LIFEVESTS!!! Phoenix to Nashville

[Passenger Mark]

OK... Flight Report time....

The flight from Nashville to Phoenix was, well... different. Actually confession time. I got on the plane at 4:00 PM and it was PACKED FULL! I was scrunched up against the wall and I knew there was another flight in two hours... so I got off (BUT TO FLY THAT NIGHT). And two hours later I boarded a nice new 737-700 with only 42 people on board. MY OWN ROW!

We took off, and rocked and rolled for about 45 minutes. The Captain said that it was going to be that way due to weather in the area. But that once we were out of Tennessee, it would get better. And that it did, nice and smooth.

With the seatbelt light out, I stretched my legs and moved about a bit. We were riding along just fine, and then there was a shudder, more shaking, bump, jiggle... and the seatbelt sign went on. I heard and felt the engines reduce, and down to a lower altitude we went. As quick as it came on, it went away, and a few minutes later the seatbelt light went back out.

Soon enough we approached Phoenix, and landed.

When leaving the aircraft I joked with the Captain about the rock-n-roll show leaving Nashville, and he asked how I like that headwind encouter west of Amarillo. That's what that was!

Sorry no photos... It was dark!

But.....

Phoenix to Nashville.

Loaded up on the plane, and it was the quickest taxi I have ever had in Phoenix. In no time we were in the air.

But first the safety briefing... Southwest Airlines has added something new to their briefing. In fact the day I flew was the first day for it. LIFEVESTS! Yep... they can now fly over water. I asked our FA if I could photograph here doing her new routine...


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And yes... I did ask permission to post them! She has the website addy, so HOWDY!

They were a great bunch and it was a fun flight!

Nice Take-off...

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Smooth as silk accent to cruise, and not a bit of turbulence. In fact, due to a STRONG tail wind we made it home 45 minutes early! Got to love those tailwinds. I continued to take photos till the sun went away. Bottom line... good flights, and I got to see the debut of the Southwest Lifevests!

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[Rebecca]

Beautiful pictures, now WE get to see the SWA Lifevest Debut too! Thanks for this report, Mark. Can't help but think how those flights with their accompanying unexpected surprises would have affected you back in the day. :sunshine:

[DALBIRD]

mark-

Great report. i flew to Austin on Tuesday (still here) and was shocked too by the lifevest briefing on SWA

I have never seen the vest demonstration in person on any other airline. I have only seen it on the videos if the plane has that.

I wonder then if an AA or any other MD-80 can fly out over the water if they don't show you the lifevest demonstration and I assume they don't have them on the airplane?

[Passenger Mark]

I have never seen the vest demonstration in person on any other airline. I have only seen it on the videos if the plane has that.

I wonder then if an AA or any other MD-80 can fly out over the water if they don't show you the lifevest demonstration and I assume they don't have them on the airplane?


I thought about that also. The only other time I have seen the vest demo in person was on my Virgin Atlantic flights to/from England.

On my Delta, and British Air flights it was on Video.

I am sure AA MD80s are allowed over water. Could be that if the aircraft is designated for land routes only... it is not needed. That SWA aircraft can end up on any route may be the reason they are on all aircraft? Or... since this is new, they are getting all the FAs up to speed. Don't know... but it was cool to see!

[CaptainStark]

We wanted to do videos but couldn't find anywhere to put the DVD!:lol:

All our planes are subject to going everywhere. On my LAS to PHX flight they did the brief and mentioned the Colorado river or the few hundred pools we'd fly over in the North Phoenix suburbs. It will be SOP from now on on all flights.

Thanks to our friends at the FAA or I am sure we wouldn't be doing it.

:ray:

[tabbygirl]

I wonder then if an AA or any other MD-80 can fly out over the water if they don't show you the lifevest demonstration and I assume they don't have them on the airplane?
Alaska's MD-80s go over water (I hate to bring up the crash off Santa Barbara..). Even when I flew Seattle-Phoenix, we spent a little time over Puget Sound. No one mentioned life vests, just the "seat as floatation device." Maybe there is a life-vest demo on the flights that spend a lot of time over water...ours really didn't.

[cshollingsworth]

on thursday when we flew home, they gave us the briefing on the life vests too! i thought, "what is this all about???" then i thought it was just because we might be going over some water after our take-off from san diego. i figured that's what it was all about. they didn't brief us on it when we left nashville last saturday...but i got the full show on thursday afternoon heading home.

nice pics mark!