Flight Plan – TNCM (Princes Juliana) – SABA (Juancho Yrausquin), ALT – FL 120, VOR – TNCM (112.10), Distance – 40 Nautical Miles. Clear Skies. Winds 2 Knts at 210
Started the day (err… evening) in a cool warm summer in SXM. Not bad! I filed my flight plan and set out on the ramp to begin my pre flight checks. I did a detailed circuit of the beautiful CRJ and checked for anything out of place. Satisfied, I entered the cockpit, err Flight Deck. Completed pre flight check and pre APU start check-list. Instinctively, my hands went up to the over head panel, armed the batteries and started the APU. All the electronic equipments in the flight deck came to life. Completed the post-APU start check list.
Now comes the interesting part. Setting up the comps in for the flight. Setting all the NAV data. Set the altimeter, barometric altitude, heading, Transponder ‘Squawk, set auto-pilot settings for altitude, heading, speed,’ set the ground freq on NAV1 and VOR freq on NAV2. Once completed the entire pre pushback checklist, called the ground for pushback. The ground cleared us for the pushback. After the pushback, I complete the pre-engine checklist. Start the Engine 1 followed by Engine 2. I hear nice rumbled noise of the engines spooling up @ idle thrust. The ground gives us the taxi clearance for RWY 09 (the active runway) thru the taxiway Delta and contact tower on 190.12.
I start the taxi to the runway. Set the tower freq on NAV1, and call the tower to request clearance. Tower instructs to hold short RWY 09. And wait further clearance. I reach the holding point and wait for clearance. The tower finally gives me the clearance to enter the runway and hold. Then finally, “AF 2110, cleared for takeoff runway 09. Climb and maintain 3000 heading 90. Contact departure at 120.31. Have a safe flight.”
Nice. Just as planned. I push the throttles to 40% thrust, after 2-3 seconds, push it to forward stops. The sleek jet starts rolling at an amazing thrust. The automated metallic female voice calls out the speed. 30..80.. 100… V1… Vr.. rotate!!! Pull back gently on the yoke and the nose gear lift off the ground… followed by the main gears 2-3 seconds later. We are airborne!!
Life on the line continues....
