B737-800 Sightseeing Flight around the Swiss Alps  (Stuttgart/STR, 27.02.2005) Pictures Markus Rohrer, except where source is given
	The weather forecast was not very promising this morning, when I boarded a Swiss Intl Air Lines Embraer 145 in Zurich. Dense layered clouds from a cold front, rushing in from northeastern europe during the night, would be covering mostly or all of the alps during the day. The clouds would be accompanied by partially heavy snowfalls. Brilliant! This was the day I had been hoping and planning for weeks, as the sightseeing flights over the alps had taken quite some coordination and planning between me, Hapag-Lloyd Operations at Hannover, Crew Planning, and the one who ordered the flight, our Hapag-Lloyd Stuttgart representative. And when I arrived in Stuttgart, this was the picture... (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	The whole airport was beginning to cover under a layer of snow. Our Embraer was one of the last flights dropping in without mayor delay. So I stepped up to our "coordination center" in Terminal 3. The flights were originally ordered by our Hapag-Lloyd representative at Stuttgart airport, because this day there was an "airport open day" with a travel agencies exhibition, and as a special treat, Hapag-Lloyd (HLF) wanted to give away 378 tickets on two special round trip flights to the alps for EUR29 plus EUR5 taxes.A brilliant idea, had there not been this bad weather. The whole morning, I coordinated with the crew, the swiss air traffic control, the swiss meteorological center, and with Hapag-Lloyd OPS. We finally decided to drop the first of the two flights, because most of the open day visitors were still caught on the snowcovered highways around the airport, and the flight was booked with only 30 guests. (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	Shortly before noon, Captain Daniel Giessler joined me at the "headquarter", and when we learned from the swiss meteorological center and different webcams, that the weather was not brilliant, but okay in the most southwestern tip of Switzerland, we gave the second flight a "go". A short coordination with the swiss air traffic control Skyguide, who was ready to take us there completely "off-road", and then we headed to the crew room. The cabin crew was already gathered in the crew room, kept up to date by our assigned first officer Heidemarie den Boer. We catched our operational flight plans, checked the weather, ordered the fuel at our handling agent, and were then driven out to the airplane. (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	While the ramp services de-ice the engine fan blades (behind the fan blades, melted water re-froze on the previous flight's taxy-in, this would be a threat to engine operation later on, so it has to be melted with hot air manually), Heidemarie as "pilot non flying" on this leg completes the walk-around on our plane, D-AHFI, and Captain Daniel Giessler prepares the flightdeck for duty.
	Heidemarie is back, and all seems to be set outside, so the passengers busses are ordered, and soon, our guests are stepping into the warm cabin.
	As a little reward for giving him plenty of helping hands during the construction work on his new house, Daniel invited some of his "prime workers" for a jumpseat ride. I am seated on the second jumpseat, to be ready for an additional lookout should we encouter brilliant VFR weather and the accompanying VFR traffic over the alps, pax information, and digicam work. As I am flying the Airbus A310 as a First Officer for Hapag-Lloyd, I am not allowed anymore to fly the B737, although I flown her until recently.
	In the meanwhile, the ramp services are still trying to clean the aprons and runway from the snow falling non-stop from silver skies. (Picture Source: Carsten Blümel)
	Quite an impressive "armada" of snowploughs and snowblowers... (Picture Source: Carsten Blümel)
	Startup clearance is received, and N2 is accelerating.
	Fuel Lever ON, and the engine is about to light up. (Not literally... :-) )
	Same game on engine Nr. 1, after start items and checklist, and soon we are ready to taxy.
	The "armada" is waiting for us to taxy clear of the ramp.
	Behind a Scandinavian Dash 8-400, we start to roll towards the de-icing bay.
	Andy, our Chef de Cabine today, is giving the "cabin clear".
	On the de-icing pad, the "elephants" are alredy waiting to de-ice our aircraft, and thereafter cover it with anti-icing fluid to prevent further snow and ice accumulation until we take off.
	While we taxy in, Heidemarie closes the pack valves, shuty down the APU, and sets the stabilizer to the "full manual up" position.
	An then the "elephants" do their work... (Picture Source: Carsten Blümel)
	...from both sides... (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	...while the snowblowers are still fighting hard against the white stuff.
	De-Icing is completed, and as we taxy to the runway, we are given the takeoff clearance.
	And ....liftoff! (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	A view onto the towns northeast of Stuttgart Airport while we climb through 3000ft.
	Captain Giessler is flying the bird manually...
	...while we climb towards the east.
	Soon we pop out of the murk, and sail across the skies, scratching the belly of our bird in the mist (we call this cloud-surfing).
	And as the german and swiss air traffic control was already pre-informed about our flight, we were given a direct heading initially to NATOR, the towards Willisau/WIL VOR in Switzerland. (Picture Source: Carsten Blümel)
	This we did in the fastest possible way, cruising in FL140 initially and climbing further to FL170, approaching the northern part of the alps. (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	But still, everything is densely covered beneath us. (Picture Source: Carsten Blümel)
	All of a sudden, in the region of the "Berner Oberland", some mountaintops peer out of the mist. We slow down the airplane to "sightseeing speed", and are given free hand by skyguide to make turns overhead the peaks, later to be identifyed as probably Jungfrau and the Aletsch glacier (unusually competely white due to the recent snowfalls - normally it bears two clearly visible grey traces in the middle: the moraines).
	Dito...
	Dito...
	Even Heidemarie enjoys the sights of this low-level encounter with the Swiss mountains, although due to our route network we are enjoying a view onto the alps nearly every day.
	A classical wing-drop organised by Captain Giessler for the photographers in the back seems to have been used by the latters. Great shot, Hergi! (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	What else does a human resources manager want? Happy copilots...
	And after our "Jungfrau"-tour, we set course direct to CERVI. Very brilliant idea by ATC to name and locate a waypoint after our famous "Matterhorn" or "Monte Cervinia" in italian language...
	Enjoy the sights of the most famous mountain in the Swiss Alps...
	...
	...
	...
	...
	"Master of Ceremony" Daniel Giessler with the alps in the background.
	Myself enjoying a whole different sight of the Matterhorn...
	And it seems like our passengers enjoyed the flight as well. The were handed some pretzels and beverages. (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	(Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	(Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	(Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	Banking for the fourth time over the only visible peaks in the whole alps.
	Although it seems very close, we are cleared and flying on Flight Level 200, givin us a mere 1500 Meters of vertical distance between the highest tips and our belly.
	The Matterhorn seen through the front window...
	...of our venerable "Bobby"...
	...B737-800.
	I bet you have never seen a routing like this on an "airshow" screen. :-) From the Matterhorn, we were given a highspeed direct to Kloten/KLO VOR, and from about 40NM inbound KLO a direct to ARSUD in the Bodensee Region. From there the approach towards Stuttgart started. (Picture Source: Carsten Blümel)
	The approach briefing is completed, the approach checklist read, and we are cleared down to 4000ft.
	Our 737 is already on the final vector towards the ILS07 in Stuttgart, APPR mode armed, and we are about to capture the localizer within the next 30 seconds. Two preceding aircraft can be seen on the navigation display, on finals towards runway 07.
	A last review of the vital altitudes and the missed approach, and then the descent starts.
	Heidemarie is busy watching vital parameters as pilot non-flying...
	while Daniel Giessler perfectly rides down the ILS07 manually.
	"Runway insight - continue!"
	Landing checklist.
	We are overflying the famous "Weidacher Höhe" to the west of the airpost. Radar altitude is not too much over the hill, but we are safely established on the glide slope, so everything okay there.
	Landing Flaps are set, and shortly we will kiss the earth again. (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	A very interesting effect: The northeasterly winds are blowing snow onto the runway. Daniel Giessler has appointed the adverse braking effects in his approach briefing and is ready to settle down D-AHFI on runway 07.
	Moments to touchdown...
	Last second corrections...and a smooth touch, before D-AHFI decelerates on the runway.
	As we vacate the runway, the speedbrakes are still deployed. But moments later, Heidemarie will clean up the aircraft. (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	After landing items are done. We are engulfed by drifting snow from a wind gust, while we leve the runway - a rare and interesting sight.
	We could cry: Stuttgart is already in the "backside weather" of the cold front, where the visibility is nearly unlimited, and just some cumulus clouds are lingering around, but the sun is already shining through a sparsely covered sky. One day later would have been one of the best days for such a flight...
	Once again drifting snow, this time on the taxiway.
	Oh what a beautiful sight... my workhorse is grazing there... :-)
	As you can see by yourself, the apron is still very slippery and covered with ice patches. Daniel Giessler therefore taxies in with just a mere 5 knots speed or even less in the turns...
	...in oder to prevent us from slipping into the ground equipment.
	The buses are alreadyy waiting for us.
	And the marshaller is waving his "lollypops" to guide us in.
	"Come on, some more..."
	"oh oh..."
	"STOOOP, do not overrun me!" :-)
	After the engine shutdown, the front cabin door was opened, and so we opened the cockpit door as well to give everyone who was interested an insight view of the flightdeck, a sight unfortunately gone rare these days.
	El commandante and part of his lovely cabin crew.
	And then, the mandatory "crew pic" had to be done, already in glistening sun. What a pity...
	D-AHFI is already being attended by the ground staff, getting ground power from the yellow car and catering for the next flight from the highloader on the left side of the picture.
	The cabin crew is waiting for the crew bus to arrive in freezing temperatures, while a cleaner is joking around.
	No fuel, no flight...
	Food for the masses... :-)
	And soon, D-AHFI is taxying out again... (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
	...to take some more Hapag-Lloyd guests to holidays, to sunnier places, to the warm sea and  snowless beaches. (Picture Source: Max Hergemöller)
I hope you have enjoyed this pictorial trip, and woud highly appreciate your feedback in the guestbook or by email!

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