Some Delta passengers are going to spend Christmas near the North Pole
Dec 24, 18, 7:56 am
#1
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Some Delta passengers are going to spend Christmas near the North Pole
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.
Rescue flight: https://flightaware.com/live/flight/...110Z/KSEA/PASY
Diversion: https://flightaware.com/live/flight/...420Z/ZBAA/PASY
Rescue flight: https://flightaware.com/live/flight/...110Z/KSEA/PASY
Diversion: https://flightaware.com/live/flight/...420Z/ZBAA/PASY
Dec 24, 18, 8:07 am
#2
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Actually, from Wikipedia, this is just a reopening of a PMNW station:
Now we just need to get DL to unretire the Connie and base it out of Seattle - for my money, the most beautiful commercial aircraft ever designed.
In 1956, Northwest Airlines leased Shemya Island from the U.S. government to use as a refueling station on their North Pacific route. According to Northwest's website, that made them "the first airline to operate its own airport."[2] Northwest was operating Lockheed Constellation L-1049G model propliners on its "Orient Express" service between the U.S. and Asia in 1956.
Dec 24, 18, 8:13 am
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Originally Posted by BenA
Actually, from Wikipedia, this is just a reopening of a PMNW station:
Now we just need to get DL to unretire the Connie and base it out of Seattle - for my money, the most beautiful commercial aircraft ever designed.
Now we just need to get DL to unretire the Connie and base it out of Seattle - for my money, the most beautiful commercial aircraft ever designed.
Dec 24, 18, 8:14 am
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Dec 24, 18, 8:31 am
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Originally Posted by BHammy
Dec 24, 18, 8:32 am
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Originally Posted by BHammy
. And recycling a photo I took earlier this month at SEA and shared in the lounge thread, I suspect the passengers on DL 8240 will get even closer:
Dec 24, 18, 8:40 am
#7
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(For those who don’t follow the lounge thread, the explanation - that “flight” was really on the board, but it was the annual Holiday in the Hangar charity flight, where DL employees decorate their hangar as the North Pole and operate a “flight” there so underprivileged kids can experience what it’s like to take a commercial flight and so they can meet Santa and receive gifts. Kinda puts a new meaning on “redcoat” 
)
)
Dec 24, 18, 9:11 am
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Originally Posted by BenA
Actually, from Wikipedia, this is just a reopening of a PMNW station:
Now we just need to get DL to unretire the Connie and base it out of Seattle - for my money, the most beautiful commercial aircraft ever designed.
Now we just need to get DL to unretire the Connie and base it out of Seattle - for my money, the most beautiful commercial aircraft ever designed.
Dec 24, 18, 9:26 am
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Back to the topic of the diverted flight . . . I hope there is a FTer on board who can report how it all unfolded.A few logistical questions I have about a situation of a diversion to an extremely remote location:
1. Are passengers allowed to deplane? If so, is there any kind of facility for them in which to pass the time? What would that look like? If they do deplane, is there a security rescreening process before they re-board? How would that work as I doubt there is security screening machinery in place there? Maybe they’d send some TSA agents on the rescue plane with hand-held wands?
2. I would really hope that passport formalities (i.e, the absence of a CBP presence there) would not be a barrier to allowing passengers to deplane. I mean, really, is a non-citizen with nefarious intent going to attempt to take advantage of the situation to sneak into the U.S. by way of a remote Aleutian Island?
3. Given that there is a “rescue plane” coming, how are the logistics of checked baggage handled? Will they transfer baggage to the “rescue plane”, or leave it on the affected plane for future delivery? If they bring some baggage handlers on the rescue plane, that’ll probably represent an exciting opportunity for them. Would they bring one of those planeside conveyor belt trucks on the rescue plane?
4. If passengers have to stay on the plane, would Delta be able to provide some meal service and keep lavatories functioning?
Merry Christmas to all on board! Hope you can get where you are going as soon as possible.
1. Are passengers allowed to deplane? If so, is there any kind of facility for them in which to pass the time? What would that look like? If they do deplane, is there a security rescreening process before they re-board? How would that work as I doubt there is security screening machinery in place there? Maybe they’d send some TSA agents on the rescue plane with hand-held wands?
2. I would really hope that passport formalities (i.e, the absence of a CBP presence there) would not be a barrier to allowing passengers to deplane. I mean, really, is a non-citizen with nefarious intent going to attempt to take advantage of the situation to sneak into the U.S. by way of a remote Aleutian Island?
3. Given that there is a “rescue plane” coming, how are the logistics of checked baggage handled? Will they transfer baggage to the “rescue plane”, or leave it on the affected plane for future delivery? If they bring some baggage handlers on the rescue plane, that’ll probably represent an exciting opportunity for them. Would they bring one of those planeside conveyor belt trucks on the rescue plane?
4. If passengers have to stay on the plane, would Delta be able to provide some meal service and keep lavatories functioning?
Merry Christmas to all on board! Hope you can get where you are going as soon as possible.
Last edited by andrewk829; Dec 24, 18 at 9:34 am Reason: Spacing
Dec 24, 18, 9:41 am
#11
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Originally Posted by DLATL777
So, do we know why it diverted?
Dec 24, 18, 10:37 am
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Originally Posted by PHXflier
Not yet, but obviously something mechanical... I suspect the reason will be on avherald.com soon. The affected aircraft is the N1612T, which is a regular on the PEK-SEA route.
Dec 24, 18, 11:36 am
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Originally Posted by andrewk829
3. Given that there is a “rescue plane” coming, how are the logistics of checked baggage handled?
I believe Cold Bay, AK still has a Delta de-ice truck there from a previous ETOPS diversion, it was cheaper to just write it off and leave it there rather than package it up and send it back somewhere in Delta's network. So you never know what sort of oddities are lying around some of these remote ETOPS fields.
