petermcleland wrote:As a First Officer on Vanguards, I was flying back from Malta as the Sun came up over the horizon and hit me in the right eye...This is a well known "Hard to keep awake time". I adopted my usual method to guard against dosing off by putting the sense switch up and locking to the VOR radials (this would rock the wings a bit violenty as you came overhead the VOR and the motion would grab your attention).
Sometime later I awoke with a start, hearing ringing bells and all four engine fire warning lights on..."Christ!" I said and went into immediate panic mode...Then Nob West and Dick Stewart went into hysterical laughter and I realised that Nob has pressed the fire warnings test button :redface:
Sorry for the long quote but I thought it worth repeating
Must have scared you half to death.. Thanks for that Peter..
If you're REALLY mad at a fella, walk a mile in his shoes. This way, your a mile away from him and you have his shoes!!
I once entered the flight deck of a 747 Classic during a red-eye Transatlantic and found all 3 of the crew asleep :roll: They would arrange for one of them to nod off at a time - the landing pilot having the last nap. but I didn't know who was entitled to be asleep and didn't want to wake the wrong one. I decided to gently nudge the Engineer, who then tapped the FO on the shoulder and the Captain snoozed on unawares
I think the firebell would have made a better story.
