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| The view from the dinner table, Wednesday night |
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| Saw this from our table as well. |
Landing in Newark Thursday morning was interesting, we didn't break out of the fog and low lying cloud until just before we touched down. Fog was so bad the puddle-jumper we were to ride up to Providence was delayed by 90 minutes. So yes my children, another long overlay but this time after we'd crossed the entire country in the wee hours of the night.
I don't sleep all that well on planes, don't know why. I will nod off from time to time, but sleep?
Forget about it.
The bird (an Embraer 145) finally made it down from Buffalo, we were bundled aboard and off we went into the wild gray yonder. (No blue to be seen.)
It was a short flight and somewhat mesmerizing.
I love watching the clouds go by from 12,000 feet.
I will try to rest up and provide more scintillating posts later. I am too jet-lagged to think.
And I have to work today.
No rest for the wicked.
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| Big Time and The WSO's front door. Yes, those flowers have a delightful aroma. |
Oh man.... "I feel your pain..."
ReplyDeleteReminds me of jumpseating at work. Flew SAT to MEM at 0730AM, worked with the wireless network engineering guys for a few hours, then back to jumpseat for a 727 to GTF, grab a rental, and off to work at 1800 local.... Flight back departed GTF at 1900 local, arrived MEM a bit after 0000... sit in jumpseat for 4 hours (my eyelids were HEAVY), till the flight was announced, bus trip to the bird, A320 to SAT, arrived about 0600.... I fell asleep at a desk in a puddle of drool.... Woke up, went out to get in my truck, and sat on a buddies flatbed trailer. Woke up about 45 minutes later.... with a nasty crick in my back and neck.... I don't miss jumpseat hours, but the view and conversations were pretty cool. Especially, looking out the front windows.....
The view makes it all worthwhile!
DeleteI can remember descending into places from somewhere, we would typically level off to decelerate, if possible, right at the top of the clouds which always seemed to hide the airports. The sensation of speed always pleased the folks and we would get more comments about that than the bad landing that followed a few minutes later. Why yes, it was a 727.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite type of flying, truth be told.
DeleteWhen it's broken cloud with the sun overhead, even better.
I've said it before, but...On of my favorite feelings in the world is taking off into an overcast and then you bust out the top of it and it's clear and a million above. Sculpting clouds with an afterburner was also a favorite, if my wingman had aborted and I was single ship.
ReplyDeleteAs for sleeping on an airplane...I can only really remember doing that once. C-141 from Kadena to Hickam, but I'd been up for 72 straight immediately prior. Doing the bobbing giraffe the rest of the times.
One question, where were you eating with the cool airplanes?
SFO, in terminal 3 near gates 80 to 90. Right next to a Chinese restaurant (Koi Palace, pretty stupid name if you ask me, koi wasn't on the menu), the food was not very memorable, there were other places which looked better, but more expensive. Turns out it wasn't as cheap as I'd hoped.
DeleteThe model planes were awesome.
Bobbing giraffe, did that a lot on the way out and the way back. A very apt description!
Single ship? Weren't you scared? How could big brother keep an eye on you if you were cruising around in a mega million piece of machinery by yourself?
DeleteWhat are you, self-reliant, or something?
He's a rebel, Dave.
DeleteNaw...just a free bird.
DeleteWith lyrics in Spanish, no less!
Delete90 minutes in Newark is like 2 weeks in normal land time.
ReplyDeleteOh yes it is!
DeleteI waved at you when we flew over New Jersey...
Twice.
Once upon a time SFO had some fine dining experiences.
ReplyDeleteThat was in the days before airports became profit centers.
Upscale restaurant prices, gas station food.
DeleteOr so it feels.
Once upon a time, MOST large airports had decent(or better) dining experiences. Now? Not so much.
DeleteA shame, innit?
DeleteJuvat beat me to the punch asking about the location of the plane models. If I ever fly out of SFO, I’ll have to go looking for those.
ReplyDeleteI’m pretty sure my household got another future aviator yesterday. Adventure Girl had her first Orientation Flight with CAP, and came back hooked. She says she now understands why I told her that if someone asks you if you want to flying, the answer is always “Yes!”
Most excellent!
DeleteWelcome back. At least today is Friday, so you should have two days of non-work work ( I'm sure there will be ' honeydos ' ).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post.
Paul L. Quandt
I subcontract my "honey do" list.
DeleteSeriously.
So who did you subcontract the rock moving or the (non)fish pond cleaning to? Hmmmm?
DeleteYou subcontract SOME of your "honeydo" list...
Slack off for a week and you lose all ability to use the English language correctly. Is the Obf gonna hafta come up/over/down and beat you with a grammar book?
Slacker...
Rock moving was a legacy task. Pond cleaning? You've got me there.
DeleteI sometimes have a "honey do" list. Non-periodic things are on the list. For everything else, there's MasterCard.
There is no list, per se. Everything is done on an ad hoc basis, otherwise there would be a plan. Not everyone is good at planning. If you get my drift.
But to address your main point, yes, I subcontract some (as in not 100%, closer to 90%) of the "honey do" list.
From what I've seen and what I've been told, the glamour days of air travel, unless one is going first class or better, are long over. Which is sucky. Who wants to fly in the Greyhound bus in the sky?
ReplyDeleteAs to sleeping, well, you just haven't honed your sleeping skills. A good sleeper will fall asleep anywhere, anytime. Of course, staying awake during boring meetings can be a potential fallout from becoming a good sleeper.
Cats okay?
I am the opposite of a "good sleeper." On the plus side, I can literally stay awake for days and still function. I guess I should have been a SWO, that's the only place where that skill is useful. In order to sleep I have to be in my "bunker," what some might call a bedroom, in an actual bed. Otherwise I always have one eye open, I ain't the trusting kind.
DeleteThe cats are in good health and ecstatic that the full-time human staff is back on station.
Ah yes, the glamour days of air travel. Wherein the stalwart crew would approach the gated herd decked out in our form-fitted suits of identity and simply lift the red velvet rope off the post which served to restrain our current guests/clients/mob members/victims. With caps set at a jaunty angle to assure reliability and professionalism, not to mention high qualification, we'd descend the jet way into the awaiting mighty 737-200. The flight attendants, all a twitter to meet their new crew, would be there with hot, fresh coffee. Some would even put their cigarettes aside to say hello.
DeleteNow, not so much.
I suspect that the crews today have to run to catch their re-scheduled aircraft and flight re-assignment. Barely finishing their windsor knot after a strip searched by TSA, they throw their Chick-fil-a bags into the cockpit and pray they'll have some time to eat it before the grease congeals. "A can of coke would be nice" they entreat of Andy, Bob, Mark or Emily (the A-line with thirty two years of seniority). The cockpit is sealed, putting a partial pressure differential on the area and then comes push back.
Enough said, sez he.
Um, yes, glamour days they were.
DeleteYou haven't lived until you got to sit for four hours in the cockpit jumpseat of an EMB145 (CLE to HOU) because you are deadheading and the flight is full. Glad you are home. The new book published this week! Dedicated to Capt. Carroll LeFon (one of the first supporters of my writing as an author, not a blogger) all sales going to a local group that helps vets with PTSD. https://www.amazon.com/True-Course-Lessons-Life-Aloft/dp/1977211151/ - Brigid
ReplyDeleteThere's a jumpseat in the cockpit of an EMB145? I wouldn't think there was room, Lord knows the cabin is pretty small.
DeleteYes, your new book is on my list. Looking forward to it.
Readers, take note, LBJ is one heck of a writer.
Please give us a better link. That one doesn't work very well.
DeleteDave, try this one.
DeleteLoved the World Famous Blue Diamonds placard at the front door. Flew A-7E's with them for a couple of years. REW
ReplyDeleteNice!
DeleteYes, it's my son-in-law's current squadron.