Thursday, December 23. A friend, very recent CPL-IR has the opportunity to make a few flights on the Beech 90 pilot safety, wrote on Facebook: X Is the King Air flying to Paris at night on Christmas Day, that's gonna be my best Christmas ever! !
To which I reply comment: "Bah, I like it quiet Christmas Eve and do NOT fly the King Air on Christmas Eve (or the New Year please Kwismas Dad, thank you!)"
Friday, December 24. The afternoon began, and I anticipate to let slip gently into the early evening feast. Except ...
15h40, my pro phone rings. Before you pick, I know that my Christmas Eve will go to the ace. "Hi Olivier, one starts in an hour looking for a body in Poitiers. It's confirmed, no Eve family this year! The period is shorter than usual. In general, we are called about 1:30 before departure time, with a goal of being the land for an hour before. There, if I hurry, I would have 40 minutes. Except ...
it jammed on the road. I put in least two times longer than usual, and I park the car at Le Bourget 25 minutes before the scheduled departure time. 'll Have to hurry a little. But without running, because the aircraft parking is a real ice rink.
The aircraft is already out. The wind is cold, and although the pre-flight inspection is not very long, I finished the tour of the King Air completely frozen. I leave the plugs Jeppesen departure "The 1D Eagle" field of the first arrival and a diversion put them in the workbook "reduced" we will use the briefing to Operations.
I verify that the cabin is clean, the belts are well placed, there are refreshing wipes within reach of each seat. I put up the day's newspapers,'m full of hot water, additional refreshments, full of muffins, cupcakes and candy (by adding a few twists special holiday) and will look in the fridge four meal trays for two doctors and pilots, wanting to break my face while sliding on ice. Party "Susana" of pre-flight over!
Physicians will not be on time, and it is great, it leaves us more time to prepare !
I agree with my Ops captain, the "reduced" under his arm. While I was in the plane, he worked on the papers: the flight plan, nav log, weather, NOTAMS, and weight and balance, categorizations airfields, passenger manifests, flight envelope ... We study it all together, and Jeppesen. And we're ready. It only needs our passengers and their big cooler.
We sat in the lounge for passengers to wait. Once you see the big car come with flashing lights blocked off the word "Registry", the captain leading the plane to ask getting started while I welcome the surgeon and his intern. I'm passing the BIPs (Post Inspection Filtering) and accompanies them to the airplane, pushing the ice house set on a dolly, and the big bag containing all the response equipment is placed on top .
We embark j'arrime and the cooler in the rear compartment, check that the door is closed (on the King Air, it opens outwards, so if the locking hooks are not well up with the pressure difference in attitude, you can imagine the result). I shut the sliding doors that separate the rear of the aircraft passenger cabin, to reduce noise and retain heat in the cab, then I'll settle on the right seat, the famous 00A.
We begin the process of starting the engine number 1. Then we tell the track racer that can disconnect the ground power unit (which plugs under the right wing on the King Air). Once that is done, it beckons you can start 2. Once that is done, the captain, who is on the PF branch, wonder Aster start up checklist. It is held together, then I ask the taxi to the breakpoint 09.
The captain rolls the plane, with care as we are on the car park because it has not been plowed and is now well icy. Taxiways, by cons are perfectly clear. At Le Bourget, we cross a runway taxiing systematically, whether to depart on the 09 or 25, or after landing on 07 or 27. One exception, when we landed on the 03 (which is full of snow at the moment, and then closed).
Sometimes, the ground controller allows us, from the beginning of rolling, cross the 03-21 (if one starts with 09) or 27 (if one starts with 25), other times, we requesting a continuation at the breakpoint.
During taxi, we made the rolling stock, and then check the taxi and departure briefing (we take care to stop if the crossing position of 03-21 or 27 takes place before it is completed). Approaching the breakpoint, Before lineup procedure, and then check associated. And once allowed for alignment, Before take off check procedure and beds. And go.
After takeoff, we continued on Runway 09 (086 °) until intercepting the 097 radial of BT, the VOR Bourget, we follow up to 13 NM BT, then turn right. Once the controller Bourget we identified radar, it goes with De Gaulle.
When we MEDEVAC was very quickly directly to the destination. Today, the Paris Info controller has not yet had to switch to Santa Claus, because he lets us go to the VOR, the Eagle, which is not very direct, because, LGL, GPS shows us a left turn almost 90 ° to go to Poitiers ... Finally, several caps given by the control will allow us to shorten a small pile and turn the corner at 90 ° handbrake vertically LGL curve softer.
At Poitiers, the wind is slightly back, but well below our limit of 10 knots, so I indicate to the controller that will arise in 21 minutes to win. One of the important things we learn in the CPL is that it must be operational as possible, it is no longer a private pilot walk (and I remember having a hummingbird reminded during ripening who made a few flights with me and wanted to make a controlled vertical ground :-)). It becomes particularly important in-flight transmission body, where every minute counts!
The ambulance is already there and my captain the Beech station a few meters. Once doctors start our parties and prepared, we look at our watches. It is 19 pm on Christmas Eve. First option: find a restaurant within walking distance. After taking advice from the security officer who kindly allowed us into his office and used in various applications on the iPhone is on an expedition. But the wind is so cold that quickly gives up. Back in the premises of the security after a stint in the airport, deserted.
Option No. 2: making a pizza delivery for something warm and more of our meal trays cold. Yes, but on Christmas Eve, and no one answers. We therefore just our plates. They are fortunately somewhat better today, with smoked salmon, foam I do not know what, shrimp and a very acceptable little chocolate buche. All this washed down with a coke, no alcohol for us of course.
9:25 p.m. local, I begin taxiing to Runway 03. This is not one but two bodies we bring back to Paris. As it happens sometimes, the "Nobody takes this kidney? Well, we embarked, it would be a shame to ruin!" played, and this unexpected member would be able to benefit to a patient waiting transplant. After arriving in the capital, he came back in the south by the line, probably transported by Air France.
was quickly BALODE to direct, and at 22:20 local, I put the track on the Beech 07. I do not use reverse, since snow forces, we must identify all end-of-band, and that the 3 kilometers of the 07 are very long for the King Air ... Rolling is longer, necessarily, and it is 22:30 I stop the turbines.
Well, as I hurried, there is a way to hang on during meals. The aircraft quickly entered the shed, and it is hotter than I put in place protections and I put some order in the cabin before joining the captain for operations. I am practically on the doorstep and I think already taste of foie gras. Except ...
Olivier, we come back! " And shit ... I calculate quickly head to my captain and confirms that it will be short and to the magnitude that our operations would be better to call the other crew on duty today. Good, Eve will perhaps be saved. Yes but no, because the other crew has to leave an hour later looking for another body in the south.
I ask So my bag and file in the hangar for the debacle and preflight the aircraft while it is in the relative warmth of the shed, rather than in the icy wind as earlier.
Expected departure to 23 hours. We leave the block at 0:20 (Yes, we spend a lot of time waiting for passengers in this job ...). This time it is I who am on the PF branch go to Rennes. Off in 09, the radial interception da 097 BT, but soon the controller of De Gaulle gives us a cap 160. Then asks:
- IBJ224X, if you continue the shift to 270, you can avoid Paris?
- Affirm, IBJ224X
- IBJ224X, continue to turn heading 270 and climb to level 70
As the captain read back, I tighten the turn and once he has finished responding to the controller, I asked if we will go well north of the ring road (which I do not see the right seat being in turn the same side). It confirms for me that's good. After a 180 degrees to our line of departure, here we are between Paris and the arrival of the south doublet Roissy. It is operational!
was quickly direct to Rennes, and after 45 minutes by air, I ask the King Air on Runway 28. Once the engines stopped, I proceeded to the rear and asked the surgeon how long she believes "it. And I have the unpleasant surprise to learn that the body is not collected in Rennes, but in a small town in the Brittany countryside, a good hour's drive from the airport, two hours more in total compared to the normal period for taking a liver (the organ that is already the longest, since it is taken last).
I turn on the iPhone and go to the site of NORAD. We had to cross the Santa and his sleigh, since before our departure, he was in flight between Norway and Amsterdam, and as we arrived, it was between the Canaries and Azores, after passing through Paris and Andorra. We did not see anyway!
Then begins a long wait on the plane. We're trying to sleep, but despite my sleeping bag and the plaid over it, I am repeatedly awakened by the cold. It is -2 ° outside, and the plane is not heated ... This is the part most missions galley body winter, and when you peel serious in trying to sleep, it was nice to say that it helps save lives, time seems very long!
We spend more than 6 hours waiting in the cold. Then the doctors come with coolers. Aboard while the engine is running right now. When you start with Group park we set off number 1 (left) first, since the group is connected to the right. By cons, when starting standalone is the first 2 (right), since the battery is located in the right wing, and thus closer to the number 2.
is at 7:30 you can leave the capital. Brest control gives us a direct to Balodis, then sends us on suboxic Paris, which we shortened a little. It is I who made the radio back, and leaving each frequency, instead of saying "goodbye" as usual, I say "Merry Christmas!" (Like last night and they are numerous on the frequency). During the cruise, I plug my iPhone on the Clarity, and I put some Christmas carols. The sun rises right behind the turbine of the Beech, and on Christmas day will be the beginning of a new life for 5 people waiting for transplant ...
It's nice to Paris, and we have a beautiful view of the arrival of De Gaulle, on our left, and Defense, Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Montparnasse, the Invalides, etc., on our right. Landing 07, and again long taxi to the parking lot, where firefighters are visiting for their morning inspection.
doctors arrive with their coolers, track riders enter the plane, I tarp, new little home, a little paperwork, and finally I take the road home, I arrive at 9:15.
I lie to add a few hours of sleep at 3 or 4 that I managed to scrounge on the plane. And this time, in a soft bed and warm! And I wake up just in time to shower and get ready for lunch on Christmas Day, there was no question of missing!
I was hoping not to spend my night of Dec. 24 in flight, but rather a failure. But for that very first Christmas night spent in flight, I have the satisfaction of having played Santa for people who have a vital need.
Thanks to the surgeons, coordinators, supervisors and firefighters to call, drivers, and my captain and myself, are no less than 5 (large) children who found a body in their shoes brand new in this Christmas day. Definitely their best Christmas present, since that gift, that's life!
0 comments:
Post a Comment