Featured Assignments - 12/23/00

Link to:  Current Assignments   Previous Assignments

Below is the current feature, which will be posted here until December 1st, 2000.  After you fly your assignment on the weekly schedule and turn in PIREPs for it, you may request from your crew chief any of the following assignments/trips (one at a time) in the feature below.  Please specify the name of the trip you wish to be assigned.  (As always, you may request an assignment of your preference or the Crew Chiefs' choice.)

If you'd like to see more of these features, help us out by writing and submitting your own feature.  You would be responsible for writing the narrative and the actual assignment/trip details for each trip in the feature.  Use the real Northwest Airlines timetable, which is available in a program or Acrobat file from the Northwest Airlines web site (click here).  When you're ready, submit your feature to the hub manager or through your crew chief.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ODYSSEY

by Larry Bell N0600

 (Request assignments by number)

Lets go to HOLLYWOOD, golf at MONTEREY, see the GATEWAY to the SIERRA NEVADAs, HIGH DESERT, SAN DIEGO, SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS OBISPO, (whoops) LAS VEGAS.

1)  Los Angeles, home of Hollywood, is the second largest city in US. It spreads out over 464 square miles. The semi-tropical climate is located between the San Gabriel Mountains and Pacific Ocean. Life spent in a car on “hundreds” of Freeways.  Palm trees and Hollywood, and just about everything is in this area.

2)  Lets go to Fresno and get a handful of raisins. Settled in 1872 as a station of the Southern Pacific. It is an agricultural center, and yes, home of Sun Maid Raisins. Also is gateway to the Sierra Nevada’s.

3)  How about some golf at Pebble Beach in Monterey?  Monterey named after Count de Monte Rey. Tourism is one of principal industries. (Pop 32,030) 

4)  Been to Palm Springs? Many famous Hollywood people have homes there. It is located in the Coachella Valley, at the foot of Mount San Jacinto (10,804’). Originally a stage stop between Prescott AZ and Los Angeles.  Standing in the desert, looking up at the mountain, covered at the top with brilliant white snow, while you are in shirt sleeves with flowers growing around you. Beautiful.

5)  Discovered in 1542 and named SAN (guess they forgot their last name) re-named to San Diego in 1602. Important military and naval base. Beautiful curving bridge to Coronado. High tourist area. Great climate.  Great place to go, try it. Pop 1,110,549

6)  Santa Barbara was named after patron saint of mariners. Located on the coast side of the Santa Ynez mountains. Seaside resort for tourism, raising of citrus fruit. City Pop 88,753.

7)  San Luis Obispo-Located at base of Santa Lucia Mountains. Oil is pumped and refined in area with shipment from Port San Luis. Wineries and Tourism are economic factors (Does that make drunken tourists?) Pop 41958

8)  Las Vegas-Principal city of Nevada, first settled by Mormons in 1855. Legalized gaming, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Death Valley, draws tourists.  Brightest city in the world (pop 295,516) (whoops, where did California go?)

9)  OK, now it is time to get back to the cold and snow.  Good thing we stopped at Las Vegas, have to put fuel in the aircraft.