WillFlyToDisney2
10-12-2004, 09:13 PM
What a whirlwind trip. I cant believe I am already back home!
I vaguely remember posting a few details about the flights on Thursday but here is the full blown report! Bear with me - major jetlag is kicking in right now.
Thursday
Flight from CHS to ATL on an MD-88. Got a phone call from Ken while still in CHS airport about meeting up for lunch in ATL - sounded fun to me! Takeoff on the 88 seems to take so long and this one was no exception. Once finally in the air we took the familiar path to ATL. It is comforting to pass over the exact same landmarks on the way to ATL - it reminds me of how many times I have made this exact flight on this exact type of plane and how routine it is for everyone involved. Landed and immediately talked to Ken to coordinate our meeting place. I was in terminal A and he was in C so we met at B and headed back to A to meet the guys at Chili's. Ken is a SWEETHEART and I hope next time we have longer to chat. I know we bored the boys with our "flying talk" but I didn't care. LOL Hugs Ken!
Boys and I boarded our 757 to LAX. The exit rows were already spoken for so the 3 of us crammed in 1 row near the back of the plane. This plane had to have the LEAST amount of leg room ever. We were miserable. I took the middle seat between the guys and off we went. The 757 accelerated very quickly down the runway and we were airborne right away. The guys and I passed the time watching DVDs of Will and Grace. I posted on another thread that my wonderful usual tomato/mozzerella salad was not available so I had to settle for a chicken caesar which I just picked at. The pumpkin cheese cake though was AMAZING and I could have made a meal out of that!! Yummmmy!
The flight got quite bumpy and at one point the Captain made the flight attendants take their seats for about an hour. One of the guys went to get up to go to the bathroom during that time and I told him that he couldn't get up. Just after I said that someone else got up and went to the bathroom. The FA came on the PA and told everyone that they HAD to sit down then the Captain came on and said the same thing. He promised that in about 15 minutes we would be out of the rough stuff and we would be able to get up then. A few more bumps along the way but nothing too bad. We landed at LAX and headed to the gate. At baggage claim we met up with a friend who had flown in from JFK (also on Delta) and had landed 4 minutes before us!
Both shows in Cali couldn't have gone better! Friday nite in Malibu I got to meet Jeff and his family. GREAT people! Poor Josh Gracin was losing his voice so he had to cut his show short but he was a trooper and stayed signing autographs as long as there were people there waiting.
The saddest part of the trip was Saturday morning when Mark called to say he was too sick :barf to make the drive :beep to Irvine. :nono You missed a great show Mark, but I wouldnt have wanted to be there sick either! Shiloh did their set to huge audience repsonse then went back up onstage with Bret Michaels (formerly of Poison) to sing his smash "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with him. WHAT A GREAT GUY! The After Party after the show was interesting too. No comments there other than that I was so thankful the next morning that I didnt have to fly. :drunken
The flight out Monday from LAX to ATL was on a 763 (LOVE these planes). We moved up to exit row seats so we had LOTS of leg room. The F/O came over the PA and told us that we were delayed leaving because maintenance was fixing a seat (mechanical difficulties) then he told us not to be alarmed BUT (WHY do pilots say these things to us??) they would be starting one of the engines at the gate. (**Insert note here - I asked Michael about this already - and he explained that they probaby had a broken APU and had to use the compressor at the gate to start that engine. He said they normally start the engines during pushback but in that case they started one early using the equipment at the gate - not a big deal at all). Did I get that right, Mike?
I vaguely remember taking off over the ocean and banking left (back over Mark's house) then I was out. I slept the WHOLE WAY to ATL - all 4 hours. I roused up briefly to order a ginger ale and then to say no to the lunch. I needed the rest in a bad way I guess. I do know that we had a rather talkative First Officer because he talked a good bit during the flight. I could hear his "calm pilot voice" over my Ipod. :headphones Next thing I knew we were landing in ATL. I hung out with the guys until their flight to Nashville left then I headed to grab some food and wait for my flight home. Exit row on an MD-80 home where I sat by a friendly gentleman returning from Baton Rouge where he had spent the day on biz. That 45 minute flight flew by (no pun intended) and I was on the ground in CHS pretty soon.
I'm exhausted but home safely and looking forward to flying again next week - 4 CRJ flights! :airplane
Great to meet you Ken and Jeff. Sorry I missed you Mark! Like I said though, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
Hugs!
Kelley
I vaguely remember posting a few details about the flights on Thursday but here is the full blown report! Bear with me - major jetlag is kicking in right now.
Thursday
Flight from CHS to ATL on an MD-88. Got a phone call from Ken while still in CHS airport about meeting up for lunch in ATL - sounded fun to me! Takeoff on the 88 seems to take so long and this one was no exception. Once finally in the air we took the familiar path to ATL. It is comforting to pass over the exact same landmarks on the way to ATL - it reminds me of how many times I have made this exact flight on this exact type of plane and how routine it is for everyone involved. Landed and immediately talked to Ken to coordinate our meeting place. I was in terminal A and he was in C so we met at B and headed back to A to meet the guys at Chili's. Ken is a SWEETHEART and I hope next time we have longer to chat. I know we bored the boys with our "flying talk" but I didn't care. LOL Hugs Ken!
Boys and I boarded our 757 to LAX. The exit rows were already spoken for so the 3 of us crammed in 1 row near the back of the plane. This plane had to have the LEAST amount of leg room ever. We were miserable. I took the middle seat between the guys and off we went. The 757 accelerated very quickly down the runway and we were airborne right away. The guys and I passed the time watching DVDs of Will and Grace. I posted on another thread that my wonderful usual tomato/mozzerella salad was not available so I had to settle for a chicken caesar which I just picked at. The pumpkin cheese cake though was AMAZING and I could have made a meal out of that!! Yummmmy!
The flight got quite bumpy and at one point the Captain made the flight attendants take their seats for about an hour. One of the guys went to get up to go to the bathroom during that time and I told him that he couldn't get up. Just after I said that someone else got up and went to the bathroom. The FA came on the PA and told everyone that they HAD to sit down then the Captain came on and said the same thing. He promised that in about 15 minutes we would be out of the rough stuff and we would be able to get up then. A few more bumps along the way but nothing too bad. We landed at LAX and headed to the gate. At baggage claim we met up with a friend who had flown in from JFK (also on Delta) and had landed 4 minutes before us!
Both shows in Cali couldn't have gone better! Friday nite in Malibu I got to meet Jeff and his family. GREAT people! Poor Josh Gracin was losing his voice so he had to cut his show short but he was a trooper and stayed signing autographs as long as there were people there waiting.
The saddest part of the trip was Saturday morning when Mark called to say he was too sick :barf to make the drive :beep to Irvine. :nono You missed a great show Mark, but I wouldnt have wanted to be there sick either! Shiloh did their set to huge audience repsonse then went back up onstage with Bret Michaels (formerly of Poison) to sing his smash "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with him. WHAT A GREAT GUY! The After Party after the show was interesting too. No comments there other than that I was so thankful the next morning that I didnt have to fly. :drunken
The flight out Monday from LAX to ATL was on a 763 (LOVE these planes). We moved up to exit row seats so we had LOTS of leg room. The F/O came over the PA and told us that we were delayed leaving because maintenance was fixing a seat (mechanical difficulties) then he told us not to be alarmed BUT (WHY do pilots say these things to us??) they would be starting one of the engines at the gate. (**Insert note here - I asked Michael about this already - and he explained that they probaby had a broken APU and had to use the compressor at the gate to start that engine. He said they normally start the engines during pushback but in that case they started one early using the equipment at the gate - not a big deal at all). Did I get that right, Mike?
I vaguely remember taking off over the ocean and banking left (back over Mark's house) then I was out. I slept the WHOLE WAY to ATL - all 4 hours. I roused up briefly to order a ginger ale and then to say no to the lunch. I needed the rest in a bad way I guess. I do know that we had a rather talkative First Officer because he talked a good bit during the flight. I could hear his "calm pilot voice" over my Ipod. :headphones Next thing I knew we were landing in ATL. I hung out with the guys until their flight to Nashville left then I headed to grab some food and wait for my flight home. Exit row on an MD-80 home where I sat by a friendly gentleman returning from Baton Rouge where he had spent the day on biz. That 45 minute flight flew by (no pun intended) and I was on the ground in CHS pretty soon.
I'm exhausted but home safely and looking forward to flying again next week - 4 CRJ flights! :airplane
Great to meet you Ken and Jeff. Sorry I missed you Mark! Like I said though, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
Hugs!
Kelley