Best Forward Speed: GJT, ELP, PHX, ABQ, LGB, TUS, LAS, SBA, and OAK!

El paso!

Saturday started off with another ready reserve shift at the airport scheduled from noon to midnight. At about 4:00pm, I got a call saying I was assigned to an El Paso turn that left at 4:24pm! Ok, 24 minutes to get to the gate and get ready to go (normally we try to board 30 minutes prior to departure, but with no crew there they couldn’t even start that). On top of that, they had to call a Captain in from his house on regular reserve, so he wasn’t going to be there for a while either. I got to the gate as soon as I could and got as many things accomplished as I could without the Captain. Once he got there, we boarded and pushed back about an hour late.

One of our hydraulic systems was a bit low on quantity, but still within limits, so we decided to monitor it throughout the flight. Unfortunately, it continued to drop in quantity as the flight went on, and we decided it would be best to have it serviced in El Paso. Since El Paso isn’t one of our normal maintenance bases, a mechanic had to be called in from home. He serviced the system, but that set another string of events into motion. In order to service the system, we had to shut down the APU (Aux. Power Unit in the tail of the plane), and transfer the plane's electrics to a GPU (Ground Power Unit). When we started the APU back up and transferred the electrics back, we got a system fault that pertained to our flaps. The CRJ-200 has had a history of flap problems, and this required the mechanic to call our maintenance station in Phoenix and run through a series of steps to reset the system. Then there’s a ton of paperwork that has to be completed before we can legally leave, even though the problem is fixed and the plane is ready to go. Unfortunately, we already had boarded by this time, and not knowing how long it was going to take we had to deplane all of the passengers. Well, we were already an hour late arriving, and this ordeal added another hour and a half. Thirteen people missed their connections in Phoenix, and didn’t board the plane for the second time around. Problem fixed, paperwork complete, passengers onboard, and we were off to Phoenix.

Sunday started similar to Saturday; ready reserve scheduled from noon to midnight. However, this time I was called at 12:20, notifying me that I had been assigned to a 2 day trip that left at 1:07. We left Phoenix on time with a full load (86) enroute to Albuquerque, followed by a return trip to Phoenix. We were scheduled to leave Phoenix for Long Beach, but once again the gremlins in the plane started acting up. We pushed on time, but after starting the engines and taxing out of the ramp area we were greeted with a caution message indicating that one of our spoiler systems had a fault. The message went away, came back, and then went away again, but we’re required to diagnose each fault, even if it has gone away. Back to the gate we went, and the mechanics started their work. Once again, the problem was cleared quickly, and we were left waiting for the paperwork. An hour later we were pushing again, for a late departure to Long Beach.

We made up some time enroute, and did a quick turn in Long Beach (about 20 minutes from blocking in at the gate till we pushed again for Phoenix). On time arrival in Phoenix, loaded up another plane full of people and departed to Tucson. The Phoenix to Tucson flight is one of the busiest, being only 21 minutes enroute. The pilot not flying is kept pretty busy making calls to ATC, operations at both airports, picking up weather in Tucson, and setting the airplane up for the approach. We landed at about 11:30pm, put the airplane to sleep and off to the hotel we went.

Today we had a show time of 9:10am for a flight from Tucson to Las Vegas. Departed 5 minutes early for the hour and some change flight to Vegas. I had the smoothest touchdown yet (especially after the Captain planted it on the ground in Tucson!). And while standing at the door as people got off the plane, I received several comments on how smooth the landing was, one passenger even saying it was the best landing he’s ever had! It was pretty good.. haha

Board ‘em up, and off to Oakland we went. Arrived early and grabbed some dinner before we were pushing back as the sun set enroute to Phoenix. Blocked in at 9:40pm... almost 13 hours after the day began in Tucson, just 100 miles away.

Some pics from the trip:

Some of our Dash-8's sitting in Grand Junction (GJT). They were used in the Northeast for some Delta flying out of JFK, but have since been replaced with 50 and 76 seat jets.