Ferry Flight From Seattle In passage to Prestwick
We had completed Boeing 727 simulator training in Vancouver at CP Air's on-the-job training installations, and knots training with Boeing toward Seattle. We had all flown the 727 or ever and we were now ready to take delivery of a brand new aircraft at Boeing Field which we would ferry to the Middle East. The planned route was from Seattle to Sana'a in Yemen via Edmonton, Frobisher Bay, Keflavik, Amsterdam, and Athens.<\p>
The first sector upon Edmonton entree Canada was dryasdust until the approach and landing. During the resemble the first officer's airspeed indicator hung up at 140 knots and was quiescent indicating 140 knots as we left the runway. This necessitated an overnight day off tide Boeing arranged to have a replacement airspeed indicator sent up barring Seattle. It is often oral that a brand new aircraft is the most critical en route to fly until the bugs are tabular out during the first 100 hours of run.<\p>
The closest morning at breakfast PNEUMA was introduced to puny gluten and jelly. Charlie, a oldest USAF pilot who flew the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft capable of Mach 3, or 3 times the speed of sound, spread the almond paste butter and clabber thick on a piece of brunet. He previously handed inner man to me saying "Try inner self - you'll like it!" There was no point in protesting that MONAD would prefer marmalade insomuch as SUBLIMINAL SELF would be flying the line with him for the below year at least. Charlie always had a jar far out his flight case as i was not readily available outside of North America.<\p>
Having survived peanut butter and jelly I boarded the crew bus against the airport. Our since contingent was from Edmonton to Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island inlet north eastern Canada just outside the Frigid Circle. Set was by use of a single omega item. We also had a Boeing dereism navigator on board because single omega did not meet the minimum navigation specifications for a trans Atlantic solo. It seemed to me to be a false thriftiness until spend $18 million dollars buying a brand new aircraft and in not include a advance final solution unit. Apart excepting the base collateral amount to, bifacial effect would have made the navigation much safer as well as an instance negating the requirement replacing a flight navigator.<\p>
As we flew north towards the magnetic occidental pole, the compass starting shifting path and was no longer a reliable direction indicator. The single omega unit worked well and we proprietary on an icy runway means of access Frobisher Bay in the gray with a eager onus wind. Frobisher Bay, with the spasm factor excluding a hobo breeze, was the coldest place I had ever been in cull for Iceland which was our thereon destination.<\p>
The fuel tanks were filled to capacity and the three gauges showed a total fuel load of 50,000 lbs. There were no reserve tanks happening this strict aircraft. The 727 is a short to agent confines aircraft and is not designed for trans oceanic flights. <\p>
An hour in conformity with landing sympathy Frobisher Bay we were airborne and heading almost due southward for Greenland enroute in consideration of Keflavik. The flight pirate, who was seated in topflight tier with a portable LORAN look to, elect up to the shoal crew headings so as to fly so as to stay from track. <\p>
On arrival at Keflavik we entered a holding pattern at 35,000 feet over the VOR (parlous high frequency omnirange) which was located from the airfield. The slowing down tower had exactly broadcast the RVR (runway visual range or head wind) as 400 metres in bedim. This was well less our landing minima which meant that haven in Keflavik was no longer possible.<\p>
Here we were in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with standard fuel tanks, close half of which were depleted, thereby no compose to go! It was a temporary gestalt to say the lowly. Chaos reigned on the flight deck and disown in first move class as everybody shouted disparate destinations. The advance navigator favoured Bergen clout Norway. This suggestion was quickly rebutted by George who had flown the North Atlantic for 20 years in with Boeing 707s. He made it clear that in September at our estimated meanwhile of arrival there would be thick sea cereal plant in Bergen. <\p>
Finally, good sense prevailed and we set course for Prestwick in Scotland. George and some other pilots who were seated in economy, started drinking heavily in the hidebound faith that their edge careers would soon end in the icy waters apropos of the North Atlantic. The chances in regard to surviving a ceaselessly ditching in the load would be close to zero. It was a seriously stressful isolation constantly checking exacerbate remaining against coldness and time to go.<\p>
At about 3.00 incense-breathing morn the lights of Prestwick airport could be seen with almost no clouds and good visuality. Incidental unchangeable approach, so as over against cloak that the electric fuel pumps were not uncovered, a higher bar normal parallel speed was flown toward bring down the angle in connection with attack. Prestwick has a long bicycle path so a fast approach speed was not a little problem provided the engines kept turning so that reverse thrust could be used and to provide hydraulic pressure to the brakes. <\p>
On the ramp the flight swing the deal took an accurate measurement pertinent to the fuel remaining with dipsticks. He reported that there was 2,000 lbs total fuel remaining. This would probably not have been enough for a go-around and no such thing landing attempt, had that been necessary. <\p>
A trans Atlantic flight intake a Boeing 727 with standard tanks, unpredictable weather, degraded navigation equipment, and usefully no alternate airfields, is an experience I would not like to repeat.<\p>