Ere we go........1st line sector.
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Ere we go........1st line sector.
Now, Where did I leave you all last time? Oh yes, six nose wheel crunchers at Prestwick, two hours of burning my fingers on the bev maker and sitting on the stand at Manchester with the biggest grin since Carol Smilie got praised for a home make-over! The good men at the ministry saw fit to send me a new blue book with three little numbers typed on the ratings page............757.
So, two weeks of waiting for the line training to start meant copious amounts of quality time with the boys and getting on the missus's nerves. It was all planned to happen out of Birmingham on Sunday 17th, but in true Crewing fashion one swift phone call on Friday lunchtime asking for a favour meant I could start one day earlier out of Glasgow to Malaga. Top stuff.
So, there's me parked in the short term car park with the rain lashing down and the cloud streaming by also going south in search of somewhere nicer and I new it was time to utilise 'Mac, issue, x1, in black, black or black'.
It's un-nervy, but sort of pleasant at the same time as you walk through the check-in area for the first time, me thinking I look like Blakey from 'On the Buses' in my black hat and rain coat but the public just part like the Red Sea and gawp as you wander through with that tempered smile. Oh my god.
You find the crew room and have to knock as you don't have the number and it's almost like relief to be welcomed inside by the training captain and you're fine now because you're among fellow aviators.
The introductions and niceties are duly carried out and I'm then pleasantly suprised to be taken along to Costa Coffee for a 'real one' as opposed to Nescafe in the office. Back upstairs we go through the weather, routeing and fuel requirements and I struggle to see the info buried in the 'sea' of paperwork (yeah I know, get used to it!) The captain offers me the first leg as it's a bit of a double edged sword - 1st and it's straight in at the deep end, or 2nd and you're already feeling tired. I'm more than happy to be PF outbound.
We leave the office behind and head off to the stand, and boy it feels good, and then reality takes over when two lost pax ask us directions to stand 51! I haven't a clue and the captain thinks there isn't a stand 51 even though the 'telly' clearly announces 'last call' on stand 51. He suggests that the safety F/O deal with it whilst we continue on and get things set up.
We walk on board (yep, it's much more civilised than climbing over the wing!) and it's straight into the cockpit safety check and the F/O's scan. That done we copy the ATIS and start on performance as the pax are being loaded. I make an attempt at my first T/O and emergencies brief which doesn't go too bad with only a few additional points being brought up by the Captain. The doors close and we're ready for clearance and push and start. Here we go then. Or maybe not. It seems that the tug has 'disappeared' and once we find a tug, they then can't find the pin! 5 mins delay and I call again for push and start.
We taxy out and it feels good to be back in Glasgow, just like the old 'flying eye' days but the view is somewhat different from my new vantage point. I'm praised for reminding the captain that we haven't done the 'After Start' checklist when he calls for the 'Before Takeoffs' and it feels good and sets a good tone for the CRM.
We enter the runway and he hands it to me on the toe brakes, we get the clearance and off we roll (read my last post if you want all the description of the T/O!). At rotate I am immediately struck by how much harder you need to pull back with a tube full of holiday-makers behind you. We climb away, up goes the gear and no heroics, just the autopilot at 500'! In goes LNAV and then VNAV, 3000' and we clean up. After T/O checks and that's it, my first take-off in a 757 with pax onboard. A couple of deep breaths and a wipe of the beads of sweat from the top lip, off come the shoulder straps and it all comes a bit more relaxed as I fly the ATC commands through the MCP.
Once in the cruise rolls and tea are served until breakfast is cooked (boy I'm not gonna lose any weight in this job!) and we spend a couple of hours going through some bits and bobs of training before planning for the approach. Malaga is fine and sunny with a wind fairly down the runway at 20kts gusting 30kts and windshear reported on final. I like a challenge, and when asked if I'm 'up for it' my response was never in doubt!
We're vectored out over the sea and end up number 2 to a PA34. Bloody spam cans, sorry guys, that's terrible professionalism after only 3/4 of a sector, I retract!
Yes, the ATIS is right, it's pretty blowy and changing direction as we come down the slope. Big gulp, automatics off, let's have some fun, I've paid a fortune for this ride! It was pretty hard work keeping on the centreline, on the glide and at the right speed but I was well pleased when the main gear touched Boeing style (not a greaser, but certainly not a cruncher!) and I managed to fly the nose wheel on instead of letting it come through and join us in the cockpit a la my first circuit!
We pulled on stand and off got the pax, oblivious to the fact that that was the first time that I'd ever done that! Time for tea, duty free and some sunshine during a walkaround with the safety F/O. Bliss.
[This message has been edited by Pilot Pete (edited 17 June 2001).]
So, two weeks of waiting for the line training to start meant copious amounts of quality time with the boys and getting on the missus's nerves. It was all planned to happen out of Birmingham on Sunday 17th, but in true Crewing fashion one swift phone call on Friday lunchtime asking for a favour meant I could start one day earlier out of Glasgow to Malaga. Top stuff.
So, there's me parked in the short term car park with the rain lashing down and the cloud streaming by also going south in search of somewhere nicer and I new it was time to utilise 'Mac, issue, x1, in black, black or black'.
It's un-nervy, but sort of pleasant at the same time as you walk through the check-in area for the first time, me thinking I look like Blakey from 'On the Buses' in my black hat and rain coat but the public just part like the Red Sea and gawp as you wander through with that tempered smile. Oh my god.
You find the crew room and have to knock as you don't have the number and it's almost like relief to be welcomed inside by the training captain and you're fine now because you're among fellow aviators.
The introductions and niceties are duly carried out and I'm then pleasantly suprised to be taken along to Costa Coffee for a 'real one' as opposed to Nescafe in the office. Back upstairs we go through the weather, routeing and fuel requirements and I struggle to see the info buried in the 'sea' of paperwork (yeah I know, get used to it!) The captain offers me the first leg as it's a bit of a double edged sword - 1st and it's straight in at the deep end, or 2nd and you're already feeling tired. I'm more than happy to be PF outbound.
We leave the office behind and head off to the stand, and boy it feels good, and then reality takes over when two lost pax ask us directions to stand 51! I haven't a clue and the captain thinks there isn't a stand 51 even though the 'telly' clearly announces 'last call' on stand 51. He suggests that the safety F/O deal with it whilst we continue on and get things set up.
We walk on board (yep, it's much more civilised than climbing over the wing!) and it's straight into the cockpit safety check and the F/O's scan. That done we copy the ATIS and start on performance as the pax are being loaded. I make an attempt at my first T/O and emergencies brief which doesn't go too bad with only a few additional points being brought up by the Captain. The doors close and we're ready for clearance and push and start. Here we go then. Or maybe not. It seems that the tug has 'disappeared' and once we find a tug, they then can't find the pin! 5 mins delay and I call again for push and start.
We taxy out and it feels good to be back in Glasgow, just like the old 'flying eye' days but the view is somewhat different from my new vantage point. I'm praised for reminding the captain that we haven't done the 'After Start' checklist when he calls for the 'Before Takeoffs' and it feels good and sets a good tone for the CRM.
We enter the runway and he hands it to me on the toe brakes, we get the clearance and off we roll (read my last post if you want all the description of the T/O!). At rotate I am immediately struck by how much harder you need to pull back with a tube full of holiday-makers behind you. We climb away, up goes the gear and no heroics, just the autopilot at 500'! In goes LNAV and then VNAV, 3000' and we clean up. After T/O checks and that's it, my first take-off in a 757 with pax onboard. A couple of deep breaths and a wipe of the beads of sweat from the top lip, off come the shoulder straps and it all comes a bit more relaxed as I fly the ATC commands through the MCP.
Once in the cruise rolls and tea are served until breakfast is cooked (boy I'm not gonna lose any weight in this job!) and we spend a couple of hours going through some bits and bobs of training before planning for the approach. Malaga is fine and sunny with a wind fairly down the runway at 20kts gusting 30kts and windshear reported on final. I like a challenge, and when asked if I'm 'up for it' my response was never in doubt!
We're vectored out over the sea and end up number 2 to a PA34. Bloody spam cans, sorry guys, that's terrible professionalism after only 3/4 of a sector, I retract!
Yes, the ATIS is right, it's pretty blowy and changing direction as we come down the slope. Big gulp, automatics off, let's have some fun, I've paid a fortune for this ride! It was pretty hard work keeping on the centreline, on the glide and at the right speed but I was well pleased when the main gear touched Boeing style (not a greaser, but certainly not a cruncher!) and I managed to fly the nose wheel on instead of letting it come through and join us in the cockpit a la my first circuit!
We pulled on stand and off got the pax, oblivious to the fact that that was the first time that I'd ever done that! Time for tea, duty free and some sunshine during a walkaround with the safety F/O. Bliss.
[This message has been edited by Pilot Pete (edited 17 June 2001).]
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Great stuff Pilot Pete. Your story is a real inspiration to all wannabes.....keep it coming - can't wait for the next instalment!
....and if anyone spots a JMC 757 orbiting over the city centre at 1500ft, don't worry - it's just the new Clyde 1 Eye in the Sky.
....and if anyone spots a JMC 757 orbiting over the city centre at 1500ft, don't worry - it's just the new Clyde 1 Eye in the Sky.
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Well done Pete, doesn't seem like 5 minutes ago we were all sat in the bar at the Lyndhurst Park Hotel watching the England game...cant believe it was Feb!!...was your kebab any good by the way?!!
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"Keep The F*****G Ball In The Middle"!!!
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"Keep The F*****G Ball In The Middle"!!!
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His previous post (first takeoff) is on the link below:
http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/For...ML/009482.html
Regards,
Simon
http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/For...ML/009482.html
Regards,
Simon
Guest
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First off, thanks for all the replies, it's good to hear that so many of you find a little inspiration when reading how a ppruner 'got there'.
To answer some of the specific questions (I can't be too long as I'm up at 04:30 to go to Heraklion!);
Rob747 - yes
Delta Wun-Wun - gazumped twice, third time lucky hopefully, going through at the moment in Congleton.
Carew - Benny?
Ennie - indeed it does, how's it going with you?
Tarmach - fortunes, all in around £55k not including living costs, loss of earnings etc etc.
Mad Jock - The story started back here;
http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/For...ML/008009.html
PP ( edited due to incompetence)
[This message has been edited by Pilot Pete (edited 18 June 2001).]
To answer some of the specific questions (I can't be too long as I'm up at 04:30 to go to Heraklion!);
Rob747 - yes
Delta Wun-Wun - gazumped twice, third time lucky hopefully, going through at the moment in Congleton.
Carew - Benny?
Ennie - indeed it does, how's it going with you?
Tarmach - fortunes, all in around £55k not including living costs, loss of earnings etc etc.
Mad Jock - The story started back here;
http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/For...ML/008009.html
PP ( edited due to incompetence)
[This message has been edited by Pilot Pete (edited 18 June 2001).]