Here We Go

Yesterday at home the weather was perfect. What a shame to have to go to work on such a nice day. But the bills have to be paid!

We are required to be at the airport and signed in to the computer no less than one hour before scheduled departure time. If we are over five minutes late the crew schedulers are alerted and they have to make a phone call to the late pilot. If they can't locate the pilot they have to begin a search for a replacement. There are always pilots available at home and they are on call and have to be available for just such circumstances. They are called "Reserve Pilots". Luckily I have never been late enough for a trip where they had to find a reserve pilot. If I had, that would have meant a nasty phone call from the flight office and a bad report in my file!

Yesterday's flight sequence was from DFW to IAD (Washington Dulles), back to DFW and then on to TUL (Tulsa, Oklahoma). Not only was the weather perfect in Texas but the flying conditions were perfect as well. No tailwinds to IAD so we were a few minutes late arriving. The prevailing winds are generally from West to East and the flight schedules (timetables) are planned with this in mind. So when there are no winds aloft like yesterday, the schedules can be difficult to keep. While boarding, a lady passenger stuck her head in the cockpit and asked if her dog was on board. She was taking her champion Australian Shepherd to a dog show in Washington. (My favorite breed). I joked with her that he was indeed on board but I hoped that he wouldn't mysteriously disappear and end up being adopted my me! She didn't appreciate my humor....



On the return to DFW, still no winds aloft so we arrived about ten minutes early. A change of gates and a different airplane and then off to Tulsa. Pretty much a routine day with no issues. Made it to my hotel room just after midnight.

Thanks for reading.....Len