Stuck in a Hold, AS pilot takes passengers sight-seeing to Mt. Rainier
Nov 21, 2018, 2:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska Airlines
Posts: 659
Stuck in a Hold, AS pilot takes passengers sight-seeing to Mt. Rainier
AS 401 from LAS to SEA Tuesday morning was apparently in such a long holding pattern due to the fog that the pilot asked air traffic control for permission to take the plane out on a longer loop to Mt. Rainier while they waited.
According to the article on KOMO it certainly seemed to have kept the passengers pre-occupied and gave them something more enteraining to do than sit around and grumble about the delay. Nice move by the pilot
According to the article on KOMO it certainly seemed to have kept the passengers pre-occupied and gave them something more enteraining to do than sit around and grumble about the delay. Nice move by the pilot
Nov 21, 2018, 11:45 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
On my first trip to Seattle after I started dating my Seattle native now-wife, I was on a United flight in from Denver. We got stuck in a holding pattern in which we did three full loops around Rainier at 14,000 feet. Not bad! But hasn't happened to me in the 12 years since.
Nov 22, 2018, 8:36 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,992
I’ve been on several FAI-ANC runs where we detoured for flightseeing over the top of Denali. The 737’s stay a little higher up, but back when the Q400’s were doing that route you were pretty much at summit level. It was almost unreal.
Nov 22, 2018, 9:07 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,371
Nov 22, 2018, 10:35 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Through a badly scratched Q window with not the greatest lighting. This picture doesn't really do justice to how it looked in person.
Nov 22, 2018, 8:32 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MN
Programs: Lots of programs, dirt on all of them!
Posts: 11,938
Earlier this year on an ANC-FAI flight, the captain announced that those on the right side of the plane would see Denali. I was surprised and confused, since when flying north it has always been on the left side of the plane. Then she said that those on the left would see Mt. Foraker. She also said we would be flying at 23,000 feet. Incredible view from both sides of the plane. Flightseeing at its best!
