Winter Weather Woes
Jan 7, 2009, 1:08 am
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2004
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Winter Weather Woes
Tour of Duty 10th December 2008 to 2nd January 2009
After being home longer than I desired due to work being slow I got word of a run from Dodge Center, MN to Calgary, AB. I got a courtesy hold on a ticket on US. I got transport to LGB and paid for the ticket with cash and checked bags which weighed 42.5 pounds and 47.5 pounds. There was a $35 extra fee for airport ticketing and a $40 fee for checking two bags. I cleared security and my boot bag was checked by hand.
USAirways Express #2766 LGB-PHX CRJ-900 Seat 16F Exit Row Cruising altitude not given Estimated flying time 1:09, actual 0:54 Scheduled departure 09h45, actual 09h36 Scheduled arrival 12h07, actual 12h00
Plane was not full. Pushback was 9 minutes early followed by taxi/hold of 16 minutes. Takeoff was to northwest followed by turn west then south. I had good view of the LA Basin, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Torrance Airport, the Port of Los Angeles then we went over the ocean. At 0:10 we made landfall over Camp Pendleton and I saw the San Diego County coast including Point Loma, Coronado and La Jolla. I saw Interstate 5 followed by Interstate 15. Later I saw Borrego Springs. At 0:20 we flew over the Salton Sea and I saw the Imperial Valley and the Gulf of California farther in the distance. I also saw the Algodones Dunes.
Seatbelt sign went off at 0:25. I felt descent begin at 0:28 and we crossed the Colorado River at 0:29. Descent was announced and seatbelt sign went on at 0:35. There were some bumps during latter part of descent. I saw the Phoenix metro area on final and we landed west to east. Taxi and hold time was 13 minutes and we arrived at gate B16 7 minutes early.
USAirways #351 PHX-MSP A-320 Seat 10B Exit Row Cruising altitude 37,000 feet Estimated flying time 2:35, actual 2:42 Scheduled departure 13h00, actual 13h07 Scheduled arrival 17h02, actual 17h08 Ticket cost: $150 plus $35 airport ticketing fee and $40 checked bag fee for two bags
Plane was full or nearly full. I was stuck in middle seat but that was mitigated by the extra room of an exit row. Announcement was made the pilot would be doing test on #2 engine. It was also announced it was 20F with snow showers forecast at MSP and spotty turbulence was expected en route. Pushback from A2 was 7 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 12 minutes and takeoff to the west. There was a turn north and northeast. I did not see as much outside as otherwise as I was in middle seat. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:10 and on again at 0:15 after some bumps and off again at 0:30.
At 0:38 the pilot announced Shiprock, NM could be seen from the left side. At 1:07 it was announced Pikes Peak could be seen from the right and Denver from the left. I saw the Denver metro area and snow on the ground. I saw the Rocky Mountains. I felt descent begin at 2:17. I saw snow on ground below. Descent was announced at 2:22 and it was partly cloudy and 27F at MSP. Seatbelt sign went on at 2:25. There were some bumps mid-descent and we went into clouds and under clouds. I saw the MSP metro area on final and snow on the ground. Gear went down at 2:39 and I saw downtown Minneapolis on final. We landed northwest to southeast. Taxi was 7 minutes and we arrived 6 minutes late at gate E2. I got bags 17 and 21 minutes after arrival.
I got transport to motel in Rochester, MN and got transport next day to Dodge Center, MN where I picked up truck.
Trip Dodge Center, MN to Calgary, AB 1,275 miles Routes: US14 to Interstate 35 to Interstate 35W to Interstate 494 to Interstate 94 to US83 to US52 to Saskatchewan 39 to Saskatchewan 1 and Alberta 1 (Trans Canada Highway) to Alberta 2 Maximum elevation: 3,430 feet at Calgary, AB.
Lowest US Diesel Price: $2.279 per gallon at Petro in Clearwater, MN
Highest US Diesel Price: $2.919 (#1) per gallon at Schatz Minot, ND
Lowest Canadian Diesel Price: 0.859 per liter at Flying J Moose Jaw, SK
Highest Canadian Diesel Price: 0.989 per liter at Husky Medicine Hat, AB
Permits required: MN Trip Permit
This trip started innocently enough. The truck was a garbage truck with automatic transmission. I got started and the temperature dropped and there were a few snow flurries here and there but nothing serious. It was -8F by the time I went to bed in Alexandria, MN the first night.
Friday 12th December was the best day of this run. Temperatures got up into the low 30's F around Valley City, ND before falling after sunset. I heard a major blizzard was forecast starting Saturday afternoon going through almost all day Sunday. I shut down in Washburn, ND for the night.
Saturday morning the wind had picked up and I experienced a ground blizzard where the winds blew around snow that was already on the ground from previous snowfall causing poor visibility. As I closed in on Minot I encountered snowfall. I fueled up and put diesel additive in the tank as I can only get #2 Diesel using my fuel card. Conditions deteriorated rapidly so I elected to get a motel in Minot and shut down and wait out the blizzard there. I plugged the truck in to keep the engine block heater warm as the snow continued to fall. The temperature dropped to -9F with wind chill of -35F by the time I went to bed.
Sunday I was shut down all day. It was -15F with wind chill of -42F when I woke up. To the best of my knowledge all the churches in Minot and the surrounding area were cancelled their services due to the blizzard. It was -18F with wind chill of -48F when I went to bed.
Monday morning dawned bright and clear. Though there was no snowfall it was even colder at -23F with wind chill of -51F. I went out to the truck, and though the engine would turn over the truck would not start. I notified the company and rang some shops. It turned out the truck needed to be towed to shop but there was only one towing company in the area equipped to handle large trucks. The towing company was swamped as there were many other trucks that would not start due to diesel gelling up.
I spent all day Tuesday stuck and it was Wednesday morning before the towing company got to me and towed truck to shop. The shop thawed the truck out, drained the fuel tanks to get out all the gelled fuel and replaced the fuel filter then I paid cash to get some #1 Diesel. This was the warmest I had in a period of over a week where it got up to -1F. I got started and had a good border crossing. I experienced some snow in Estevan, SK and off and on until I shut down in Weyburn, SK.
Thursday morning I was able to start the truck but at first it would not stay running so I used some Diesel 911 and that seemed to solve the problem. The temperature in Weyburn was -30C/-22F when I started. It started snowing before Chaplin, SK and I spent night in Swift Current, SK.
Friday morning it was -23C/-9.4F and snowing and it was a little easier to get the truck running. I got out of the snow around Gull Lake. I got held up as there was some sort of glitch with the fuel card at Medicine Hat, AB. I delivered truck late that evening in Calgary. I was to get another truck at the same location going to Salt Lake City and did the inspection and got signed off. However elected to leave the truck inside the warm building and not get started until the following day as it was very cold and there were no plug-ins available where I was staying at the Road King Travel Centre.
Trip: Calgary, AB to Salt Lake City, UT 897 paid miles Routes: Alberta 2 to Alberta 3 to Alberta 4 to Interstate 15 to Interstate 215 to Utah 201 Maximum elevation: 6,870 feet at Monida Pass on Interstate 15 at the Montana/Idaho state line
Lowest Canadian Diesel Price: 0.787 per liter at Road King Travel Centre Calgary, AB
Highest Canadian Diesel Price: 0.909 per liter at Petro Canada Ft. MacLeod, AB
Lowest U.S. Diesel Price: $1.979 per gallon at Flying J Great Falls, MT
Highest U.S. Diesel Price: $2.499 per gallon at Scroggins Dubois, ID
Permits required: MT and ID Trip Permit
Saturday a friend of mine came over and picked me up and we visited a little while before heading to the truck. It had gotten down to -30C/-22F in Calgary so my decision to leave the truck in a warm building was a wise one. This truck was a garbage truck with an automatic transmission. I got the truck started and fueled up. There is no Diesel #1 or #2 in Canada like there is in the USA; all diesel is seasonally adjusted. I got started. The truck was not airtight so I ended up getting cold feet due to air leaking in. I put my anti-frostbite strategy into effect by taking off my boots one at a time (while parked) and putting my feet under the flow of the heater to get warm. I approached the border and the weigh scale was open and I got my Montana Trip Permit just before crossing the border. I crossed the border with no problem whatsoever and ended up shutting down and plugging in the truck in Shelby, MT.
Sunday morning I had problems starting the truck. I got down to -24F overnight. I finally got truck started but the delay prevented me from attending church anywhere in the morning. I did attend Sunday evening service at Liberty Baptist in Helena, MT and afterwards I shut down in Helena as snow started to fall. The temperature got above zero F for the first time in over a week.
Monday morning it was snowing lightly and the snow got worse near Butte, MT. It got up to 21F in Butte, MT. The snow and visibility got worse as I headed south and I elected to shut down in Dillon, MT.
Tuesday morning it was overcast when I started and the clouds broke and it was mostly clear to Idaho Falls. Then there were more clouds and snow started at Ft. Hall, ID north of Pocatello, ID. There was snow off and on to Tremonton, UT. The company told me my next run would be from St. Nicolas, QC to either Menomonee Falls, WI or Greensboro, NC and booked me a flight SLC-ORD-YQB on United. I shut down in Woods Cross, UT.
Next morning it was partly cloudy as I headed into Salt Lake City and delivered the truck. I made delivery with enough time to get taxi and I got to airport with plenty of time for the flight. I checked in, checked bags and cleared security after a short wait. There was no secondary search and no hand search of carry on bags.
United Express/Skywest #6184 SLC-ORD CRJ-700 Seat 12A Exit Row Cruising altitude 37,000 feet Estimated flying time 2:17, actual 2:32 Scheduled departure 11h02, actual 11h57 Scheduled departure 15h04, actual 16h21
Flight was delayed due to ATC flow control into ORD. That was announced at the gate. We boarded late and the delay was reduced somewhat. Plane was full or nearly full and I got exit row with extra legroom. Configuration was 6F/60Y including E+ Announced weather was improving in Chicago and there was an 85mph tailwind, 1.5 mile visibility and 34F with light snow which was to later subside and winds up to 25-30mph.
Pushback was 55 minutes late from B5 with taxi/hold of 12 minutes. Takeoff was to the south. I saw downtown SLC, the capitol and snow-covered Wasatch mountains on takeoff roll and immediately after takeoff. We turned west and I saw the Oquirrh mountains then north and I saw Interstate 80 and the Great Salt Lake then we flew over the Great Salt Lake.
Seatbelt sign went off at 0:09. At 0:12 I saw the Wyoming Port of Entry and Evanston, WY. I saw there was lots of snow on the ground. There was a drink run at 0:31 and I got cup of soda. Later I got seconds. The mountains gave way to praires. At 0:50 it was announced a 100mph tailwind was eating up the delay and at Chicago the snow stopped and there winds out of the west at 25mph, cloudy skies at 1,000 feet and a temperature of 34F.
I thought I felt descent begin at 1:45. Descent was announced and seatbelt sign went on at 1:54. I saw snow on the ground. Clouds started to increase on approach. I saw Lake Michigan and Interstate 94 through breaks in the clouds. We swung out rather far over Lake Michigan before turning south and west. Because of the clouds I did not see downtown Chicago. We went into and under the clouds. I saw Interstate 294 Tri-State Tollway on final. We had a rough landing east to west. Taxi/hold was 39 minutes. We arrived 1h17minutes late at gate B22.
United Express/Shuttle America #7562 ORD-YUL Scheduled as ORD-YQB EMB-170 Seat 4A Economy Plus Cruising altitude not announced Estimated flying time 2:30, actual 2:39 to YUL Scheduled departure
18h32, actual 18h57 Scheduled arrival at YQB 21h54, actual 03h33 +1Arrival at YUL after diversion was 23h06
Plane was not totally full. I had E+ boarding pass but some passengers were "upgraded" to E+ due to weight/balance issues. The plane had a first class section but no one was upgraded that far. Pushback from B21 was 25 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 29 minutes and takeoff to the west. It felt as though the plane leaped into the sky and the initial climb was rather steep. I saw the lights of the Chicagoland area then turn north and east. There was a drink run and I got cup of soda. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:31.
Things went normal until well into descent. I started feeling bumps and felt descent at 1:12 and descent was announced and seatbelt sign went on at the same time. Due to the clouds I could not see where we were but it appeared there was some icing and I could see precipitation in the sky. Things got quite rough then the pilot came on the intercom and said we missed our approach because another vehicle was stuck on the runway at Quebec City due to ice and a diversion was being initiated to Montreal. At 2:15 we broke under the clouds and I saw the lights of the Montreal metro area and I saw snow on the ground. We approached the airport from the east. Gear went down at 2:18 and I felt things getting progressively rougher and it appeard that the pilot was fighting a losing battle to keep control of the airplane. At 2:21 the pilot gunned the motors and we executed another missed approach. We made turn to the northwest and I thought we were going elsewhere but we came around. Gear went down again at 2:37 and we landed east to west at 2:39 into the flight at 23h06 EST.There was reverse thrust and passengers applauded.
We taxiied to a stand and waited for a spot on the ramp. We parked at a remote area at 23h32 and started moving at 23h55 then arrived at another remote stand at 00h02 +1. Seatbelt sign went off and I used the forward lav. During that time I heard a commotion and when I got out I was told to sit down in first class as an elderly couple was offloaded onto an ambulance. When it was clear I went back to my seat. The plane was refueled and then seatbelt sign went back on at 00h21. At 01h06 it was announced we were wating for a sand truck to sand area behind the aircraft but that truck was at the main terminal. While waiting on the ground strong wind gusts rocked the plane and the precipitation appeared to be rain though I saw the clouds were beginning to break up.
United Express/Shuttle America #7562 YUL-YQB Continuation after diversion to YUL EMB-170 Seat 4A Economy Plus Cruising altitude not announced Estimated flying time 0:30, actual 0:34 Pushback from YUL
01h26 +1 Original scheduled arrival at YQB 21h54, actual 03h33 +1
Pushback was at 01h26 followed by taxi/hold of 21 minutes. The rain stopped by the time we were ready to take off. Takeoff was to the west followed by turn south then east. I saw the St. Lawrence River and the lights of Montreal. I could tell the skies were definitely clearing. Seatbelt sign stayed on. I felt bumps start at 0:07 and thought I felt descent begin at 0:14 after a series of real good bumps. I saw precipitation starting at 0:19 and there were more bumps in the clouds. I thought I may have seen some icing on the leading edge of the wing. Gear went down at 0:26 while still in clouds. We broke under the clouds at 0:30 and I saw lights of the Quebec City area and snow on the ground.
The plane rocked back and forth and touchdown was at 02h22. Total taxi/hold time was 1h11 minutes. We exited the runway we landed on to an adjacent runway to taxi and hit ice and spun around. It was announced we pulled on an ice skating runk and there was solid ice under the aircraft. Trucks were dispatched to spray de-icing agent and after that was done we taxied slowly and stopped 80 feet shy of the gate. It was announced that we were waiting for deicers to de-ice the surface and later it was decided to have a tug pull the plane to the gate as winds were over 40mph. We arrived 5h39min late at gate 33 and deplaned through jetway.
At Customs I was directed to Immigration and had to wait. The wait was not terribly long and I was interviewed and asked if I had problems entering the country. After giving brief explanation I showed work order and explained I was going to pick up a truck I saw bag reclaim and saw my first bag arrive 12 minutes after arrival. After I cleared Immigration I got my bags and exited the Customs hall. I then got taxi to motel in St. Nicolas, QC and got an extended check out time of 15h00 as I needed a minimum 10 hours break before picking up truck otherwise it would have been legally required that I log the travel time as "on duty not driving." It was 05h00 before I got into my room and I saw that the temperature rose to 4C/39.2F.
After my ten hour break I checked out The temperature dropped during the day. I got taxi to the shipper and checked in at the guard shack and I gave identifying information and told the guard I was picking up a garbage truck going to Menomonee Falls, WI. The guard said the battery on the truck was down and he notified people responsible and someone would be sent to give the truck a boost so I could get going. I was told where to wait so to stay warm.
After about an hour I was contacted and told people responsible could not come until following day (it was Christmas Day) and another driver going elsewhere was dropped off so I was taken back to motel where I actually spent night. I spent almost all of Christmas in St. Nicolas, QC.
Following Day (Friday 26th December) I hired taxi back to shipper and found the truck running. I loaded my things and went to truckstop for fuel and got underway.
Trip: St. Nicolas, QC with intended destination of Menomonee Falls, WI 1,111 miles. Trip aborted in Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC due to mechanical problems 185 actual miles Routes: Quebec 20 to Quebec 15 to Quebec
40. Maximum elevation: unknown Permits required: none Fuel price: 0.966 per liter at Ultramar in St. Nicolas, QC
This truck was a garbage truck with an automatic transmission. I got rolling and as I approached the Montreal area a light came on saying the vehicle needed a regeneration. This pretained to the new exhaust aftertreatment system designed to burn off particulates to comply with the emissions standards in the newest diesel engines.
Normally a regeneration is done automatically when the vehicle is driven at highway speeds (80km/h or higher) and the particulates are burned off. If something goes wrong the particulate filter fills up and if it gets too full the vehicle will go into shutdown. There are four stages when the particulate filter fills up and here is a summary in layman's terms:
Stage 1: A regeneration ought to be done fairly soon, either go to highway speed for automatic regeneration or stop and do parked regeneration.
Stage 2: A regeneration ought to be done either automatic or parked.
Stage 3: You really need to stop and do a parked regeneration ASAP
Stage 4: Vehicle will go into shutdown unless stopped immediately. If vehicle shuts down it will need to be towed to shop for a service regeneration.
As I approached Montreal vehicle went into stage 1. In Montreal there was some traffic and lower speed limits so it went into stage 2. As I cleared Montreal proper I got back over 80km/h but it went into stage 3. I stopped at truckstop in Vaudreuil-Dorion and broke out the manuals and tried to initiate a parked regeneration but the instructions were not totally clear. I attempted to do a regeneration but no dice. I notified company and got a room at nearby motel. I had an excellent chicken dinner at St. Hubert's restaraunt.
Saturday morning I rang the Freightliner help desk and talked to a technician and was told in addition to doing what I did I also had to release and then reengage the parking brake. I did so and again no dice so I was stuck in Quebec for the weekend. I looked up churches and rang Faith Baptist in Laval and Sunday morning someone picked me up and took me to Sunday services there. There was lunch afterward then a short afternoon service and during that service the wind kicked up and it was very windy the rest of the day with gusts of up to 91km/h in Montreal.
Monday I drove to shop and made it without shutdown. A technician was able to initiate the regeneration. It turned out that when the parking brake was released it was necessary to put the truck in "drive" for a moment then back to "neutral" then re-engage the parking brake. After the truck was regenerated I was told to drop the truck off at the yard in Vaudreuil as enough time was burned up I would not make it to Wisconsin before the long holiday weekend. I was put on a truck to Baltimore instead.
Trip: Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC to Baltimore, MD 506 paid miles Routes: Quebec 20 to Quebec 138 to Quebec 132 to Quebec 15 to Interstate 87 to Interstate 287 to New Jersey Turnpike to Interstate 295 to Interstate 95 Maximum elevation: unknown Permits required: none Fuel price: No fuel purchased on this trip
I picked up a road tractor, a Freightliner Columbia with a sleeper and a straight 10-speed transmission and fuel capacity of 300 gallons (one 150-gallon tank on each side). The plan was for me to take this truck to Baltimore, get transport back to Vaudreil via rental car and take another truck like it to Baltimore then get back to Vaudreil and get back into the garbage truck I parked and continue toward Wisconsin and then I would be flown home from Milwaukee.
I had major problems getting started as the driveway to the yard was an absolute skating rink and the driveway was an upslope to the main paved road which was elevated. The truck kept sliding back but finally after about 45 minutes I was able to get out. I got started and crossed the border and had to go inside to pay the re-entry fee. I got to truckstop in Wilton, NY before shutting down and for the first time in over four years I slept in a truck sleeper instead of getting a motel. I got a pillow and was able to close the privacy curtains on the truck and it started to snow before I went to bed. I did not sleep well as I was used to sleeping in a real bed.
Next morning the snow had quit and the winds were picking up. I got a shower at the truckstop and got going earlier than usual. The winds gusted as high as 51mph. There was a little snow a little south of Albany but it cleared up before long. It stayed windy but winds gradually diminished as I headed south. Traffic slowed after I got on the New Jersey Turnpike and things really got bogged down in Delaware on approach to toll booth there. I dropped off the truck in Baltimore that evening and got a room for the night.
Next day, 31st December was mostly waiting. I checked out of motel and waited and waited and waited. Dispatch suggested that I go to BWI to pick up rental car and I did though I wish I waited until later. Four people were to travel in the rental car. This was supposed to be a 24-hour rental. If it was just me traveling back to Montreal no problem. I got the car about 15h00 but it was later that evening before everyone showed up as they dropped off trucks and they were tired from driving all day. The weather got very windy in the Baltimore area. There was a challenge of getting everyone's personal belongings into the car that really was not big enough for four people and all their belongings. We finally got started at about 20h37. To compound the problem two people were smokers and two (including yours truly) do not smoke. So we had to take smoke breaks, potty breaks and meal breaks. Everyone had different needs that had to be accommodated. I wanted to go until about midnight or so but the others prevailed upon me to stop by 22h00 and I ended up stopping in Elkton, MD. I rang in the new year in Elkton, MD.
Next morning, 1st January I got ready. One person was ready or said he could be ready within 10 minutes. Another person said he needed another 30 minutes and another said he needed an hour to an hour and a half. We finally got going and made numerous stops. Unleaded gas was $1.399 in NJ and $1.869 in upstate NY. It got colder as we progressed north. It was down to maybe 2F as we crossed the border and the crossing into Quebec went a lot more painlessly and quickly than I expected. Because the transporter licence plate the company issued me had expired and the new one had already been mailed home the company booked me an air ticket home from Montreal. I dropped the other drivers off at the yard then went to YUL to turn in rental car and got a free shuttle to motel.
Next morning 2nd January I got up early after only about 2h30min of sleep. I got shuttle to YUL and checked in for flights. I was pleasantly surprised that I was not charged extra to check bags. There was a fair sized line for US Customs Preclearance and a shorter wait but still a wait for security where there was no secondary screening and no search of carry on's. It was about 45 minutes from the time I arrived at the airport to when I was clear of security.
Northwest Airlink #3406 YUL-DTW CRJ-900 Seat 8D Cruising altitude not given Estimated flying time 1:30, actual 1:30 Scheduled departure 08h34, actual 08h26 Scheduled arrival 10h55, actual 10h49
This CRJ was configured 12F/64Y for total capacity of 76. Y was mostly full but F was less than half full. Pushback from gate 84 was 8 minutes early followed by taxi/hold/deicing of 38 minutes then takeoff to the east. Immediately I saw downtown Montreal and the St. Lawrence River. We made turn north then west and I saw snow on the ground. We went through first layer of clouds by 0:05 and seatbelt sign went off at 0:18.
There was a drink run and I got can of soda. I thought I felt descent begin at 0:51 and I saw what looked like London, ON through a break in the clouds. Descent was announced at 1:11 and seatbelt sign went on at the same time and it was announced it was 0F at DTW. I saw the Detroit River and entered US airspace as we crossed Lake St. Clair about 1:16-1:20. We approached DTW from the northeast and the approach seemed to be unstable. I saw Interstate 94 on final and we landed northeast to southwest. Taxi was 14 minutes and we arrived 6 minutes early at gate B6. We deplaned by jetway and I went to the "A" concourse for next flight and in so doing I walked through a tunnel that changed colours.
Northwest #1447 DTW-MSP DC-9-30 Seat 12F Exit Row Cruising altitude 34,000 feet Estimated flying time not announced, actual 1:41 Scheduled departure 12h02, actual 12h04 Estimated flying time not announced, actual time 1:41.Scheduled departure 12h02, actual 12h04 Scheduled arrival 13h13, actual 13h06
Plane was full or nearly full. This was an ancient DC-9. Configuration was 2-3 in Y and capacity was 16F/84Y. Pushback from A63 was 2 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 15 minutes and takeoff to the south. The plane was very loud on taxi and the plane was an old DC-9. It was not quite so loud once in the air. Soon we turned west. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:13.
At 0:22 there was a drink run and I got can of soda. Clouds broke over Lake Michigan. We made landfall south of Green Bay, WI. At 1:15 I saw what looked like Eau Claire, WI. I thought I may have felt descent begin around 1:04 and felt it for sure at 1:24 when seatbelt sign went on. At 1:32 I saw what looked to be Interstate 94 and Hudson, WI. I saw the St. Croix River which was the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. I saw skylines of the Twin Cities in the distance then saw the Mississippi River on final. We landed east to west and there was taxi/hold of 5 minutes and we arrived 7 minutes early at D5.
Northwest #315 MSP-LAX A-319 Seat 21A Cruising altitude 36,000 feet Estimated flying time 3:46, actual 3:44 Scheduled departure 14h30, actual 14h28 Scheduled arrival 16h25, actual 16h32 Ticket cost: unknown
Plane was totally full. I originally had boarding pass for 9E but the gate agent was very helpful in getting me a window seat 21A near the back. Props to the gate agent for making the change. Pilot made announcement it was foggy and 55F at LAX. Though that is quite cool by Southern California standards it is warmer than anything I experienced since I left California on this tour of duty.
Pushback was 2 minutes early from G13. Taxi/hold was 11 minutes followed by takeoff to east then turn south and southwest. I saw the south part of the MSP metro area and snow on the ground. I saw the split between Interstates 35 West and East and Lakeville, MN. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:21 upon reaching cruise. I was told there were strong headwinds of about 100mph.
At about 1:00 due to being in second to last row there was drink run and I got can of soda and purchased a snack box for $5USD. The snack box consisted of Asiago Parmesan Cheese, Swiss Cheese, two packages of Pepperidge Farm crackers, Pita Chips, Mini-Oreo cookies and Bumble Bee Lemon Pepper Tuna. That complimented a pastrami and corned beef sandwich I purchased at MSP.
At 1:16 the FA came through offering coffee (I declined). At 1:30 seatbelt sign went on due to turbulence. I saw the Great Plains down below but was not exactly wher. Seatbelt sign went off at 1:42 and I was not sure where we were as the skies were hazy and there were thin layers of clouds at the time...
At about 2:35 I saw Interstate 40 and the Holbrook, AZ area along with Joseph City, AZ. At 2:56 there was another drink run and I got whole can of soda again. At 3:03 we crossed the Colorado River into California and I saw Lake Havasu. Announcement was made we had 40 minutes of flight remaining. I thought I felt descent at 3:09 and at 3:15 I saw the Salton Sea in the distance. Closer in I saw the Coachella Valley in the gathering haze.
Descent was announced and seatbelt sign went on at 3:19. It was hazy and 53F at LAX. I saw snowcapped peak of Mt. San Jacinto and a lot more haze and clouds to the west. I saw wind turbines directly below. At 3:21 I saw Interstate 10, Cabazon, the Morongo Casino, Banning and the truck weigh scale on the east side of Banning. At 3:25 I saw Lake Perris through the haze. I saw that the LA Basin was totally socked in with clouds west of the Santa Ana mountains. I saw Lake Elsinore through the haze and we made turn northwest then west. We went into clouds at 3:40, under clouds at 3:41 and gear went down. I saw Interstate 110 adn we landed east to west. Taxi was 8 minutes and during taxi I saw two Qantas A-380 jumbo jets. We arrived 7 minutes late at gate 24. Bags arrived 19-20 minutes after arrival and I discovered some items were missing from one bag and gone forever. I got shuttle home and thus ends this 24-day tour of duty.
After being home longer than I desired due to work being slow I got word of a run from Dodge Center, MN to Calgary, AB. I got a courtesy hold on a ticket on US. I got transport to LGB and paid for the ticket with cash and checked bags which weighed 42.5 pounds and 47.5 pounds. There was a $35 extra fee for airport ticketing and a $40 fee for checking two bags. I cleared security and my boot bag was checked by hand.
USAirways Express #2766 LGB-PHX CRJ-900 Seat 16F Exit Row Cruising altitude not given Estimated flying time 1:09, actual 0:54 Scheduled departure 09h45, actual 09h36 Scheduled arrival 12h07, actual 12h00
Plane was not full. Pushback was 9 minutes early followed by taxi/hold of 16 minutes. Takeoff was to northwest followed by turn west then south. I had good view of the LA Basin, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Torrance Airport, the Port of Los Angeles then we went over the ocean. At 0:10 we made landfall over Camp Pendleton and I saw the San Diego County coast including Point Loma, Coronado and La Jolla. I saw Interstate 5 followed by Interstate 15. Later I saw Borrego Springs. At 0:20 we flew over the Salton Sea and I saw the Imperial Valley and the Gulf of California farther in the distance. I also saw the Algodones Dunes.
Seatbelt sign went off at 0:25. I felt descent begin at 0:28 and we crossed the Colorado River at 0:29. Descent was announced and seatbelt sign went on at 0:35. There were some bumps during latter part of descent. I saw the Phoenix metro area on final and we landed west to east. Taxi and hold time was 13 minutes and we arrived at gate B16 7 minutes early.
USAirways #351 PHX-MSP A-320 Seat 10B Exit Row Cruising altitude 37,000 feet Estimated flying time 2:35, actual 2:42 Scheduled departure 13h00, actual 13h07 Scheduled arrival 17h02, actual 17h08 Ticket cost: $150 plus $35 airport ticketing fee and $40 checked bag fee for two bags
Plane was full or nearly full. I was stuck in middle seat but that was mitigated by the extra room of an exit row. Announcement was made the pilot would be doing test on #2 engine. It was also announced it was 20F with snow showers forecast at MSP and spotty turbulence was expected en route. Pushback from A2 was 7 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 12 minutes and takeoff to the west. There was a turn north and northeast. I did not see as much outside as otherwise as I was in middle seat. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:10 and on again at 0:15 after some bumps and off again at 0:30.
At 0:38 the pilot announced Shiprock, NM could be seen from the left side. At 1:07 it was announced Pikes Peak could be seen from the right and Denver from the left. I saw the Denver metro area and snow on the ground. I saw the Rocky Mountains. I felt descent begin at 2:17. I saw snow on ground below. Descent was announced at 2:22 and it was partly cloudy and 27F at MSP. Seatbelt sign went on at 2:25. There were some bumps mid-descent and we went into clouds and under clouds. I saw the MSP metro area on final and snow on the ground. Gear went down at 2:39 and I saw downtown Minneapolis on final. We landed northwest to southeast. Taxi was 7 minutes and we arrived 6 minutes late at gate E2. I got bags 17 and 21 minutes after arrival.
I got transport to motel in Rochester, MN and got transport next day to Dodge Center, MN where I picked up truck.
Trip Dodge Center, MN to Calgary, AB 1,275 miles Routes: US14 to Interstate 35 to Interstate 35W to Interstate 494 to Interstate 94 to US83 to US52 to Saskatchewan 39 to Saskatchewan 1 and Alberta 1 (Trans Canada Highway) to Alberta 2 Maximum elevation: 3,430 feet at Calgary, AB.
Lowest US Diesel Price: $2.279 per gallon at Petro in Clearwater, MN
Highest US Diesel Price: $2.919 (#1) per gallon at Schatz Minot, ND
Lowest Canadian Diesel Price: 0.859 per liter at Flying J Moose Jaw, SK
Highest Canadian Diesel Price: 0.989 per liter at Husky Medicine Hat, AB
Permits required: MN Trip Permit
This trip started innocently enough. The truck was a garbage truck with automatic transmission. I got started and the temperature dropped and there were a few snow flurries here and there but nothing serious. It was -8F by the time I went to bed in Alexandria, MN the first night.
Friday 12th December was the best day of this run. Temperatures got up into the low 30's F around Valley City, ND before falling after sunset. I heard a major blizzard was forecast starting Saturday afternoon going through almost all day Sunday. I shut down in Washburn, ND for the night.
Saturday morning the wind had picked up and I experienced a ground blizzard where the winds blew around snow that was already on the ground from previous snowfall causing poor visibility. As I closed in on Minot I encountered snowfall. I fueled up and put diesel additive in the tank as I can only get #2 Diesel using my fuel card. Conditions deteriorated rapidly so I elected to get a motel in Minot and shut down and wait out the blizzard there. I plugged the truck in to keep the engine block heater warm as the snow continued to fall. The temperature dropped to -9F with wind chill of -35F by the time I went to bed.
Sunday I was shut down all day. It was -15F with wind chill of -42F when I woke up. To the best of my knowledge all the churches in Minot and the surrounding area were cancelled their services due to the blizzard. It was -18F with wind chill of -48F when I went to bed.
Monday morning dawned bright and clear. Though there was no snowfall it was even colder at -23F with wind chill of -51F. I went out to the truck, and though the engine would turn over the truck would not start. I notified the company and rang some shops. It turned out the truck needed to be towed to shop but there was only one towing company in the area equipped to handle large trucks. The towing company was swamped as there were many other trucks that would not start due to diesel gelling up.
I spent all day Tuesday stuck and it was Wednesday morning before the towing company got to me and towed truck to shop. The shop thawed the truck out, drained the fuel tanks to get out all the gelled fuel and replaced the fuel filter then I paid cash to get some #1 Diesel. This was the warmest I had in a period of over a week where it got up to -1F. I got started and had a good border crossing. I experienced some snow in Estevan, SK and off and on until I shut down in Weyburn, SK.
Thursday morning I was able to start the truck but at first it would not stay running so I used some Diesel 911 and that seemed to solve the problem. The temperature in Weyburn was -30C/-22F when I started. It started snowing before Chaplin, SK and I spent night in Swift Current, SK.
Friday morning it was -23C/-9.4F and snowing and it was a little easier to get the truck running. I got out of the snow around Gull Lake. I got held up as there was some sort of glitch with the fuel card at Medicine Hat, AB. I delivered truck late that evening in Calgary. I was to get another truck at the same location going to Salt Lake City and did the inspection and got signed off. However elected to leave the truck inside the warm building and not get started until the following day as it was very cold and there were no plug-ins available where I was staying at the Road King Travel Centre.
Trip: Calgary, AB to Salt Lake City, UT 897 paid miles Routes: Alberta 2 to Alberta 3 to Alberta 4 to Interstate 15 to Interstate 215 to Utah 201 Maximum elevation: 6,870 feet at Monida Pass on Interstate 15 at the Montana/Idaho state line
Lowest Canadian Diesel Price: 0.787 per liter at Road King Travel Centre Calgary, AB
Highest Canadian Diesel Price: 0.909 per liter at Petro Canada Ft. MacLeod, AB
Lowest U.S. Diesel Price: $1.979 per gallon at Flying J Great Falls, MT
Highest U.S. Diesel Price: $2.499 per gallon at Scroggins Dubois, ID
Permits required: MT and ID Trip Permit
Saturday a friend of mine came over and picked me up and we visited a little while before heading to the truck. It had gotten down to -30C/-22F in Calgary so my decision to leave the truck in a warm building was a wise one. This truck was a garbage truck with an automatic transmission. I got the truck started and fueled up. There is no Diesel #1 or #2 in Canada like there is in the USA; all diesel is seasonally adjusted. I got started. The truck was not airtight so I ended up getting cold feet due to air leaking in. I put my anti-frostbite strategy into effect by taking off my boots one at a time (while parked) and putting my feet under the flow of the heater to get warm. I approached the border and the weigh scale was open and I got my Montana Trip Permit just before crossing the border. I crossed the border with no problem whatsoever and ended up shutting down and plugging in the truck in Shelby, MT.
Sunday morning I had problems starting the truck. I got down to -24F overnight. I finally got truck started but the delay prevented me from attending church anywhere in the morning. I did attend Sunday evening service at Liberty Baptist in Helena, MT and afterwards I shut down in Helena as snow started to fall. The temperature got above zero F for the first time in over a week.
Monday morning it was snowing lightly and the snow got worse near Butte, MT. It got up to 21F in Butte, MT. The snow and visibility got worse as I headed south and I elected to shut down in Dillon, MT.
Tuesday morning it was overcast when I started and the clouds broke and it was mostly clear to Idaho Falls. Then there were more clouds and snow started at Ft. Hall, ID north of Pocatello, ID. There was snow off and on to Tremonton, UT. The company told me my next run would be from St. Nicolas, QC to either Menomonee Falls, WI or Greensboro, NC and booked me a flight SLC-ORD-YQB on United. I shut down in Woods Cross, UT.
Next morning it was partly cloudy as I headed into Salt Lake City and delivered the truck. I made delivery with enough time to get taxi and I got to airport with plenty of time for the flight. I checked in, checked bags and cleared security after a short wait. There was no secondary search and no hand search of carry on bags.
United Express/Skywest #6184 SLC-ORD CRJ-700 Seat 12A Exit Row Cruising altitude 37,000 feet Estimated flying time 2:17, actual 2:32 Scheduled departure 11h02, actual 11h57 Scheduled departure 15h04, actual 16h21
Flight was delayed due to ATC flow control into ORD. That was announced at the gate. We boarded late and the delay was reduced somewhat. Plane was full or nearly full and I got exit row with extra legroom. Configuration was 6F/60Y including E+ Announced weather was improving in Chicago and there was an 85mph tailwind, 1.5 mile visibility and 34F with light snow which was to later subside and winds up to 25-30mph.
Pushback was 55 minutes late from B5 with taxi/hold of 12 minutes. Takeoff was to the south. I saw downtown SLC, the capitol and snow-covered Wasatch mountains on takeoff roll and immediately after takeoff. We turned west and I saw the Oquirrh mountains then north and I saw Interstate 80 and the Great Salt Lake then we flew over the Great Salt Lake.
Seatbelt sign went off at 0:09. At 0:12 I saw the Wyoming Port of Entry and Evanston, WY. I saw there was lots of snow on the ground. There was a drink run at 0:31 and I got cup of soda. Later I got seconds. The mountains gave way to praires. At 0:50 it was announced a 100mph tailwind was eating up the delay and at Chicago the snow stopped and there winds out of the west at 25mph, cloudy skies at 1,000 feet and a temperature of 34F.
I thought I felt descent begin at 1:45. Descent was announced and seatbelt sign went on at 1:54. I saw snow on the ground. Clouds started to increase on approach. I saw Lake Michigan and Interstate 94 through breaks in the clouds. We swung out rather far over Lake Michigan before turning south and west. Because of the clouds I did not see downtown Chicago. We went into and under the clouds. I saw Interstate 294 Tri-State Tollway on final. We had a rough landing east to west. Taxi/hold was 39 minutes. We arrived 1h17minutes late at gate B22.
United Express/Shuttle America #7562 ORD-YUL Scheduled as ORD-YQB EMB-170 Seat 4A Economy Plus Cruising altitude not announced Estimated flying time 2:30, actual 2:39 to YUL Scheduled departure
18h32, actual 18h57 Scheduled arrival at YQB 21h54, actual 03h33 +1Arrival at YUL after diversion was 23h06
Plane was not totally full. I had E+ boarding pass but some passengers were "upgraded" to E+ due to weight/balance issues. The plane had a first class section but no one was upgraded that far. Pushback from B21 was 25 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 29 minutes and takeoff to the west. It felt as though the plane leaped into the sky and the initial climb was rather steep. I saw the lights of the Chicagoland area then turn north and east. There was a drink run and I got cup of soda. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:31.
Things went normal until well into descent. I started feeling bumps and felt descent at 1:12 and descent was announced and seatbelt sign went on at the same time. Due to the clouds I could not see where we were but it appeared there was some icing and I could see precipitation in the sky. Things got quite rough then the pilot came on the intercom and said we missed our approach because another vehicle was stuck on the runway at Quebec City due to ice and a diversion was being initiated to Montreal. At 2:15 we broke under the clouds and I saw the lights of the Montreal metro area and I saw snow on the ground. We approached the airport from the east. Gear went down at 2:18 and I felt things getting progressively rougher and it appeard that the pilot was fighting a losing battle to keep control of the airplane. At 2:21 the pilot gunned the motors and we executed another missed approach. We made turn to the northwest and I thought we were going elsewhere but we came around. Gear went down again at 2:37 and we landed east to west at 2:39 into the flight at 23h06 EST.There was reverse thrust and passengers applauded.
We taxiied to a stand and waited for a spot on the ramp. We parked at a remote area at 23h32 and started moving at 23h55 then arrived at another remote stand at 00h02 +1. Seatbelt sign went off and I used the forward lav. During that time I heard a commotion and when I got out I was told to sit down in first class as an elderly couple was offloaded onto an ambulance. When it was clear I went back to my seat. The plane was refueled and then seatbelt sign went back on at 00h21. At 01h06 it was announced we were wating for a sand truck to sand area behind the aircraft but that truck was at the main terminal. While waiting on the ground strong wind gusts rocked the plane and the precipitation appeared to be rain though I saw the clouds were beginning to break up.
United Express/Shuttle America #7562 YUL-YQB Continuation after diversion to YUL EMB-170 Seat 4A Economy Plus Cruising altitude not announced Estimated flying time 0:30, actual 0:34 Pushback from YUL
01h26 +1 Original scheduled arrival at YQB 21h54, actual 03h33 +1
Pushback was at 01h26 followed by taxi/hold of 21 minutes. The rain stopped by the time we were ready to take off. Takeoff was to the west followed by turn south then east. I saw the St. Lawrence River and the lights of Montreal. I could tell the skies were definitely clearing. Seatbelt sign stayed on. I felt bumps start at 0:07 and thought I felt descent begin at 0:14 after a series of real good bumps. I saw precipitation starting at 0:19 and there were more bumps in the clouds. I thought I may have seen some icing on the leading edge of the wing. Gear went down at 0:26 while still in clouds. We broke under the clouds at 0:30 and I saw lights of the Quebec City area and snow on the ground.
The plane rocked back and forth and touchdown was at 02h22. Total taxi/hold time was 1h11 minutes. We exited the runway we landed on to an adjacent runway to taxi and hit ice and spun around. It was announced we pulled on an ice skating runk and there was solid ice under the aircraft. Trucks were dispatched to spray de-icing agent and after that was done we taxied slowly and stopped 80 feet shy of the gate. It was announced that we were waiting for deicers to de-ice the surface and later it was decided to have a tug pull the plane to the gate as winds were over 40mph. We arrived 5h39min late at gate 33 and deplaned through jetway.
At Customs I was directed to Immigration and had to wait. The wait was not terribly long and I was interviewed and asked if I had problems entering the country. After giving brief explanation I showed work order and explained I was going to pick up a truck I saw bag reclaim and saw my first bag arrive 12 minutes after arrival. After I cleared Immigration I got my bags and exited the Customs hall. I then got taxi to motel in St. Nicolas, QC and got an extended check out time of 15h00 as I needed a minimum 10 hours break before picking up truck otherwise it would have been legally required that I log the travel time as "on duty not driving." It was 05h00 before I got into my room and I saw that the temperature rose to 4C/39.2F.
After my ten hour break I checked out The temperature dropped during the day. I got taxi to the shipper and checked in at the guard shack and I gave identifying information and told the guard I was picking up a garbage truck going to Menomonee Falls, WI. The guard said the battery on the truck was down and he notified people responsible and someone would be sent to give the truck a boost so I could get going. I was told where to wait so to stay warm.
After about an hour I was contacted and told people responsible could not come until following day (it was Christmas Day) and another driver going elsewhere was dropped off so I was taken back to motel where I actually spent night. I spent almost all of Christmas in St. Nicolas, QC.
Following Day (Friday 26th December) I hired taxi back to shipper and found the truck running. I loaded my things and went to truckstop for fuel and got underway.
Trip: St. Nicolas, QC with intended destination of Menomonee Falls, WI 1,111 miles. Trip aborted in Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC due to mechanical problems 185 actual miles Routes: Quebec 20 to Quebec 15 to Quebec
40. Maximum elevation: unknown Permits required: none Fuel price: 0.966 per liter at Ultramar in St. Nicolas, QC
This truck was a garbage truck with an automatic transmission. I got rolling and as I approached the Montreal area a light came on saying the vehicle needed a regeneration. This pretained to the new exhaust aftertreatment system designed to burn off particulates to comply with the emissions standards in the newest diesel engines.
Normally a regeneration is done automatically when the vehicle is driven at highway speeds (80km/h or higher) and the particulates are burned off. If something goes wrong the particulate filter fills up and if it gets too full the vehicle will go into shutdown. There are four stages when the particulate filter fills up and here is a summary in layman's terms:
Stage 1: A regeneration ought to be done fairly soon, either go to highway speed for automatic regeneration or stop and do parked regeneration.
Stage 2: A regeneration ought to be done either automatic or parked.
Stage 3: You really need to stop and do a parked regeneration ASAP
Stage 4: Vehicle will go into shutdown unless stopped immediately. If vehicle shuts down it will need to be towed to shop for a service regeneration.
As I approached Montreal vehicle went into stage 1. In Montreal there was some traffic and lower speed limits so it went into stage 2. As I cleared Montreal proper I got back over 80km/h but it went into stage 3. I stopped at truckstop in Vaudreuil-Dorion and broke out the manuals and tried to initiate a parked regeneration but the instructions were not totally clear. I attempted to do a regeneration but no dice. I notified company and got a room at nearby motel. I had an excellent chicken dinner at St. Hubert's restaraunt.
Saturday morning I rang the Freightliner help desk and talked to a technician and was told in addition to doing what I did I also had to release and then reengage the parking brake. I did so and again no dice so I was stuck in Quebec for the weekend. I looked up churches and rang Faith Baptist in Laval and Sunday morning someone picked me up and took me to Sunday services there. There was lunch afterward then a short afternoon service and during that service the wind kicked up and it was very windy the rest of the day with gusts of up to 91km/h in Montreal.
Monday I drove to shop and made it without shutdown. A technician was able to initiate the regeneration. It turned out that when the parking brake was released it was necessary to put the truck in "drive" for a moment then back to "neutral" then re-engage the parking brake. After the truck was regenerated I was told to drop the truck off at the yard in Vaudreuil as enough time was burned up I would not make it to Wisconsin before the long holiday weekend. I was put on a truck to Baltimore instead.
Trip: Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC to Baltimore, MD 506 paid miles Routes: Quebec 20 to Quebec 138 to Quebec 132 to Quebec 15 to Interstate 87 to Interstate 287 to New Jersey Turnpike to Interstate 295 to Interstate 95 Maximum elevation: unknown Permits required: none Fuel price: No fuel purchased on this trip
I picked up a road tractor, a Freightliner Columbia with a sleeper and a straight 10-speed transmission and fuel capacity of 300 gallons (one 150-gallon tank on each side). The plan was for me to take this truck to Baltimore, get transport back to Vaudreil via rental car and take another truck like it to Baltimore then get back to Vaudreil and get back into the garbage truck I parked and continue toward Wisconsin and then I would be flown home from Milwaukee.
I had major problems getting started as the driveway to the yard was an absolute skating rink and the driveway was an upslope to the main paved road which was elevated. The truck kept sliding back but finally after about 45 minutes I was able to get out. I got started and crossed the border and had to go inside to pay the re-entry fee. I got to truckstop in Wilton, NY before shutting down and for the first time in over four years I slept in a truck sleeper instead of getting a motel. I got a pillow and was able to close the privacy curtains on the truck and it started to snow before I went to bed. I did not sleep well as I was used to sleeping in a real bed.
Next morning the snow had quit and the winds were picking up. I got a shower at the truckstop and got going earlier than usual. The winds gusted as high as 51mph. There was a little snow a little south of Albany but it cleared up before long. It stayed windy but winds gradually diminished as I headed south. Traffic slowed after I got on the New Jersey Turnpike and things really got bogged down in Delaware on approach to toll booth there. I dropped off the truck in Baltimore that evening and got a room for the night.
Next day, 31st December was mostly waiting. I checked out of motel and waited and waited and waited. Dispatch suggested that I go to BWI to pick up rental car and I did though I wish I waited until later. Four people were to travel in the rental car. This was supposed to be a 24-hour rental. If it was just me traveling back to Montreal no problem. I got the car about 15h00 but it was later that evening before everyone showed up as they dropped off trucks and they were tired from driving all day. The weather got very windy in the Baltimore area. There was a challenge of getting everyone's personal belongings into the car that really was not big enough for four people and all their belongings. We finally got started at about 20h37. To compound the problem two people were smokers and two (including yours truly) do not smoke. So we had to take smoke breaks, potty breaks and meal breaks. Everyone had different needs that had to be accommodated. I wanted to go until about midnight or so but the others prevailed upon me to stop by 22h00 and I ended up stopping in Elkton, MD. I rang in the new year in Elkton, MD.
Next morning, 1st January I got ready. One person was ready or said he could be ready within 10 minutes. Another person said he needed another 30 minutes and another said he needed an hour to an hour and a half. We finally got going and made numerous stops. Unleaded gas was $1.399 in NJ and $1.869 in upstate NY. It got colder as we progressed north. It was down to maybe 2F as we crossed the border and the crossing into Quebec went a lot more painlessly and quickly than I expected. Because the transporter licence plate the company issued me had expired and the new one had already been mailed home the company booked me an air ticket home from Montreal. I dropped the other drivers off at the yard then went to YUL to turn in rental car and got a free shuttle to motel.
Next morning 2nd January I got up early after only about 2h30min of sleep. I got shuttle to YUL and checked in for flights. I was pleasantly surprised that I was not charged extra to check bags. There was a fair sized line for US Customs Preclearance and a shorter wait but still a wait for security where there was no secondary screening and no search of carry on's. It was about 45 minutes from the time I arrived at the airport to when I was clear of security.
Northwest Airlink #3406 YUL-DTW CRJ-900 Seat 8D Cruising altitude not given Estimated flying time 1:30, actual 1:30 Scheduled departure 08h34, actual 08h26 Scheduled arrival 10h55, actual 10h49
This CRJ was configured 12F/64Y for total capacity of 76. Y was mostly full but F was less than half full. Pushback from gate 84 was 8 minutes early followed by taxi/hold/deicing of 38 minutes then takeoff to the east. Immediately I saw downtown Montreal and the St. Lawrence River. We made turn north then west and I saw snow on the ground. We went through first layer of clouds by 0:05 and seatbelt sign went off at 0:18.
There was a drink run and I got can of soda. I thought I felt descent begin at 0:51 and I saw what looked like London, ON through a break in the clouds. Descent was announced at 1:11 and seatbelt sign went on at the same time and it was announced it was 0F at DTW. I saw the Detroit River and entered US airspace as we crossed Lake St. Clair about 1:16-1:20. We approached DTW from the northeast and the approach seemed to be unstable. I saw Interstate 94 on final and we landed northeast to southwest. Taxi was 14 minutes and we arrived 6 minutes early at gate B6. We deplaned by jetway and I went to the "A" concourse for next flight and in so doing I walked through a tunnel that changed colours.
Northwest #1447 DTW-MSP DC-9-30 Seat 12F Exit Row Cruising altitude 34,000 feet Estimated flying time not announced, actual 1:41 Scheduled departure 12h02, actual 12h04 Estimated flying time not announced, actual time 1:41.Scheduled departure 12h02, actual 12h04 Scheduled arrival 13h13, actual 13h06
Plane was full or nearly full. This was an ancient DC-9. Configuration was 2-3 in Y and capacity was 16F/84Y. Pushback from A63 was 2 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 15 minutes and takeoff to the south. The plane was very loud on taxi and the plane was an old DC-9. It was not quite so loud once in the air. Soon we turned west. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:13.
At 0:22 there was a drink run and I got can of soda. Clouds broke over Lake Michigan. We made landfall south of Green Bay, WI. At 1:15 I saw what looked like Eau Claire, WI. I thought I may have felt descent begin around 1:04 and felt it for sure at 1:24 when seatbelt sign went on. At 1:32 I saw what looked to be Interstate 94 and Hudson, WI. I saw the St. Croix River which was the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. I saw skylines of the Twin Cities in the distance then saw the Mississippi River on final. We landed east to west and there was taxi/hold of 5 minutes and we arrived 7 minutes early at D5.
Northwest #315 MSP-LAX A-319 Seat 21A Cruising altitude 36,000 feet Estimated flying time 3:46, actual 3:44 Scheduled departure 14h30, actual 14h28 Scheduled arrival 16h25, actual 16h32 Ticket cost: unknown
Plane was totally full. I originally had boarding pass for 9E but the gate agent was very helpful in getting me a window seat 21A near the back. Props to the gate agent for making the change. Pilot made announcement it was foggy and 55F at LAX. Though that is quite cool by Southern California standards it is warmer than anything I experienced since I left California on this tour of duty.
Pushback was 2 minutes early from G13. Taxi/hold was 11 minutes followed by takeoff to east then turn south and southwest. I saw the south part of the MSP metro area and snow on the ground. I saw the split between Interstates 35 West and East and Lakeville, MN. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:21 upon reaching cruise. I was told there were strong headwinds of about 100mph.
At about 1:00 due to being in second to last row there was drink run and I got can of soda and purchased a snack box for $5USD. The snack box consisted of Asiago Parmesan Cheese, Swiss Cheese, two packages of Pepperidge Farm crackers, Pita Chips, Mini-Oreo cookies and Bumble Bee Lemon Pepper Tuna. That complimented a pastrami and corned beef sandwich I purchased at MSP.
At 1:16 the FA came through offering coffee (I declined). At 1:30 seatbelt sign went on due to turbulence. I saw the Great Plains down below but was not exactly wher. Seatbelt sign went off at 1:42 and I was not sure where we were as the skies were hazy and there were thin layers of clouds at the time...
At about 2:35 I saw Interstate 40 and the Holbrook, AZ area along with Joseph City, AZ. At 2:56 there was another drink run and I got whole can of soda again. At 3:03 we crossed the Colorado River into California and I saw Lake Havasu. Announcement was made we had 40 minutes of flight remaining. I thought I felt descent at 3:09 and at 3:15 I saw the Salton Sea in the distance. Closer in I saw the Coachella Valley in the gathering haze.
Descent was announced and seatbelt sign went on at 3:19. It was hazy and 53F at LAX. I saw snowcapped peak of Mt. San Jacinto and a lot more haze and clouds to the west. I saw wind turbines directly below. At 3:21 I saw Interstate 10, Cabazon, the Morongo Casino, Banning and the truck weigh scale on the east side of Banning. At 3:25 I saw Lake Perris through the haze. I saw that the LA Basin was totally socked in with clouds west of the Santa Ana mountains. I saw Lake Elsinore through the haze and we made turn northwest then west. We went into clouds at 3:40, under clouds at 3:41 and gear went down. I saw Interstate 110 adn we landed east to west. Taxi was 8 minutes and during taxi I saw two Qantas A-380 jumbo jets. We arrived 7 minutes late at gate 24. Bags arrived 19-20 minutes after arrival and I discovered some items were missing from one bag and gone forever. I got shuttle home and thus ends this 24-day tour of duty.
Last edited by Loose Cannon; Jan 9, 2009 at 12:00 am
Jan 8, 2009, 11:59 pm
#8
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