Made it to L.A.

[AZ_to_AU]

:wave:

I made it!!!!!!!

OHHH MY GOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDD!!!!
That was the most awesome thing I've ever done!!!! Quick too!

I took a take-off video and a landing video. I'll post the link once it's finished uploading....

Ok... so most the day spent at the airport in Vegas was mild. But when it came time for boarding, I really got scared. I think I shot up to about a 5, started shaking and wanted to cry. I gave the flight attendant the FoF letter and she thought I was "so cute"! And I got to MEET THE PILOT!!!

OMG tho that plane was SMALL! But I loved it! The pilot said we would have moderate turbulence which I felt but it was more "dizzying" than bumpy..... make sense? I could tell when the plane banked. Lyn can't feel that.

Anyway.... I was nervous but once I got up in the air it was all fine. I just enjoyed the scenery! FANTASTIC! I was emotional most of the way just feeling so **** proud of myself for accomplishing something I had once sworn I'd NEVER do!

All of you have been such a GREAT BIG HELP! I got 2 more flights..... the longest one but I'm sure I"ll sleep just fine through it. Only thing I took was dramamine. I think that's a plus for me on any flight. It helps!

Ok... I'll post back when the videos are up and some of my pictures are posted.
:thumbsup:

Ok Here's the link to watch the video on youtube... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrycMLlSTfk

[LeslieDEN]

Wow! You did great! Congratulations!!! And thanks for the takeoff video -- it made me feel as if I were right there with you for your first takeoff ever, sharing in your accomplishment. Great job, and thanks.

[Barb-SAN]

Congratulations :hyped::hyped: and thanks for posting the video of take-off from Las Vegas! Great that you used "the letter", and got to meet the pilot too. Best of luck on the rest of your trip (now that you're "over the hump" and have that first flight under your belt, the next flights should be much easier). Hope you enjoy your new life in Australia too...it all sounds VERY exciting! :D We'll be looking forward to more trip reports and stories from "down under". :thumbsup:

[Passenger Mark]

Fantastic!

I knew you would be just fine. I was hanging ferns today.... Boston on the back of the house (they hate sun) and asparagus on the deck. All the while wandering how you were doing.

Thanks for checking in.... looking forward to more pics and videos!

[Kimmar]

You must be in Australia by now! Half way around the world in a day!

Thanks for the video, some day I'm going to fly to Las Vegas with my dh! (Of course that may be after Hawaii, and New Zealand...Well, a girl can dream! LOL):cool:

[Jumbo]

Well done! Watching your video gave me butterflies lol

[scottr0829]

Great video! I could feel the excitement and nervousness. Congrats on making the flight.

Anybody know why they takeoff from the runway leadup in Las Vegas? Is that because it is so hot and dry there they need the extra space? It seems that by the time you get to the landing markers, you are almost ready to roll...or about halfway there.

Dee, how is the land down under?

[tusphotog]

Anybody know why they takeoff from the runway leadup in Las Vegas? Is that because it is so hot and dry there they need the extra space? It seems that by the time you get to the landing markers, you are almost ready to roll...or about halfway there.


It's a displaced threshold and they are very common at airports. I don't recall if there are obstructions at that end of 25R, but the DT normally allows maximum takeoff distance while giving arrivals enough room to clear obstructions in the landing path. You can takeoff on it, but you can't land on it. If you land the opposite way (land on 7L), you can roll out on it.

The DT on 25R is 1,397 feet long, and the usable takeoff distance is 14,510 feet. So, if you're landing on 25R the landing distance is 14,510-1,397, which gives you 13,113 feet to land on. I can remember one flight in more than 70 through LAS where we landed on 25R.

I've been on several flights through LAS in the middle of the day in July when it's 115 outside. Many flights take up 9,000+ feet of runway. I've seen some MD-80s and 727s leave the ground at the 11,000 foot marker.

Useless trivia: the 25R/7L runway at LAS has a nearly 147 foot uphill elevation change from the departure end of 25R to the end of the runway. The displaced threshold on 7L (the opposite end of 25R) is more than 2,000 feet long.

[AZ_to_AU]

Safe in Australia....

Just finally got connected in AU as L.A. had to pay for the internet. I'll write a flight report on all 3 airlines in the other forum area place thingie.... LOL!!!

Here is the landing in L.A. - just uploaded it last night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEHTpLIBWYE

[Jeff California]

great videos! You CANNOT SAY THE F WORD ON AN AIRPLANE YOUNG LADY! lol.. enjoyed watching them. Thanks!!!

Jeff

[AZ_to_AU]

:blush: oops.... did I say the F word????
:angel:

[scottr0829]

Good video! And that wasn't a golf course :tongue: although I am not sure what it was. :)

Glad you made it to Australia fine. How is the dog doing?

[AZ_to_AU]

My dog is still in quarantine, he'll be released on May 11th, two more weeks. I can't wait!! I miss him!

Ok... Flight report on all 3 flights over in the other section!
:thumbsup:

[tusphotog]

Good video! And that wasn't a golf course :tongue: although I am not sure what it was. :)


I assume you guys are talking about the race track in the landing video...that's the Hollywood Park race track. There are horse races there, and there's a casino not too far from there either. The only golf course I know of near LAX is the Westchester Muni which is on the north side of the airport, nowhere near where you guys were.

Dee, glad you made it to the land down under. It wasn't as bad as you made it out to be, was it? :)

[AZ_to_AU]

Dee, glad you made it to the land down under. It wasn't as bad as you made it out to be, was it?

Not at all!! Have you read my Flight Report? (http://www.takingflight.us/forums/showthread.php?t=8193)