MaverickSawyer
Acolyte of the Probe
Part 3: Oh Captain, My Captain…
I’ll give you a quick recap of last week’s finale…
Now, as I put on the loaner vest, set my earplugs, and donned my sunglasses (it was about 1530 PDT), I thought back to the training I had been undergoing over the last week, and recalled the specific details of the CRJ-200, the aircraft we were about to work on. This was a small airliner, seating about 45-50 people, depending on the seating, and a similar number of bags to pull out of the hold. I stood back from the safety box to let the professionals do their job of bringing in the plane, and awaited further instructions. I didn’t have long to wait…
Shortly after I stepped onto the ramp, the howl of a pair of CF-34 turbofans entering reverse thrust drifted across the airport from the center of runway 16L, signaling the arrival of the CRJ from Salt Lake City (IATA: SLC). I was instructed by the Lead Agent that I was to wait for engine shutdown, then place the safety cones around the port wingtip and assist loading the baggage into carts that would take the luggage to the Claim. I calmly walked to the bend in the perimeter of the safety box, where the wingtip cones were stored. I picked them up, and stood back while the aircraft made its taxi to the gate. Then, I looked at the lead agent, awaiting his signal to go in towards the aircraft.
The CRJ came to a halt, and a senior agent ducked under the nose with a pair of long chocks, which he placed on both sides of the nose gear. Then, after a quick exchange of hand signals between the flight deck and the ramp, the engines shunt down with a noticeable “pop”, and a lowering groan. The lead signaled “All clear”, and I quickly placed the cones around the wingtip as specified in training. I stood back, and was surprised to see another, more senior agent come over and adjust the inner of the three cones a little. Then, he came over and shouted over the howl of the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), “NOT BAD! JUST LEAVE A LITTLE MORE SPACE BEHIND THE WING NEXT TIME!” I gave him a thumbs up, and we walked to the cargo bay door under the #1 engine, where a belt loader was already approaching the aircraft. I was then asked to open the door.
I looked at the door, and ran the last week of training through my head, seeking a match. Nothing came to mind, so I looked a little closer. There was a small button labeled “PRESS”. I gently pushed it, and was rewarded with the handle springing out of a recess in the door and into my finger with a surprising bit of force and speed, causing me to flinch slightly. This was a source of laughter at first, but after I quickly turned the handle and pushed the door in and up to open the hold, I stepped out of the way to make way for the belt loader that was approaching the aircraft. I then moved to the end of the belt loader and clapped my hands together, and said, “Let’s do this!”
We proceeded to offload the bags without issue, and then reloaded the hold with the outbound baggage. Then, we closed up the hold, disconnected the nose wheel steering, and hooked up the tow bar to both aircraft and push tug. At the driver’s command, we removed the chocks, and the aircraft was pushed back from the gate and out to the taxiway, where it started the #2 engine, followed by the #1. The wing walkers chocked the nose gear, disconnected the tow bar from tug, then aircraft, then reattached to the tug, and reconnected the steering. Then, after removing the chocks and stowing them back aboard the tug, they departed, and the dispatch agent cleared the aircraft for taxi and departure.
I watched this sequence with interest, intent on being part of it as soon as possible. As I walked in, one of my fellow new hires asked, “How’d we do, Captain?” Confused, I asked, “Who?” The response of “You. How’d we do?” permanently cemented my nickname of “Captain”, which would stick with me for the rest of my time at GAT.
(I later learned my nickname was in response to my “can-do”,” let’s go” attitude; my extensive knowledge of military and aerospace trivia; and my “ready stance” while waiting for the aircraft or further instructions: Feet shoulder width apart, hands clasped at the small of my back, attention focused ahead.
)
From this point on, posts will not always be in precise chronological order, but will follow roughly the order that they took place in.
Coming Next Week: AIRCRAFT FOCUS: CRJ-200
I’ll give you a quick recap of last week’s finale…
Part 2 said:
Now, as I put on the loaner vest, set my earplugs, and donned my sunglasses (it was about 1530 PDT), I thought back to the training I had been undergoing over the last week, and recalled the specific details of the CRJ-200, the aircraft we were about to work on. This was a small airliner, seating about 45-50 people, depending on the seating, and a similar number of bags to pull out of the hold. I stood back from the safety box to let the professionals do their job of bringing in the plane, and awaited further instructions. I didn’t have long to wait…
Shortly after I stepped onto the ramp, the howl of a pair of CF-34 turbofans entering reverse thrust drifted across the airport from the center of runway 16L, signaling the arrival of the CRJ from Salt Lake City (IATA: SLC). I was instructed by the Lead Agent that I was to wait for engine shutdown, then place the safety cones around the port wingtip and assist loading the baggage into carts that would take the luggage to the Claim. I calmly walked to the bend in the perimeter of the safety box, where the wingtip cones were stored. I picked them up, and stood back while the aircraft made its taxi to the gate. Then, I looked at the lead agent, awaiting his signal to go in towards the aircraft.
The CRJ came to a halt, and a senior agent ducked under the nose with a pair of long chocks, which he placed on both sides of the nose gear. Then, after a quick exchange of hand signals between the flight deck and the ramp, the engines shunt down with a noticeable “pop”, and a lowering groan. The lead signaled “All clear”, and I quickly placed the cones around the wingtip as specified in training. I stood back, and was surprised to see another, more senior agent come over and adjust the inner of the three cones a little. Then, he came over and shouted over the howl of the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), “NOT BAD! JUST LEAVE A LITTLE MORE SPACE BEHIND THE WING NEXT TIME!” I gave him a thumbs up, and we walked to the cargo bay door under the #1 engine, where a belt loader was already approaching the aircraft. I was then asked to open the door.
I looked at the door, and ran the last week of training through my head, seeking a match. Nothing came to mind, so I looked a little closer. There was a small button labeled “PRESS”. I gently pushed it, and was rewarded with the handle springing out of a recess in the door and into my finger with a surprising bit of force and speed, causing me to flinch slightly. This was a source of laughter at first, but after I quickly turned the handle and pushed the door in and up to open the hold, I stepped out of the way to make way for the belt loader that was approaching the aircraft. I then moved to the end of the belt loader and clapped my hands together, and said, “Let’s do this!”
We proceeded to offload the bags without issue, and then reloaded the hold with the outbound baggage. Then, we closed up the hold, disconnected the nose wheel steering, and hooked up the tow bar to both aircraft and push tug. At the driver’s command, we removed the chocks, and the aircraft was pushed back from the gate and out to the taxiway, where it started the #2 engine, followed by the #1. The wing walkers chocked the nose gear, disconnected the tow bar from tug, then aircraft, then reattached to the tug, and reconnected the steering. Then, after removing the chocks and stowing them back aboard the tug, they departed, and the dispatch agent cleared the aircraft for taxi and departure.
I watched this sequence with interest, intent on being part of it as soon as possible. As I walked in, one of my fellow new hires asked, “How’d we do, Captain?” Confused, I asked, “Who?” The response of “You. How’d we do?” permanently cemented my nickname of “Captain”, which would stick with me for the rest of my time at GAT.
(I later learned my nickname was in response to my “can-do”,” let’s go” attitude; my extensive knowledge of military and aerospace trivia; and my “ready stance” while waiting for the aircraft or further instructions: Feet shoulder width apart, hands clasped at the small of my back, attention focused ahead.
)From this point on, posts will not always be in precise chronological order, but will follow roughly the order that they took place in.
Coming Next Week: AIRCRAFT FOCUS: CRJ-200
