Unknown Skies part 1
It was just an ordinary flight across the Atlantic for one of the world's most advanced Passenger Jets. How could the passengers and crew of Winter Airways flight 595 have ever thought it would end like this? When the flight encounters humanity's worst nightmare, nuclear war. Dangerously low on fuel, the Boeing 757 flies through a hole in the sky and ends up somewhere else. Now, in a different world and with allies all thought to be fiction, the passengers and crew of Winter Airways flight 595 will have to survive and defend themselves against a threat of apocalyptic proportions because if they lose, all of reality will be at an end!
June 2016, Boston's Logan international airport, many flights take off and land here every hour. There were many aircraft here, however more and more of them were of a new breed of computerised airliners.
There were many types of airliner, ranging from tiny commuter turboprops to enormous Boeing 747's and Airbus A380's.
These aircraft flew all over the world and right now; one such aircraft, a 3 week old, Rolls Royce RB211 powered, winglet equipped, Boeing 757-200 registered G-HPQE, and nicknamed Queen Elsa after the ultra-famous Disney character, was being prepared for a flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Leeds Bradford Airport in Yorkshire, England.
(A.N in this story Boeing is still producing 757 aircraft)
This was Winter Airways flight 595, a flight operated by one of the world's most famous privately owned airlines. Today this 757 flight was to have a full passenger load of, 8 in business and 192 in economy. There were 6 stewardesses on this flight and in the cockpit; there were two flight crew members. In command of the 757 on this flight was 26 year old Sam Hartley, a smart and kind hearted man who had only received his captain's type rating on the Boeing 757 a few weeks ago, his snowy white skin, platinum blonde hair and ice blue eyes made people mistake him for a Norwegian but his English accent soon corrected them.
In the co-pilot's seat was 25 year old Dan Simmonds, Sam's best friend since the two were toddlers. He was also kind and smart and he had Black hair and Green eyes.
The reason for the crew being so young in flying a large type such as the 757 was that Winter Airways had been under a lot of strain ever since one of their elderly Boeing 727 charter jets, G-HPCD callsign Silverbolt, under the command of Captain Jonathan Swift, had gone missing whilst en-route to Hawaii over the Olympic peninsula near Forks several years ago. This resulted in a lot of crews quitting the airline and the replacements of the remaining 727's with 757's. New Crews for these jets had to be trained rapidly so, this was why Sam and Dan were so young in their roles where ordinarily they would have to be much older to be in their current positions.
"Ok, all fuel is loaded; passengers are settling in, cargo and luggage is aboard. We are good to go" Dan said to Sam.
"At long last! We should get on our way before anything else delays us" Sam exclaimed in relief.
Just as Sam said this, they heard the subtle sound of the main entry door closing with a soft thump and out of Sam's side window on the left hand side of the 757's cockpit; he saw the boarding ramp move away.
The cockpit door then opened and Kate, the head flight attendant poked her head through the door.
"Doors are closed and we are ready to be on our way"
Sam turned to face her and said,
"Ok. We were just about to start up"
Kate nodded and moved away from the door, closing it at the same time. Sam then turned to face Dan,
"Let's get this show on the road"
Dan immediately began the start-up procedures. Whilst Sam spoke into the radio,
"Logan Ground this is Winter 595, we are ready for pushback and start-up"
"Roger Winter 595, you are cleared for pushback and engine start" the ATC ground controller replied.
"Winter 595 copies" Sam said back to the ATC Controller.
The pushback truck began to push the 757 back away from the gate and 90 degrees to the left. As it did so, Sam and Dan started Quebec Echo's two powerful Rolls Royce RB211 engines. Once in position, the pushback truck decoupled itself from the Boeing and moved away.
"Winter 595 is ready to taxy" Sam spoke into the radio.
"Roger Winter 595, you are cleared to taxy to runway 4 right" the ATC ground controller replied.
"Roger, Winter 595 copies" Sam said back to the ATC ground controller.
As he said this, Dan pushed forward the throttles slightly, the RB211 engines roared and the 757 slowly began to move.
As the 757 taxied, passengers looked out of the aircraft's windows at the vast expanse of Logan airport, the sound of the 2 Rolls Royce RB211 engines could be heard softly inside the cabin.
Then without warning, a soft gong sound was heard in the Cabin and Sam's voice came through the 757's PA system.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, On behalf of the crew, I would like to welcome you all on-board Winter Airways flight 595 to Leeds Bradford Airport. Our flight time today should be 6 hours and 25 minutes approximately, with an arrival time of 17:49. Our Cruising altitude today will be 37000 feet, rising to 39000 feet later in the flight. Our cruising speed will be approximately 540 Miles an Hour. My name is Sam Hartley and I am your captain today, my co-pilot is Dan Simmonds and our head flight attendant is Kate Summers. You are in great hands today everyone, so just sit back, relax and enjoy the flight"
"That was very professional" Dan said to Sam.
"As is expected of me" Sam replied.
The two pilots didn't talk to each other much during the short taxy to the runway, the only exceptions were the pre take-off checklists and the occasional radio communication with ground control.
Finally though, the Boeing 757 was waiting at the end of the runway.
"Winter 595 to Logan tower, we are ready to go, runway 4 right" Sam spoke into the radio.
"Roger Winter 595, you are cleared for take-off, runway 4 right. Have a good flight" the ATC controller replied.
"Thanks, Winter 595 is rolling" Sam said back to Logan Tower.
At that Sam placed his hands on the throttles and he said,
"Three, two, one, power"
At that, he pushed the throttles to full power, instantly Quebec Echo's two Rolls Royce RB211 engines with 60,000 pounds of thrust each roared as they increased in speed. Once the engines were at full power, Sam released the brakes and the 757 began to accelerate, faster and faster it went down the runway until Dan called out,
"V1, rotate"
The 757 was now committed to fly, it was either take-off or crash. Sam pulled gently back on the 757's control column and slowly, gracefully, the enormous 757 Quebec Echo, lifted itself into the sky.
As the gear and flaps were retracted and the 757 began its climb up to cruising altitude, no-one on the plane knew that Quebec Echo would never land at Leeds.
(A.N hi everyone, hope you enjoy my latest story. If you are wondering who I think would play the Crew on Winter 595, they are, Sam=Matt Smith, Dan=Simon Pegg and Kate=Emily Blunt)