departedflights.com

[mirrodie]

I love the site.


Within 10 minutes, I confirmed some old memories

1. I flew on a Continental DC-10 to Honolulu, JFK-HNL, back in 1986-7. I knew it was out of NY! And I totally remember landing, getting off the plane and thinking, "holy crap, pax on that flight are staying on to go to Sydney?! wow!"


2. Still searching to confirm my DL flights in 92, JFK-Athens, can't recall if it was an L1011 or MD11.

[PhilDernerJr]

Pretty cool site indeed. I hope all of these photos are being used with permission.

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

I love this site...it actually solved an air service mystery I had about Eastern Airlines about providing LGA-DAB service back in the 80s. And yet, it did exist!

[LGA777]

I agree guys, great site. And Mario DL didn't fly their MD-11 that many places, especially in Europe, and I never recall it ever serving ATH so my guess you where on an DL L-1011-500.

Regards

LGA777

[coachrowsey]

+ another on the site. Love it.

[BigAppleCoder]

Looking at some of those schedules triggered a memory of my first flight ever.

I was 12 years old in 1977 and my mother wanted to get rid of me for the summer while my dad was stationed overseas (yeah, I was that bad :twisted: ). So she arranged for my Aunt to take me off her hands for a couple of months. This meant I would fly by myself on a cross country journey from Lawton, OK to Monterrey, CA. (Yep, I was an unaccompanied minor - but in the 1970's that pretty much meant don't cause trouble or someone would hit you.)

The routing was Lawton to Oklahoma City on Continental then Oklahoma City to San Francisco (via Las Vegas) on TWA and then San Francisco to Monterrey on United. The LAW to OKC segment was on a Continental 727 which we were to board from the airstairs in the rear. After my mom gave me her farewell kisses I jaunted up the stairs on my adventure! Not knowing any better I just took the first seat available (it was a nearly empty flight). I quickly figured out that this was the smoking section when I noticed a complimentary pack of Malboro Reds in the seatback pocket. I was going to grab that pack (mainly because it was free) and stuff it in my bag, but I was distracted by the gorgeous flight attendant buckling me in and then the thrill of my first takeoff and flight. My nose was pressed up against the window for the entire flight right up until landing. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't exit out the back stairs again, but I soon overcame my disappointment by being able to check out the cockpit. The pilots let me sit in the left seat for a bit and I happily imagined myself at the controls one day (it would take a few years).

The prettiest flight attendant tapped me on the shoulder and offered to walk me over to the TWA gate. Of course I said yes, but once she dropped me off at the gate I wandered up to the observation deck to take a look around (I think the entry fee was a dime). I saw this magnificent 707 decked out in the colors of TWA taxi over to the gate I was supposed to be at, so I decided that this would be a grand time to get back to the gate. Once we boarded I found myself seated in the bulkhead row. Again, had my nose pasted against the window for the entire taxi and takeoff sequence and nearly the entire flight. The highlight came when we flew over the Grand Canyon. I took a few pictures of what I thought was the canyon, but then it really came into view. WOW!!!!

The flight descended into Vegas entirely too soon and we landed. The Flight Attendant announced that we could leave the plane an stretch our legs - just make sure to put the 'Occupied' sign (found on the other side of the safety briefing card) on our seat. Being a 12 y/o kid in the 1970s meant (rightly or wrongly) thinking that you could do stupid things like play a slot machine without worrying about going to jail (but getting yelled out was a distinct possibility). So, I put the occupied sign down on my seat left the plane and found the slot machines. I sneaked a few quarters into one that was sort of hidden away when I thought nobody was looking. Of course, it being a slot machine, it promptly ate all of my money and I departed the area in disgust at stupidly losing all of my money (but sort of elated that I didn't get caught either).

I re-boarded the airplane and found a woman sitting at my window bulkhead seat. I told her she was in my seat, but she didn't budge. I told her again and then ascertained she didn't speak much English. So, being the obnoxious 12 y/o I was, I reached under her butt and pulled out the 'Occupied' card and then motioned for her to move out of my seat (damnit!). She finally got the hint and moved to the middle seat.

We took off again and flew to San Francisco. The flight was pretty uneventful until we hit an air pocket and a nearly full glass of Coca Cola I had been drinking spilled onto the white pants of the lady who had earlier tried to 'steal' my seat. That's when things got a bit eventful. I promptly apologized as I truly didn't mean for that to happen, but the lady muttered a couple of phrases under her breath and for the duration of the flight made audible signs of displeasure. I didn't really care much as my nose was pressed against the window for most of the flight admiring the scenery below.

Once we landed in San Francisco I was met at the gate by another gorgeous flight attendant who walked me all the way to the United gate. This one didn't leave my side until I was ready to board the plane, so I didn't have a chance to get into mischief. But I didn't mind as we talked for the entire time. The flight from SFO to MRY was memorable in that we took off and made a circular climbing 270 degree turn to the south. We passed almost directly above the airport and I was greeted by the site of these huge 747s landing and taking off from SFO from a 10,000 foot view over the bay. Truly amazing site for a kid who started his day in Oklahoma.

The summer with my aunt was great. I joined the boy scout troop my cousin was in, got a couple of merit badges, camped out in the wilderness, drank a lot of soda and just had a phenomenal time. My mother flew out to pick me up a few months later. We rode the train all the way from Salinas, CA to San Diego (where my other aunt lived) on August 16th - the day Elvis died. We spend about a week in San Diego and then went back home.

The flight back home was from SAN to DFW on American and then DFW to LAW on Frontier. I don't remember much about the SAN to DFW flight. But, the DFW to LAW flight was fun as the plane was being tossed around by turbulence from nearby thunderstorms the pilot was weaving around. I thought it was pretty cool and didn't mind it that much, but my mother was one unhappy camper!

Looking back it's amazing how things have changed so much. Nowadays, it's not that unusual for children to fly by themselves, but they're under constant supervision (no sneaking off to play slots in Las Vegas anymore ). Thankfully, there is no smoking on planes - it's really hard to believe that people actually tolerated smoking on a plane at all. It sort of sad that most of the airlines that existed in the 1970's are gone (either bought out our bankrupted). The routes that existed in the 70's are no longer viable and have been phased out (e.g. LAW-OKC) and you definitely would not see a 727-sized a/c on such a route either. But then again, the cost of the airfare has plummeted in relation to average annual income (with a corresponding decrease in amenities). I have to admit, I felt a wave of nostalgia though.

Well, this sort of evolved into a 32-year delayed trip report, but it was pretty fun remembering my first trip and as I was writing this it felt almost like I was 12 years old again. :D

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

That bought back memories of my first time flying alone. I was a 10 year old UM and I was flying Delta between MCO and LGA (this was almost a year since we moved from NY to FL.) It was July 20, 2000, the day after my 10th birthday. My parents didn't think I was actually going to go through with my trip. So just before the boarding process began, she made me hug her for five minutes in the gate area (this was when you didn't need a ticket to get through security). Then, I preboarded and my dad walked me down the jetway onto the plane (which would also be my final trip on a 727). I remember it was Delta flight 1160 departing Orlando at 1:55 PM bound for New York-LaGuardia. I remember we had to wear those (what I thought) was embarassing UM pins. As a ten year old who had been flying since he was three months old, I was probably the most experienced UM that DL had ever flown (don't mean to brag ;) ) I don't remember much of the flight, but I do remember then landing. We made the approach over Brooklyn to rwy 4 at LGA. My grandmother and my Uncle met me at the gate at LGA (my grandfather was at home; he and my grandmother had just reconciled after separating for a brief period of time; though they separated again the following year and divorced in 08) I tell you, I traveled all around during that two weeks, from Queens (North Shore Towers in Floral Park), to Long Island (Merrick), to Westchester (Mount Kisco and Sleepy Hollow). As we all know here, this was only a year before the airport experience went to hell post 9/11. That was definitely a trip to remember. I was the first (and only) of my brother, sister, and I to ever travel alone as a UM. And now, I always prefer to travel alone.
I know this is about departedflights.com, but BigApple has a point that this website brings back all the air travel memories that you have.