AT NORTHWEST Airlines (NW) and, later, at Delta Air Lines (DL), we flew Hawaiian trips from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), Portland (PDX), and Anchorage (ANC) to Honolulu (HNL) and Kahului (OGG). These were great trips, with long layovers, on our Boeing 757-351s. These aircraft varied somewhat, but averaged five hours and 15 minutes to cover 4,260km (2,300 nautical miles), carrying 62,0001b of fuel (burning around 49,000) with a takeoff weight of 266,0001b. Fitted with 225 seats, they were always full, including the jump seats. Good luck non-revving here. These were Extended Operations (ETOPS) flights on Pacific tracks, which, at the time, required High Frequency (HF) radio position reports. Controller-Pilot data link communications (CPDLC) had not arrived yet-not to NW, anyway. Depending upon the time of day or the location of the sun, these reports sounded like an old World War II movie as they crackled and faded through our earpieces. ("Calling Baranka, calling Baranka, over.")
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