The next decade....what's in store?

Inside Captain Hi-Tech's Cockpit

I mentioned in the entry I'm Off Again that my friend, Captain Hi-Tech would have been the captain on the flight today.

He didn't know I was no the flight, so when I asked the Purser to tell him that Michelle wanted to come and say hello, she said he asked "Michelle who?". What???????

When I got in there and asked him how he could be asking that, says he "I know several Michelles you know". So ah seh "you didn't see me walking out to the plane?". Nope. Don't you look at all the passengers who are boarding? Nope. Why? Cause they have more important things to do, as I would soon find out.

Took my seat, strapped myself in and proceeded to enjoy the ride up front, which is much like driving in a mini bus (maxi taxi for all you Trinis). You can't imagine all that's back there ie the rest of the plane. A gazillion gadgets to fiddle with, briefing sheets to read before take off, and people to talk to over the radio.

We were now approaching our first stop over.

Me: Can I stay for the landing?
He: You might get scared.
Me: No, remember I was in the cockpit one time a few years ago in Barbados?
He: This is different. Shorter runway. Just close your eyes if you get scared.

Now he got my heart beating a little faster. I flashed back to the panic attacks that used to affect me anytime I flew. Some deep Pilates-type breaths would help me now. They did.

A whole heap of switches to switch in preparation for the landing. As the plane got closer and closer down to the runway, an automated voice started the countdown. 100 feet.....50, 40, 30, 20, 10,. We're here. So that's how the landing goes.

My contribution was to flight the switch of the Flight Deck Access System (a consequence of 9/11). There's a red cap covering the switch. Captain Hi-Tech asked me - the guest pilot (hey, I was in black and white too! I qualified!) - to turn off the switch. Lifted the red cap, flicked the switch to Off then put back down the red cap. Simple enough ent? But then the captain, my boss for a few minutes, looks and sees it's back to square one. Oh.....putting the cap back down turns it on huh.

I say to my boss "but, but you didn't say leave the red cap up". In his usual calm, lilting voice he quips "I didn't say put it back down either". Ok, you didn't.

Stayed for the take off too. So that's twice I've been in the cockpit for both take off and landing. The one I did with Captain Hi-Tech many years ago was landing in and taking off from Barbados, and that was evening. That was "way cool" (have to practise my Americanisms in preration for school in the US of A).

All in all, it was a good day spent in Captain Hi-Tech's cockpit. Here are two pictures. One of him, and one of the Cockpit Controls. I guess they have an airplane name for it, but I ent get that far yet in my pilot studies!

Flight instruments maybe they're called?

Captain Hi-Tech. I asked him to put on his cap but he say that wouldn't look natural since pilots don't wear that while they are flying.

Posted by yamfoot at June 13, 2004 12:34 AM