DLroads

You've gotta be kidding---I was scheduled for the same trip (2/6 into CAI and Wed. night return) , though I was assigned to 3B. Your seat is much better. They offered me to go AF or KL, but with all other options, it was a no-go at the end...

If I were you, I would try to catch the 3/23. The crew scheduling made an error here: DL would not renew travel until 3/27 (per press release... see here for civil unrest notice
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...ates/index.jsp

It means that if you want, you can attempt for another 'double dipping'...the 3/23 would not take place according to DL's scheduling. It sounds like in this case you would get paid at least what you were suppose to be paid for the trip to CAI. (And if the second trip is also cancelled, you can get paid more by picking a second trip).
What's good in the FT community is that we do not let double miles (or double pay) opprotunities run away...On the other hand, I see the point in having known schedule, over a 'guessed' schedule. Planning ahead has its advantages.

W0X0F_2p2

As I left the plane last night here at LAX, I realized I didn't have my iPhone. I searched the cockpit and finally gave up, hoping my phone was somewhere in my little carry-on bag. I left my name and home number with the crew coming on in case they find it...so far nothing.

After getting to the hotel I dumped out the contents of my flight bag and small carry-on bag (which I carry in addition to my roll-aboard bag). No phone. Also no call from the other crew. The only thing I can think of is that somehow that phone got in to the trash bag we use for the flight. At the end of the flight, I collect all the paperwork we've accumulated (flight plan, fuel record, NOTAMs, weather briefing, ATIS and clearance printouts, etc) and I dump them in the bag which we hang on my seat's armrest. It's possible, I suppose, that I had the phone on the center console and grabbed it up with the paperwork and dumped. I'm at a loss to figure out what else happened. (And I know I had the phone leaving Salt Lake for LAX last night, because I called my brother from the cockpit before the boarding closed to congratulate him on the Packers' win in the Super Bowl.)

Today I took the bus to an Apple store here in L.A. and was told the bad news: $699 to replace my phone, or I could wait until the end of my current contract (next January) to get the cheaper "upgrade" price. I can't cancel my AT&T contract without a hefty penalty, so what do I do?

I'm posting this in case there's someone with clout or connections on this board who might be able to help. Any suggestions?

[I apologize for this shameless pandering in my thread.]

nstick13

I hope someone can help more than I can, but here's my advice:

1. If you must have an iPhone, start checking on e-bay. You can buy one and have it activated by AT&T for your info.
2. If not, another phone perhaps until January? Again, e-bay or craigslist as an option.

Sorry, man. If anyone deserves the help of the FT community, though, it'd be you. Good luck!

fiveninerzero

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/ar...-term-fees.jsp

$325 minus $10 for each month completed. In any case that would still be cheaper than "upgrading" early.

I was faced with a similar situation. Apparently its not a good idea to leave an iPhone in your motorcycle jacket pocket while riding. I just ended up paying. It was $175 for me at the time.

Did you install the Find My iPhone app on your phone by any chance? http://www.apple.com/mobileme/featur...my-iphone.html

W0X0F_2p2

Thanks for the responses and I will check out eBay. I'm also considering a switch to Verizon and see what kind of deal they might offer.

I had the Find My iPhone app and it couldn't locate it, which is consistent with my theory that it went out in the trash.

Sorry to derail this thread...back to flying posts.

(If anyone else has any great suggestions re: the iPhone, please PM me.)

orlandodlplat

Sorry to hear about your phone.

Here's a thoroughly random question:

I assume it's standard safety procedure to flash the white strobes on takeoff and landing - but long ago I noticed NW aircraft never seemed to use them. Now that those ships are in the DL fleet, many of them still don't.

Are they simply not equipped with the white strobes?

stdatwmu

I don't want to step on W0X0F's toes and I'm sure he'll chime in with some extra information, but here's the standard times when aircraft lights are used...


Red anticollision strobe - Anytime engines are running

Nosewheel taxi lights - Anytime the aircraft is not stationary on the ground (Day or night)

White hi intensity anticollision strobes - On as the aircraft enters the active runway, off as it leaves the active runway after landing. (note: To be used as required when crossing/backtracking runways at night so as not to degrade nightvision of aircraft in the vicinity)

Landing/Recognition lights - On when the aircraft is cleared for take off, off as soon as practicable after landing. (note: Use of landing lights in the air is mandatory below 10000 feet a.g.l. in high traffic areas. Crews are also to exercise good Airmanship in other situations)

Nav Lights - On anytime the APU or engines are running

Logo Lights - On during night operations.

(info. copied from here since I didn't want to type it all out myself - http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/71469/)

W0X0F_2p2

I wasn't aware that NW didn't use strobes and I find it strange, if true. We use the strobes throughout the flight. The only time we turn them off in flight is if we're in clouds (usually at night) and the flash is becoming annoying or even disorienting. It looks a lot like lightening flashes in this situation.

stdatwmu has a good synopsis of light usage. I've added some comments (in bold):

Down3Green

stdatwmu,

Fortunately, football season is over after the Super Bowl, otherwise I would have to throw a yellow flag for your intentional use of Airlinersnet as gospel...don't you know that half the posters there are 15 yr old flight simmers?

In any event, I'll add a some more useless trivia on top of what WOXOF had to say that may answer what the original questioner was getting at.

The FAA has precious little to say about exterior light usage. It's mentioned in FAR 91.209 and in section 4.23 of the AIM. They also have a voluntary policy known as Operation Lights On. Most exterior light usage comes in the form of airline Operational Policy Manual guidance (which has to be signed off by the Feds). Individual airline policy can't be any less restrictive than the little bit that the FAA publishes, and is usually a lot more detailed....so, while what you posted from A.net may be some airline's light policy, it definitely isn't Delta's. Delta completely rewrote their policy a few years back in response to several high profile runway incursion incidents in the industry


The Red beacon comes on prior to any aircraft movement or Engine start if starting at the gate. Normally this will happen once we receive pushback clearance from ramp/GRND. Normally the engines are started during or after push, but occasionally due to an inop APU, we might start at the gate so that would bring the beacon on as well. The key with the beacon is that its supposed to let the ramp marshallers/wing walkers know that something is about to happen....unfortunately, over the years there have been rampies who have been run over and killed. With that in mind, the beacon is on whenever the aircraft is about to move.

Delta policy has one subtle difference by adding the term 'whenever the airraft is moving or intending to move'. While the taxi light lets other pilots know you are moving (or giving way when turned off), the taxi light plays a huge role with communicating to airport vehicular traffic that you are moving. Many ramps are 3 ring circuses with bag tugs, fuel trucks, catering vans and other airport vehicles whipping about every which way. It can take a long time to get my jet moving when heavy, and I turn that taxi light on early before I'm ever moving to let the ramp traffic know that now is not the time to try and gun it to make it across my path.

In general this is true and one of the big changes in the light policy was the decision to use all exterior lights whenever crossing or lining up on a runway. But here's an aircraft systems factoid that goes to the heart of the original question about strobes.....most of the planes that one would instantly recognize as PMNW like A320/319/330 and DC9s have their strobes tied into the Air/Ground logic switches of the plane. Therefore, on these aircraft you won't see them come on when the plane takes the runway or is rolling either during takeoff or landing....they don't come on until the plane gets airborne (this is true of the MD88/90 as well). Boeing strobes are basically an On/OFF switch and theoretically should be turned on when entering the runway. However, the policy always allows the option of turning off any light that adversely affects the pilots or pilots of other aircraft. Since turning on the strobes at night will sometimes elicit anonymous groans of disapproval on the radio from other planes in line, some guys will wait to switch them on at takeoff clearance.

On for takeoff clearance correct......mandatory below 10000, incorrect. This goes back to the FAAs informal 'Operation Lights On' policy. The Feds ask for voluntary cooperation by all planes in keeping their landing lights on below 10K. Delta goes a step further recommending all exterior lights on below 18000 ft. This includes things like runway turnoff lights, wing illumation lights, cargo flood lights, etc. Again, flying through clouds with forward facing landing lights on can be annoying at best and destroys your night vision at worst, so they are often turned off. Further, landing lights that extend into the airstream often create wing buffeting at the higher airpseeds that you are allowed to fly above 10000 in the US, so in many cases they are retracted.

On any time the A/C is powered....so, even if it's empty and hooked up to the terminal's external power cord, the Nav lights will be on.

Logo lights have always been an option, and if Delta was buying the plane, they weren't going to spring for the optional whiz bang stuff like logo lights....in fact, don't quote me, but I believe many of the PMNW fleets that were brought over in the merger with logo lights are having them deactivated for across the board standardization

....sorry, that was probably more than you ever wanted to know about lights at Delta!

stdatwmu

Ha, yes I felt quite guilty using that as my reference but it looked correct for the most part. I am a pilot but only Private on my personal time so while I'm familiar with most of the airliner light usage stuff, I'm certainly no expert on the topic. Plus, I knew we'd get a nice follow-up answer once W0X0F had some free time again!

Thanks for sharing all the additional great information, too.

orlandodlplat

Aha! I knew I wasn't crazy. Thanks for the info. Very interesting.

W0X0F_2p2

I believe the only lights specifically required by the regs are the rotating beacon (red anti-collision light) and the nav lights. I'm not even sure if nav lights are required for daylight operations.

[p.s. My iPhone was found on the plane! I tracked down the plane and called ATL maintenance to take one more look as the plane came through. It was strictly an act of desperation and I was shocked when I got the call that the phone was found. Apologies for the distraction from the thread.]

Cholula

^ ^

Tom Williams

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!!

Congratulations on being the first person to ever recover property left on a Delta plane!

stdatwmu

Haha, isn't that the truth!