WiFi on plane.

2145 Friday night, 34’000 feet heading to work, flying over the Midwest on a plane using WiFi playing on Tundras.com. Dam I love Technology!

 

Safe travels.

 

By the altitude I can say you're headed Westward

 

Actually we were heading north to the motor city. I say 34,000 that’s what the PIC announced. Got to see a Beautiful sunset upon take off, the lights of DFW. Nice smooth flight.

 

Yes, West/ North.. usually odds are South / East

 

Today i learned.......

 

Lol... yes. I can break it down barney style.. even more lol..

 

Lay it on us!

 

Lol.. I would be here all day... the highway of the skies, separation is always a big deal, can't have thunder in the skies followed by scattered metal showers, so odds and even altitude 18000 feet and above.. it gets slightly crazy below 15000 as you add puddle jumpers every 500 feet using the same direction as the big boys. Gotta be above 500ft to 1000 ft the highest obstacle depending on the aircraft.

 

Back at it today heading southwest DCA to DFW to IAH. Americans WiFi is really working great today.

A picture of IAD yesterday going into DCA.

 

Got good memories flying in to from JAX into IAD...

Southwest is probably the best airline I've worked with.. When you fly into large busy airports like IAH, LAX, SFO, PHI, JFK,PHX SAN and other alike there are delay times by ATC, or Air Traffic Control. Mostly during the daytime aircrafts get delayed under 3 rules which are: Ground stops, EDCTs and call for release.

Ground stop means no one is leaving to this specific airport, similar to 9/11/01, except during that time no one was moving. Additional meaning there is an accident, or a major delay due to weather or disabled aircraft, or ATC 0 which means no air traffic controllers in the tower or very limited services due to reduced manning.

EDCT or Expected Departure Clearance Times, usually means there is major delays or an accident is being cleared up, or a disabled aircraft being moved. This is when the airplanes are lined up ready to go, and you sit there for 2 hours not doing anything but waiting.

Call or release is pretty simple and its used daily... Places like Phoenix airport run out of room in the terminals so they have airplanes waiting in the ramp areas for a spot, pretty much the mall parking lot on Saturdays minus the excessive movements and people parked almost everywhere waiting for a spot.
Usually when a pilot pushes back from the terminal area they will call ground/clearance delivery for a release time. Which means they have to hit a hole in the sky made by a computer system from a local enroute or center where it will issue a time when they can take off and fill the gap and maintain separation within the aircraft its going to follow or lead.. Very much like merging into traffic, either you rocket in and move people, or you come in slowly and delay everyone behind you.
Here is where Southwest is the best. Usually we use to get 5 minute release times and they taxi fast AF... now taxiing is suppose to be 5mph or as fast as the slowest man walking. There are no cops around to speed trap them btw, so you do you...
The worst at this is Skywest in my experience, they will call 30 minutes ahead of time and ask for a release time and assure us they will be ready, just to push back and sit there past their release time, so now they have to wait 20 more minutes for a new time... While they tell the passengers that due to ATC delay they're being delayed. How do I know this, they stated this on my frequency, heard every single bit..... Delta taxiis like 2mph, a snail could probably reach the end of the runway before they do...
Once on the hold short lines, or the stop lines of the airports its all on the local controller in the tower to make sure everything is safe for this aircraft to take off, that's ensuring Frank The Tank isn't streaking down the runway, or no police chase is entering the chat, the airplane that just landed is off the runway, and the next airplane coming in to land is at least 5 miles out, closest I've gotten was 2.5 miles with fighter jets, and it was a clinch them butt cheeks close, but I had separation... LOL....

 

I’m back at it again today, RNO to ATL, Delta 757. Really nice place, smooth ride and Fast WiFi!

 

I really liked Reno. I would've stayed forever...

 

Would love to stay, but it was a really quick trip, but I’ll plan another this fall.

 

Is this an expeditionary force reference?

 

LMAO, yes... We trained with Marines, and this stuck with me, as they would use it as a punch line. There was a young student in our class, and a substandard sailor that wouldn't get the explanation even if it saved their life... LOL..