From the Flight Deck

While surfing the CMOS (Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society) site I came across my graduating class of certified meteorologists at Atmospheric Environment Canada in Toronto. I've bumped into a few of them over the years but the others....
Guess who is front row and center?

Doug as a First officer (They took this picture when I arrived from Paris in Montreal...i.e. very tired) (I must get them to update this photo especially when it mentions I'm captain)





A Day in the Life

Check-in is one hour and 15 minutes prior to departure but I try to show up a little early as it is certain I will bump into some colleagues at flight planning. Undoubtedly, the number one question heard is, "where are you off to?" Answers range from a fifteen-hour polar Hong Kong flight, to a short Rapidair over to Ottawa. We print the flight plan along with the many pertinent weather charts. Sometimes a quick call to flight dispatch located off airport premises is warranted to check on changing weather conditions and ride reports.
It's then off to the gate and we settle into the flight deck. Walk-arounds, log book checks, and briefings to the flight attendants are just a few of the many things transpiring as we ready for an on-time departure. Ramp checks, fuel checks, and inputting the flight plan into the onboard computers are all part of the job description.
Push back commences with everything abiding to standard operating procedures. Taxiing to the active runway entails more checks. Finally, a "cleared for take off" is read back to the control tower. Again, everyone sticks to the script as we begin the take off roll. I think for the majority of us, even after many years on the job, there is still tingle of excitement when the take-off thrust is set, confirming, "We are going flying!"

Doug Morris, YYZ A320 Captain

I wrote an article in Wings magazine about a pilot readying to set out in a journey of a life time - on a bike. Glen Baxby will be biking across Canada in recognition of his friend, Scott Lyon diagnosed with cancer. Both Glen and Scott are Air Canada pilots who have two arduous journeys ahead of them. I wish them both the best. Here's the link:

http://www.wingsmagazine.com/content/view/2518/132/

CYDF 201100Z 06025G30KT 3/4SM -SN DRSN OVC009 M04/M05 A2959 RMK SN5SF3 /S04/ SLP022

This was the weather in Deer Lake, Newfoundland this morning. The drive to the airport took nearly an hour. Because the approach in use was a backcourse on runway 07 we had to have a take off alternate. The entire east coast was out. Finally, we were legal to take off by using Goose Bay, Labrador as a take off alternate. Flight dispatch was about to cancel the flight.

This was after a wake up call of 2:30 a.m Toronto time with a party going on in the room above me. By 4:30 the party was still going but it moved up a notch with the couple copulating.

Here's the front cover to my book. I noticed my previous blog didn't pop up yet so I thought I'd send another blog.

Doug

Spent the last two days trying to figure out the magic of building a website.
For the first attempt, it doesn't look too bad.
I'm trying to attach a PayPal option but it's not taking.

Check it out: Fire away with your suggestions.

www.captainmorris.com

P.S I figure I'd better go with an American address