TRIED & TESTED
Monday December 26th
Cancun depart 23:02 (37 mins late. 16:02 local time)
CUN>>
In my career I have flown Boeing 737s, McDonnell Douglas DC-10s, Boeing
I am enjoying the precise timing of the C60. On board we have two clocks – a digital satellite clock and one linked to the on-board computer. We use these for everything to do with flying. But I need a reliable watch myself as I have to know when it’s time for my break and the crew’s breaks.
It’s my first time to Cancun for
14 years. We earn various credits for our flying time and this is regarded as a good trip. It’s the land of margarita and tequila, and chicken nachos was the nearest I got to having festive turkey. Our Christmas was white, however, thanks to the white sands of the beaches.
Since joining the airline I have enjoyed travelling and exploring, using my staff travel allowances. I have dived all over the world. This time at Cancun I only had the chance for some snorkelling and I was very pleased with the way the C60 performed. It’s got a good clear dial, which is how I like it to be. I intend to put it to the test properly when I return here in late January. The Yucatan peninsula was originally under the ocean and the region’s limestone foundation comprises fossilized coral beds and ocean floor. I will be diving in the cenotes, which are limestone sinkholes filled with water.
CUN>>
Cancun arrive 21.44 (31 mins early. 15:44 local time) Cancun Aeropuerto
Internacional, Cancun, MX (CUN) 38
747-400s, British Aerospace Avro RJ100s, and, most regularly now, Boeing 777s, which are good to fly. We typically cruise at 560 mph at an altitude of 35,000 ft. We can have nearly 40,000 gallons of fuel on board. With seating for more than 300 passengers, the “Triple Seven” is the world’s largest twin-engined jet.
when I went to pick up the C60 from Christopher Ward as I was wearing my Citizen GMT watch that has a smashed face! I have been using the GMT function for several years. I leave the watch running at London time and set the GMT hand to the local time. The GMT function helps me to know what time it is for me to call my sons Piers (12) and Louis (7). I need to call them between schooltime, hometime and bedtime. I try to call every day I am away.
Boston arrive 18:47 (On time as scheduled time was 18:45. 13:47 local time) Logan International Airport, Boston, MA (BOS)
BOS>>
Saturday December 31st
Boston depart 13:08 (7mins early. 10:15 local time)
BOS>> Tuesday December 27th
Gatwick arrive 08:07 (37 mins late)
LGW>> Friday December 30th
Heathrow depart 11:21 (On time; scheduled take-off 11.20) The 3,270m flight from Heathrow to Boston takes about 7½ hours. The coldest I have ever been was on the American east coast in winter. The Atlantic maritime air multiplied by the wind chill factor makes a walk across Boston Common cold and bracing at Christmas.
LHR>> I was somewhat embarrassed
Often when you are flying back from the US, you fly at night, and I try get a couple of
hours sleep before heading for the airport.
Besides its good looks, I am appreciating the precision of the C60 watch. Passengers have been known to criticise me for not being precise enough when I make my captain’s
announcement about the time at our destination. People like to set their watches exactly, so I need my watch to be accurate.
Heathrow arrive 19:06 (24 mins early)
LHR>> Monday January 2nd HKG
Hong Kong Intl, Hong Kong, HK (HKG)
Hong Kong arrive 08:27 (13mins early
. 14:27 local time)
Sunday January 1st
Heathrow depart 20:57 (Schedule was 20:55, so on time) Flying long-haul eastwards always results in a short night but very long working day. After you set off, you have the flight time, plus the time zone change, so ending up very tired is inevitable. It definitely upsets the sleeping pattern. The flight to Hong Kong is 5,990m and takes about 12 hours. Regulations allow us to fly for 8h15m at a stretch, hence the need for four pilots. The longest non-stop BA flight is London-Singapore (SIN), which is 14 hours.
LHR>>
My schedule may seem a bit odd to an outsider, but on the airline there is a sliding scale of duty days. Our roster starts at the beginning of the month. We are supposed to have two days off between flights but it doesn’t always work out.
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