Ladies & Gentlemen, we are # on this runway.
Jul 1, 2016, 9:23 am
#16
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I had it happen once when we were a Lifeguard flight.
Jul 1, 2016, 11:27 am
#17
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Although the OP had their experience on a United/United Express flight, this type of announcement from the captain can cover multiple airlines so I'll move this thread over to the TravelBuzz forum
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goalie
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Jul 1, 2016, 11:40 am
#18
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I hear it quite frequently, even if it's just "we're #1 for takeoff". What's rare is for there to be a line and for the plane I'm on to cut it! Happened to me at least once (possibly at PHX) where there were 8-10 planes in the queue and my flight just went around them on a different taxiway and straight to the runway.
Jul 1, 2016, 11:43 am
#19
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I hear it most often at LGA. Not uncommon for my Thursday afternoon flight to be in the 30's when the announcement is made. I instinctively multiply by 1.5 to get the number of minutes until departure...
Jul 1, 2016, 12:27 pm
#20
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I hear "we're #1 for takeoff" a lot, often accompanied by a request to check seat belts or instructions to the FAs. Other numbers, not so much, but it happens from time to time.
Jul 1, 2016, 3:22 pm
#23
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Connecting at ORD (where else!) a few years ago, after some sort of weather problems, there were a HUGE number of planes waiting for takeoff. Listening to Channel 9 on UA, the ground controllers were doing a great job of managing the traffic. I heard several planes return to the gate due to crew time-out issues. One pilot asked "what number are we for take-off?". The response was "Don't ask". We took about 2 hours from push back to take off roll.
Jul 1, 2016, 10:34 pm
#24
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Jul 2, 2016, 6:03 am
#26
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I believe it's better they report the number only when it's still in the single digits... some things are just better unsaid. Like this one time when the captain said "we have to make a stop in Albany to refuel" on a Detroit-New York flight, mid-flight... Why would you tell us that???
Jul 2, 2016, 8:54 am
#28
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I believe it's better they report the number only when it's still in the single digits... some things are just better unsaid. Like this one time when the captain said "we have to make a stop in Albany to refuel" on a Detroit-New York flight, mid-flight... Why would you tell us that???
Jul 2, 2016, 8:59 am
#29
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Because if they didn't tell you, people would wonder - and often worry, and occasionally freak out - about why the plane is losing so much altitude so far from NYC, and why they're being told to shut off their electronic devices and fasten their seat belts. Ordinary stuff for landing, but scary stuff if you don't expect to land. So, why not tell you as soon as they know? What is the upside to keeping the flight plan secret until they start the descent to ALB?
Jul 3, 2016, 11:34 am
#30
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