Still flying, higher than ever.

"Grindintosecond" (Grindintosecond)
03/19/2020 at 13:16 • Filed to: None

From the trenches, I’m anxious. Planes are still flying for now but the alarming awareness comes from realizing that I’m not the only one up at forty thousand feet. Everyone is. Which means everyone is very light.

Afull 737 will see thirty six or thirty eight thousand feet especially with a lot of gas. With half the people or less and full tanks we can still do for our forty one thousand. Our limit. I’m seeing thatnearly every flight now.

The only thing keeping me from crazy town is knowing my company has the best balance sheet and position of any airline for this. Plus learning the virus is similar to chicken pox in that you won’t get it again, but we all know one person or heard of an outlier that got it twice. So I’ll get sick and get better and not get it again and move on with life.

Yes it’s true. Read up if you can get it again. You’ll find out.

Anyway, Chicago Midway tower closed two days ago due to illness staffing, Decon yesterday. Should be open today. Last night late the Vegas tower had the same thing. Today is my last day out this week and I’m just trying to get home before the big snow.

Dual Earth quake in Salt Lake yesterday.

I hear the locust swarms are in North Africa?

So I’m oddly calm with acceptance of my fate. I will get this. I don’t see not getting it. I’ve never smoked, don’t have a pre-existing conditions, nor an immune deficiency. 0.4% of my age demographic will die from it compared to 0.01 from flu. I’ll get sick. I’ll get better. I’ll be fine to work after. So will most all of us.

Am I detached and uncaring? I don’t know at this point, but I wish everyone well. I also wish everyone informed.

Ill fly till I can’t. I can survive a bit at home till most likely January if I have to. But simply put...

You will get better and likely not have it again and be back to a normal but more sanitized life.

DISCUSSION (21)

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 13:25

I have not recently checked in with my buddy who is a captain with SWA . I think he was on a trip this week too and back S aturday night. I tried to talk him into skiing over spring break but the resort closed.

Safe travels, and I am certainly feeling for the airline industry at the moment. one month ago there weren’t enough planes now it’s likely legacy carriers could go bank rupt.

For Sweden > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 13:32

You’re going to be flying c ombis soon enough

OPPOsaurus WRX > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 13:34

you may be able to get sick and not get it again, but that doesn;t mean you can;t spread it

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 13:43

im not worried about me getting it... despite all the abuse ive given meself im still remarkably healthy..if out of shape..and under 40

i have some concern for me mum... shes getting on a bit and sickly.....buuuut she lives out in the sticks and isnt exactly social (also shes a retired doctor...so if shes not worried theres no point in me worrying...it’ll just annoy her)

the neighbourlady worries me... the missus cares for her a couple days a week..she has no immune system to speak of and cant walk much more than a block before being exhausted for the day..maybe 2 days

but yeah... im mostly worried about me job....between half the world being in lock down and management im not digging the jobsecurity right now

(seriously...why are we working overtime when no one is ordering and catching up on our backlog is just filling up the warehouse coz no one is picking up stuff to deliver either?)

Grindintosecond > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
03/19/2020 at 13:50

To get as much cash in the bank as possible before furloughing everyone and just making minimum payments through the storm? My guess.

Good luck to all

RallyWrench > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 13:51

Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar,
You’re gonna go far,
You’re gonna fly high,
You’re never gonna die,
You’re gonna make it if you try,
They’re gonna love you.

This lyric came to mind. Stay safe, you have a beautiful view from the office.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 13:57

im pretty sure u s doing overtime and filling the warehouse is only costing money...everything we are building from the backlog should already be atleast partially paid for

but yeah something like that im sure...not sure how much more we can build anyhoo as a good chunk of vital parts come from italy and china

oh well... cheers mate...lets see what happens :)

ttyymmnn > For Sweden
03/19/2020 at 13:58

And they’ll all say Amazon on the side.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 14:08

I have another pilot friend whom I haven’t heard back from since I reached out to see how he’s doing. Glad to see you’re still flying for now!

RacinBob > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 14:08

I figure most people will get Covid sooner or later. S o if somebody has to fly the plane, and you think your health odds are good , why not you? Were I younger, I would do the same.

Continuing to work is not optional for the survival of everybody. People must go to work for this party to go on. E verybody from farmers to food processing plants to the police to the hospitals have to go to work or a whole lot of unhappiness will happen.

My parents are in their late 80's. I just told them to check their larder and buy whatever they can so that they have at least 6 weeks of staples. My guidance is to not t ouch them as long as they can buy food and get it delivered locally. I do not want them to go out of the house.

T he first two Covid cases have been announced for Western Wisconsin . As I am my parents safety net, I’ll be hunkering down soon and doing a similar strategy.

In the mean time, thanks to everybody that goes to work during this mess to keep us safe, fed and warm. We’re co unting on you.

HammerheadFistpunch > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 14:15

Was your flight schedule affected from the quake?

Grindintosecond > RallyWrench
03/19/2020 at 14:23

Hit me the other day. A bird at the bird feeder tweeted. Things will be fine

Grindintosecond > HammerheadFistpunch
03/19/2020 at 14:24

No. My trips weren’t in the area. I’m south and mid east coast this week. Soon everything’s gonna be adjusted. Next month our schedules are getting reshuffled and after that the larger reductions take place. Should be getting test kits en masse by then

HammerheadFistpunch > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 14:30

Rumor s is we just upped our test kits by an order of magnitude today

Averyrm - GTI YUP > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 14:30

I’m part 91 for a Fortune 100 company. I think I ’ll be alright, but I’m just as nervous. Downside is there’s not always a callback from furlough on this side of the industry .

I’m hoping the WFH stuff makes everyone realize how important face to face meetings are, or else I may be boned either way.

I have two good friends who got CJOs at majors. Once started clas s on the 8th.

Tough times.

DipodomysDeserti > Grindintosecond
03/19/2020 at 15:12

Not worrying and staying informed is always a good thing!

The reason you gener ally don’t come down with chicken pox again is because the varicella virus lives dormant in your cells forever. When they reactivate they cause a different disease, called shingles. We better hope this virus is nothing like varicella as far as immunity is concerned.

Not sure where you heard that it’s similar to chickenpox or how long immunity lasts. Indications are that there is short term immunity, but there is no way to know how long it lasts as it’s only been around since late last year. People have developed long term immunity to other coronaviruses, but this one is new. Per the CDC:

“ Q: Can people who recover from COVID-19 be infected again?

A: The immune response to COVID-19 is not yet understood. Patients with MERS-CoV infection are unlikely to be re-infected shortly after they recover, but it is not yet known whether similar immune protection will be observed for patients with COVID-19.”

DipodomysDeserti > ttyymmnn
03/19/2020 at 15:13

That or Bezos 2020

BaconSandwich is tasty. > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
03/19/2020 at 16:11

At this point, I’m not too worried about you catching it either. Isn’t your blood like 40% alcohol now? :P

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > BaconSandwich is tasty.
03/19/2020 at 16:23

its probably down to about that by now yeah

ive been laying off the stuff mostly lately

Grindintosecond > Averyrm - GTI YUP
03/19/2020 at 19:48

Understood. Recovery means reorganization opportunities.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
03/19/2020 at 20:30

Good for you. It means you’ll hopefully be among us here a good while yet.