Credit to the photographs



I would like to thank Brian Losisto (Air Canada's photographer) for always allowing me to post his pictures. (The above thrust lever pic is his). Then there is Kelly Paterson from Calgary and plane spotter "Erik" from Germany. Of course, I have lots myself. On that note, if you feel a photo(s) may be in appropriate or the content I post a bit dubious by all means send me an email. I will ratify it! That's all I ask.

...I hope you enjoy the blog...



Sunday, October 3, 2010

October's enRoute


Just finished four days of flying. The three day pairing consisted of:

Day I: Toronto to Vancouver. Then to Montreal, but first a return to gate to deplane two sick passengers.
Day 2: Montreal to Vancouver and then to Edmonton.
Day3: Edmonton to Vancouver and then Toronto.
Today. Nassau, Bahamas and back.

Total time in four days: 29:30 in eight legs.
Funny, I would get 31 hours in three days flying to Hong Kong in just two legs.
Plus the beer math would add up.







Q: How are aerial photos of airplanes taken?

Sandra Joe
Vancouver

Who better to ask than Air Canada’s photographer, Brian Losito? To film a non-commercial test flight of the Boeing 777, Losito used a leased modified business jet, equipped with a periscope on the belly. For still shots, Losito took pictures from a well-cleaned window with the inner pane removed to reduce glare. The flight plan included the Canadian Rockies as the backdrop with an extra pilot in the Boeing 777 acting as a spotter. At times, only a short distance separated the two aircraft, allowing for some fantastic shots.


Q: What happens during flight at cruise altitude?

Michel Montreuil
Kapuskasing, Ontario

Much of the cruise phase is spent communicating with air traffic control. We keep an ear out for ride reports, scan the sky for possible thunderstorms and monitor the international emergency frequency. We also do frequent fuel checks, make position reports over remote areas and check weather and the runway(s) in use at our destination via data link. Finally, pertinent data is inputted in our flight computers, and the pilot flying gives an in-depth approach briefing. And we still get to savour the view along the way!


Q: How do high and low pressure systems affect how you fly?

Bradley Cooke
Atlanta, Georgia

Low pressure affects takeoff performance because of the less dense air. In addition, large-scale low-pressure systems are associated with rain, snow and cloud cover, whereas high-pressure systems usually mean sunny skies. Pilots can pinpoint these systems on weather charts readily available online from our preflight weather briefing package. As well, we are always setting our sensitive altimeters (which depict altitude) to the local pressure setting.

4 comments:

Scote1992 said...

Cool, in my aviation weather class we just finished talking about how low pressure systems normally mean bad weather, and high would be clear skies. Now I notice the different cold and hot fronts moving in through my area. Cool to see how it affects airline pilots!

Daniel said...

Good questions! :) Just don't fall asleep during cruise, then that's gonna be a problem. lol.

From the Flight Deck said...

Daniel. Luckily, we are now allowed "controlled naps." They work wonders. :)

From the Flight Deck said...

Scote1992. Yes, when I taught basic meteorology I'd tell the class..."A low, you feel low. A high, you feel high." Sounds corny, but it worked as far as what type
of weather comes with what system.

Yes, weather is a huge subject for pilots.

Captain/ex-meteorologist Doug