Teller1900
En-Route
No, we didn't break the rules that bad! It was just a really [bad] night to fly.
It started with a 3.5 hr delay before I even got to the airport. Show time was 1630, I cleared security at 1623; plane came in at 1645 when I called clearance to get our release time. I knew it was bad when they laughed at me on the radio.
At 2023 we finally pushed off the gate and launched into the very unfriendly skies above Norfolk. It was my leg as our 10,000shp fought our 59,700lb load to take us airborne. The horses won, to the tune of 3,600fpm at 220kts.
Less than two minutes after the captain said "Rotate," I glance down at our groundspeed at the altimeter passes 7,000 feet: 110kts at 220 indicated. The wind was showing 63 knots as a quartering headwind. It's a bumpy, though quick climb.
Level at 15,000 - our final over this route - we usually "let 'em dance," but tonight we tell the flight attendants to stay seated as it's just too rough for the drink service. We try 17, no better. All the way to FL230...no dice. Back down to 15k where the headwinds are the most favorable.
Ten minutes into the flight we make the 90degree right turn over Hopewell, taking us around PXT's airspace an on course toward New York. As I slowly raise the right wing on the new heading I take a look at the windbarb on the MFD: 98kts, and only 20 degrees off the tail. With the power back at 73% we're riding the Vmo bar at 286kts indicated and a ground speed reading 409kts. Not half bad. Things started to smooth out as we got north of Philly and it was looking like we might actually make up a decent amount of time until "3227, Philly Approach, New York isn't taking your handoff; short notice holding - you're cleared to the BRANT intersection, hold east as published, ten mile legs approved. Expect further clearance...well...New York said they'll start taking guys at :15 past the next hour, they want you 20 in trail, and you're number 3 in the hold. Expect further clearance in a while. Maintain 1-5 tousand."
So much for making up time. Now, about this hold. Ahh, there BRANT in the flight plan - 5.3 miles ahead. And we're going 400kts with a quartering tail wind. Power levers to idle and lots of nose up trim. We hit the intersection still going 220 kts indicated. I turn into the hold as the captain finishes programing it into the FMS. The computer doesn't really appreciate the situation and chides us "Speed too fast for holding." It gets really mad when we finish the turn into the wind. Our ground speed drops from 400 to 120kts. The computer is ****ed. It does a decent job calculating the outbound leg with a 43 degree crab angle, but still blows through the inbound course with the 90kt wind blowing across the desired track. We only make three turns in holding before getting released direct Robbinsville; it helps that the outbound leg takes about an hour and a half.
Our base leg vector (actually direct AGNSS) for EWR's 22R required a 27 degree crab angle. 240 kts at 2500 feet flying sideways...that part was kind of cool. And then we got to make a short circling approach to 29; with Tower reported winds 330@27G39, I was ok not having to land 22.
And now, starting tonight, we get to play in the snow. Winter is officially here.
It started with a 3.5 hr delay before I even got to the airport. Show time was 1630, I cleared security at 1623; plane came in at 1645 when I called clearance to get our release time. I knew it was bad when they laughed at me on the radio.
At 2023 we finally pushed off the gate and launched into the very unfriendly skies above Norfolk. It was my leg as our 10,000shp fought our 59,700lb load to take us airborne. The horses won, to the tune of 3,600fpm at 220kts.
Less than two minutes after the captain said "Rotate," I glance down at our groundspeed at the altimeter passes 7,000 feet: 110kts at 220 indicated. The wind was showing 63 knots as a quartering headwind. It's a bumpy, though quick climb.
Level at 15,000 - our final over this route - we usually "let 'em dance," but tonight we tell the flight attendants to stay seated as it's just too rough for the drink service. We try 17, no better. All the way to FL230...no dice. Back down to 15k where the headwinds are the most favorable.
Ten minutes into the flight we make the 90degree right turn over Hopewell, taking us around PXT's airspace an on course toward New York. As I slowly raise the right wing on the new heading I take a look at the windbarb on the MFD: 98kts, and only 20 degrees off the tail. With the power back at 73% we're riding the Vmo bar at 286kts indicated and a ground speed reading 409kts. Not half bad. Things started to smooth out as we got north of Philly and it was looking like we might actually make up a decent amount of time until "3227, Philly Approach, New York isn't taking your handoff; short notice holding - you're cleared to the BRANT intersection, hold east as published, ten mile legs approved. Expect further clearance...well...New York said they'll start taking guys at :15 past the next hour, they want you 20 in trail, and you're number 3 in the hold. Expect further clearance in a while. Maintain 1-5 tousand."
So much for making up time. Now, about this hold. Ahh, there BRANT in the flight plan - 5.3 miles ahead. And we're going 400kts with a quartering tail wind. Power levers to idle and lots of nose up trim. We hit the intersection still going 220 kts indicated. I turn into the hold as the captain finishes programing it into the FMS. The computer doesn't really appreciate the situation and chides us "Speed too fast for holding." It gets really mad when we finish the turn into the wind. Our ground speed drops from 400 to 120kts. The computer is ****ed. It does a decent job calculating the outbound leg with a 43 degree crab angle, but still blows through the inbound course with the 90kt wind blowing across the desired track. We only make three turns in holding before getting released direct Robbinsville; it helps that the outbound leg takes about an hour and a half.
Our base leg vector (actually direct AGNSS) for EWR's 22R required a 27 degree crab angle. 240 kts at 2500 feet flying sideways...that part was kind of cool. And then we got to make a short circling approach to 29; with Tower reported winds 330@27G39, I was ok not having to land 22.
And now, starting tonight, we get to play in the snow. Winter is officially here.
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. Once we got it slowed down the outbound (into the wind) seemed to last a half an hour! Of course, even at 180 indicated the computer barely had time to intercept the course before it was turning outbound again.
