PILOTS: Should I have been worried?

[VaSteve]

I have been traveling all summer for work on various different airlines. Last night I took a return flight to Dulles from Orlando on United’s “Ted” airline. I don’t think any of my other flights have been on a United carrier. Anyhow, they have a way for you to listen to the cockpit with your headphones.

I had been listening to my iPod when I noted that we’d slowed a considerably, suddenly. I plugged in the headphones for a listen and then the pilot came on the PA and said that we were holding over Raleigh, but didn’t elaborate. The sky was perfectly clear; I thought it might have had something to do with Hurricane Ophelia. I kept listening to the feed.

We broke the holding pattern and went into a holding pattern over Richmond for a few minutes and then proceeded to Dulles. The pilot came on the PA and told us that we would be landing on a different runway because they changed the approach pattern.

Here’s where it gets weirder. He announced to put on the seatbelts and stow the tray tables. Then he said “in the event of an evacuation, please leave behind your carry-on items.” WTF??? I have never heard that before. Especially on landing and after traveling all summer. I tapped the FA on the arm and asked about it. She said that they always say that at the beginning – I have never heard it, but don’t pay close attention.

When we landed at Dulles, we were on the side runway, the one that runs parallel to the Dulles Access Road (267) leading into the airport. I don’t think I have ever landed on that runway. When the flight disboarded the pilots never opened their door like usual. I never heard anything on the feed that sounded out of the ordinary (though the flight down was the only time I’d ever listened). Do they have an emergency “the landing gear is stuck” channel to talk with air traffic control and not the main frequency? I would imagine that they might have turned off the feed to the passengers if something was really up.

Anyhow, should I have been worried?

[singpilot]

I don't think you should have been worried. That runway IS used from time to time, especially if it was later in the evening, and traffic allows. If there HAD been something going on with the airplane, you'd have heard it on the comm channel. The evac portion of the arrival speech was unusual, but then, not a bad idea.... except that it makes people start thinking about what if....

[osidak]

Probably the weirdest thing I have ever had happen was flying into Philly

Pilot came on and said we where in a holding pattern and would delayed 30 minutes or more -

It was raining pretty hard and the ride was pretty bumping. Not 5 minutes after he said that we where touching down.

Not another word was said by the pilot.

[VaSteve]

Thanks, Sing. Yes it was about 8:30 pm when we landed... Maybe I'll pay a little closer attention next time at the beginning of the flight - they were having some kind of issue with the TVs when giving the safety schpiel, but as a veteran traveller, I was ignoring it.
Thanks!

[IROC]

Maybe this happens all the time but I was on a flight landing in Memphis during a thunderstorm once and we were on final and from what I could tell were relatively close to landing when the pilot went full throttle all of the sudden and we banked hard and went around and tried it a second time. I never found out why we aborted the initial approach.

Mike

[Joeaksa]

Steve,

Agree with Michael and am almost 100% sure that in the event of a "issue or problem" that the pilots can cut off the feed from the aircraft's radios to the pax. Feel that if there was a real emergency that they would have done that to keep from alarming the pax.

Mike, anytime the approach does not feel right, we are trained to do a missed approach and start over. If the pilot did this then there was a good reason for it and its not that unusual for it to happen. Could be something as simple as another airplane accidently taxi'ed on the runway or the airplane landing in front did not clear the runway fast enough.

Joe A

[billwagnon]

do any other airlines let you listen in like that? that's amazing.

[motion]

A few months ago I was in the mid-field runup at John Wayne and watched a jumbo do a go round 50 feet off the deck. First time I'd ever seen it. Wild!

[tabs]

Once on a flight from Sea Tac to Ontario I opened a big Bottle of Bushmills and shared it with my fellow passengers...

Another time, while waiting for an hour and half in the plane on the ground in Detroit I got hungry and pulled out this big chunk of headcheese that I had in my bag and sliced some of it and made a sandwich...my fellow passengers didn't care much for the smell of the garlic in the Headcheese...

AND...while not a story in the air....on the Ferry over to Catalina Island it was a bit rough and I was sitting by the exit door for debarking smoking a Cigar...while these two old Ladys started complaining about where was that smell coming from...while they were turning a lovely shade of green...

[Joeaksa]

Tabs, Dammit, eat some deviled eggs next time, laced with some old stale beer the next time you are going to be cooped up in a tube with strangers!

It really makes them like you ....

Joe A

[VaSteve]

Why not carry a contageous disease (or the common cold). I'm so happy someone gave this one to me on the flight down. Flying Petri dish.

[VaSteve]

LOL. This is exactly what I was worried about last week.

Jet that can't Land !!!!

I am now in SF, CA - can't wait to get home tommorow.

[Joeaksa]

Almost everytime I fly a commercial airline in the winter I come home with a cold. It really is a illness waiting to happen...

JoeA