DukeBlue02
09-20-2004, 07:27 PM
Hi everyone- I made it back from Colorado in one piece and boy is it amazing out there!! Sorry it has taken me days to post, but while I was in the mountains of Colorado, I did not have any access to news, tv, phones, or internet- it was awesome being totally disconnected for 4 days while surrounded by the awesome beauty of the Rocky Mountains! Here is my trip report of the flight out to Denver on 9/16
RDU-CLT, USAir 737-400
We arrived at the airport around 5:00am, and after checking in and going through security, settled in to begin boarding at 5:45. About ten minutes before boarding, I took my first Xanax to help me with flying. All in all, I was pretty proud of myself b/c I hadn't let my nervousness really get to me. My wife's uncle who is a private pilot was flying with me, and as we boarded the plane, the first officer entered the jetway right in front of us. So, my wife's uncle starts asking him some questions about the weather, and I tell him that I am a fearful flyer- the first time I've ever told any of the crew about my fear- and he was great! As soon as he heard it, he explained that he had been flying for 18 years, and the captain had been flying for 20- it was actually very comforting! I then settled into my seat for the 26 minute flight, and we pushed back. Takeoff, and then lots and lots of bump.........there was pretty much constant turbulence all the way to Charlotte...but I did fine- I saw the sunrise out of the side of the plane, which is a first for me- wow is it beautiful!! Every once in a while we hit a bump that made my eyes get kinda big, but all in all- I was never worried- that Xanax must really work! It wasn't too long til we were on the ground in Charlotte. As I walked off the plane, the flight attendants looked at me and said- "you made it!" and smiled real big and gave me pats on the back as I walked off the plane- it actually made me feel really good about myself b/c it was a really bumpy ride.
We walked through the Charlotte airport, and I got a Cinnabon cinnamon roll (that is what i treat myself to every time I fly- I only get them in airports :) ) and a cup of coffee, and before I knew it, it was time to board the Airbus 319 flying to Denver. I felt very confident after doing so well on the last flight, but I did take one more Xanax, fearing my first one would wear off before we were even halfway to Denver.
CLT-DEN, USAir Airbus 319
I like the A319's- they seem a lot newer and nicer than the 737's, and I was ready for the flight. Uh oh- there is a screaming baby two rows in front of me.....and I mean SCREAMING........hmmm....this could be interesting. Amazingly, once we got to the end of the runway and began take-off, the baby stopped screaming....(odd b/c that is usuallly when I START screaming in my head :b ) Takeoff was amazingly smooth, especially given the landing we had into Charlotte. It seemed like no time before the flight attendants were up and I could turn on my cd player. This flight was wonderful! Basically no bumps to even speak of- totally smooth- I even slept for about 20 minutes!!! The only disappointing thing was I was expecting a movie, but our flight time was 2 hours and 58 minutes....and I guess it has to be a 3 hour flight to get a movie....oh well- I had my cd's and a great book to read (not to mention my little nap). When we neared Denver, I could see the mountains in the distance, and we circled around the airport once, and I could see several planes taking off and landing- it kinda reminds me how common flying is for so many people! I was actually enjoying myself!! I even sat in the window seat (something I NEVER do- I'm always and aisle man), and the scenery was breathtaking! We had a nice smooth landing and we were in Denver! I had actually enjoyed both of my flights, and began thinking about forgetting the Xanax for the flight home.....we'll see how I feel about that later....
RDU-CLT, USAir 737-400
We arrived at the airport around 5:00am, and after checking in and going through security, settled in to begin boarding at 5:45. About ten minutes before boarding, I took my first Xanax to help me with flying. All in all, I was pretty proud of myself b/c I hadn't let my nervousness really get to me. My wife's uncle who is a private pilot was flying with me, and as we boarded the plane, the first officer entered the jetway right in front of us. So, my wife's uncle starts asking him some questions about the weather, and I tell him that I am a fearful flyer- the first time I've ever told any of the crew about my fear- and he was great! As soon as he heard it, he explained that he had been flying for 18 years, and the captain had been flying for 20- it was actually very comforting! I then settled into my seat for the 26 minute flight, and we pushed back. Takeoff, and then lots and lots of bump.........there was pretty much constant turbulence all the way to Charlotte...but I did fine- I saw the sunrise out of the side of the plane, which is a first for me- wow is it beautiful!! Every once in a while we hit a bump that made my eyes get kinda big, but all in all- I was never worried- that Xanax must really work! It wasn't too long til we were on the ground in Charlotte. As I walked off the plane, the flight attendants looked at me and said- "you made it!" and smiled real big and gave me pats on the back as I walked off the plane- it actually made me feel really good about myself b/c it was a really bumpy ride.
We walked through the Charlotte airport, and I got a Cinnabon cinnamon roll (that is what i treat myself to every time I fly- I only get them in airports :) ) and a cup of coffee, and before I knew it, it was time to board the Airbus 319 flying to Denver. I felt very confident after doing so well on the last flight, but I did take one more Xanax, fearing my first one would wear off before we were even halfway to Denver.
CLT-DEN, USAir Airbus 319
I like the A319's- they seem a lot newer and nicer than the 737's, and I was ready for the flight. Uh oh- there is a screaming baby two rows in front of me.....and I mean SCREAMING........hmmm....this could be interesting. Amazingly, once we got to the end of the runway and began take-off, the baby stopped screaming....(odd b/c that is usuallly when I START screaming in my head :b ) Takeoff was amazingly smooth, especially given the landing we had into Charlotte. It seemed like no time before the flight attendants were up and I could turn on my cd player. This flight was wonderful! Basically no bumps to even speak of- totally smooth- I even slept for about 20 minutes!!! The only disappointing thing was I was expecting a movie, but our flight time was 2 hours and 58 minutes....and I guess it has to be a 3 hour flight to get a movie....oh well- I had my cd's and a great book to read (not to mention my little nap). When we neared Denver, I could see the mountains in the distance, and we circled around the airport once, and I could see several planes taking off and landing- it kinda reminds me how common flying is for so many people! I was actually enjoying myself!! I even sat in the window seat (something I NEVER do- I'm always and aisle man), and the scenery was breathtaking! We had a nice smooth landing and we were in Denver! I had actually enjoyed both of my flights, and began thinking about forgetting the Xanax for the flight home.....we'll see how I feel about that later....