The real question is: was it Christmas in August last night? Well, yes and no. Yes, because it was my first flight as an airline, and yes, it did feel like Christmas. We started in Charlotte, and then flew a Chattanooga, TN turn and a New Bern, NC, turn. A "turn" in airline parlance is a round trip. On the return from New Bern to Charlotte, we were treated to the kind of sunset that makes me wonder what I was ever doing working in a cube. Of course, my camera was in the locker in the cabin, but I won't make that mistake again. There was a line of clouds to our west, and the sun setting behind then cast an orange glow on the high cirrus clouds far above. Because it was dark behind us, it felt like we were suspended in the sky, with the steady hum of those massive props doing their best to lull us to sleep. It was surreal.
On our approach into Charlotte between the green taxi lights and the red aircraft beacons, the airport was lit up like a Christmas tree. Now, I've flown in and out of the greater New York area several times at night, each time having to pick a small general aviation airport out of the sea of lights that is NYC. For some reason, that seemed easy compared to this (maybe because then I was creeping along in a Cessna 172?) The airport itself is laid out fairly well, much better than, say, JFK, but has a complex system of marshaling an aircraft from the south side of the airport to the north end where we park, using several ramp frequencies (I'm still not sure where these people sit and how they see everyone...). We were forced to weave around aircraft coming and going, it was an absolute zoo. I think my brain actually short circuited. All in due time, I guess.
Of course, I don't have a picture of any of that, but I do have a funny picture from my deadhead the other day on an Airbus. It's certainly something you don't expect to - or want to - see on your typical flight.
Today's flying will take us into the outer bands of a tropical storm. What else for the second day on the line?
