CURIOUS ABOUT AIRPLANE FLIGHT PATH -- GOT ANY PILOTS OUT THERE?

[Mmathis]

Well, we're home now, but the last week of March we went skiing at Park City, UT. Ah, our trip started out....not as we expected, but we (and our luggage) did eventually arrive together at the Salt Lake City airport. I won't go into the almost comical details, but due to weather delays (and connecting flight delays), we ended up going from Shreveport to Salt Lake City via Los Angeles (well, I've always wanted to see LAX, soo....).

It was just at sundown when we flew out of LAX. And it was beautiful 'cause we actually went out over the Pacific for a LONG time before heading inland, toward Utah, and the sun on the water was gorgeous! But I was surprised at the length of time we spent headed north, over the ocean. Not really a question, I guess, but more just an observation -- why would the plane spend so much time over the water?. At a wild guess, it was at LEAST 30 min. of flight-time. Before I got tired of looking at the by-now, dark water and decided to nap, I wondered if we were being sky-jacked. Well, not really, but I was wondering if the plane was equipped with floatation devices, or would I have to use my seat cushion in the event of........

 

[capewind]

Just my observation, and assumption, but the last three flights I took (in 13 yrs) all had us or me out over the ocean ... I figure it had to do with traffic ...

Boston to Ohare ... Flew EAST out of Boston to the point of being able to see the Cape, and then headed west...

Boston to Miami ... Flew east out over the water, and stayed over the water nearly the whole trip

Boston to LAX ... east again, saw the Cape, then West ... was over the Pacific then into LAX ...

 

[sissy]

could have been pilot was whale watching .I heard there were alot of storms out that way but they were coming off the ocean .Maybe he was a wanna be storm watcher . :razz: Hey you were state hopping .

 

[Dave 54]

Sometimes they take huge detours because of bad weather patterns quite simply put all airlines around the world do it from Huge compamies like Virgin etc to the small regional airports like the one here in Plymouth (now closed).
Depending on the weather wed either get an Otter turbo prop flying directly anove our home or take a round about aproach which missed our house when the weather was windy.
When in Phillidelphia we moored in the Military dockyard you could walk under the flight path of the approach to an airport I'm not sure of the name of but when you see a Jumbo Jet coming it what I would describe as nealy side on to the wind thinking OMG its going to crash then at the last minute they would straighten up and come in to land.
Anyone Living in Phillidelpha in the very early 1980's will have heard of our aircraft carriers boiler room fire which thankfully we regained control of after a seven hour battle to save her .


rgrds

Dave

 

[sissy]

I like my explanation better dave ,he was whale watching . :razz: more interesting than just weather .I remember I went to Cali. and on the way out we hit bad weather plane had to go higher and then route around it and then there was a back up at LAX and had to take a scenic tour until there was room for us to land .Happened also when I came back from Puerto Rico as a hurricane caused the plane to be rerouted and then there was back ups coming into Newark airport in NJ .We took the scenic ocean tour nothing but shades of blue on the side of the plane i was sitting .Glad I fly first class because it could have felt longer each time .

 

[j.w]

Ok so I had to google around and see what I could find cuz you got my curiosity going. This is what I found:
http://brokensecrets.com/2010/02/17...s-fly-in-straight-lines-to-their-destination/ The third paragraph from the bottom of that link did not really put my mind at ease!

 

[adavisus]

Who knows what would cause a big detour, going round bumpy rough weather systems, avoiding messy flight patterns caused by diverted flights, would have thought a call to airline or the regional air traffic control center would know what influenced the pilots flight plan

 

[brandonsdad02]

They were playing a intense game of go fish in the cock pit and lost track of where they were.

 

[Mmathis]

Hmmm... A game of GO FISH! Hadn't thought of that. LOL!

Anyway, my guess was going to be either weather or traffic-related issues. Might never know (and JW, I agree that part about over-water flights ... scary thought). But I'm a nosey, er, curious person and just like to know. I just sent an enquiry to the airline, so we'll see how they respond [I expect the generic reply].

I have a couple of neat flight-tracker apps. but couldn't use them in-flight -- darn! Wish our plane had been one that has the monitors giving flight path & other flight info. I love keeping up with that stuff.