The Conquered Pacific Short Story By Esteban ERik STipnieks
The twin engines built speed their massive fans being driven by air exploding in the combustion chambers running over turbines microprocessors managed the fuel flow the temps the engine rpm. Soon 96% of the available thrust came on line. The big airplane sped down the runway. The first two of its four person crew were in command. The engines performance was commanded by moving the throttles to the max thrust position. The plane knew the length of the runway and the sensors spat out the temp it figured the power setting the V1 had been calculated on a chart the first officers hand was on the throttle as the airplane accelerated to decision speed the gauges revealed everything was going to plan. After V1 they were committed to the takeoff. The next call came Rotate the nose was pointed skyward. The airplane had under its wings in two engines thrust that would have been unbelievable 20 years before. The stick was moved and a bank of computers made the decision to move a control surface up and how far. The airplane rolled a few more feet then broke ground the large airplane continued to accelerate V2. The displays in the cockpit indicated they were climbing and the gear was retraced. The journey across the massive ocean had been started.
He had been on this flight ages before it seemed. He was barely five but he remembered it clearly the long Pacific the nice flight attendants. Now he was in the cockpit of transpacific bird. He had been on the upper deck a gift from his grandparents he was flying to see them in Sydney. The flight now seemed magical. He was flying the route again and he was flying the airline that had bought the bones what was left of Pan-Am. He was in the right seat flying the same route he was a member of a flight crew of 4. He was on the crew instead a passenger. As powerful and awesome the flight in the 747SP was he was in an airplane that actually had more intellect and better power to weight then that flight so long ago. The airplane had more thrust available to it then the 747SP. The 747SP was a four engined airplane the 777LR had two massive engines one under each wing. V1 he called out his left hand was off the throttles rotate soon the airplane was climbing eager to leave the ground positive rate gear up. They quickly passed over the rest of runway climbing quickly then over Pacific ocean they began a turn to the south west.
Elite Business class was nice he had viewed the safety brief he had enjoyed the fruits of his savings. He had worked two jobs one for flying one for his dream vacation first to Sydney then around Canberra he hoped to find Tathra for some sun and fun. The takeoff by the window had been spectacular and he felt the acceleration against the seat. He had seen the terminal whiz by and then the feeling of force. The airplane clawed into the sky eagerly.
She had taken a heavy breakfast and boarded the airplane he went right to the crew rest area climbed a ladder into a bunk and faded to sleep during taxi. She would be at the controls soon enough this flight would go beyond 12 hours. She knew sleep was precious it would be safety factor in the flight. The navigation of the airplane was spectacular its technology was awesome but when it came down the most important computer on the airplane would be between her ears she wanted it in good working order so quickly to sleep in her dreams she was in a Cessna 150 again over the Cape during summer time.
The big airplane past 10,000 feet the fuel had been pumped into the rear tank generating the pitch reducing drag. The climb profile was being told to the computers via knobs over the instrument panel which now consisted of multi purpose displays LCDs. The fly by wire system was state of the art and it allowed the airplane to climb at a faster rate burning less fuel. The last of the flaps had been retracted. The airplane continued its climb not as high as DC-10s and 747s once flew not as fast either but burning far less fuel in the process.
The view of the setting sun was nice it had not changed but the angle on it had shifted from years past. The non stop route that had been pioneered by the 747SP then mastered by the 747-400 was further south then a straight line to Honolulu. Gone was the less then direct route first to Honolulu then the more severe angle to Sydney. The fasten seat belt sign was turned off and drink service began he decided to have Tequila and grapefruit juice.
In the cockpit a struggle unknown to those who had flown the Pacific 40 years previous was occurring. The navigation and management systems of the airplane had taken away navigation and then later much of the hassles of moving fuel, pressurization and other factors away. The need to maintain a degree of alertness to be an effective back up system was there yet everything conspired to build complacency.
The view into the setting sun was nice a quartering shot out of the first officer side of the airplane. They had reached cruise altitude and the twin engines were shoving the airplane forward through the thinner air above 30,000 feet. GPS and laser beams fed navigation information the airplane was told where it was. The fuel had been pumped from the rear tank the nose still was trimmed up it would slowly be trimmed down throughout the flight as fuel burned off and the airplane grew lighter.
The dream continued in the crew rest area in the dream 20 mile visibility a crosscountry solo flight earning her pilots license severe clear and smooth after a frontal passage. She smiled in her sleep. She was making big money flying this big airplane but the romance was gone. The novelty of technology wore off quickly. She yearned to be flying in another era …it did have risk it did have work but that had the romance linked to it.
The display on the screen in front of him revealed where the airplane was on the face of the earth. The steak was delicious. The view out the window was nice he could see the setting sun. His legs were propped up. The herring bone was nice darkness started falling. He had finished his meal and with songs in the head phone he slept after drinking a bottle of water. He knew he would use the lav later. He noted they were traveling Mach.79 while he was enjoying the comfort of a nice office sofa and a gourmet dinner. He was soon asleep.
In the cockpit hour bought a checkpoint another hour bought another checkpoint. The inertial guidance and GPSs ticked off the distance between LAX and Sydney. The first officer quipped our airplane has in it the total computer capacity of NASA the whole space agency when the Apollo moon shot was launched. He was also aware of the fact the navigation system on the airplane was three generations beyond the nav system that took him as a kid on this same section of sky.
The passenger was awake and he noticed a woman walk down the aisle to the flight deck and a male pilot head back change of crews. He went the deluxe lav and then ordered a Sprite. He flipped through the entertainment system and decided to watch Top Gun. He checked the progress 4 hours into the 14 hour flight.
The airplanes track was series of check points. It was cruising shy of 80% of the speed of sound. The captain was watching the six gauges 3 per engine were showing stable. The fadec controls of each engine was more complex then what was on the moon shot. Another screen had artificial horizon with airspeed and track indicated. The computer was trimming some with control movement some with fuel transfers. The flight crew west watching the system do its work. The first six hours of the flight three hours alternating watches the first officer and captain shared duties. There was food served.
The passenger awoke from his nap turned on some music and between the map and the window he had a view into the right. It was beautiful in the subdued lighting of the great airliner. Yes the trip was to Sydney and yes he was going half way around the world but the trip was like a time in a very nice living room with wait staff. Technology had made the Mach.79 at over six miles above the earths surface seem routine.
The alarm got her out of bed she unstrapped and in conspicuously went down the ladder from the crew area to the galley on the main deck of the large airliner. She got a cup of coffee and drank it in the galley talking to the cute male straight flight attendant. That might make Sydney an enjoyable lay over. She thought as she quickly finished the coffee and could feel it renew her brain power pushing off her dream and making it clear she would be responsible for the 300 lives traveling over 6 miles above the ocean at over 75 percent the speed sound. She walked the length the cabin and got the cockpit. The first officer got up and when she plugged in she was getting a flow for what was going on. She was given control in 10 minutes. The fuel had been checked. Things were just a head of schedule….all subject to the wind it would change as the airplane cross the equator. The airplane was in the thinnest air it would be in for the whole flight. The GPS/ intertial guidance packages knew where the airplane was she could make out an island her eyes confirmed what the lasers and GPS receivers had told the airplane and its bank of computers. The Mach Meter was registering the relationship the navigational read outs told the ground speed the display in front of her told her airspeed and confirmed the lack of climb. The conversation was light. The male flight attendant who she talked to had just soloed. That was interesting. A few minutes later a second face appeared on the flight deck another relief pilot. The Captain retired for a long break he would fly landing at Kingsford Smith. She briefed her fellow relief pilot as to what was going on with the flight. The large airplane was smoothly making its way to Sydney. The risk had shifted the shear ease had made the attitude of complacency easy to fall into. It was watching the displays waiting for warning.
An hour later a meal came. She would eat during this duty time it would help keep her fresh as the great expanse of the Pacific was now being crossed in a single bound. He grandfather had been on Braniff 707s. The navigation he would believe the extent of computing capability in terms of throttle control and flying would have blown his mind. The CRM he was at the start of the displays have been brought to the human eye and more easily understandable. The airplane would have blown his mind he would have loved flying it. He would have grieved over the romance gone. The irony is that she felt less safe then a 747 first generation where the three person cockpit had harder to read gauges and the flight engineer had work. Laser Gyros GPS recievers were doing the work. An overhead panel was void of activity. The vast pacific hour by hour was being crossed beneath its wings.
In the passenger compartment the trip was spectacular. Digital technology had produced an airliner that was more comfortable higher quality food, great booze, far more entertainment options then two generations ago. Six more hours were left soon breakfast would be served. Tea would be drunk with the meal. He was in a couch at a five star hotel with a near super remote control at his hands. The clouds were silver whisps to a rough textured ocean below. This was cool.
The first officer in the relief crew she had gotten into an elite spot. The irony is she was back up system. The displays in front of her had info stable and displayed the Mach meter told her how fast the plane was traveling in relation to speed of sound another told her where in the window between mach stall and low speed stall was. The two turbo fan engines did more per found of fuel then the 747 did and far more then 707 did incredibly more then the piston engines of yore did. Her mind was full of info on what to do when things went wrong and a whole host of emergencies. The Radar scanned for thunder storm activity and her brain was using other weather data and forecasts to keep the plane on track. The difference between ground speed and airspeed confirmed or altered winds aloft the oat and there relation to Mach number also shown. The computers could navigate and finely handle the airplane the airplane still had to be directed by human thought as it cruised like robot over the vast Pacific. As they crossed New Zealand a long let down was started. They descent and been approved. The winds would be favoring a western landing 34L. She put it into the computer. They were given a slightly different routing VFR in Sydney straight in 34L.
The descent was started the view of sunrise with tea in the mouth washing down a scone. Now this was living. He had been across before in tourist class seat as a boy. Honolulu was grieved yet the Pacific was now crossed faster. What had once been the flight time LAX to Honolulu with a Stratocruiser was now the time crossing the Pacific with 777. It was now time to watch the rest of the Pacific unwind and the familiar skyline of Sydney to appear. The wilds of New South Wales called.
The descent was slow and gradual it had been programmed into the airplane and the fly by wire airplane was behaving in the way it had been engineered to do so. The bulk of its fuel had been burned it still had enough to make it alternates. The weather was clear so as it got closer their was no need. The airplane could also land itself. The night over the equator had been cold. Sydney approach was called the airplane was arriving at the top of Rush Hour the controller wanted it to follow descent orders quickly and wanted on the ground at the gate before things got even more hectic. In the flight deck was show time. The arrival was standard and quickly entered in. The speed for final was also established. Below 10,000 the workload was high yet practice and standardization had played a key role a couple miles out things worked out the way the way they should have. The Controller seemed happy no surprises over Botnay Bay the airplane emerged the tower cleared it for landing. The journey over the ocean ended with no surprises.
The rest of the flight unfurled without sentiment just the joy of the journey crossing a vast ocean and the joy of a familiar continent. The landing was smooth and the large airplane shrugged speed off and made its way to gate the airport had gotten larger the skyline had changed but it was good to be back.