nicholas.nickle wrote :
I remembered in another life as a training captain in SEAsia, I was conducting line training for a 744 F/O newly upgraded to trainee captain on the B734. We had a great, uneventful flight to BKK. However departing from BKK as we were cleared for immediate takeoff, with yours truly running through the final before takeoff checks, the trainee captain spooled up the engines once the checklist was comleted. I looked into the skies ahead as we began to roll down the long clear runway feeling really wonderful that we were taking off into the clear skies on the way home for a well earned rest. Suddenly the trainee called " abort " and went through the whole jing bang rejected take off thingy. I must said that I was taken by surprise; " what the hell??? " before I recovered, announced to BKK tower that we were rejecting. As I looked in askance at my trainee on the left, I saw a huge dense flock of birds ( later learnt that they were starlings ) from the left moving across the top of the golf course lying between the 2 runways. No need for any questions; we requested for the first exit on the right, alerted ATC ( who were none the wiser ). To cut a long story short, I could not have scanned the skies to the left that well but as we hit TOGA, the trainee had spied the flock of birds making the way across towards our runway. It was an excellent call for the trainee to reject the take off.
nicholas, you are a perfect gentleman!
Thank you very much for giving your trainee captain the credit. I know a lot of blokes would have appropriated the " feat " for themselves.
Woody, you did us proud with your principled stand and I am sure your colleague appreciated your support and encouragement.