The Eskimo gets Leid!

[Cheechako]

All ten ETOPS 737-800 Eskimos will be getting "leid" this fall!

Proving runs begin in September with Seattle to Honolulu and Lihue service starting in October and Anchorage to Honolulu service starting in December. The Anchorage crews are the only ETOPS qualified pilots on staff- bummer, looks like there could be some long Hawaii layovers in my future! What's cool is I could be shooting an ILS to mins in 1/4 mile blowing snow -40 degree Barrow one day, then sitting on the beach drinking a Mai-Tai in Hawaii the next!

ALOHA!

[ASpilot2be]

Cool! I was talking to a guy in SEA the other day who said that the SEA-HNL routes will really be pushing the range limits for the -800. How true is that? It seems if it were cutting it that close they might not have chosen the route, but who knows.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by ASpilot2be

Cool! I was talking to a guy in SEA the other day who said that the SEA-HNL routes will really be pushing the range limits for the -800. How true is that? It seems if it were cutting it that close they might not have chosen the route, but who knows.

I *think* a 739ER could do it easy. AK, getting any 739ER's?

[Cheechako]

No 739ERs on the way. All new deliveries will be 800s.

I think there may be certain days in the year when the flight won't be able to operate because of winds. The route is about as long as our ANC-ORD run and I've heard of them having to make a fuel stop now and then.

Here's from landings.com:

Route between KSEA and PHNL:
Distance along great circle: 2675.1 statute miles, 2324.7 nautical miles, 4305.2 kilometers

Route between PANC and PHNL:
Distance along great circle: 2778.4 statute miles, 2414.4 nautical miles, 4471.4 kilometers

Route between PANC and KORD:
Distance along great circle: 2836.9 statute miles, 2465.2 nautical miles, 4565.5 kilometers

Route between KSEA and KMIA:
Distance along great circle: 2719.6 statute miles, 2363.3 nautical miles, 4376.7 kilometers

So you see it's not much further than some of Alaska's other routes.

[ASpilot2be]

Thanks for the info I guess just the thought of going across the Pacific to Hawaii makes it seem alot longer.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

No 739ERs on the way. All new deliveries will be 800s.

I think there may be certain days in the year when the flight won't be able to operate because of winds. The route is about as long as our ANC-ORD run and I've heard of them having to make a fuel stop now and then.

Here's from landings.com:

Route between KSEA and PHNL:
Distance along great circle: 2675.1 statute miles, 2324.7 nautical miles, 4305.2 kilometers

Route between PANC and PHNL:
Distance along great circle: 2778.4 statute miles, 2414.4 nautical miles, 4471.4 kilometers

Route between PANC and KORD:
Distance along great circle: 2836.9 statute miles, 2465.2 nautical miles, 4565.5 kilometers

Route between KSEA and KMIA:
Distance along great circle: 2719.6 statute miles, 2363.3 nautical miles, 4376.7 kilometers

So you see it's not much further than some of Alaska's other routes.

What about AK's 700's? Not sure if they're ETOP's but the 700's do have the most range of the NG's pre-900ER.

[ComplexHiAv8r]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

No 739ERs on the way. All new deliveries will be 800s.

I think there may be certain days in the year when the flight won't be able to operate because of winds. The route is about as long as our ANC-ORD run and I've heard of them having to make a fuel stop now and then.

Here's from landings.com:

Route between KSEA and PHNL:
Distance along great circle: 2675.1 statute miles, 2324.7 nautical miles, 4305.2 kilometers

Route between PANC and PHNL:
Distance along great circle: 2778.4 statute miles, 2414.4 nautical miles, 4471.4 kilometers

Route between PANC and KORD:
Distance along great circle: 2836.9 statute miles, 2465.2 nautical miles, 4565.5 kilometers

Route between KSEA and KMIA:
Distance along great circle: 2719.6 statute miles, 2363.3 nautical miles, 4376.7 kilometers

So you see it's not much further than some of Alaska's other routes.

True, but on the ANC-ORD and SEA-MIA flights if you get that additional winds, you can decide were to stop for fuel. Not exactly the same on the HNL routes (can you land on on an aircraft carrier??)

[Tim]

Originally Posted by ComplexHiAv8r

True, but on the ANC-ORD and SEA-MIA flights if you get that additional winds, you can decide were to stop for fuel. Not exactly the same on the HNL routes (can you land on on an aircraft carrier??)

If he can land in Barrow then landing on an aircraft carrier would be a piece of cake.

[Cheechako]

What about AK's 700's? Not sure if they're ETOP's but the 700's do have the most range of the NG's pre-900ER.

The 700s are not ETOPS equipped and probably won't ever be. It's quite the convoluted process from what I understand. It seems to me that the 800 provided the best compromise for size and range. I'm not sure the 900ER was an option when they started this whole ETOPS/Hawaii planning years ago.

True, but on the ANC-ORD and SEA-MIA flights if you get that additional winds, you can decide were to stop for fuel. Not exactly the same on the HNL routes (can you land on on an aircraft carrier??)

Part of our enroute duties is tracking actual vs. planned fuel burn. If the winds were too much we'd know we were under on our gas before getting to the point of no return. If it didn't look like we were going to make it, just turn around and go back! That would be extreme. I would think the flight planners would know ahead of time what the winds are like and would plan accordingly. Canceling or delaying the flight would be much better than letting us sweat it out over the Pacific.

[Velocipede]

You never know, though. I once took an unforecast 50 kt. headwind bust PAST the PNR enroute to Hawaii once. At that point, all you can do is go max conserve and pick your nearest divert field.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

The 700s are not ETOPS equipped and probably won't ever be. It's quite the convoluted process from what I understand. It seems to me that the 800 provided the best compromise for size and range. I'm not sure the 900ER was an option when they started this whole ETOPS/Hawaii planning years ago.

Part of our enroute duties is tracking actual vs. planned fuel burn. If the winds were too much we'd know we were under on our gas before getting to the point of no return. If it didn't look like we were going to make it, just turn around and go back! That would be extreme. I would think the flight planners would know ahead of time what the winds are like and would plan accordingly. Canceling or delaying the flight would be much better than letting us sweat it out over the Pacific.

Cool, I'm thinking that AK should give those 900ER's a second or third look. Then run both 800's and 900-ERs on the HNL route.

Since the 900's they have on property are pigs! The 739ER's have almost the range of a ETOPS 757-200ER.

Yowza...

[Baradium]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

What's cool is I could be shooting an ILS to mins in 1/4 mile blowing snow -40 degree Barrow one day, then sitting on the beach drinking a Mai-Tai in Hawaii the next!

ALOHA!

I hate you.


Ok, just envious... but still.


The closest I get is going to Anchorage after Barrow.