Diverting to Alternate! Part 2

Diverting to Alternate! Part 2

Continued from our concurrent publication, Diverting to Alternate! Part 1…

Diverting to Alternate! Part 2

To Divert or Not to Divert—
That is the Question

My Latest Diversion Episode: The Dreaded "Ding!"

Nothing strikes terror in the heart of a pilot more than the unscheduled “ding” of a Flight Attendant calling the flight deck.

As you answer, you think to yourself, What diabolical issue do they have in the cabin now?!

As briefly mentioned in our previous post, “A Passage to India Part 4,” as fate would have it, the call came while I was nearing the end of my first scheduled rest break in the crew bunk.

Waking from a dead sleep to a premature Ding!, I answered the Crew Bunk phone to some crummy news:

“Captain, a passenger drank too much, and has become belligerent!”

Well, sadly, this is fairly common news, especially on a flight with nearly 300 passengers.

Taking over up front, FO Brian and I first had a powwow with relief pilots Stewart and Don. We all agreed that this situation was most likely caused by a combination of alcohol and medication(s)…

Sadly, again, a very common issue inflight!

Diverting to Alternate! Part 2

Diversionary Tactics

We were over Stuttgart, with Vienna ahead.

The four of us decided that those would be our primary diversion alternates in case things went south.

Well, they did!

The next dreaded Ding! of the FA call button came with the news that—now—the passenger had passed out, and a physician was attending to him!

This had turned from a potential passenger security issue to a potential medical emergency issue…

It was my leg to fly, but at this point, I gave the plane and the radios to FO Brian, so I could tend to the situation—as is standard in a “Non-Normal” such as this.

I called on Satellite phone to our Dispatcher, who patched us through to the POC—Physician on Call.

Diverting to Alternate! Part 2

Slim Pickins

All of this takes time—all the while hurtling through the air at ten miles per minute! And, as the scenery changes, so does your alternate options.

Past Vienna, there wasn’t much to work with, in terms of medical diversions. Perhaps Athens, then maybe Tel Aviv (giving Iraq and Iran to our south a wide berth.)

Then, over the rest of the Middle East, nothing…

Fortunately, due to the recommendations of the POC, the passenger stabilized, and we were able to continue to destination without further incident.

“Captain, we’ve got a passenger losing consciousness.”

What do you do, Captain? You’re in charge of an airliner; you’ve got limited time, imperfect information, and you must make sound decisions, all while hurtling through the air at nearly 10 miles a minute!

Just one of many true tales in…

There I Wuz! Adventures From 3 Decades in the Sky Volume 2!

Diverting to Alternate! Part 2

The World Diverts to Gander

ONE PLANE THEN ANOTHER AND THEN ANOTHER AND THEN ANOTHER AND THEN THIRTY-EIGHT THIRTY-EIGHT THIRTY-EIGHT THIRTY-EIGHT PLANES!

"38 Planes," Come From Away

On 9/11, Gander, along with much of the Northeast corner of North America, was overwhelmed by airline diversions. The system was mighty strained, but worked.

Our thanks to the heroes of Gander, and all those who helped the stranded.

If you get a chance, go see “Come From Away.” It’s a lot of fun—and very poignant as well!

Hemisphere Dancing Report

Diverting to a "Cooler" Alternate!

As you know, our home town of Phoenix can be a real scorcher in summer, with temperatures easily reaching the 100-teens through June, July and August.

So, with a little time on our hands, Bunny and I “diverted” to a much cooler “alternate”: we drove 2 hours north, to the gorgeous red rocks of Sedona!

At an altitude of nearly 5,000′, the elevation alone was enough to cool things down to a manageable 80° in the day and a lovely 70° at night.

What’s more, we were able to stay at a dear friend’s gorgeous Air B and B, with amazing views of said red rocks!

Below: Can you see Snoopy sleeping on Snoopy Rock?!

Below: The constellation Scorpio from the jacuzzi!

We’d like to send a special shout out to the amazing Hudson Restaurant, as well as to our friends who run the “Sweet Serenity” Air B and B. Check it out for an amazing retreat!