Some Delta passengers are going to spend Christmas near the North Pole
Dec 24, 2018, 8:27 pm
#31
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https://www.alaskapublic.org/2018/12/24/delta-flight-from-beijing-to-seattle-diverted-to-aleutian-island/
Details on who DL sent with the plane
Details on who DL sent with the plane
Dec 24, 2018, 9:11 pm
#32
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Threads like this, and the Cold Bay one a while back and the Ascension Island one a few years ago and especially the Goose Bay diversions (my Dad spent a couple of cold winters at Goose Bay AFB in the mid 50's) get me thinking "Way cool, I'd love that sort of adventure." Then I think about how upset I was when my LGW-MSP flight (a long time ago) got diverted to FAR because of a thunderstorm at MSP then I realize I probably wouldn't handle it well 
Or when I end up at SNA rather than LAX.
Good job by Delta getting everything handled.
Or when I end up at SNA rather than LAX.Good job by Delta getting everything handled.
Dec 24, 2018, 11:33 pm
#34
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Looks like they are scrambling with the MX of one aircraft and use of another aircraft to go back and forth to the Aleutians. DL 34 today was operated by the same aircraft that did DL 35, and left SEA for CDG with a 4-hour delay. It should get easier tomorrow now that the rescue plane is back in SEA.
Dec 24, 2018, 11:58 pm
#35
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Ok, it’s not that close. But it’s certainly as desolate. DL128, which I’ve taken from PEK to SEA, diverted to SYA — Shemya, Alaska. There’s a rescue flight en route, but boy is that desolate. The last time a Delta flight diverted to an Alaskan island, they had to fly a deicing truck in from MSP. ...
Dec 25, 2018, 6:05 am
#36
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Poor people... I've been to Shemya once. It's basically a runway, two hangars, three or so buildings (offices, barracks and services). The store was super expensivery, they had a nice gold simulator in the gym. Considering what favilifaci are located on the island (a 100+ foot early warning radar and a submarine communication station), I imagine that paxlvements arluar the island were ratively restricted.
Dec 25, 2018, 7:23 am
#37
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What is Alaska flying to Adak? IIRC, they retired the use of their combination cargo and pax aircraft. The flight flies TSA with them because none are stationed there.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adak,_Alaska
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adak,_Alaska
Dec 25, 2018, 7:28 am
#38
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What is Alaska flying to Adak? IIRC, they retired the use of their combination cargo and pax aircraft. The flight flies TSA with them because none are stationed there.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adak,_Alaska
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adak,_Alaska
Dec 25, 2018, 7:37 am
#39
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During the cold war, Shemya was no-go for civilians but had scheduled service operated by Reeve Aleutian Airways using Lockheed Electras which were briefly replaced by some clapped out 727s before RAA went under in the mid-80s.
The USAF people and civilians stationed there called it "The Rock;" unlike Adak (where the Reeve flights stopped en route) there was no dependent housing at Shemya; it was reportedly considered one of the worst duty postings in the whole air force, up there with stations in Greenland. I landed there once on a (long, long) diversion from Cold Bay to Anchorage - apparently there was a medical case or some such which I don't recall - but we weren't allowed off the plane. LOTS of antennas on the ground was all that I could see.
Shemya was the easternmost populated place in one of the United States.
The USAF people and civilians stationed there called it "The Rock;" unlike Adak (where the Reeve flights stopped en route) there was no dependent housing at Shemya; it was reportedly considered one of the worst duty postings in the whole air force, up there with stations in Greenland. I landed there once on a (long, long) diversion from Cold Bay to Anchorage - apparently there was a medical case or some such which I don't recall - but we weren't allowed off the plane. LOTS of antennas on the ground was all that I could see.
Shemya was the easternmost populated place in one of the United States.
Dec 25, 2018, 12:18 pm
#40
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One of the justifications used to continue funding for the air station is that it provides a diversion point within the ETOPS requirements for commercial air traffic. DOD does not consider the station supportable solely for its military mission.
Carriers which perform the TPAC routes all have plans in place to perform a rescue flight. DL is known to be particularly adept at these and to have thought through what will be required.
Carriers which perform the TPAC routes all have plans in place to perform a rescue flight. DL is known to be particularly adept at these and to have thought through what will be required.
Dec 25, 2018, 1:15 pm
#42
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SYA is a lousy divert airport. It does have a long (10,004 foot) runway, but weather is undependable and support flights from EDF are often cancelled due to fog or winds.
Still, diverts do happen such as in 2010 and 2015:
Incident: Cathay B773 near Shemya on Jul 29th 2015, smoke on board
https://www.netairspace.com/forum/vi...hp?f=13&t=7975
Figure 3. Boeing-Conducted Airport Safety And Operational Assessments
Having been to both, I would far prefer to divert to CDB than SYA, Cold Bay is closer to the rest of the country, and is civilian and so you can have the run of the town such that it is. At SYA, you would have military guards and the weather starts at bad and goes down from there.
For anyone who wants to go to Attu, there are the occasional bird or military history tours and even cruises from Japan. The cruises from Japan are rather pricey:
https://www.silversea.com/other-reso...tu-island.html
Zugunruhe Birding Tours
https://www.valortours.com/tours.html (Tour planned for 2020.)
Dec 25, 2018, 7:14 pm
#43
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This one brings back memories. I was never stationed at Shemya, but I passed through there and Adak quite a few times in the old days.
I can safely say that the diverted passengers ran out of interesting things to see and do on Shemya in short order.
I can safely say that the diverted passengers ran out of interesting things to see and do on Shemya in short order.
Dec 25, 2018, 8:27 pm
#44
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Having been to both, I would far prefer to divert to CDB than SYA, Cold Bay is closer to the rest of the country, and is civilian and so you can have the run of the town such that it is. At SYA, you would have military guards and the weather starts at bad and goes down from there.
