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"We are the protagonists of our stories called life, and there is no limit to how high we can fly."


PHD. MBA. MHS. Type rated on A350, A330, B777, B747-400, B747-200, B757, B767, B737, B727. International Airline Pilot / Author / Speaker. Dedicated to giving the gift of wings to anyone following their dreams. Supporting Aviation Safety through training, writing, and inspiration. Fighting for Aviation Safety and Airline Employee Advocacy. Safety Culture and SMS change agent.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Seattle to Amsterdam

SEA ATIS Info C 1953z
20017G25Kt 10 SM
BKN 037 BKN049
15/16 2999

The wind gusted, the clouds blew by, and I got the takeoff out of Seattle.
9 hours and 45 minutes later we were landing in Amsterdam. Our cabin crew was wonderful. My captain will be this week's Friday Flyer.
Life is good, and it feels great to be in the plane again!



When we pulled into the gate a beautiful young lady asked if she could peek into the flight deck. So we made her a Captain. She got wings and we did the photo shoot. Jessica was an unaccompanied minor flying all the way from Seattle to Warsaw via Amsterdam.

It was a pleasure to meet you Jessica! Thank you for flying Delta and enjoy the rest of your journey. I hope to see you again, and would love to hear all about your adventure.

Jessica and Karlene
Enjoy the Journey!

~ Karlene

26 comments:

  1. Nice to see you flying again Karlene!!

    I totally understand your excitement! I went about 4 months without flying because of job transition (training, etc) 2 years ago and I felt like I was on withdrawal!!! UGH!

    I love how passionate you are about promoting avaition at every opportunity. What you did on this trip, introduce Jessica to the cockpit and the airbus, that is my dream of all time. Introduce others to this wonderful passion!

    Great blog as always, keep up the amazing work!

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  2. How exciting to see young ones not only interested in aviation but courageous enough to ask questions :-D
    It sounds like you had a great trip!
    Do you ever fly to Rome? Will you be in Oshkosh in July?
    I will be flying Delta in July to get to Oshkosh (wouldn't it be fun if you were the "driver") ... hope to get a peek in the cockpit as well.
    thanks always for the interesting reads
    Michelle

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  3. Hi Jean, I would love to make you captain of the bus! Thank you so much for the great comment. I think I was having flying withdrawals for sure. Feels good to be out here.

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  4. Michelle, I am trying to bid off to be there! But... daughter is having her baby in Chicago... so will be laying low, and driving up. Yes... I fly to Rome! Well... I did when based in Detroit. So, I am sure I will again. Email me and let me know where you will be staying in Oshkosh! I will find you.

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  5. Yay for flying again, Karlene! Sounds like a wonderful trip, and that young woman will have something great to remember about flying the rest of her life. Nice work, as always!

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  6. Have fun in Amsterdam Karlene! That's so excellent that you peeps inviting Jessica in and let her do a photo shoot.

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  7. I remember when I was a little girl, and flew NW to the US from Europe, the excitement of being allowed in to the flight deck after we landed. I still find myself doing that, every once in a while, but I feel like I am too old for those things nowadays - ugh, I am turning 20 later this summer!

    Usually, I tell the pilots "well done" when I disembark the plane after flights now. I find my self often in a hurry, trying to not miss my connection flight. But I think we all should be a little better in complimenting the great job pilots do every single day.

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  8. Hi Linda, thank you so much! Yes.. it's started out as a good trip! And... only to get better. Tomorrow Atlanta!

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  9. Thanks Heather, she was so sweet! And so nice to see someone come up and say hi at the end of the flight. She was having a good trip. Going a long way on her own...I hope she'll drop by and say hi.

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  10. Cecilie, Thank you so much for the great comment! The good old NW days... continue on at Delta, and I hope that you come up to the flight deck and say hi. I would love to meet you! You make a great point, sometimes we all get too busy. I'm going to make that effort when I'm commuting.

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  11. Glad to see you flying again. But the KSEA METAR seems to be missing something, although perhaps it gets omitted as being too normal to report - where is the "RA"?

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  12. Karlene, I'm so glad you got to fly! Looks like it was a great flight. Thank you for sharing your photos! What great PR for Delta as well! Enjoy your trip!

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  13. I think I was about 6 years old. Traveling to Denmark on a DC-8. The stewardess (back then!) invited me to come up to the cockpit in flight. I just remember the pilots both turned around in their seats greeting little Tom. I remember the rotating round screen with radar and I was too short to see out the windows, but we were somewhere over Greenland at the time.
    I probably got some little pilot wings and a toy DC-8 on that flight too.
    The ride on the plane to grandma's house was always one of the best parts of the vacation for me!

    Tom

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  14. Karlene,
    I hope you have a great trip!
    I love the stories on your blog. There are so many interesting people. It is fun to read why people fly or want to fly. It is great so see so many women stories, as well.
    Keep it up,
    Hella

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  15. DB... that's funny. I think RA waited until departure. Thanks for the comment. Nice to get flying again!

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  16. Thanks Daniel for the nice comment! I really appreciate all your support!

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  17. Tom, you are the reason I wish we could go back to letting kids in the flight deck during flight. You are truly the most passionate person I know for the love of flight. Do you think there is a direct correlation? Those were the good old days!

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  18. Hella, I always wonder... what about next week? But next week comes and I've met another wonderful person. I think the love of aviation brings them. Thank you so much for your great comment! I really appreciate it.

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  19. Hi Karlene,
    Nice, picture of Rwy18R!
    Next time go for Rwy27 and I'll wave to you from Schiphol East...
    Regards,
    Roberto (Flight Data Analyst @KLM)

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  20. Hey Robert, I'm coming back on the 14th! I'll see if we can get Rwy 27 and look for your wave!

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  21. I see that an mcdu page is shown on the third mcdu.What is that page used for?

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  22. Hey Jet airliners... not sure what you're referencing. I don't see that picture here. But... the third MCDU is used for ACARS.

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  23. Im referencing to the picture with you and jessica.There is an mcdu page shown at the bottom of the picture and I was wondering what that page is used for.

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  24. Ohh... I didn't think that's what you were talking about because I can't see the "page." But... answer above... ACARS.

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  25. if electronic fuel service record procedures are being used, will "EFSR" be shown on the weight data record?

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  26. If a paper fuel slip is required we are notified.

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Thank you for your comment! If your comment doesn't appear immediately, it will after I land. Enjoy the journey!