Just another Sunday - (56K warning)

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 01 May 2006, 08:17

Firstly - please forgive the quality of some of the shots - my little Sony digital just cant handle sitting in a dark cockpit shooting at VERY bright sunlight - LAS-MSO-LAS Sunday 30/04 (my annual Obs ride) Some intresting stuff at MSO - including the ex NASA and NOAA Atmospheric Research Electras a Neptune fire bomber doing touch and goes , and a visiting Goshawk.

1/. Take off Power set - departing LAS 25R in vey very bright sunlight

2/. Density Altitude - you can get pretty fast in a Maddog at 30C and 158K
TOW - lots of rubber been left on 25R

3/. On the Tralr2 departure - thats our gracious host Capt Tom Estrada

4/. Last day of April and the Southern Cascades still well snow covered
just northeast of Boise Idaho FL320

5/. Another shot of the Cascades over Toms shoulder

6/.Bitterroot Valley - Missoula Montana - with the cloud deck starting to fill up

7/. Bitterroot River south of Missoula

8/. Descending into MSO - yup were going down that valley

9/.MSO runway at top of pci - we have a fairly hefty rate of descent going

10/. Base Leg MSO - after a VOR-DME Arc approach (notice the rising terrain on foreground)

11/. Established on the Approach at MSO (the runway is short but not that short - you'll see the foreshortening later)

12/. two whites two reds

13/. beepbeep beepbeep beepbeep

14/ despite what the vapi says we look high - you can see the upslope and hump on 29 in this shot

15/ Looking over the tanker base the approach we just flew - you ski down the slope in the center of the shot

note the Neptune tanker and 2 Electras at the tanker base

16/. Neptune fire bomber flying the circuit

17/, The Office

Not bad for an almost 25 year old aircraft

18/. Ex NASA and Atmospeheric Research Electras at the Tanker Base

19/ Going Home - Scott Ashby rotates 765GA off 29 at MSO

20/. Climbing up the Valley - almost like flying into certain Swiss and Austrian airports more familar to you folks on that side of the pond

Thats it - hope I didnt bore you too much - the MD80 certainly isnt British
but is well on the way to becoming a Classic - again thanks to the whole crew of AAY530. If you have to go and sit for 4 hours I couldnt think of a better way to do it

Leif

britishtourer · Post by **britishtourer** » 01 May 2006, 08:25

Lief,

Thank you very much for posting the pics. They are great! The scenery outside the plane is great too.

I love the MD 80 too!

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 01 May 2006, 08:31

Thank you BT - we have 22 of them

so thats why there arnt any
external views - they all look like this -

Leif

britishtourer · Post by **britishtourer** » 01 May 2006, 08:38

Thats a stunning paint alright!

One question though - 22 MD 80's! How do you choose which one to fly!?

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 01 May 2006, 08:48

LOL if you like the paintjob its available at the usual suspects for the SGA
MD83 and 87 (we have 2 pocket rockets) - LOL I dont - I chose the crew I want to fly with and where - hence LAS-MSO-LAS and the very pleasent company up and back - BT- Dispatchers in the US are NOT the same as
Despatchers in the UK - firstly we are licensed airman (Sorry Jetty NOT
denigrating what you and the boys at Serviceair Manch do

)
and as licesnsed folks we have to go through recurrent training every 6 months AND fly a minimum of 5 hours per year observation on the jump seat (Its a dirty job but someone has to do it)

As to the decision of what flies where and how and when - those decisions are made by dispatch and maintenance control on a daily basis - with consideration as to when daily checks are due - any preventive maintenance - the weight of the aircraft vs the routes flown and type of equipment vs routes flown -
(we only have four aircraft that are fully overwater equipped )

Does that answer your question??

Cheers
Leif

britishtourer · Post by **britishtourer** » 01 May 2006, 10:19

You're very lucky Lief, you've got a great job!

Post by **Garry Russell** » 01 May 2006, 10:49

Thanks for that Leif

What a way to spend a Sunday

Beats mowing the lawn

Garry

VEGAS · Post by **VEGAS** » 01 May 2006, 11:31

Great picture Leif. Thanks for sharing them mate!

Vixus · Post by **Vixus** » 01 May 2006, 11:57

Looks like great fun all-round. Nice paint-scheme on those aircraft!

Jetset · Post by **Jetset** » 01 May 2006, 13:57

Those are fantastic shots matey, but why not one of yourself?

Your right about the difference in our jobs, I would love to be a qualified dispatcher, but there is no call for it in this country. If the opportunity arose for a position in the States then I would be there.