Loose Cannon
May 24, 06, 1:51 am
I got word that there was going to be a truck in Milwaukee going to Oregon. This time of year that is prime run for me but I heard it was not yet ready so I accepted a Phoenix to Denver run with the expectation that I would then travel to Milwaukee to get the truck for Oregon. I booked a ticket online and got to Long Beach Airport.
I checked in, cleared security and was not selected for secondary screening. I was told the plane would be late arriving.
America West Express #6091 LGB-PHX CRJ-900 Seat 8A Cruising altitude not given Estimated flying time 0:53, actual 0:59 Scheduled departure 18h35, actual 18h42 Scheduled arrival 20h00, actual 19h58 Ticket cost: $113.80
Load was light with only about 41 of 86 seats taken and I had a whole row to myself. Pushback was 7 minutes late with taxi/hold of 9 minutes. Takeoff was followed by left turns and I saw downtown Long Beach, the port and breakwater and then I saw the haze and marine layer trying to move in. There was one drink run and I got whole can of ginger ale. Seatbelt sign was on the whole flight. Descent started 0:30 and we landed east to west followed by taxi/hold of 7 minutes and we arrived 2 minutes early.
I got cab to Motel 6 and next day had trouble communicating with cab driver taking me to where the truck was due to language barrier.
Trip: Phoenix, AZ to Commerce City, CO 919 miles Routes: Interstate 10 to Arizona 101 Loop to Interstate 17 to Interstate 40 to Interstate 25 to Interstate 76
Temperature in Phoenix got up to 99 degrees F. Diesel fuel was $3.149 per gallon in Phoenix but $2.869 per gallon near Grants, NM. There was a long slow climb up Interstate 17 as Phoenix is just over 1000 feet elevation and just south of Flagstaff it is at least 7000 feet elevation. I got word on a Friday that the truck in Milwaukee would not be available for two week and all the other runs were already assigned so I made delivery just as the customer was closing for the weekend and then was left "high and dry" for the weekend.
Colorado Layover
Saturday hired a car for the weekend and drove down to Colorado Springs. I saw a small portion of the United States Air Force Academy. Most of the USAF Academy is understandably off limits to civilians. Then I had a good look at Garden of the Gods State Park and saw some interesting rock formations. After that I saw Old Town Colorado city and some of downtown Colorado Springs. There was a rain shower that evening.
Sunday I attended morning service at Galley Road Baptist Temple in Colorado Springs. After the service I was invited to a potluck lunch and I gladly partook and was pleased with the food. Then I saw the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Hall of Fame. The weather was not too favourable so I skipped Pikes Peak and drove back toward the Denver area and attended First Baptist Church in Englewood.
Monday I accepted a run to the Salt Lake City area and turned in the rental car.
Trip: Denver, CO to Orem, UT 492 miles Routes: Interstate 25 to Interstate 70 to US6 (Loveland Pass) back to Interstate 70 to US6 to Interstate 15
I got the truck and the air conditioning was not great. I saw a traffic backup as I approached the Eisenhower Tunnel so I opted to take Loveland Pass and went clear up to 11,990 feet above sea level as opposed to just over 11,000 feet. It was hot in Grand Junction, CO and Green River, UT. I spent a night at the National 9 in Provo, UT and was very satisfied with the room. Actually it wasn't just a room; it was a suite complete with king size bed, sofa, refrigerator and kitchen and I paid just under $50 total including taxes. I delivered the truck and accepted a run from the Denver area back to the Salt Lake area. I got a hold on a seat to Denver and took a shuttle to Salt Lake City Airport.
Upon arrival at the airport I checked in and cleared security and was not selected for secondary screening.
Frontier #570 SLC-DEN A-319 Seat 3A Cruising altitude 39,000' Estimated flying time 0:55, actual 1:00 Scheduled departure 13h30, actual 13h30 Scheduled arrival 14h50, actual 14h52 Ticket cost: $119.30
Plane was full or nearly full. Pushback was on time followed by taxi/hold of 13 minutes. Takeoff was south to north. I saw part of the Great Salt Lake then there were turns to the east southeast and I saw the Wasatch Mountains and Interstate 84 including the junction with Interstate 80 followed by clouds. There was a break in the clouds where I saw Flaming Gorge followed by more clouds. There was one drink run and I did not get whole can. Descent started at 0:34 and seatbelt sign went on at 0:41. There were some bumps and after turns to line up south to north for landing we suddenly increased angle of descent just short of runway and some passengers seemed a bit alarmed. We landed and taxied 8 minutes before arriving 2 minutes late.
It took awhile for me to get to the baggage claim and had almost no wait for my bags once there. I took a rather expensive cab ride to get the truck. Denver Airport is out away from the city and at least 11 miles from Interstate 70 so cab rides anywhere are quite expensive. I picked up the truck which was a good truck with good air conditioning and got rolling.
Trip: Commerce City, CO to West Jordan, UT 538 miles Routes: Interstate 270 to Interstate 25 to Interstate 80 to Interstate 215 to Interstate 15
I got stuck in outbound traffic which remained heavy for quite a distance. Just north of Ft. Collins I encountered thundershowers with gusty winds. It quit raining before I hit the Wyoming line. I spent a night at the Little America motel in Cheyenne and the room was much smaller but slightly more expensive than the one I mentioned in Provo. I spent another night in Evanston, WY and saw historic downtown there. The Motel 6 wasn't the greatest place to stay but I did get a discount at that location due to the fact that I drive truck.
I delivered in West Jordan and just before I reached the customer big raindrops started to fall. It rained off and on even though for awhile there was not much cloud cover. I talked to the company and accepted a run from Las Vegas to Lindon, UT.
I took a cab to Salt Lake City and stayed at a Motel 6 near the airport. I rang an uncle who lives in Ogden and he said he would come down to visit but changed his mind when he heard about storm warnings. Thunderstorms came through but apparently the worst missed where I was staying and I heard wind gusts were as high as 75mph at the Salt Lake City Airport. I ate dinner at Dee's restaraunt and got a good filet mignon steak for a reasonable price and I was pleased with the quality of the meal. I was told that Dee's was bought out and that chain may eventually disappear and was disappointed to hear that.
Following morning my uncle, aunt and cousin came down and picked me up and took me to the airport. I bought my ticket, checked in and checked baggage and got "B" boarding pass before having a visit of about a half hour or so before I had to clear security. I cleared security and was not selected for secondary screening but due to the lane I was in I experienced the Puffer Machine.
Southwest #1746 SLC-LAS B-737-300 Seat 22F Cruising altitude not given. Estimated flying time 0:57, actual 1:00 Scheduled departure 12h10, actual 12h16 Scheduled arrival 12h30, actual 12h29 Ticket cost: $131.30
When I got to the gate I did not see anyone in my line so I got the front spot of the "B" line. Plane was nearly full with a handful of open middle seats (not the one next to me). Pushback was 6 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 8 minutes. Takeoff was to the south. There was one drink run but I did not get the whole can. Peanuts were offered but declined. Descent started at 0:42 and seatbelt sign remained on the whole flight. There were some bumps during descent and I saw Lake Mead. It got rougher later in the descent not long before landing but we landed east to west and after taxi of 4 minutes we arrived one minute early. It took awhile to get to the correct baggage caroseul and there was almost no wait for my bags.
There was a very long line for taxicab but the line moved quickly and though the line was at least a quarter mile long the wait was not much over 20 minutes. I took taxi to North Las Vegas where I got the truck.
Trip: North Las Vegas, NV to Lindon, UT 385 miles Route: Interstate 15
I heard the temperature touched 100 degrees F at nearby Nellis Air Firce Base. This was a rather slow truck but the air conditioning was satisfactory. I attended Sunday evening service at Hope Baptist Church in Payson, UT before spending another night at the same place as mentioned before in Provo, UT.
I ate a rather late dinner at a Sizzler Restaraunt across the street and there was some sort of communications breakdown with the cook as I specifically said no mushrooms and no onions on the steak. (I am allergic to both mushrooms and onions as well as some other things as well and told the order taker). The steak came with onions so I told the waitress that was unacceptable as I was allergic so it was sent back. The manager came and to his credit he made a good faith effort to make things right for which he deserves credit. I was pleased that the steak came back done correctly the second time and got some shrimp as well.
I delivered truck in Lindon and took a shuttle to SLC. I checked in, got exit row seat and was selected for secondary screening. I experienced the Puffer Machine but I was not wanded nor was I patted down. However the agents went through one of my carry-ons more thoroughly than usual. The box around my disposable camera I carry on was opened though the camera itself was not opened nor were any pictures taken. I had plenty of time to kill so I had lunch.
Delta Connection Skywest #4003 SLC-LGB CRJ-200 Seat 8A Exit Row Cruising altitude 34,000' later 36,000' Estimated flying time not given, scheduled gate to gate 1:50 Actual flying time 1:37 Scheduled departure 15h50, actual 15h58 Scheduled arrival 16h40, actual 16h55 Ticket cost: $169.30
There was no jetway at the "E" wing at SLC. Configuration was 50 seats arranged in a 2-2 pattern. There were about 33 passengers or so and I had the whole row on my side to myself. Pushback was 8 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 15 minutes. Takeoff was to the south and there were some bumps on climb. Climb seemed slow and I saw downtown Salt Lake City followed by the metropolitan area then Utah Lake before clouds with few breaks until the Mojave Desert. There was one drink run but I got refill and something called "Plane Snacks" which were ranch flavoured small crackers. There were some bumps followed by climb to 36,000' and smooth air. Descent started at 1:03 over Mojave Desert. I saw Big Bear Lake and some of the San Bernardino Mountains before more clouds then Lake Perris and March Air Force Base through a break in the clouds and it was quite bumpy near the Santa Ana Mountains and much fewer clouds in Orange County. I saw the El Toro "Y" where Interstates 5 and 405 merge followed by Newport Beach, John Wayne Airport and Huntington Beach. Instead of the usual approach and landing we swung out over the water then headed inland and I saw San Pedro and the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Torrance and the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles in the distance. Our descent became steeper before we leveled out over the runway and landed northeast to southeast followed by taxi of 4 minutes. We arrived 15 minutes late and there was a wait for bags and I claimed my bags and went home.
I checked in, cleared security and was not selected for secondary screening. I was told the plane would be late arriving.
America West Express #6091 LGB-PHX CRJ-900 Seat 8A Cruising altitude not given Estimated flying time 0:53, actual 0:59 Scheduled departure 18h35, actual 18h42 Scheduled arrival 20h00, actual 19h58 Ticket cost: $113.80
Load was light with only about 41 of 86 seats taken and I had a whole row to myself. Pushback was 7 minutes late with taxi/hold of 9 minutes. Takeoff was followed by left turns and I saw downtown Long Beach, the port and breakwater and then I saw the haze and marine layer trying to move in. There was one drink run and I got whole can of ginger ale. Seatbelt sign was on the whole flight. Descent started 0:30 and we landed east to west followed by taxi/hold of 7 minutes and we arrived 2 minutes early.
I got cab to Motel 6 and next day had trouble communicating with cab driver taking me to where the truck was due to language barrier.
Trip: Phoenix, AZ to Commerce City, CO 919 miles Routes: Interstate 10 to Arizona 101 Loop to Interstate 17 to Interstate 40 to Interstate 25 to Interstate 76
Temperature in Phoenix got up to 99 degrees F. Diesel fuel was $3.149 per gallon in Phoenix but $2.869 per gallon near Grants, NM. There was a long slow climb up Interstate 17 as Phoenix is just over 1000 feet elevation and just south of Flagstaff it is at least 7000 feet elevation. I got word on a Friday that the truck in Milwaukee would not be available for two week and all the other runs were already assigned so I made delivery just as the customer was closing for the weekend and then was left "high and dry" for the weekend.
Colorado Layover
Saturday hired a car for the weekend and drove down to Colorado Springs. I saw a small portion of the United States Air Force Academy. Most of the USAF Academy is understandably off limits to civilians. Then I had a good look at Garden of the Gods State Park and saw some interesting rock formations. After that I saw Old Town Colorado city and some of downtown Colorado Springs. There was a rain shower that evening.
Sunday I attended morning service at Galley Road Baptist Temple in Colorado Springs. After the service I was invited to a potluck lunch and I gladly partook and was pleased with the food. Then I saw the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Hall of Fame. The weather was not too favourable so I skipped Pikes Peak and drove back toward the Denver area and attended First Baptist Church in Englewood.
Monday I accepted a run to the Salt Lake City area and turned in the rental car.
Trip: Denver, CO to Orem, UT 492 miles Routes: Interstate 25 to Interstate 70 to US6 (Loveland Pass) back to Interstate 70 to US6 to Interstate 15
I got the truck and the air conditioning was not great. I saw a traffic backup as I approached the Eisenhower Tunnel so I opted to take Loveland Pass and went clear up to 11,990 feet above sea level as opposed to just over 11,000 feet. It was hot in Grand Junction, CO and Green River, UT. I spent a night at the National 9 in Provo, UT and was very satisfied with the room. Actually it wasn't just a room; it was a suite complete with king size bed, sofa, refrigerator and kitchen and I paid just under $50 total including taxes. I delivered the truck and accepted a run from the Denver area back to the Salt Lake area. I got a hold on a seat to Denver and took a shuttle to Salt Lake City Airport.
Upon arrival at the airport I checked in and cleared security and was not selected for secondary screening.
Frontier #570 SLC-DEN A-319 Seat 3A Cruising altitude 39,000' Estimated flying time 0:55, actual 1:00 Scheduled departure 13h30, actual 13h30 Scheduled arrival 14h50, actual 14h52 Ticket cost: $119.30
Plane was full or nearly full. Pushback was on time followed by taxi/hold of 13 minutes. Takeoff was south to north. I saw part of the Great Salt Lake then there were turns to the east southeast and I saw the Wasatch Mountains and Interstate 84 including the junction with Interstate 80 followed by clouds. There was a break in the clouds where I saw Flaming Gorge followed by more clouds. There was one drink run and I did not get whole can. Descent started at 0:34 and seatbelt sign went on at 0:41. There were some bumps and after turns to line up south to north for landing we suddenly increased angle of descent just short of runway and some passengers seemed a bit alarmed. We landed and taxied 8 minutes before arriving 2 minutes late.
It took awhile for me to get to the baggage claim and had almost no wait for my bags once there. I took a rather expensive cab ride to get the truck. Denver Airport is out away from the city and at least 11 miles from Interstate 70 so cab rides anywhere are quite expensive. I picked up the truck which was a good truck with good air conditioning and got rolling.
Trip: Commerce City, CO to West Jordan, UT 538 miles Routes: Interstate 270 to Interstate 25 to Interstate 80 to Interstate 215 to Interstate 15
I got stuck in outbound traffic which remained heavy for quite a distance. Just north of Ft. Collins I encountered thundershowers with gusty winds. It quit raining before I hit the Wyoming line. I spent a night at the Little America motel in Cheyenne and the room was much smaller but slightly more expensive than the one I mentioned in Provo. I spent another night in Evanston, WY and saw historic downtown there. The Motel 6 wasn't the greatest place to stay but I did get a discount at that location due to the fact that I drive truck.
I delivered in West Jordan and just before I reached the customer big raindrops started to fall. It rained off and on even though for awhile there was not much cloud cover. I talked to the company and accepted a run from Las Vegas to Lindon, UT.
I took a cab to Salt Lake City and stayed at a Motel 6 near the airport. I rang an uncle who lives in Ogden and he said he would come down to visit but changed his mind when he heard about storm warnings. Thunderstorms came through but apparently the worst missed where I was staying and I heard wind gusts were as high as 75mph at the Salt Lake City Airport. I ate dinner at Dee's restaraunt and got a good filet mignon steak for a reasonable price and I was pleased with the quality of the meal. I was told that Dee's was bought out and that chain may eventually disappear and was disappointed to hear that.
Following morning my uncle, aunt and cousin came down and picked me up and took me to the airport. I bought my ticket, checked in and checked baggage and got "B" boarding pass before having a visit of about a half hour or so before I had to clear security. I cleared security and was not selected for secondary screening but due to the lane I was in I experienced the Puffer Machine.
Southwest #1746 SLC-LAS B-737-300 Seat 22F Cruising altitude not given. Estimated flying time 0:57, actual 1:00 Scheduled departure 12h10, actual 12h16 Scheduled arrival 12h30, actual 12h29 Ticket cost: $131.30
When I got to the gate I did not see anyone in my line so I got the front spot of the "B" line. Plane was nearly full with a handful of open middle seats (not the one next to me). Pushback was 6 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 8 minutes. Takeoff was to the south. There was one drink run but I did not get the whole can. Peanuts were offered but declined. Descent started at 0:42 and seatbelt sign remained on the whole flight. There were some bumps during descent and I saw Lake Mead. It got rougher later in the descent not long before landing but we landed east to west and after taxi of 4 minutes we arrived one minute early. It took awhile to get to the correct baggage caroseul and there was almost no wait for my bags.
There was a very long line for taxicab but the line moved quickly and though the line was at least a quarter mile long the wait was not much over 20 minutes. I took taxi to North Las Vegas where I got the truck.
Trip: North Las Vegas, NV to Lindon, UT 385 miles Route: Interstate 15
I heard the temperature touched 100 degrees F at nearby Nellis Air Firce Base. This was a rather slow truck but the air conditioning was satisfactory. I attended Sunday evening service at Hope Baptist Church in Payson, UT before spending another night at the same place as mentioned before in Provo, UT.
I ate a rather late dinner at a Sizzler Restaraunt across the street and there was some sort of communications breakdown with the cook as I specifically said no mushrooms and no onions on the steak. (I am allergic to both mushrooms and onions as well as some other things as well and told the order taker). The steak came with onions so I told the waitress that was unacceptable as I was allergic so it was sent back. The manager came and to his credit he made a good faith effort to make things right for which he deserves credit. I was pleased that the steak came back done correctly the second time and got some shrimp as well.
I delivered truck in Lindon and took a shuttle to SLC. I checked in, got exit row seat and was selected for secondary screening. I experienced the Puffer Machine but I was not wanded nor was I patted down. However the agents went through one of my carry-ons more thoroughly than usual. The box around my disposable camera I carry on was opened though the camera itself was not opened nor were any pictures taken. I had plenty of time to kill so I had lunch.
Delta Connection Skywest #4003 SLC-LGB CRJ-200 Seat 8A Exit Row Cruising altitude 34,000' later 36,000' Estimated flying time not given, scheduled gate to gate 1:50 Actual flying time 1:37 Scheduled departure 15h50, actual 15h58 Scheduled arrival 16h40, actual 16h55 Ticket cost: $169.30
There was no jetway at the "E" wing at SLC. Configuration was 50 seats arranged in a 2-2 pattern. There were about 33 passengers or so and I had the whole row on my side to myself. Pushback was 8 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 15 minutes. Takeoff was to the south and there were some bumps on climb. Climb seemed slow and I saw downtown Salt Lake City followed by the metropolitan area then Utah Lake before clouds with few breaks until the Mojave Desert. There was one drink run but I got refill and something called "Plane Snacks" which were ranch flavoured small crackers. There were some bumps followed by climb to 36,000' and smooth air. Descent started at 1:03 over Mojave Desert. I saw Big Bear Lake and some of the San Bernardino Mountains before more clouds then Lake Perris and March Air Force Base through a break in the clouds and it was quite bumpy near the Santa Ana Mountains and much fewer clouds in Orange County. I saw the El Toro "Y" where Interstates 5 and 405 merge followed by Newport Beach, John Wayne Airport and Huntington Beach. Instead of the usual approach and landing we swung out over the water then headed inland and I saw San Pedro and the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Torrance and the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles in the distance. Our descent became steeper before we leveled out over the runway and landed northeast to southeast followed by taxi of 4 minutes. We arrived 15 minutes late and there was a wait for bags and I claimed my bags and went home.