Good Read - HL 306 (2)

From: Tom Gannon

Date: 6/7/2019 8:19:19 AM

To: miscpcn@gmail.com;  mark.pcndir@gmail.com

Subject: Article for the HL

Mark

I hope you'll find this article I wrote for the "Autopilot" magazine about my last Delta trip good enough to include in the HL.  I wrote this back in 2005; but my retirement rotation was over Memorial Day weekend of 2004.

But it wasn't the end of my aviation career that I thought it might be; like so many of us I was hired by a start-up.  I flew B767ERs for MAXJET between JFK and London (Standsted) for a couple years. As a final gig I went to DGS as a 767 instructor for 5 years until 2013.

I hope the format is ok for your newsletter.  The magazine had some photos embedded.  I included it as a pdf and the original Word doc.

Thanks for the hard work of keep us informed.

Cheers

Tom Gannon  tgannon767@gmail.com

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The early retirement rotation

By  Tom Gannon

That Thursday started like any other weekday morning at home.  I got in my truck and drove to the bagel shop to meet my other pilot buddies for our morning run.  The main topic during the run and the coffee afterward was “…are ya really gonna do it?”  My only answer was “I think so.” It was the same conversation we had been having for months.   Every since 9/11 my airline’s finances had been headed downhill, and I had been getting progressively more worried about the safety of my pension. 

            At the age of 54 I’d planned on 6 more years of flying.  I was a senior wide-body Captain flying the Boeing 767 to places like LAX, SFO and LGA.  I’d already done a stint as an international 767 Captain. My next stop, Boeing 777 Captain, was the pinnacle of my career dream.  Should I leave early?  It was the conservative financial decision, but didn’t feel right.  Why should I have to give it all up?

            At home, after an early lunch, my wife went into our bedroom to fold my uniform shirts for me to pack. She’d been folding my shirts for my entire 27-year career with this airline.  She didn’t have to ask her usual question; “How many do you need 3 or 4?”  I followed her in and found her crying on our bed. This wasn’t easy for her either; she’d seen me lying awake at night for the past six months trying to decide.  I kept one shirt on the hanger; it would be the one for the last day.  I had a red marker and planned on having each flight attendant crewmember autograph this last shirt.  Then I’d wear it on the last day.

            I drove to the airport still trying to decide.  I could still change my mind and stay.  Sure I’d feel a little foolish telling the Chief Pilot “Sorry, I’ve changed my mind.  I’m gonna stay around at least another month or so.”  I signed in on the computer for my trip; Rotation 3761/27, a four day 767-400 sequence with 8 legs.  The airplane was running late due to weather in Las Vegas, but I really lucked out on a copilot. He was Randy Wells, a great guy I’d flown with way back in my MD-88 days.

            I started our conversation with “Randy, this may be my last trip…” He looked at me and said “Not you too; all you senior guys are bailing out”.  Then he smiled and said, “We’ll have a great last trip then.” We got our flight kits and went up to the gate.  Our first day was an Orlando turnaround, then back down to Orlando for a 15-hour layover.  The airplane finally got to the gate, unloaded and we got on, along with our F/A crew.  They were Atlanta based and would fly down and back with us on the turnaround to MCO.  I brought out my shirt and the red marker and got the same reaction I got from Randy.  “Not you too!”  They were all very gracious; signed my shirt and wished me well.  The lead F/A said “Wish I could retire too.”  She obviously didn’t know my frame of mind.

             Randy did most of the preflight; I stood at the Cabin entrance door welcoming our passengers aboard.   We had almost a full ship, 283 passengers.    We had two jumpseat pilots also, junior guys headed home to MCO from their trips and joking that they couldn’t wait to move up another number on the seniority list.  Randy and I split up the legs so I could have the last two and he would still get 4 T/O’s and Landings.  The weather in central Florida was good and I greased on a landing on 17L.  The plan was a quick turnaround of the aircraft to get back to an on-time operation.  But you can’t hurry cabin cleaners paid by the hour.  Finally, we were loaded up again and taxiing out to head back to Atlanta.  Randy flew his usual flawless leg and I worked the radios; giving each controller a heart felt “goodnight y’all” as we switched frequencies.

 Flight 1567 back to MCO was already at another gate when we finished deplaning our ATL passengers; we hurried over and began our preflight.  The aircraft was in great shape and the Flight Attendants were Orlando- based and on their way home.  They were glad to sign my shirt and everyone wished me well.  I know flying back and forth between ATL and MCO doesn’t sound exciting but it is rewarding transporting 700 people to their destinations safely each day.

            We rode to the layover hotel with a Salt Lake City 757 crew.  The Captain was a union representative and we agreed to debrief over a beer in the hotel lounge. The conversation centered on how much of our contract was going to disappear and whether I was right to bail out now.  The consensus was that all the guys age 50 or younger were stuck and guys in my age group at least had a choice.

            Friday morning in Florida was warm; I got out for a short run and stopped at a Starbucks on the way back to the hotel for coffee and a sticky bun.  Today was an easy day, back to ATL and then the same aircraft on up to Boston for a long layover. This was an easy rotation; after all I was a senior dude in this category.  The day unfolded perfectly, no weather, no airplane problems, great F/A crews and an on-time arrival at Logan.  My last shirt was now covered with the best wishes of a couple dozen F/A’s from several different bases.  I talked to my wife passing through ATL one last time. This was it.  ATL-SFO-ATL would be my last two flights and we’d have a big final layover together Saturday night in SFO. Friday night’s layover at the Park Plaza in Boston went by in a blur. 

The next morning I bought donuts for the Flight Attendants. I really wanted to spoil this bunch, as they would be flying with Randy and me for my last three legs as an airline Captain. Our departure from Boston took us right over downtown and I got some great pictures while Randy was flying.  A take-off from Rwy27 in Boston had been my very first jet take-off.  Boston had been my first domicile and a crusty old 727 Captain had put me, the newly hired engineer, in the right seat and let me fly a leg.  I could tell I was going to miss this job.  We used to joke that we would fly the line for half pay because it was so much fun.  Well guess what, if I didn’t retire, I probably would do it for half-pay.  I just couldn’t afford to give up my pension also. 

Randy and I would have been early at the gate in ATL that morning but ATC had a little last minute fun by slowing us down. They gave us a hold over Toccoa; but we were slowed for sequencing only, and were soon on our way down the arrival. Randy did a great job getting us down from a high and fast turn-in and we landed on Rwy 26R at Hartsfield-Jackson. This rotation was so good; we got to keep the airplane passing though ATL.  My wife met us at the gate and I introduced her to Randy and the rest of the crew.

  This would be the last of about 5000 T/O’s from ATL for me; and it was off Atlanta’s oldest runway, Rwy 26L. The standard departure is right to a 280 heading and climb to 10,000 feet.  Our 767 was pretty heavy with a full load of passengers and some extra fuel.  Sometimes we carry extra fuel out of ATL because the airline’s fuel cost in Atlanta was so much cheaper that it justified the cost of carrying it all the way across the country.  On one flight, I checked to see if we had enough fuel on board to make Honolulu and we did, not legally but enough to get there.  Fuel in California and Florida is much more expensive because of state taxes.

Before I roll for T/O on any leg, I always say to myself; “Tom, this time you’re gonna fly a perfect leg.”  I had 12,000 tries and never did fly a perfect flight, pretty close sometimes but never perfect.  Randy called out V1, Vr, and V2 and off  we went on our way to sunny California. It was a great day for a transcontinental flight.  The air was smooth and I was flying a beautiful 390,000 lb. Boeing over the most wonderful country on God’s earth. Our enroute time was 4 hours and 51 minutes and I savored every minute. In the back of the airplane most people were reading or enjoying the movie, but up front Randy and I had a wonderful view as we crossed cities, forests, mountains, and deserts.

NOCAL approach had a surprise for us as we LNAVed and VNAVed our way towards Rwy28R at SFO.  The Navy’s own BLUE ANGELS were in the midst of an airshow over Mountain View’s Moffett Field.  We first saw the four ship diamond in a low pass off our left. I made a quick and probably slightly illegal PA from the cockpit.    (We were already below 10000 ft and therefore sterile.) Eager faces looked out the windows of our 767 just as the two solos made vertical climbs off our left side.

It was time for the last layover. The whole crew showed up!  We had dinner together, in a private room at a great grill near the St. Francis Hotel. Randy made a great master of ceremonies and the Boston F/As made my wife feel at home right away.  We all told old airline stories. Randy gave me a “Retired Old Pilot” ball cap that I promised to wear on the way home to ATL.  I gave Randy a new Captain’s hat and told him, “…he would be wearing it soon.” After the party broke up my wife and I took the cable car down to the Wharf and had an Irish coffee for old time’s sake at the Buena Vista Bar. 

The next morning I put on my autographed shirt and my new ball cap and started on my last flight.  I saved the flight plan for Flight 632, ship 1801. The trip time was 3 hours and 42 minutes and we burned 44,450 pounds of Jet A cruising at .81Mach at FL330.  The controllers gave us direct ATL when Randy spilled the beans about this being my last leg.  He made a wonderful PA to the passengers about my career in aviation. Before I knew it we were talking to Atlanta Approach. The Controller astounded us as we checked in by telling us, he was also working his last shift before retiring. Then we were on downwind and I was worried about messing up my last approach and landing.  The tower called us on final and asked us to switch over to the south complex for landing on 27L.  The landing was okay; and as we turned off the runway we switched frequencies.  ATL ground control congratulated me and told us we were early, and that our gate was still occupied. Some things never change. Then Randy pointed out the ATL airport fire trucks racing down the taxiway to get in position to spray the aircraft. It is an old aviation tradition to wet down a retiring Captain as he taxis into the gate. It gave me a lump in my throat. 

The party wasn’t quite over for me yet though. My Chief Pilot and one of my best friends were standing on the tug at the gate saluting me as I taxied the 767 to a stop. The back of the aircraft applauded as I wished them well with a last PA. The Boston F/As had decorated First Class with red, white and blue balloons and streamers; they actually had the First Class passengers blowing up balloons! I shook hands with every passenger as they deplaned, and then went out to meet my friends for a small retirement ceremony in the gatehouse.

It was over; after 36 years of private, military, and commercial aviation, I was retired.  It was time for new adventures.

Pictures of Capt Tom Gannon on “Fini” Flight: 

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From: Dick Deeds

Date: 5/27/2019 6:25:29 PM

To: undisclosed-recipients: ,

Subject: Fwd: Book published by WAL/DAL Captain Henry Best "So, you want to be an airline pilot"

Captain Henry Best, WAL/DAL retired recently published a book that might be of interest to his fellow Wallybirds.

The title of the book is “So, you want to be an airline pilot”. It is a definitive work on a career as an airline pilot, and how to become one.

The book can be purchased online on Amazon for $13.95 retail.

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