AIR FREIGHTER FLC SETS UP A CASUAL HEADING FOR DIRECT DPK AND THEN GET DISTRACTED. THEY DRIFT OFF COURSE DUE TO HIGH WINDS FROM THE W. CTLR GIVES THEM A WAKE UP CALL AND A VECTOR.

Narrative

WE WERE FLYING PHL-BDL. THE CLRNC WAS PHILADELPHIA 6 SID EXCEPT CHANGE RTE TO READ: RADAR VECTORS TO THE CYN (COYLE) 274 DEG RADIAL TO DITCH INTXN. J225 JFK DPK DPK 2 ARR TO BDL (WINDSOR LOCKS; CT). AT SOME POINT ALONG J225; WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO DEER PARK. WE TUNED DPK; MADE A SLIGHT R TURN; AND BEFORE GETTING LOCKED IN ON A GOOD HEADING; BEGAN GETTING BUSY REVIEWING THE APCH; SETTING AIRSPD BUGS; ETC. WELL; THERE HAPPENED TO BE ABOUT A 50-60 KT WIND FROM THE W. WE WERE BLOWN CONSIDERABLY OFF COURSE (PROBABLY NOT THAT MUCH IF WE HAD BEEN IN CTR AIRSPACE). THE CAPT NOTICED OUR ERROR ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT THE CTLR GAVE US A L TURN TOWARD DPK. A MOMENT LATER; HE GAVE US A RADICAL (ABOUT 90 DEG) TURN TO THE L AND MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT LEAVING HIS AIRSPACE. I THINK THE CTLRS THEN CHANGED BECAUSE THE NEXT XMISSION SEEMED TO BE FROM A DIFFERENT VOICE. HE ASKED WHAT OUR HEADING HAD BEEN FOR DPK AND SAID THAT OUR COURSE WOULD HAVE TAKEN US 20 MI E OF DPK. AT THIS TIME; WE WERE OVER DPK AND THE REST OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. AS YOU PROBABLY ASSUME WHEN YOU GET A RPT FROM A NIGHT CARGO OPERATOR; FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR. WE HAD ALREADY BEEN ON DUTY ABOUT 11 HRS. THE STRENGTH OF THE WIND AT SUCH A LOW ALT WAS A FACTOR. AND THIS RTE IS JUST EXTREMELY BUSY. IT IS FRAUGHT WITH ALT; AIRSPD; COURSE; AND FREQ CHANGES AS WELL AS XING RESTRS. THERE ARE AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO SCREW UP EVEN IF YOU WERE RESTED AND THE WIND WAS CALM. I BELIEVE THAT IT GETS THE BUSIEST JUST ABOUT THE TIME THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GET THE BDL ATIS WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRIEF AN APCH AND SET UP FOR LNDG AT THE MOST INCONVENIENT AND DISTRACTING TIME. I KNOW THAT THE BDL ATIS IS AVAILABLE BY TELEPHONE. I'M GOING TO SUGGEST TO MY COMPANY THAT THEY MAKE THE BDL ATIS AVAILABLE TO US ON THE GND IN PHL OR MAKE A CELL PHONE AVAILABLE IN PHL SO THAT WE CAN KNOW THE WX AND APCH BEFORE WE TKOF.