Foxtrot Oscar Golf = FUN

That was the word of the day.

After a shortish layover in SAN, I got an earlier than normal wake up call from scheduling at 4AM. The scheduler indicated that the plane for our early departure did not make it in the night before due to fog & low visibility and diverted to LAX. So we were rescheduled to limo up to LAX and ferry the plane back to SAN with a planned 8AM return & then a flight to SEA to finish up the day earlier than planned.

Of course the scheduler was very optimistic that the SAN weather was going to stay as it was - which at 4AM was pretty clear, though very humid. I had my doubts.

Sure enough by the time the sun started to warm up the FOG reformed and thickened all down the coast. This happens when the temp/dew point is already close and then as the sun rises the air warms slightly & able to hold more moisture; add in a very slight wind mixing the ingredients just so and viola! Can you say Ground Stop boys & girls?

Ground Stop (GS) is an Air Traffic Control function whereby planes take there delay on the ground rather than get airborne & hold until the weather clears. Of course planes already airborne on long cross-country or international flights don't usually have the luxury to take their delays on the ground and is the reason why we all carry enough fuel to divert to an alternate destination should the weather become a factor.

SAN visibility was reported to be 1/8 mile, which is well below their landing minimums of 1 mile. This is an unusually high visibility value for a major city airport, but due to a number of factors - terrain, tall buildings, and runway lighting - it is what it is.

While waiting for the weather to improve the Flight Attendants (FA's) were goofing around in the back of the plane - our only "passengers" - and a one point I noticed that a the cockpit air was beginning to fill with sparkly floaty stuff. Well that's just what it was - some sort of glittery makeup that got out of control. I opened my window to help it dissipate, but this only increased the flow of the stuff as it now had a method of escape. After awhile it cleared out, but I've had a persistent cough ever since - is this crap toxic?

By 10AM the FOG also began to dissipate and we were off. As were all the other flights that had been on a GS or had diverted. So now the airspace was saturated with aircraft instead of clouds or fog. We were in line at LAX for 1/2 hour before we were finally allowed to takeoff & then when finally airborne we took the slow route to SAN. Normally this would be a 25 minute flight, and it took about twice that, with many turns (ATC vectors) and speed adjustments to fall in line for our arrival slot into SAN.

On the ground it didn't get any easier. Our gate was not available as another plane was still in their boarding process so we parked at one of the remote ramps. We were the first in a sequence of many joining us as airplane after airplane landed (from every carrier) and they also didn't have a place to park. As the various remote ramps started filling up, and the taxiways filled with planes trying to taxi either to those remote ramps or for departure, they started blocking other planes wishing to push off their gates. As more airplanes continued to land & needed space to clear off the runway, even if their gate was open there was no clear taxi route to get them there. The entire airport was rapidly becoming a chaotic parking lot. Frustration started to creep into the fray as tempers started to fly (even as they physically weren't), radio transmissions were being blocked, as too many planes just sat.

We actually had the best seat in the house & with no passengers to worry about (at least none onboard) - we were relatively stress free. Once we did finally get to a gate (45 minutes after landing), the plane we brought in was not the one we were taking out (of course). And our FA's missed their OGG flight and were reassigned to cover something else. Since they need the FA's to be onboard prior to passengers boarding, this further delays the process. The plane we were taking back to SEA was still parked in remote waiting for their gate to clear. Inside the terminal it was pandemonium.

As many of the early flights were cancelled, due to lack of planes and/or crews - I'm sure many passengers Friday travel plans got screwed as mostly full later flights filled to capacity. We finally returned to SEA later than we were originally scheduled - and while we didn't actually fly very much, it felt otherwise.

You might think this airline biz is all glamorous - but all I got at the end of the day is a bunch of shimmery glitter on my clothes & in my hair & and this persistent cough. Are we having fun yet?