exam, then simulator training and a very hairy check ride to obtain the captain's "type-rating" for the aircraft, and THEN we get to go fly a real airplane with real passengers with a check airman riding shotgun (bad choice of words these days, I guess).
This is a good trip from a pilot standpoint as it's just two legs-over and back-and we'll have two relief pilots to trade with for lots of rest time. This is when I get a lot of stuff done as I've never learned to sleep on airplanes, not even with a comfortable bunk or fully reclining seat.
Cap'n Al The Web Guy, on the other hand, had his flying down to a science when he was still active as a pilot. He's retired now, but his last several years were spent mostly flying to Sydney a few times per month, enjoying fish n'chips n' beer down under, then flying home again. He never had any trouble sleeping during his breaks. I'm just the opposite, unfortunately for me.
I'll write about my trip when I get back, if there's anything worthy of note.
Today (as I write this on June 13th) is the day my weekly column came out, the one about having the great cockpit view. By the time you receive this, the subsequent column will be out, having to do with turbulence. USAToday.com linked directly to my Photo Gallery for the June 13th column and I knew a lot of people were coming to my site, but we really got slammed today with hits-as many as 40,000 in a single half hour! Our server all but crashed and we had to make new arrangements midday for a new one with even more capacity. Our site went down for an hour while Cap'n Al The Web Guy scrambled.
In last month's Update, about my comments with regard to the name Frankfurt am Main, several writers reminded me that the "am Main" which means "on the Main (river)" is to distinguish it from the other Frankfurt, which is "Frankfurt an der Oder," located near the German-Polish border on the German side. "An der Oder" means "on the Oder (river)." "Oder is pronounced pretty much like the word "odor" in English, although in this case "Oder" is a proper name. It's often written just "Frankfurt Oder" and is much smaller than the other Frankfurt, the one on the Main River. The Oder River forms the border between Germany and Poland. I just thought you should know.
Thanks to all of you who sent "congrats" regarding the book award, and for the nice comments about the pictures taken at that event. If you missed them, they're at www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery in the Speaking Events/Awards Album.
You may recall I mentioned I lost several really neat pictures of my flight into and out of Frankfurt. Cap'n Al The Web Guy determined that the card in my digital camera went bad, causing several photos to not load up. I'm lucky any of them came out. I'm using a new card now so hopefully this won't happen again.
Four days later…
Okay, just back from Osaka. I've posted a new Album called "Chicago to Osaka." The most interesting pictures, in my opinion, are the ones of the volcano I took just after departure from Osaka on the way back to Chicago. This isn't Mt. Fuji, by the way, in case you're wondering, but I don't know the name of this one. We weren't far enough north yet for Fuji and never did see it. You can see just a little "poof" of steam coming out the top, and just a little snow on the sharp sides of this volcano. Check it out here:
http://www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=21&pos=17
The flight over was uneventful. I met my crew in Chicago Flight Operations-two men and a woman. The woman was one of the relief pilots. Two relief pilots were required as always for flights over 12 hours. This flight was scheduled for just under 13 hours
Once airborne, we volunteered to get out of the way of a B-747 which took off just behind us and which was being slowed down. 747's fly just a little faster than the B-777 I fly, so we were turned north, then south again to allow them to go by. As we banked left (south) I got a nice aerial shot of an airfield near the Lake Michigan shore, which you can see here: http://www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=21&pos=5 and which you'll also find in the new "Chicago to Osaka" Album Lake Michigan. You'll also see the B-747 as it waited for takeoff behind us at O'Hare, and later on as it passed us overhead.
The return trip is where the title "Osaka-Saga" comes in. The four of us (pilots) looked at each other, realizing we did not know where we were, or how to get where we were going. Suddenly, everything looked the same-a mystifying world of gray and white-and we were not in a position yet to have established good communications. We went for what seemed like endless miles and were about to despair of ever finding our way. We discussed the situation and were about to give up and call for help when we saw it-our airplane! It was sitting at the departure gate at Osaka, right where it should be! Whew! That was a close one!
Did I mention Osaka's Kansai Airport has one of the most confusing terminals through which I've ever had to navigate? Our Flight Operations is in another building, which is connected to the main terminal, making for a treacherous route. Of course, once we were in our airplane, everything was just fine again and we had a good flight home.
Until Next Time…
Maintain Airspeed!
Cap'n Meryl
http://www.fromthecockpit.com
http://www.flyingfearless.com
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