Lenoids

November 18, 2009

Back east.  Flight level 140 between Norfolk and Raleigh.  Traffic is heavy but it's a nice long flight - at least by regional jet standards - of about an hour and a half.  Tonight is also the Lenoids meteor shower, and although it's early yet I find myself constantly scanning eastward in hopes of catching sight of one.  Unfortunately, none to see so far.  However I do see the piercing stars of the Big Dipper dead in front of me. Interesting how I'm not even paying attention to the stars, but on first glance out the windscreen I immediately notice that constellation.  Dead in front of me.

Company traffic United 964 has also been dead in front of me all night.  He was 1st for departure out of Norfolk, and then as we departed right after him we've been on his tail ever since.  I've been watching his strobes directly in front of me for the entire flight.  As ATC vectors him for a turn, I can see him turn ahead of me knowing full well that I'll be turning on the same spot once I get there. It's kindof nice to have company tonight.  Especially since it's a United ship - AKA company traffic.  I don't know the pilot, but there's definitely a certain comraderie here.  And a certain amount of bravado too. 

According to his strip, he's an Airbus 321.  An electric jet.  100-something passengers my senior.  But then as he turns to intercept the localizer at Raleigh I hear approach mention that it appears he missed the glide slope.  Approach calls and asks if he'll wants to switch to the visual approach.  He does.  Apparently he has his hands full and has overflown his turn.  He's correcting, but just the same it's a minor embarassment.  A pilot's main source of pride is to hit the numbers perfectly every time.  Sadly he didn't.  It happens to us all now and again, but this time it wasn't me.  I can safely score a bravado point or two if I play this right.  Since I'm right behind him I must make absolutely sure that I don't make the same mistake.

As my ILS turn approaches and I snap off the autopilot, grab the emergency flight controls and ping that damn turn right on the money.   The ship levels out and we are SNAP on the glide slope and looking pretty as all hell on our setup.  Approach hands us off to tower and right away tower alerts us that we are closing on the company traffic fast.  I reply that we have them in sight and that we will make adjustments to maintain visual separation. 

All the way down I'm watching United 964 correct his error and go for the runway.  I'm one minute or less behind him for the same runway.  I dump the laundry (gear and flaps) to slow to final approach speed and hope he doesn't miss.   I can see his strobes ahead of me as he decends. 

Fortunately he hits his landing and immediately exits off the first taxiway.  We are 30 seconds behind him and closing when tower calls "United 35, the strip is all yours."   Yeah baby.  I parlay that snap lineup earlier into a beautiful floater of a landing.  One for the boys back home.  Thrust reversers ON and we brake on past United 964 and high speed turn off onto the next available taxiway.  Over to ground and we are both cleared to taxi to the ramp. 

We pull along side each other at the ramp and both kill engines at about the same time.  Doors open to disembark passengers at about the same time.  Technically, since he's in the bigger and more sophisticated aircraft than mine he is my senior.  But not tonight.  Tonight he missed the localizer.  I didn't.  Damn little United 35 is one bang-on little ship and crew. 

As we power down our aircraft lights I notice he flashes his landing lights at me before shutting down completely.  One small salute between company line pilots.  He knows the truth.  The passengers might not know, and the company might not know, but HE knows that he missed and I hit.  Graciously I thank him with a return flash of my lights.

Life is good.  The reputation of United 35 is upheld once again and bragging rights are mine.  At least for the night anyways.