Alaska Airlines 737-900 KLAX to CYVR (Warning! Big pictures!)

[NGXfanatic 85]

Hi folks, continuing with my Alaska Airlines themed flights, I decided to travel from my last destination, Los Angeles International, to Vancouver International.  Real flight used as the "template" was ASA705, served by a 737-900 on Monday June 17th 2013.  Real flight time was 2 hours 17 minutes, I pretty much matched it at 2 hours 18 minutes.  SID was CASTA2 from runway 25R, and arrival STAR was the GRIZZ4 into runway 26R.  Cruise altitude was initially FL340, with a step climb to FL360 for the majority of the flight.   Weather was perfect, with few clouds and a slight crosswind from the west.  Route from Flightaware: CASTA2 GMN DUCKE LMT SEA PAE GRIZZ4

 

Here is the route plotted on Google Earth.  ATC had given me a direct route from GMN to PAE, saving some fuel and time!

 

At gate 67, KLAX south side, loading passengers.   Alaska recently changed terminals, moving from terminal 3 to terminal 6, unbeknownst to me when I arrived at T3 on my last flight to KLAX from PANC. Needless to say, some AFCAD editing had to be done before my flight!

 

GSX ground services in action.

 

Taxing to the active runway, I see a queue forming.   This wouldn't be LAX without the line of traffic.

 

Told to line up and wait, I watch the traffic form behind me.

 

Liftoff!  

 

Gear up, with LNAV commanding a direct route to the DOCKR waypoint on the SID.  I must stay below 3000 ft to avoid a conflict with arrival traffic for other nearby airports in this highly congested airspace.

 

Leaving Los Angeles, getting ready for the turn to the north.

 

In cruise over Reno and Lake Tahoe.

 

A familiar sight on this route, Mount Rainier in Washington.

 

TOD rapidly approaching, I manage to snap this shot of Seattle while preparing for the arrival to CYVR.

 

The famous Paine Field is below, where the 747, 767, 777 and 787 is assembled.

 

Established on the GRIZZ4 STAR, slowing to 220 kts and descending to 5000 ft, with a view of the city of Vancouver.

 

Descending in the downwind to runway 26R, with downtown Vancouver in the background.

 

Another wing view.   What can I say, I love wing views!

 

At short final.  The HUD makes it very easy to concentrate on your aim point for the flare, just place the circle on the piano keys and adjust with pitch and throttle as necessary.

 

Lots of rivers, and lots of bridges!

 

Tower view

 

Welcome to Vancouver!  Touchdown at 3:04pm PDT. 

 

Pulling up to Gate F83, the international terminal at CYVR that handles flights from the United States.

 

These flights in Alaska colors are fun, as there is plenty of fascinating scenery to see.   I'm also loving PMDG's implementation of the HUD, and I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to write the code for this feature of the NGX.   Weather tends to be nice whenever I fly, but I must put the HUD, or HGS as it's officially called by Boeing, to good use with some low visibility operations in the future. 

 

See you next time!

[SMITI07 53]

Great Pictures. Looks like an enjoyable flight.

[Shaun Mclean 11]

Love reading through your reports! 

Would be great if you done some on the other side of the pond and do some over Europe if you ever got the time! 

 

Keep it up!

[Pazoozoo 1]

Your KLAX has AFCAD issues, you have both the addon airport(blueprint?) and default KLAX showing.

[NGXfanatic 85]

Pazoozoo, I think I know why that happened.  Blueprint has some ugly (and very unrealistic) dense tree growth overlaid on a low res photoscenery on and near the airport boundaries, so I removed some files to get rid of them.   Looks like I also removed a file I shouldn't have, some kind of exclusion.bgl file.  I bet that is why the default KLAX buildings are present.  Sharp eyes, I can't believe I missed that!

I was so caught up in flight prep and hurrying to make it out the gate on time that I didn't notice!

[MarkW 1,491]

Why are you flying the entire way with the HGS screen down?  I tend to find that it just gets in my way when I can see just fine out of the windshield, plus I don't think they have it down when in a phase of flight other than landing. I can't tell from the screenshots but if you don't have Vancouver from FSDT you are missing out on a great airport addon.

[Rob Haynes 4]

Great shots!

[NGXfanatic 85]

Why are you flying the entire way with the HGS screen down?  I tend to find that it just gets in my way when I can see just fine out of the windshield, plus I don't think they have it down when in a phase of flight other than landing. I can't tell from the screenshots but if you don't have Vancouver from FSDT you are missing out on a great airport addon.

Good question about the HUD.  I asked the resident expert on Alaska Airlines operations on this forum, and he says it's pilot's discretion to leave it retracted or not, I chose to leave it down.  But yes, I tend to think that it wouldn't make much sense to have it down in cruise, besides, it spoils the view!   Regarding landing, he says it must be used during takeoff on the the Alaska -800 and -900 to avoid tail strikes.  

 

I would love to get CYVR from FSDT, but I don't see myself using this airport much.  I have heard lots of nice things about it, maybe I'll look into it when the PMDG T7 rolls out.

[MarkW 1,491]

Good question about the HUD.  I asked the resident expert on Alaska Airlines operations on this forum, and he says it's pilot's discretion to leave it retracted or not, I chose to leave it down.  But yes, I tend to think that it wouldn't make much sense to have it down in cruise, besides, it spoils the view!   Regarding landing, he says it must be used during takeoff on the the Alaska -800 and -900 to avoid tail strikes.  

 

I would love to get CYVR from FSDT, but I don't see myself using this airport much.  I have heard lots of nice things about it, maybe I'll look into it when the PMDG T7 rolls out.

 

Interesting info on the takeoff for the -800 and -900.  That makes some sense if they aircraft is equiped with the HUD anyway although not 100% necessary as airlines like Westjet don't have them (I think) and manage to avoid the tail strike on their -800's.