Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler - Flight Schedule changes

Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | Airline Operations | Flight Schedule changes

DVA3068
Captain, L-1011-100

Joined on April 18 2006
Online Double Century Club
Quincentenary Club

"I'm retired... go around!"
Grand Prairie, TX USA

585 legs, 1,540.2 hours
466 legs, 1,250.8 hours online
553 legs, 1,456.8 hours ACARS
7 legs, 23.3 hours event
788 legs, 2,051.8 hours total

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 12:11 ET by Gary Fournerat

Hello Gentlemen,

I'm sitting here at my home office right now.. just stunned at what I discovered.

Yesterday I flew from KDFW to EDDF on DVA8012-1. This was a 5,136 NM transatlantic flight. Before jumping into that flight yesterday, I also jotted down the return flight back to KDFW, which was DVA8009-1.. a non-stop EDDF/KDFW flight.

Today, the DVA8009-1 flight back to the States no longer exists. It was just my dumb luck that I checked on this flight again today, otherwise I would have jumped into a 10+ hour flight, only to find out when I landed that it doesn't exist anymore.

What is our policy on this sort of thing? What steps can be taken to keep pilots from flying non-existing flights, e.g., does ACARS crosscheck the flight numbers against our current flight schedules? With our flight schedules being this volatile, are we given any sort of notice before a flight is dropped? If we are, can these flights be annotated in a manner to reflect their impeding removal? If not, can our schedule supplier start giving us a heads-up on what flights are about to be removed?

Sincerely,

Gary Fournerat

Captain, L-1011-100

DVA3931
Senior Captain, L-1011-100
OLP, COMM

Joined on January 19 2007
50 State Club
Tri-Jet Triumph
Million Mile Club
Online Quadruple Century Club
Flying Colonel
Globetrotter
Burbank 500 Club
Eurocap Club
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary

"De oppresso liber"
Surry, ME

1,882 legs, 3,806.7 hours
478 legs, 767.8 hours online
1,107 legs, 1,674.5 hours ACARS
55 legs, 114.8 hours event
195 legs dispatched, 134.4 hours

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 12:16 ET by Andrew Kaufmann

Gary, and I may be wrong - but if the flight changes in the real schedule - it changes here. When NW is sucked into the Delta fold - all those flights will then be available to us.

And as far as selecting the flight yesterday and flying it today without it being on the schedule - I would submit to you that it will go into the flight cue just like other flights that we approve - with maybe a note to us that approve them saying that this is not an approved flight - but if you put that in the remarks before you file it (what happened), I would say you are good.

Prob Terry or Luke or George could prob give the no kidding answer.

Andrew Kaufmann (DVA3931)

DVA4965
Senior Captain, B737-800

Joined on September 07 2007
Online Quintuple Century Club
Million Mile Club
Millennium Club
Everett Millennium Club
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary

Saratoga Springs, UT USA

1,195 legs, 3,500.8 hours
566 legs, 825.5 hours online
1,174 legs, 3,437.6 hours ACARS
26 legs, 51.6 hours event

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 12:47 ET by Alan Cluff

You might also think about saving a flight as a flight assignment when you know you are going to fly it. If the schedule changes like they sometimes do you have a legit flight assignment that will not be questioned. This has an added benefit of keeping you from being stunned while sitting at your home office.

Alan Cluff

Senior Captain, B737-800

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 13:09 ET by Gary Fournerat

To tell you the truth Alan, I did think about doing just that (creating a roundtrip flight assignment), but I didn't do it for two reasons. One, I thought a two-leg flight assignment might be a little on the lacking-side of a full flight assignment, and two, in order to create a flight assignment, you have to start with the return leg, and then select the outbound leg.. and I had already closed the return leg window (yes, I've created a few flight assignments in my time.. from this same home office).

All the best,

Gary Fournerat

Captain, L-1011-100

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 13:20 ET by Gary Fournerat

Alan.. take it easy on me... I'm an ole' 11D30 myself.

Scouts out!!

Gary Fournerat

Captain, L-1011-100

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 13:23 ET by Andrew Kaufmann

Gary - at least you didn't keep the B on there!

I started out as an 11B, then got "fixed" as a 91A....then after DS/DS saw the light and the rest is history!

Cav Always!

If you Ain't Cav....

Andrew Kaufmann (DVA3931)

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 13:31 ET by Alan Cluff

Tankers rule! There just ain't nothin sweeter than the sound of the 120 mm main gun saying good morning to a down range TANGO.

I've always wondered about that Cav thing. So... If you ain't Cav you ain't... Does that mean if you are Cav you are... Just one of those things that has been in the back of my mind for a huge portion of my adult life.

Now get back to flying soldier or we'll bend your dogtags and take away your birthday!

Alan A. Cluff
Commander
D Troop, 1/12 CAV

Alan Cluff

Senior Captain, B737-800

DVA1427
Senior Captain, MD-11
OLP

Joined on December 14 2003
Online Double Century Club
50 State Club
Tri-Jet Triumph
Globetrotter
Moose Club
US Capital Club
Everett 250 Club
Quincentenary Club
DVA Twenty-Year Anniversary

"Livin' in the Dog Pound!"
Kannapolis, NC

558 legs, 1,984.3 hours
250 legs, 611.8 hours online
384 legs, 1,530.5 hours ACARS
38 legs, 82.7 hours event

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 13:40 ET by Lewis Gregory

I'm not quite sure why DVA8009 would disappear from the schedule...historic flights (the 8xxx series) shouldn't change day to day, should they? Or have we changed the schedule so that we can track days of the week on historic flights?

Lewis Gregory

Senior Captain, MD-11

DVA043
Senior Captain, MD-11
OLP

Joined on June 10 2001
Event Half Century Club
Online Double Century Club
50 State Club
DVA Twenty-Year Anniversary
Everett 1500 Club
Bi-Millennium Club
Four Million Mile Club

"Col. Panic"
Marietta, GA

2,347 legs, 9,466.0 hours
240 legs, 553.9 hours online
2,005 legs, 8,259.1 hours ACARS
75 legs, 196.3 hours event
2,383 legs, 9,600.9 hours total
91 legs dispatched, 66.4 hours

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 13:46 ET by Luke Kolin

8009 is still on the schedule - but make sure you click the checkbox when searching for historic flights. They are not searched by default.

Cheers!

Luke Kolin

Senior Captain, MD-11

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 14:06 ET by Gary Fournerat

Ahh hah!! Thanks Luke!

----------

CSC Company
1/40th Armor
5th (Mech) Inf. Div
Fort Polk, LA

(almost 3 years)

G Troop
2/2 Cav
Bamberg, Germany

3 years and a wake up!

Then I saw the light and got into ADA (IHAWK missiles, 24E40), and aircraft engagement simulation, at Ft. Bliss for the next 4 years.

Gotta go fly now. wink

Gary Fournerat

Captain, L-1011-100

Posted onPost created on June 27 2008 14:17 ET by Andrew Kaufmann

Ahh - Fort Bliss 91 to 94 flying OH-58s...sometimes for the ADA school as a "target". Was one of the writers and beta testors for the original FAADC3I

Andrew Kaufmann (DVA3931)

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