Snowy and -19C. And very dark.
I hit the button on the wall inside my garage and the overhead door creaks and groans as it reluctantly labours to open. The cold swirls of air and snow scurry into the relative warmth the insulated garage offers. I back my four wheel drive onto the snow piles on the driveway - which I hate doing. It just means more work later when I shovel the driveway and have to chip off the compacted parts.
The moderate snow falling has me and the only other person blundering around on the highway at this ridiculous hour driving well below the speed limit. The snowplows must not be able to keep up.
I get in the office and start the routine flight planning of a routine trip. The weather north of here is actually much better in every respect other than the temperature. Clear and cold. -36C.
Circumstances dictate that today I have to do all my flight planning from the cargo offices. I haven't been over to 'this side' of the airport for quite some time. I may not have been over here since I was a freight dog myself last year. I take the time to catch up with old coworkers who are still 'building time' on the cargo runs so they can get apply for a job on a nicer airplane that has a better schedule. The standard jokes are made to me about my nice shirt and tie and 'all my shiny bars' etc etc. I make the standard jokes about the old birds they fly and whether or not the heaters are working today etc etc.
Eventually, I head out to the airplane and the First Officer tells me she can't get the oxygen system to arm. The handle will not budge. She says 'you're a guy, maybe you can move it'. I take it as a compliment. She obviously hasn't seen me with my shirt off. I head over and give it a shot. The only thing I end up dislodging is my lower back.
Give maintenance a call - 'just try harder' is what they say. I describe to them what I look like with my shirt off and they say they'll be there right away. They show up and aha! they can't move it either. They pull out some lubricant and work their magic and 2 minutes later we're good to go. Load and blast off.
Now I really should have known that starting off on the wrong foot usually indicates more trouble is on its way, especially when the temps are what they are today. When I say 'usually', I mean 'always'. Sure enough, on the second leg during the 10,000ft checks we spot a problem with the pressurization. Looks like the cabin is climbing nearly as fast as the airplane. Now oxygen requirement regulations state we must provide enough oxygen to the passengers to keep them conscious. I don't necessarily agree with that but I must comply. If the cabin altitude exceeds 10,000ft we have to restrict the time to 30 minutes. I ask the FO to request 14,000ft as final altitude from ATC. We are showing a Diff (the ratio of pressure inside the aircraft to the pressure outside the aircraft) of 1.8. Doing a little mental math 14,000 puts us at a cabin altitude of about 8,000ft. So we could go to 16,000 ft and still be under a cabin alt of 10,000ft but I don't know what the pressurization is going to do and the fuel savings in 2,000ft is quite minimal so I decide to stay there. But increase in fuel burns at this altitude to what we were flight planned at is not minimal - so long story short, it means we have to get gas at a remote airport (read - pump it yourself in -36degrees) and I have to re-do the rest of my paperwork.
ATC approves it without asking 'how come?' like some controllers like to do so they can file a CADORS. But this guy must have filled his quota already and offers nothing more than an 'approved'.
Now from experience I know this item can be deferred under the MEL with certain conditions, so we will not be grounded after we land. We carry on with the rest of the trip.
What was supposed to be a relaxing wait time at the hotel with a free breakfast and some recreational reading has been soured a little with the extra work required to change flight plan information and MEL paperwork.
Wonder what will break tomorrow..
