A friend on the frequency and rotten weather on arrival When the phone rings at 0:37, while reaching for the bedside table to catch it, I tell myself that the night will be long. My commander tells me that leaves at 2:00 for Montpellier.
Before getting up, brief reflection to gather my wits and estimate how long I slept. I remember seeing it was 0:15 on the clock. Oh yes, yes, I'd not rest for long!
Last night I was at a dinner of the Association France DC3 where (as in all good things aero) I found more friends. After the meal, as often after dinner pilots, the conversation lasted on the sidewalk, and it was nearly midnight when I arrived home.
So I get up, put on my uniform, and 5 minutes later here I am on the road to Le Bourget. At this time, it's easy to park, which is not the case at all during the day, the airport then being an anthill. PIF passenger, aircraft preflight, verification of the catering, briefing with my CBD. It is beautiful weather in Montpellier and on the road. I'm doing the go.
off facing east, starting MONOT 1J. The controller De Gaulle grants us to quickly direct MONOT, and the rise is too fast. We go to Paris Info, which sends us to our cruising level, the 250. Then the radio fell silent. After a while, my commander told me "It's super quiet on the radio!" And he added with a smile: "Or maybe it's our radio is broken!" He presses the PTT:
- Paris Info IBJ118A for radio test?
- IBJ118A, I'll receive 5
- Ha bah our radio working well then!
- Yes, it is very quiet!
- Do not tell us when we are not even the only plane on the frequency ?
few minutes later, another plane arrives on the frequency, down to Paris and to Le Bourget. A plane with a call sign familiar. I call the controller:
- Paris Info IBJ218A?
- Go ahead!
- Is this it would be possible to pass a quick message to XXX?
- Ho, go, there you two on the frequency!
- Thanks! XXX, is it by any chance there would PM on board?
The voice on the radio exchange, PM me and it answers:
- Yes, hello Oliver, it okay?
- AM Hi! Okay, I get down on Montpellier
- Good luck then!
We want good flight, and silence returns to the frequency.
As I already told on the blog, this is not the first time I meet a friend in frequency in general, and this is not the first time since the sky turned my office. It gives me great pleasure, because AM is a friend who was instrumental in the conversion that took me where I am today.
When I made my decision is that I asked him first for advice from pro, as I recounted in the second ticket
this blog in June 2008. And then I pissed off at each stage of the ATPL theoretical QT year through the CPL / IR and MCC. There was support in weight, hence my pleasure to pass that night in frequency, me in the right seat of my King Air, it's right up BBJ.
After an uneventful flight, and some negotiations with the controller who did not want the land on 13L, I put the aircraft in Montpellier (on the 13L, but not!) Two and a half hours ( and two hours of sleep) later, surgeons call us to let us know they are there in 20 minutes.
Petit Point weather, and we see that the METAR in the Paris region are much less cool than might consider TAFs Metmap ... On the land closest to Paris that are not listed in conditions "very IFR intensive "are Vatry and Le Havre! Not really practical to get to its destination quickly the body that we carry!
We're off. I AM on this branch, and once they begin to receive the ATIS of the Paris region, I begin to blacken my log.
Le Bourget on paper, it does not pass: OVC002 (facing east, we need 430 feet).
Roissy: BKN000, so we forget.
Orly: It may eventually switch to alternate
Toussus, Villacoublay: you forget
Pontoise is self-info up to 9 hours.
Rest Beauvais, which should be possible
strategy is discussed, and my CBD makes his briefing: we made an attempt at Le Bourget. In case of overshoot, I will try to negotiate an ILS 27 (this is far from being won with Roissy facing east, because of this side, 200 feet from the ceiling, that's the theory). Otherwise, we failed to Orly.
I continue to take the ATIS which several have been updated since earlier. Map "Orly" is abandoned, the screw was smack the mouth, it no longer passes for us. So in 07 attempt to Le Bourget, neo for 27 in case of overshoot. And if they do not want, call the handling after the overshoot to ask them to ship the car rapidos Service Clerk in Beauvais.
OMAKO After we file the VOR Coulsdon, then walks away radial 276 of the CLM. Then a vectored by Roissy leads on the ILS 07 at Le Bourget. 500 before, it is in IMC. 400 before, the same. 300 before, same thing. 200 before we begin to see the ground below, but before, nothing. 100 before, you always see a bit of ground. MDA, and the boom of the 07 popped up in the mouth.
- I have the runway in sight!
- It continues!
was really just ... Because of work on the taxiways, we can not clear the runway 07 in any runout. Since we do not need the full length, we generally negotiate with the tower to generate power using runway 03-21. But today we had other things to do, so long to ask my captain to avoid travel on two kilometers of track, and it emerges at the end of tape.
arrived at the parking lot, the doctors are happy to be in Paris and not in Beauvais and spin on the hospital with their precious cargo. I think my friend who has undergone the same office, and has started a new life, in conditions of comfort he had never known until then, since that day ...
9:30, I get home and I'm off to bed to start my real "night".
