DC-10. American didn't operate L-1011s.
Posted on 09/16/2004 1:14:52 PM PDT by Rutles4Ever
I have to Fly home to Cali to get one!!!!! WA Food Sucks, well Taco Time is okay....
In 1988, I was supposed to take a non-stop AA flight from LAX to Philly (L 1011 I think). Not long after take-off, engine one was toast. We were all pretty non-chalant about it... a couple of passengers near me called the flight attendant over, to point out the smoke and flames, lol. We were all looking out the window, lamenting the fact that our schedules and flight connections were obviously going to be messed up.
The pilot landed ASAP in Las Vegas. That was the quickest descent I ever experienced, heh. This was back when there was nothing but a strip in LV, so the airport was not accustomed to dealing with the onslaught of several hundred people suddenly needing to get to the East Coast.
We were so angry with AA. First they kept us on the plane for a couple of hours while the mechanics looked at it (it's dead, Jim), and then they told us they had sent for another plane. Well, a few hours later they essentially said, "Never mind, you'll have to arrange your own connections". Yeah, from the middle of the freeping desert.
Some people stuck around long enough to argue for a hotel room, but most of us ran off to try to make connections. I ended up not leaving Vegas til 2 AM with a plane change God only remembers where. Nightmare. I never flew AA again, until about three weeks ago.
On a major move, our tickets had been booked by my husband's employer. We had a 9 hour non-stop AA flight scheduled to depart O'Hare. I was not looking forward to what would happen "this time", but I said not a word.
Despite being selected the umteenth time for "special screening" by TSA, we had no particular difficulty in Chicago. The plane actually left on time, from O'Hare no less, and the 767 was very comfortable. Plenty of leg room and the service was very good. I was really pleasantly surprised.
I wonder how many other people have one horrid airline experience with a carrier, and then never fly with them again. I wouldn't have chosen AA if I were the one making the reservations, and my horror story was a bad memory from 1988.
Sheeee-ite. I am flying to Colorado Sat.
We all have IN-n-Out shirts. We LOVE that place. Even if it did make me gain 20 lbs. in 2002! Best burgers ever. We would go get them LATE at night. bad idea. But so GOOD.
Check out the Hawaiian shirt with In-n-Out logos on it, in their online catalogue, if you haven't seen that one.
Bought one for a birthday gift, it's great!
I'm a long long way from the nearest In-n-Out myself...
Oh my, I think an engine fire would be much better than a bomb threat! At least with the engine fire, we knew there were still two engines. No big deal. Bomb threat? Kaboom? Who knows! Yikes. So much for the Express in "People's Express", huh. Fifteen was probably a good age... teenagers are convinced that they are immortal anyway. :-)
Although if things weren't bad enough, the red-eye flight out of LV went through the nastiest thunderstorms imaginable. Most of the way, too. The kind where the plane is pitched up and down up and down, and you can see the lightening flashing through the closed window shades. Fun. Just like one of those plane crash movies. It was a blessing I was so out-of-it!
Wherever it landed (Cincinatti maybe?), it was about 6 AM local time. So instead of getting any sleep at all, there I was bright and early in the morning running through some stupid airport half-dazed trying to catch my connecting flight. UGH. Plus, I missed my overseas flight out of Philly, and was stuck there through the weekend. That's another [military] horror story in and of itself!
Of all the things that can go wrong in airports these days, I was amazed and relieved that this move went so smoothly, despite the many thousands of miles travelled.
DC-10. American didn't operate L-1011s.
10 miles out? Wouldn't altitude be above geese by then? Kind of surprising
I'd rather fly anything but a Airbus. They rattle like crazy. The 777 is a great aircraft. Flew one today.
Here's some irony for you. I built MD-80's (in the 80's) after getting out of the USAF, but to this day, I've never flown on one. And I do a LOT of traveling. I nearly always fly United, and they don't own any.
I presume they have a maximum height and weight requirement when hiring them....
LOL... I have been on that site tonight, my son called from San Francisco on his way to Santa Rosa and had me look up the most convenient one for him to find.
Were you in Long Beach?
Yes. I worked for McDonald Douglas from April '88 to October '89.
Ever see the birds building nests in the tail section where the horizontal stab screw is?
I don't recall ever seeing any birds inside the building where they are assembled.
Why do you ask?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.