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Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:20:10 -0400

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Happy Flying!
- Ziggles

'Flight for Your Life'

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:17:40 -0400

I have written a story, and I want to know what you guys think. Be honest please!

"Flight for Your Life" by Mike Cinnante

Chapter 1

“*Terrain, Pull up, Terrain, Pull up*”, sounds the GPWS, (Ground Proximity Warning System). An Airbus A320 jetliner is 300ft. in the air, with both engines out. The pilot calmly weighs his options. Only one choice remains. Ditch the plane on the open field that lies in front of him. One of the most difficult and dangerous maneuvers a pilot can make. Even with the intense pressure and a surge of adrenaline the pilot remains calm. He channels his adrenaline and puts it aside. His body is under full control even in the toughest of situations.
200ft. The pilot calls “brace for impact” over the intercom. 100ft. The pilot begins to slowly raise the nose of the aircraft to create drag and slow the plane down. He has finally passed over the field, and now has his one clear shot to land. 50. 40. 30. 20. 10.
End Simulation.
Captain Daniel Anderson completes another routine training session: a refresher course, which all pilots take now and again. Captain Anderson has been flying the Airbus A320 for BlueSky Airlines for over 5 years. He knows the aircraft forward and backwards. In those 5 years, Anderson has not experienced anything worse than heavy turbulence in the air. But in the simulator he is subjected to some of the most difficult situations possible in an aircraft. Pilots are trained to deal with any situation that can occur in the sky. This training, plus years of flying help to give pilots the confidence they need to fly safely at all times.
Accidents, though rare, do occur. Each one however, leads to the development of new technologies and now procedures for pilots. All actions are taken to ensure passenger safety. And there has never been a better time to fly than now. Modern jetliners are built to withstand extreme forces, and different safety tools are built right into the aircraft. Captain Anderson and all other pilots know, that when they step into the aircraft, they have all the necessary tools needed to help ensure the passengers arrive at their destination safe and sound.

Chapter 2 (5 days later)

Today, Captain Anderson will be flying 4 different routes: Orlando to JFK, JFK to Long Beach, Long Beach to JFK, and JFK to Orlando. Anderson will be accompanied by First Officer Ryan Reeves. Reeves has been flying the A320 for BlueSky for 3 years, all of which, he has been partners with Anderson. Combined, they hold the best on time records for any of the pilots in the BlueSky’s company. Known for pushing the limits of the plane, they are able to reduce the amount of time spent in the air. Although this may seem like a dangerous thing to do, Anderson and Reeves have done it without any incident.
On board the flight from Orlando to JFK is 37 year old Steve Hunt. He is accompanied by his 14 year old daughter Rebecca, who has never flown on a plane before.
“I don’t know if I can do this”, says Rebecca who is terrified of flying. “It will be alright sweetie, just try and fall asleep once we get into the air and it will go by quickly”, responds her father.
The two are on their way to visit family in NYC. Rebecca, half filled with excitement, half filled with fear, is shaking. No matter what she tries, she cannot stay still. Each second ticks by slower in her mind as she waits for the inevitable. “Just try to relax”, says her father, as he can see her nervousness building rapidly.
Finally, the ticket counter woman announces that boarding will begin. Rebecca and her father quickly rush to get their things. Because they are seated near the back of the plane, they are one of the first to get on board. The woman quickly scans their boarding passes, and clears them to walk through the gate hallway to the plane door. As they reach the door, Rebecca hesitates.
“Go sweetie”, says her father, as he sees they are holding up the line. Finally, Rebecca crosses over into the plane; there is no turning back. As they get to their seats in the back, Steve helps his daughter get her seatbelt on and store her belongings in the overhead bin. There is a slight chill in the air in the cabin as most of the A/C’s are left on. The plane makes a small hissing noise as battery generators help to light the plane while the engines are off.
The flight attendants quickly close the cabin door and begin to announce the safety procedures to the passengers. Rebecca listens to these instructions intently, while most other passengers, mostly frequent fliers, sit back and relax knowing they’ve heard these instructions many times over. The plane beings to slowly move backwards; push back has begun.

Chapter 3

Captain Anderson:

Weather looks good for the 1st two legs, but might get bad during the 3rd. There is a storm system moving in toward New York that we will probably hit by then.

First Officer Reeves:

Ok, then you can fly legs 1 and 3, and I’ll take care of 2 and 4?

Captain:

Sounds good to me.
Is the FMC (Flight Management Computer) ready?

F/O:

All set

Captain:

“Orlando Ground, BlueSky 727 ready for pushback at gate Charlie 33.”

Ground:

“BlueSky 727 cleared for pushback and engine startup.”

Captain:
“Cleared for pushback and engine startup BlueSky 727”

F/O: Battery on, fuel flow on, oil pressure good

Captain:

Engine 1 ignition.

*Sound of engine starting*

Captain:

Engine 2 ignition.

*Sound of engine starting*
*Sound of engines idling*

F/O:

RPM’s Crosschecked.

Captain:

Set takeoff flaps please.

F/O:

Flaps set 11 degrees.

Ground:

“BlueSky 727 taxi to runway 25L via Charlie, Alpha, Whiskey2. Contact tower on 121.5 when ready.”

Captain:

“Taxi to runway 25L via Charlie, Alpha, Whiskey2, BlueSky 727.”

Chapter 4

Rebecca stares out her window and she watches objects move by. Lines of palm trees stare back as they move along the taxiways. It’s a beautiful sunny day in Orlando. There is little to no wind, and not a cloud in the sky. As the plane passes by a lake near the airport, Rebecca wonders to herself what these things would look like from the sky. She has finally begun to lose some of her nerves, and actually began to look forward to seeing everything from above. The new experience is now welcomed rather than feared.
Rebecca looks to her right to see that her father is already fast asleep. A tall, slender man with short brown hair and dark brown eyes, Steve looks much younger than his actual age. Steve works at a local bank in Orlando and for the first time in years is taking a vacation. He and his daughter are going to see their cousins who live in Manhattan. It will be Rebecca’s first time in New York and she is excited to see the big city. Only 3 hours, and her vacation will begin. The plane comes to rest for a moment, and then the engines begin to gain power rapidly. Takeoff has begun.

Chapter 5

Captain:

“Orlando Tower, BlueSky 727 ready to go runway 25 left”

Tower:

“BlueSky 727 cleared for takeoff runway 25 left, winds are 225 at 5”

Captain:

“Cleared for takeoff BlueSky 727”

Ready Reeves?

F/O:

Ready.

*Sound of engines howling at full power*

F/O:

80 knots
100knots
120knots
V1

Captain:
Rotate

F/O:

V2
Positive Climb

Captain:

Gear Up

*Sound of gear doors closing*

Tower:

“BlueSky 727 climb and maintain 9,000, contact departure on 122.25”

Captain:

“Climb and maintain 9,000, departure on 122.25 BlueSky 727, goodbye”

Set autopilot to 9,000 feet and turn flight director on.

F/O:

9,000 set, flight director on

Captain:

Take the flaps up please.

F/O:

Flaps up

*Sound of alarm beeping*

Captain:

Rudder ratio?, Am I going to slow for no flaps?

F/O:

The thrust levers aren’t equal, you’re drifting right.

Captain:
Ok, I see that now, thank you.

Departure:

“BlueSky 727 climb and maintain FL350, contact center on 119.5”

Captain:

“Climb and maintain FL350 BlueSky 727, center on 119.5, thank you.”

Chapter 6

Back in the cabin, Rebecca is doing all she can to keep her ears from popping after takeoff. Her father failed to mention that they would do that as they gain altitude. There is a slight ringing in her ear from the rhythmic sound produced by the engine.
“Electronic Devices may now be used inside the cabin. However cell phones must remain off at all times”, reports the Flight Attendant Nicole Skyles.
Nicole has been a flight attendant for 15 years, 5 of which have been for BlueSky. She was voted by her peers to be the best flight attendant in the airline. At the age of 45, Nicole has had more time in the skies than the pilot and copilot combined. Her time however, has been pretty uneventful. Her worst problems have only ever been a few, obnoxious and angry passengers.
Rebecca pays close attention to everything Nicole does. She watches her talk to passengers, and even looks behind to see what she does in the storage area toward the back of the plane. Nicole glances in Rebecca’s direction and smiles, as she would any other passenger. Rebecca gives a weak smile back. Little by little Rebecca is feeling more comfortable and secure on the flight. Only 15 minutes have passed and the plane has begun to level off at 35,000ft.

*Bing*

“Ladies and gentleman, the captain has turned off the fasten seat belt sign. You may now move about the cabin as needed, but we ask that you leave your seatbelts fastened if you do not need to leave your seat”

Chapter 7

Captain:

Leveling off at flight level 350.

F/O:

All indicators crosschecked and equal.

Captain:
Good.
So how was your week off?

F/O:

It was uneventful. Just spent time with the family. You know, the usual stuff. Tried teaching my son how to catch a baseball, didn’t go as well as I hoped, but I’m sure he’ll get it soon.

Captain:

I’m sure he will too, he’s a bright kid.

F/O:

How did your refresher course go?

Captain:

It went fairly smooth, I didn’t have…

*Sound of large clank*
*Sound of engines revving violently*

The plane begins to bank sharply too the right into a roll.

*Warning: Bank Angle, Bank Angle.*
*Sound of overspeed alarm*

Captain:

Help me bring the controls to the left.

F/O:

Trying, what do you think is wrong?

Captain:

Something must have hit or jolted the aileron on the right.
Keep pulling with me.
Turn off autopilot.

F/O:

Autopilot off.

Captain:

I have control.

F/O:

You have control.

Captain:

I can’t get it to roll back.
We might have to flip it, and catch it when its gets back around.

F/O:

Flip it?, That seems risky.

Captain:

I know, but I tried it in the sim once and it worked, it was the best way I found to break a roll. It isn’t gonna be easy though.

F/O:

Ok, it’s your call.

Chapter 8

In the cabin, the passengers, now well into the flight and relaxed, feel the plane jolt to the right. Loose items fly wildly around the cabin. Glass bottles break as passengers’ drinks all fly to the right. Rebecca is pulled into her seat and cannot move. Twice the force of gravity pulls the passengers straight down. Many screams can be heard throughout the plane, as people react to the sudden, violent change of motion to the aircraft. Little children begin to cry in fear. The cries pierce Rebecca’s ears. All she can do is close her eyes. She has never felt such fear and such pressure in her life.
The lead flight attendant Nicole screams at the top of her lungs, “Heads down, stay seated!”. Nicole fights the extreme force to try and reach her seat in the back. Luggage begins to pour out of the overhead compartments, and the doors are unable to handle the stress. Outside the window passengers can see land below them, gradually getting closer and closer. Oxygen masks pop out of their compartments as the cabin pressure begins to change rapidly.
Everything seems to happen fast. Rebecca opens her eyes to see the mask in front of her. She struggles to remember the instructions on how to put it on. Her father, who already has his on, lends a hand to help get hers on right. Her stomach begins to feel like it’s in her throat, as the violent pressure continues to hold everyone in place.

*Sound of metal clanking and tearing*

The stress of the roll rips the gear doors clean off, exposing the wheels, and damaging the fuselage. The metal rips a hole in the fuselage and the plane begins to leak fuel from the main tank. Part of the elevator is chipped off causing the planes nose to drop slightly, further increasing the forces on the passengers and crew. In the cabin, the passengers can begin to smell the jet fuel and fear that an explosion is likely in their near future. The faint sound of people praying can be heard amidst the loud screams. Many fear the worst.

Chapter 9

Captain:

Get ready to help me with the roll. When I tell you, you’re going to give the engines full thrust, but wait until I say go.

F/O:

Ok, I’m ready.

*Sound of loud grunt*

The pilot uses every ounce of power he can summon to force his joystick to the right and begins to roll the plane on its back.

*Sound of loose object hitting ceiling*

Captain:

Hold on to something, and get ready.
Engine 2 full thrust.

F/O:

Full power to engine 2.

The plane begins to roll to the right and fall back into its normal flying position.

Captain:

Idle throttle.
Help me keep it center now.

F/O:

Ok, want me to call air traffic control or do you got it?

Captain:

I got it.

“Mayday Mayday Mayday, BlueSky 727 declaring an emergency, we are having problems with out flight controls and our aircraft has suffered damage”

Center:

“BlueSky 727 roger, you have Charleston airport off your 2 o’clock at 45 miles, report situation under control”

Captain:

“Do you have anything closer that can land an A320?”

Center:

“Negative, Charleston is the closest”

Captain:

“Roger, we’d like to go there then. Please have emergency assistance ready”

Center:

“BlueSky 727 roger, souls on board and fuel remaining?”

F/O:

We have 125 souls on board and, oh crap, we’re losing fuel rapidly, we might have a leak. We have 35.000lbs left.

Captain:

Ok, we’re probably gonna run out of fuel in the very near future. Be ready to lose both engines.

“Center, BlueSky 727 has further info. We have 125 souls on board passenger and crew, and 35,000lbs of fuel remaining and dropping fast. We have a possible fuel leak.”

Center:

“Roger 727”

“727 turn right heading 030, descend and maintain 5,000 at your discretion.

Captain:

“Right heading 030, descend and maintain 5,000 BlueSky 727.”

Ok, Charleston is a while away and were running out fuel, check and see how long we have.

F/O:

Way ahead of you, trying to calculate that now.

Captain:

Good, I’ll address the passengers.

“Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. We are experiencing some problems here. We are doing everything in our power to sort this out. Right now we are trying to make Charleston. But in all likelihood we will have to ditch the aircraft. The flight attendants will help assist you in the crash landing procedure. Please pay very close attention. Thank you”

F/O:

We run out of fuel in 2 minutes.

Captain:

S***

Chapter 10:

The plane is back right side up. Some passengers begin to breathe easy again. Others cheer the pilot for his successful maneuver. Rebecca was now gripping her father’s hand so tightly that his hand is turning purple. She is doing whatever she can to remain calm. The only thing going through her head is, ‘How much longer till we die?’.
Nicole, knowing the grave nature of the situation, begins to prepare the cabin for an emergency landing. She looks everything away, closes all overhead bins that were opened on the roll. She tries to calm passengers one by one and reassure them that everything is alright, even though she knows the likelihood is, they won’t be.
Suddenly, the pilot comes on the intercom. Rebecca is amazed at how calm his voice is. Is he not scared like the rest of us?, she thinks. As the pilot tells the passengers the situation, those breathing easy began to panic again. The overall mood of the aircraft went from relief to misery in a matter of seconds. The smell of fear engulfs the cabin. People begin to sweat and shake. Nicole begins to scream out the crash procedure and watches each passenger practice their brace.
Rebecca, no longer able to hold her emotions, begins to cry. Her father does what ever he can to reassure her, but no luck. Nicole finally makes it to the back and helps show Rebecca what to do. It takes her three tries before she finally gets it.
Rebecca asks, “What’s the point? We’re gonna die anyways.” Nicole responds, “Have faith, these pilots are two of the best in the world, if there is a way to survive this, they will find it!”
People can be heard praying again for the second time.

Chapter 11

Captain:

Lets gain some altitude while we have power, we are going to need it.

F/O:

Full power?

Captain:

Yes, full power, I’ll bring up the nose.

*Sound of engines at full power*
*Sound of metal clinking*

F/O:

She’s falling apart on us.

Captain:

Common girl, don’t fail me now.

*Sound of engine flaring out*

F/O:

Engine 2 flare out.

Captain:

Idle thrust lever 2.

*Sound of engine flare out*

F/O:

And engine 1 flare out.

*Sound of RAT (Ram Air Turbine) deploying.*

Captain:

RAT is out.

Ok, start calculating how long we have to glide. We’re at 7,000ft.
I’ll keep control of the glide, you just do the math.

F/O:

Roger.

Captain:

“Center, this is BlueSky 727, we have lost power to both engines, we are not going to make Charleston, do we have a closer landing strip?

Center:

“Next closes is off your 10 o’clock at 15 miles.”

Captain:

Can we make that?

F/O:

We have 5 minutes left in the air, not a chance we can make it.

Captain:

F***, ok then. Prepare to ditch the plane. Start looking for an open field.

F/O:

Looking.

Captain:

“Center, 727 will not make any runway, we are going to find an open field to ditch the plane. Please track us on the radar to try and locate our final landing point, and have emergency crews ready to be there as quickly as possible.”
Center:

“727 roger, will alert the authorites. Runway is at your 12 o’clock 10 miles if you can.”

Captain:

“Negative, we are going to have to ditch.”

Center:

“10-4”

Captain:

You look out your right, I’ll look out the left. Find me a nice open field.

F/O:

Ok, searching.

Chapter 12

Rebecca looks out the window only to see the engine on her side shoot out flames as it slowly dies. She tries to look away but can't. She is draw to the terrifying image in front of her. Suddenly, she can feel her heart in her throat. She becomes extremely tense. Her breathing becomes erratic.
Then, the lights go out. All power is lost to the cabin. The airplane becomes silent. It’s a deafening silence. Both engines are now out and nothing can be heard but those praying and screaming. People look around in terror. Many feel like these are the last people and objects they will see alive.
A 25 year old man, named Ehsan, sits in front of Rebecca. Rebecca notices him in the corner of her eye. He appears to be relaxed, as if the events unfolding do not phase him. She tries to mimic him and tries to find the comfort he feels, but can’t.
She asks, “Are you not afraid?” Ehsan replies, “I’m terrified, but I’ve come to accept what ever happens. If I go out, I want to do so with calmness, and grace.”
The tops of trees become visible outside the window. Cars begin to grow bigger and bigger as they slowly creep closer to the ground. The plane glides over what looks to be a parade. Many different and colorful floats pass Rebecca’s eyes. She fears that they may be the last beautiful thing she sees. With just moments before the plane reaches the ground, the cabin becomes silent. Passengers are beginning to accept their fate.

Chapter 13

F/O:

I have an open field to my right at about 2 o’clock. It’s massive.
Captain:

Very good. I should be able to make it just fine. I just have to slowly turn it.

*GPWS: 500*

Captain:

500ft. to go, I will alert the passengers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Brace for impact”

F/O:

Watch your speed, don’t drop below 140.

Do you want flaps?

Captain:

Yes, try flaps 2.

F/O:

Flaps 2.

*GPWS: 400*

Captain:

Emergency exit checklist ready?

F/O:

Ready to go.

*”Terrain, Pull up, Terrain, Pull up”*
*Sound of ringing alarm*

Captain:

300ft.
Any ideas, or are we stuck with this.

F/O:

I have nothing.

Captain:

Ok then, be ready to brace yourself.

*200*
*100*
*50*
*40*

Captain:

Here we go, brace yourself Reeves!

*30*
*20*
*10*

*Sound of loud bang*
*Sound of metal scattering*
*Sound of screams*
*Sound of silence*

Chapter 14

The impact of the crash throws passengers all throughout the cabin. Metal and debris are crushed and piled everywhere. The cabin, well what’s left of it, begins to fill with smoke. The smell of blood, burnt flesh, and hydraulic fluid pierces the noses of those who survived.
The plane has ditched on a field just 15miles south of Charleston. The aircraft has broken into three larger pieces. The cockpit and the first few rows make up one. The middle 15 rows make up the second. And the last 5 rows and the tail make up the third.
Immediately, passengers who are unharmed or able to move, unbuckle and run off the aircraft. Nicole, who has survived the crash screams out, “Anyone still on board needs to exit the aircraft now!”
Rebecca and her father have both survived. Rebecca has some minor cuts on her legs, and a broken finger, but is able to move freely. Steve however, has suffered major injuries and lays unconscious in his seat. “Somebody, help!”, screams Rebecca as she tries to get help for her father. Eshan, who has survived the impact unharmed, races to Rebecca’s side.
“You get off the plane now, I will get your father out.”, says Eshsan. Rebecca listens to his orders and leave the plane through the gapping hole in front of her.
As she breaks through and out of the plane, she can smell the cool, crisp air. There is a slight odor of hydraulic fluid, but not enough to overcome the sweet smell. It was as if she was breathing fresh air for the first time. Behind her, Rebecca sees Ehsan with her father in his hands. As she begins to walk further away from the plane, tears of joy stream down her face. She cannot believe she is still alive.

Chapter 15

Captain:

We did it Reeves. We got her down.
Reeves?
Reeves are you ok?

Daniel crawls over to his first officer Ryan. Ryan’s chair has been ripped out of place due to the massive impact. The force of the blow has slammed Ryan into the control panels at over 120mph. Ryan had died on impact.

Captain:

F***.
How could this happen?

You were one of the best my friend.
You are a hero.

Emergency doors, open.
God D***

*Sound of loud cry*

END TRANSCRIPT.
END RECORDING.

Daniel, though struck with sadness, knows that he has to do his job. He opens the cockpit door to find three different pieces of plane behind him. He sees people standing outside the plane and screams, “Move as far away as possible, a fire is possible!”.
A fire breaks out in the middle section of the plane the second after the warning. Passengers who have escaped, begin to run as far away as possible. For the first time since the plane hit the ground, sirens can be heard in the distance. Help was on the way, and just in time.

Chapter 16

Fire Chef Jordon Graves has seen many horrors in his life, but as he drove up to the scene of the crash, even he was in shock. Jordon, 45, has been fire chief for Gardentown, South Carolina Fire Department for 3 years now. But the scene in front of him was worse than anything he had seen, even in movies. A jumbo jet lies in several pieces in an open grass field. The smell of burning metal engulfs the air. People can be seen running from the wreckage, many of whom have tattered clothing. Those injured limp and crawl their way to safety. Others covered head to toe in blood and soot. Some cry, while others turn back at times, as if they are trying to decide if this was a dream, or actually happening
Jordon calls out to his men, “Get that fire out now, there could be people still alive inside. The men call out, “Yes sir”, in one quick response. The fire truck pulls up next to the burning wreckage, and almost simultaneously then men jump out and begin to set up the hose. Jordon begins to coordinate his men around the base of the fire and orders the hoses on. At first it appears to work, as the flames begin to diminish ever so slightly. But unknown to anyone on the ground, the fire is coming dangerously close to the reserve fuel tank. A tank that was not completely emptied when fuel had leaked out.
Rebecca, now several yards away from the burning wreckage, begins to breathe a sigh of relief. She looks back and sees Ehsan still carrying her father away. She begins to walk back to help Ehsan. After three steps, a massive explosion blows her back. The reserve fuel tank has erupted blasting several people, including many of the fire fighters back from the plane. Rebecca hops to her feet, and quickly looks around to find her father. When she is unable to find him, she falls to her knees. Such fear had never flowed through her in her life. It was worse than any dream imaginable.

Chapter 17

Jordan, who was blasted back 30 feet by the explosion, has trouble regaining composure. He calls out on his radio to his men. Of the 5 that surrounded the plane, 4 call back. Adam Jones, a 23 year old who just joined the fire department 2 weeks ago, is the only man who doesn’t respond. Jordon realizes that there is no time now to find his man. He has to get everyone alive away from the wreckage.
Daniel, who was also blown back several feet by the crash, gets up dazed. His composure however, remains in tact. He quickly runs back toward the aircraft to give one last sweep. When he finds nobody left in the wreckage, he immediately runs in Jordon’s direction.
“Everyone is out of the wreckage”, Daniel says to Jordon. Jordon is surprised in the calmness of his voice. The professionalism is unmatched.
Jordon responds. “Ok, then we will do our best to control the fire. Ambulances are on the way. Try to get all the injured in a certain area to help speed up treatment.” Without a moments notice, Daniel begins to call out for everyone to gather around the dirt road in the distance. Daniel stumbles upon Rebecca, who is still on her knees in complete shock. He quickly helps her to her feet and leads her to the dirt road.
To his and Rebecca’s surprise, many of the passengers have escaped alive and are lined up on the dirt road. However, Rebecca bursts into tears when she cannot find her father, or Ehsan. “Dad!”, she screams over and over in heartbreaking cries. The cries pierce the ears of all the survivors. Many begin to cry as well. They cannot believe they have survived such horrors. The sound of Ambulance sirens helps to reassure many that the worst is over.
After 2 hours of fighting the fire, the flames have now been completely put out. The wreckage is now covered in thick, black soot. The smell of smoke has completely taken over the air. Many people require oxygen masks to breath. Daniel and Nicole have finally united and begin to count the survivors. As they count higher and higher, both begin to realize just how well the ditch went. But until they count all 125 people, it isn’t perfect.

Chapter 18

After counting the survivors over twice, 122 people are accounted for. The three missing are, First Officer Ryan Reeves, Rebecca’s father Steve, and the man carrying Steve, Ehsan. Ryan was the only person to die on impact. Steve and Ehsan were both killed instantly by the explosion. When Rebecca finds out they cannot find her father, an overwhelming sadness takes over. But for the first time, she doesn’t cry. After her long day of terror, there are just no tears left. She has finally accepted what she has lived through and seen. There is nothing she can do, nor could she have done to change anything.
Jordon too is able to make a final count of his men now that the fire has been put out. To his dismay, only 4 of the 5 men from his truck remain. Adam has also been killed by the explosion. His body is found several yards north of the main wreckage. It is a devastating blow to everyone in the crew. But the emotions are mixed. Although they have lost a comrade, they have been able to help many survive what was expected to be total loss.
The passengers also realize this. Although some may have died, the fact that anyone survived is beyond reason. The pilots had done everything right. At the end of the day 122 of the 125 people onboard BlueSky Flight 727, have come out alive. Many of which, have only minor injuries. A guardian angel has touched upon each and every one of their lives. Although it was not the perfect end, it was better than anyone could have imagined, ever!
As news stations begin to broadcast footage of the wrecking, everyone around the world is in awe as to how anyone could have survived. The pictures of an A320 in 3 main pieces, burnt to a crisp should mean total lose of life. Immediately, many begin to praise the pilot for his incredible feat. Reports talk to survivors and ask them for their stories. The stories they get, sound worse than anything anyone could fathom to hear.
Rebecca is one of the many asked to talk about the incident. She tries to answer the questions but can’t. The true power of her emotions won’t let her. Her body is so perplexed by the whole situation, that she cannot form words. All she can do is cover her face, and push the microphone away. Everyone tuned in, gets a feeling of sadness as they watch Rebecca fight away tears. This incident is unlike any other.

Chapter 19

Not even 24 hours after the plane touched down, the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) is on the scene of the crash. Investigators first look at the three large pieces of wreckage and find that the force of the impact is what has ripped them apart. One large piece reveals several holes in the fuselage. This confirms that fuel leaking was likely. It also finds all three gear doors missing. All three had broken off before the plane hit the ground. When investigators go to the area around where the plane started to experience problems, they are able to locate all three gear doors. All three had been ripped off clean from their latches. It takes incredible force to rip these from place. Investigators know something went terribly wrong.
The NTSB is also able to recover both ailerons from the plane. Right away, they are able to see clear damage to the right aileron that could not have been caused by the crash. This is the first major find in the investigation. It also explains why the plane might have suffered through such extreme forces.
Both black boxes are also recovered from the scene in perfect quality. The CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder), confirms to investigators that what happened was sudden, and also that the plane went through a complete roll. The FDR (Flight Data Recorder) also confirms that the right aileron was forced into an upward position and then jammed in that position for a long period of time, but then just as suddenly, snapped back into position. This explains how the pilots were able to get control back to the aircraft. One major question now crosses the minds of the investigators. What causes the aileron to be forced into an upward position?
Weather is one of the first aspects that come into question. However, when weather charts at the time of the incident are examined, nothing is found. It was a perfect sunny day and there was little to no wind. The next step for investigators was to look at possible turbulence. Finally, they had found their answer. When charts are examined at the time of the accident, a large and lengthy band of turbulence was in place at the same altitude and same position of BlueSky 727. This severe turbulence was heavily concentrated toward the right side of the aircraft. This leads investigators to believe that this sudden strong turbulence on the right side, forced the aileron into an upward position, causing the place to bank to the right. The force of the turbulence was too strong to be overcome by the pilots’ inputs. However, once the plane broke through the patch of heavy turbulence the ailerons were able to go back to their normal position give the pilots full controls of their turns.
They also now know that the gear doors ripping off and striking the plane is the cause of the holes in the fuselage. They were able to rip through 4 of the 5 tanks in the aircraft. Once all the fuel was leaked out and as much fuel as possible was sucked out of the reserve, the plane lost power to both engines. This turned the plane into a jumbo glider. A glider, than ran out of altitude just a little too fast.

Chapter 20

A week has passed, and slowly things are turning back to normal. Rebecca is now safely home with her mother and recovering well from both her physical and emotional pain. Life will be different without her father, but she knows she has to move on.
The crash has slowly drifted out of the news except for one important feature. The pilot, Daniel Anderson, is finally ready to give an interview of what happened that fateful day. Reporter Mike Roberts was the first and only person to interview him. This is what was said:

Roberts:

“At what point did you know you were in trouble?”

Anderson:

“As soon as the plane jolted to the right I knew right away something had gone terribly wrong. If it was a minor problem, it would not have occurred so suddenly or violently.”

Roberts:

“What is the first thing you did after you realized what happened”

Anderson:

“My first reaction was to try and force the joystick left to break the roll. When that didn’t work I decided to improvise. I had practiced flipping the plane before in simulators, and I figured it was worth a try.”

Roberts:

“When the plane came back around and in control, did you feel like you were safe?”

Anderson:

“To some extent I did, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking, what is the likelihood of this happening again. Since that was the case, I called in for help as soon as possible. I wasn’t going to take the risk.”

Roberts:

“At what point did you realize you were out of fuel?”

Anderson:

“I didn’t realize it till Ryan was reading it off to me. The controller had asked what amount we had left, and when I was told by Ryan we had almost none left, I knew we were going to have more problems.”

Roberts:

“You realized you had no other options but to ditch the plane. What goes through your mind?”

Anderson:

“The only thing on my mind was getting it down as soft as possible. I knew how many people’s lives I had in my hands, and I knew that I had to make it as survivable as possible.”

Roberts:

“Did you feel any fear while all this was happening?”

Anderson:

“It would be a lie to say I didn’t, but under the circumstances, I didn’t have time for it. So I had to channel the fear and the adrenaline away to help keep focused on the task at hand.”

Roberts:

“At the end of the day, you had saved the lives of 122 people. Many consider you to be a hero. What do you think of this?”

Anderson:

“I feel honored that people consider me a hero. But in reality, I’m not. All I was doing when it comes down to it was my job. My job was to protect the lives of all those passengers on board that plane, and that’s what I did, to the best of my ability. I am disappointed that not everyone survived, and I take full blame for that. But at the end of the day, I was just doing my job.”

Captain Daniel Anderson will begin flying the A320 for BlueSky airlines in another week. He must first take some time on the simulator to help get him back into form. Who his new first officer will be has yet to be determined. No matter who it is though, Daniel will do what he has to, and what he did to save the lives of 122 just weeks before, his job.

End
_________

Lemme know what you guys think!

OFFICIAL VATSIM EVENT - Cross the Gulf 2010 Eastbound

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:01:58 -0400

Cross The Gulf 2010 Eastbound

Date :: August 29, 2010
Time :: 2300z-0300z
Location :: Gulf of Mexico

Dear Pilots and Controllers,

ZMA will be hosting the first ever Cross the Gulf event. This event has been talked about for some time and now it’s finally here! Traveling from West to East, pilots will enjoy the wonderful experience. Cross the Gulf will be taking place on Sunday 29 August 2010. There will be a booking system to boost up the realism. The controllers are ready so bring it on!

There will be 5 featured departure airports and 4 featured arrival airports (listed below). Pilots are encouraged to depart the featured departure airports and arrive at the featured arrival airports. Pilots can book their flight by booking an arrival slot. The booking process will take less than 2 minuets.

Booking System Link
The booking system goes by arrival slots. Basically you are booking an arrival slot into one of the featured destinations. The Booking System is now open. Go and book your flight!
-Booking System Link:http://www.zmaartcc.net/events/CrossTheGulf/signup/

Featured Departure Airports
* Cancun Int’l Airport [MMUN]
* Toncontin Int'l Airport [MHTG]
* Mexico City Int’l Airport [MMMX]
* San Antonio Int’l Airport [KSAT]
* New Orleans Int’l Airport [KMSY]
* Dallas Fort Worth Int’l [KDFW]

Featured Arrival Airports
* Miami Int’l Airport [KMIA]
* Fort Lauderdale Int’l Airport [KFLL]
* Nassau Int’l Airport [MYNN]
* Orlando Int’l [KMCO]

Preferred Routes
The Miami ARTCC is supplying pilot's with routes to file for the event. Pilots are asked to file one of the preferred routes to avoid confusion on the ATC end. It is not mandatory for pilots to file the preferred routes, but it's recommended.
Cross the Gulf Routes- http://www.zmaartcc.net/forum/viewtopic....7686#p7686

"I don't know what route to fly!"

Some people may not know what route to fly because they don't know which ARTCC's/FIR's will be online. Well, I think I can answer that for you. We have gotten responses from over a dozen facilities stating that they will be online. If you depart the featured departure airports and arrive at the featured arrival airports, then your guaranteed atc for your entire flight. Some individuals may want to do something different and that is more than understandable. Below are the guaranteed center facilities.

A *(star) indicates that more than one controller will be staffing the center. They may not be accurate.

-Miami Center*
-Miami Oceanic
-Jacksonville Center*
-Huston Center*
-Huston Oceanic*
-Mexico City Center*
-Dallas Center*
-Havanna Center
-Nassau Center
-Monterrey Center
-Merida Center
-Centeral America Center

Traffic Management
Different ARTCC's/FIR's may have a Traffic Management Coordinator on duty for this event. The point of the TMC ( Traffic Management Coordinator) is two prevent congestion in the airspace. The last thing we would want is for our pilots to have there flights delayed due to heavy congestion. ZMA should have a Traffic Management Coordinator on duty to make things run smoothly for your arrival.

Sky Blue Radio Advertisement

Some Helpful And Interesting Links
-FS Dream Team Fort Lauderdale: http://www.fsdreamteam.com/products_kfll.html
-Miami ARTCC NOTAMS- http://zmaartcc.net/index.php?option=com...&Itemid=63
-Tips To Flying In ZMA- http://www.zmaartcc.net/Robbie/Pilot_Tutorial.pdf
-ZMA Controller Feedback System- http://www.zmaartcc.net/index.php?option...Itemid=128
-KFLL Airnav- http://www.airnav.com/airport/KFLL
-KMIA Airnav- http://www.airnav.com/airport/KMIA
-KMCO Airnav- http://www.airnav.com/airport/KMCO
-MYNN Airnav- http://www.airnav.com/airport/MYNN
-Miami ARTCC- http://zmaartcc.net/

If you have any questions please feel free to email me. I will be more than happy to answer any question you may have for me.
Email- ec@zmaartcc.net

OFFICIAL VATSIM EVENT - Palm Beach Overload

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:56:39 -0400

Date :: August 1, 2010
Location :: Miami ARTCC, Palm Beach International (PBI)
Time :: 2300z - 0300z

It's almost here! Palm Beach Overload is going to be a blast. From the controllers in the Palm Beach Tower, to the controllers in the Tracon, and from the controllers in Miami Center; everyone at ZMA will be pushing tin. The traffic will be heavy and ZMA will be ready!

Help Spreading the Word?

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:54:58 -0400

Anyone who has ideas on how to spread the word about fsimmers please leave your ideas and comments in a post below! Much appreciated!

- Mike Cinnante

Fly ZNY!

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:51:49 -0400

As some of you may know, me and Daniel are both ZNY S2 controllers on VATSIM. I am currently in the Kennedy Cab, while Daniel is in La Guardia. Look for us online and pay us a visit !

- Mike Cinnante

VATSIM Information for Beginners

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:48:30 -0400

FSimmers now uses VATSIM as the primary online tool for our events. Now as a lot of you know, VATSIM is a pretty serious organization with a lot of rules and regulations. This may be intimidating at first to newcomers to the network, but after reading this guide, we hope to clear up some confusion and questions you may have. As always, do not hesitate to post your own questions or even tips for flying online VATSIM. Let us begin shall we?

www.vatsim.net

VATSIM Pilots Please Read!

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:53:47 -0400

Pilots,

We would like those of you who fly on VATSIM to put fsimmers.com in the remarks section of your flight plans. You do not have to do this, but it would be a great help to spread the word about the forum! A small contribution can go a long way. For any questions on this or if you have any other ideas on how we could spread the word of FSimmers, please leave a post below!

Happy flying!
- Mike Cinnante

JetBlue Partners with El Al

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:36:07 -0400

http://blog.hellojetblue.com/blog/index.php/2010/07/22/live-it-up-at-the-dead-sea-with-our-new-agreement-with-el-al/

It appears JetBlue will have some codeshare flights with El Al now. JetBlue should now have connecting flights to Tel Aviv

Cirrus Virtual

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:17:19 -0400

Hey All,

My name Is Evan and I am the Vice President Of Cirrus Virtual Airlines. Cirrus Operates a Worldwide Fleet Containing the A319 Boeing 737-800 Boeing 757-200 Boeing 767-300 and The Queen 747-400. Cirrus Virtual Has just opened its doors and we are looking for passionate pilots to come onboard and fly! All we ask is that you have 100 hours online on vatsim and have an attitude to help the airline succeed!

Cirrusva.net Uncrowded. Uncompromising. UNAIRLINE .

JetBlue Flight 569

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:59:31 -0400

Flight that I took back in March

Northwest Airlink KSWF to KDTW

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:56:13 -0400

A flight I took last summer!

FSimmers.com Re-opened!

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:39:08 -0400

As many of you know, FSimmers.com pretty much went into the dumps when there was a serious lack of participation from members and administrators. The site hasn't been active for over 6 months and we realized that if we wanted to re-open the site, we would have to change our game plan.

We have decided that it is time for a 3rd go around with the site. This time around we plan to incorporate VATSIM (Virtual Air Traffic Simulation) into the site, and use their servers for our events. If anyone who doesn't know what VATSIM is, it's a very popular and realistic Air Traffic Control and multiplayer system for Flight Simulator. We know many users are intimidated by VATSIM, and at FSimmers, we are here to help you learn how it works and help you get started on doing your first flights on the network.

We ask that all current members begin to use the forums again as they had before and spread the word to others! Help make FSimmers a part of the Flight Simulator community once again. Any contribution helps. Discuss aviation, post pictures and videos, and join us on events! Our goal is to ensure you have fun and make friends!

Happy Flying,
FSimmers Administration

3rd Time's the Charm

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:18:28 -0400

Daniel Gorziglia (Ziggles) has decided it is again time to give this site another go! Now that both Daniel and myself use VATSIM (Virtual Air Traffic Simulation), we are confident that we can incorporate it into FSimmers and jump-start the site back into action! Pilots and aviation enthusiasts like will once again have a place to post their thoughts on aviation news and other miscellaneous information. We can also use VATSIM to our advantage to hold realistic events, with trained person to person Air Traffic Controllers, and real flight plans.

All current users are asked to do their part. Spread the word and help make FSimmers and active part of the Flight Simulator world!

Thanks in advance, and I hope to speak to all of you again very soon!

- Mike Cinnante (Aviationlover64)

Stewart Airport Pictures

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:55:11 -0400

Some more recent pictures that I've take at Stewart Airport:

Ahoy..........

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:30:27 -0400

Hi all!

I've been involved with flight simulation for many years, and am a member of several other forums.

Great to hear about this place, and to meet everyone....

Pete[/size][/font]

Stewart (KSWF) Spotting (01/31/10)

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:16:07 -0500

Some pictures from my recent spotting trip (01/31/10)!

To see more of my pictures... go to http://s457.photobucket.com/albums/qq296/planelover64/

JetBlue A320 at Stewart (KSWF)

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:10:33 -0500

A question for VA managers and pilots

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:03:21 -0500

Hey guys, this question is directed to anyone who is a part of a virtual airline.

What aspect of joining, managing, or volunteering for a VA do you guys like? If thats to confusing, what do you guys find fun with joining a VA? For managers, what's the cool part about setting up and maintaining a VA? For pilots, why do you guys like flying for a VA?

This might sound like a stupid question, but I just want to know. I'm not bashing anyone or anything, all I want is to understand what people like about virtual airlines.

Thanks!

New here

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:39:29 -0500

Hey all!
I'm Pitz and I am a part of the immigration from FSworld to FSimmers.
Hope I'll have a good time!