European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 6, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ossey will carry during it Izreo Day swing before la Coll. Paly obtains a computer generated High plan. Ii fells him what runways he is expected to use. The plane s weight fuel requirements in route weather and areas of possible turbulence an update is available through a computer Ink directly into the cockpit the md-8q can Cany 14? passengers but. Only 68 Are on the 6.07 . Flight. Tha Light is routine but no approach into Chicago s o Hare International Airport busiest in he world is Isken Lig filly. Over the radio can be Hoard a rapid never ending string fit directives As the plane approaches the Airport american 477 urn right Hoac fing 300. American ?2s a second to. American 412 maintain 5,000. American 226 heading 360. American s3 maintain 8,000. Not leg he outer taxiway is closed Between Ctiarlie-7 and p-1american 477 turn  paly and Young single out controller directives that pertain to them and right 477 snakes through the Low hanging Clouds or a Landing. One of the hardest things we do is taxi around o Hare and to Able to Ligure out where the hell you e going Young says. Between lights pilots Stream Inlo american s operations Center where rows of computer terminals provide Hern heir next Highl plan Al a touch of the keys the Pilot have As minutes to change planes and gel ready Lor their Takeoff to Tulsa now flight 331 with 99 passengers aboard. While taxiing toward the runway a computer Sener aled voice sounds  spoilers paty had activated the alarm system on purpose a Rollins adopted since the Norl Wesl crash on aug. 16 in Detroit in which an alarm did not sound even though the plane departed with improperly Sel flaps ii s just a final chech of he alarm system says the Captain. Two hours later still mid Oming the pilots Are Riding in an Airport Van to a hotel in suburban Tulsa with almost an entire Day to kill. After lunch at a last food Sandwich shop Young a 30 tvo things thai stick out mile a week Jogger Heads out on a five mile run. While paly wishes he had brought some Golf clubs after the evening meal they turn in Early Well aware of the 3 30 am. Pickup for the next Day s pro Dawn of Frohl to Dallas fort Worth. There is Lime for breakfast at the Light Crew Calemeria and Small talk wifi older pilots capt. George Roberts an old Navy buddy tells paly of an engine allure during a recent flight the fourth of his career. In 20 years at american paly says he s never had one. You be been Lucky replies Roberts during hid flight to new Orleans Young will handle the controls. A mysterious buzzing has Boon reported at a window exit near Seal 21-f and Patras pcs a slight attendant to let him know if it continues. The trip to Mew Orleans where a Mechanic iries without Success to solve the buzzing mystery goes quickly As does the return to Dallas. They have 39 minutes to Swilch aircraft and prepare for departure to the Wesl coast. A Light Alle Danl informs them there Are no meals for the pilots. We be been flying since 5a.m. And we re not going logo with no food on Board snaps the normally subdued affable Captain. A Telephone Call summons two More meals. The plane now flight 487 taking 105 passengers to Sacramento is Reacy to push away from the Gale. But Wail. The electric Generator Lor the auxiliary Power Supply suddenly fails and then starts. An electrical glitch says Young pleased the problem has resolved ils Eif. And soon the md-60 is climbing o 33,000 feel where Young flips on the automatic Pilot. For the next three hours. Paty and Young will do Little More than Monitor the radio Check instruments and make sure they fallow the navigational charts Westward. Like most captains. Paly likes to Point out landmarks to passengers Fie Oil Wells near Odessa Texas the so called ship Rock which resembles a Schooner on the Northern Edge of Arizona. Id you us to see if we Check. T for \ two Terttu pedal to h6. A you talk too much the businessman gels Lickett Oil he says. If you Don t say anything the mile old lady wants to know what Sale she s  at cruising Altitude with the automatic Pilot n convict the cramped cockpit becomes Moro relaxed above 18,000 feel All planes Are tracked by r Idar and assigned specific altitudes Wilh at least a 1,000-loot vertical and 10-mile horizontal separation you have to guard against getting bored by the routine of things says paty. That can be a problem both in running through checklists Bolero Lakott and while cruising at nearly 600 Miles an Hoof live Miles in the air. Al 12 24 p.m., local Lime. Flight 487, Sels Down in Sacramento a minutes ahead of schedule Bui for  and Young their body clocks Tell them it is actually Cosoi to late afternoon. They have been on the go for 12 hours and Hying on and of for nearly eight. There s Limo for a Lew hours Al the hotel swimming Pool dinner and bed the 7 06 am. Departure the next Day Lor a Leighl Down the California coast to Orange county s the Lisl leg of the trip Home. But 20 minutes before departure there still is no air plane though the passengers already Nave arrived. The Jet finally is Lowed from another part of the air Oil. But paty promises to write a report to Headquarters about the delay. He speculates some of the problem stems from the recent Mer t into american of air Caf Fomia. Which handles i anti operations at Sacramento. Tha skies Are Overcasl along the California coast awl in the los Angeles Basin but Noil her paly nor Young complain the weather is keeping most private pills grounded a Welcome development. Controllers normally just say numerous traffic All Quad arils thai Means there s so much traffic the can t possibly Tell you where it All  says Young. On this trip there Are Only a Lew traffic advisories irom air traffic control. On the ground at John Wayne Airport Row upon Row of private planes with such names As Cherokee Apache sern note can be seen parked Wing to Wing near the runway. There s another one from Indian  quips Young As a single engine sem mole Lams nearby after Landing the nickname Tor any Southern Caf Lornia airspace below 10,000 feet stems not Only irom the Indian names carried by Many of the More popular private planes but also from the danger perceived by Many pills flying the Large jets. The 25-Minule Stopover is the shortest of the trip and the Crew members stay on the plane As fhe 106 passengers Settle into their seats. A Blanket of while Clouds coi i most of the country on the rip eastward. After Landal Dallas far Worth. The Crew has a tedious 3-hours-Anrj-20-minutes Wail Lor their last departure finally it is Lime to prepare. It is the Crew s fifth air plane his time an md-80 put in service Only so weeks earlier the controls Are Stilt still and not All the bugs in the Cabin have been worked out. A Light Alle Danl reports a tray that won t slay listened at Seal 86 and an armrest broken Al another scat a communications module in the cockpit also has to be replaced heavy traffic out of Dallas few i Worth put paty behind schedule for the lir a Lime during he three Days alter the 1,044-mile Imal leg of the in. Flight 622 with 128 passenger aboard lands at Dulles 19 minutes talc Park and brakes says Young at 917pm let s close her  replies the Captain the trip Over the to drive to a nearby hotel for a Beer before heading Home. A members 1987 the stars and stripes Page 15