Seiple
Dec 19, 00, 12:32 pm
10 December 2000
TWA 518
OMA-STL
MD-80
N959U
Seat 3D
I arrived at Omaha Eppley at 7:10am for the 8:14am departure. I proceeded directly to the departure gate (gate 5) to check-in. I was able to upgrade to First and received a seat assignment of 3D, an aisle on the starboard side. At 7:48am boarding began and I got on during the preboard. The flight attendant took my coat and offered a drink before pushback. This time TWA's whole drink selection was offered instead of the customary water/orange juice. At 8:16am, the MD-80 pushed back while the four F/A's performed the safety demo. Lead F/A G.P. joked that if the cabin depressurized, be sure to help those who didn't pay attention during the safety demo. We arrived at the end of runway 36 by the time cups were collected. The aircraft took off at 8:23am and made an immediate right turn on climb-out, circling to the south and passing over Council Bluffs Airport. As we climbed to 29,000 feet, two F/A's served First from the cart on their way back to coach. There were seven pax in First, including two deadheading TWA pilots. Coach was about 2/3 full. An F/A offered a drink refill before approach. Coats were distributed on approach right before the F/A's sat down. The MD-80 touched down on runway 30L at 9:16am. The lead F/A welcoming us to Omaha as a joke... he kept mistakingly announcing the flight as going to Omaha during the welcome aboard announcements. We pulled into gate C23 at 9:21am.
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10 December 2000
TWA 046
STL-ORD
MD-80
N9306T
Seat: 4D
I walked from gate C23 to C2 for flight 46 to Chicago O'Hare. I arrived as preboarding ended and got on board the MD-80. I had seat 4D in TW First, anothre aisle on the starboard side. The seats were slightly different than those on previous TWA flights: the phones were in the seatbacks, the tray tables rotated 45 degrees, and the seats had adjustable headrests. Once again the F/A hung up my coat. I was then offered the standard orange juice or water. Boarding ended at 9:50am with 15 passengers in First and a 50% load in Coach. We pushed back at 10:00am during the safety demo and joined the queue for 30L. We took off behind a TW Express ATR and a fellow TWA MD-80, with the wheels coming up at 10:10am. Cruising altitude was 23,000 feet with an estimated flying time of 39 minutes. Drink service was as on the previous flight. Once again coats were given out during approach. The MD-80 came out of the clouds on short final and touched down at 11:07am. We taxied past terminal C and pulled into gate E10 at 11:16am.
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10 December 2000
TWA 207
ORD-STL
MD-80
N951U
Seat: 3D
After a day of spotting over 250 different aircraft, I proceeded to the TWA ticket counter at 4:10pm to check-in for my 5:55pm departure. Once again I was able to upgrade for both of my flights. I grabbed a sandwich and went to gate E8. As 5:30pm approached, there was still no aircraft. At 5:45pm, the agent announced that the plane was late arriving from STL, but was on the ground and would get to the gate shortly. At 5:53pm, the MD-80 pulled into the gate. The turnaround was quick and flight 207's boarding started at 6:02pm and I took the aircraft during preboarding and found my seat: 3D, same as on my morning flight. Flight attendants Keisha and Coni took coats from TW First passengers and distributed glasses of water or orange juice. At 6:23pm, the full MD-80 pushed back and taxied away from the concourse behind a Continental B737-500. After the safety demo, cups were collected. We taxied to 9L, taking off at 6:40pm, a half hour late for wheels up. On take-off, a drink cart in the front galley came loose and made a lot of noise as it hit the opposite galley unit. After the F/A's picked up the debris, they served TW First from trays. The aircrat climbed to 28,000 feet before it started down. We came through the clouds at 3000 feet with a TWA DC-9-30 off the right wing, making a parallel approach. We touched down on runway 12L at 7:38pm. We taxied to gate C25 and chocked in at 7:52pm, 41 minutes late.
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10 December 2000
TWA 487
STL-OMA
MD-80
N959U
Seat: 5D
I had a good run from C25 over to gate D26 to make my 8:11pm departure to Omaha. At the gate I saw N959U, the same aircraft I flew on that morning OMA-STL. I arrived at the gate during the end of general boarding and got on the airplane. I took 5D, the last starboard aisle seat in First. An F/A took coats but did not serve pre-takeoff drinks due to a boarding problem. Three announcements were made for people to sit in the seat on their boarding pass, the last one made by the Captain. In the end, two passengers ended up getting off the airplane. Coach was 100% full and First had two empty seats: 5A and 5F. We pushed at 8:17pm and the safety demo was done mid-taxi. We took off on runway 12L at 8:27pm with an estimated flying time of 59 minutes. Drinks were served from the cart and accompanied by Biscoff crackers. We cruised at 31,000 feet before starting our descent, during which coats were passed out. We had to make a low 360 turn for spacing with a light aircraft doing the ILS in front of us. We touched down on runway 32L at 9:30pm and pulled into gate 4 at 9:32pm.
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Jason Seiple
OMA
TWA 518
OMA-STL
MD-80
N959U
Seat 3D
I arrived at Omaha Eppley at 7:10am for the 8:14am departure. I proceeded directly to the departure gate (gate 5) to check-in. I was able to upgrade to First and received a seat assignment of 3D, an aisle on the starboard side. At 7:48am boarding began and I got on during the preboard. The flight attendant took my coat and offered a drink before pushback. This time TWA's whole drink selection was offered instead of the customary water/orange juice. At 8:16am, the MD-80 pushed back while the four F/A's performed the safety demo. Lead F/A G.P. joked that if the cabin depressurized, be sure to help those who didn't pay attention during the safety demo. We arrived at the end of runway 36 by the time cups were collected. The aircraft took off at 8:23am and made an immediate right turn on climb-out, circling to the south and passing over Council Bluffs Airport. As we climbed to 29,000 feet, two F/A's served First from the cart on their way back to coach. There were seven pax in First, including two deadheading TWA pilots. Coach was about 2/3 full. An F/A offered a drink refill before approach. Coats were distributed on approach right before the F/A's sat down. The MD-80 touched down on runway 30L at 9:16am. The lead F/A welcoming us to Omaha as a joke... he kept mistakingly announcing the flight as going to Omaha during the welcome aboard announcements. We pulled into gate C23 at 9:21am.
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10 December 2000
TWA 046
STL-ORD
MD-80
N9306T
Seat: 4D
I walked from gate C23 to C2 for flight 46 to Chicago O'Hare. I arrived as preboarding ended and got on board the MD-80. I had seat 4D in TW First, anothre aisle on the starboard side. The seats were slightly different than those on previous TWA flights: the phones were in the seatbacks, the tray tables rotated 45 degrees, and the seats had adjustable headrests. Once again the F/A hung up my coat. I was then offered the standard orange juice or water. Boarding ended at 9:50am with 15 passengers in First and a 50% load in Coach. We pushed back at 10:00am during the safety demo and joined the queue for 30L. We took off behind a TW Express ATR and a fellow TWA MD-80, with the wheels coming up at 10:10am. Cruising altitude was 23,000 feet with an estimated flying time of 39 minutes. Drink service was as on the previous flight. Once again coats were given out during approach. The MD-80 came out of the clouds on short final and touched down at 11:07am. We taxied past terminal C and pulled into gate E10 at 11:16am.
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10 December 2000
TWA 207
ORD-STL
MD-80
N951U
Seat: 3D
After a day of spotting over 250 different aircraft, I proceeded to the TWA ticket counter at 4:10pm to check-in for my 5:55pm departure. Once again I was able to upgrade for both of my flights. I grabbed a sandwich and went to gate E8. As 5:30pm approached, there was still no aircraft. At 5:45pm, the agent announced that the plane was late arriving from STL, but was on the ground and would get to the gate shortly. At 5:53pm, the MD-80 pulled into the gate. The turnaround was quick and flight 207's boarding started at 6:02pm and I took the aircraft during preboarding and found my seat: 3D, same as on my morning flight. Flight attendants Keisha and Coni took coats from TW First passengers and distributed glasses of water or orange juice. At 6:23pm, the full MD-80 pushed back and taxied away from the concourse behind a Continental B737-500. After the safety demo, cups were collected. We taxied to 9L, taking off at 6:40pm, a half hour late for wheels up. On take-off, a drink cart in the front galley came loose and made a lot of noise as it hit the opposite galley unit. After the F/A's picked up the debris, they served TW First from trays. The aircrat climbed to 28,000 feet before it started down. We came through the clouds at 3000 feet with a TWA DC-9-30 off the right wing, making a parallel approach. We touched down on runway 12L at 7:38pm. We taxied to gate C25 and chocked in at 7:52pm, 41 minutes late.
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10 December 2000
TWA 487
STL-OMA
MD-80
N959U
Seat: 5D
I had a good run from C25 over to gate D26 to make my 8:11pm departure to Omaha. At the gate I saw N959U, the same aircraft I flew on that morning OMA-STL. I arrived at the gate during the end of general boarding and got on the airplane. I took 5D, the last starboard aisle seat in First. An F/A took coats but did not serve pre-takeoff drinks due to a boarding problem. Three announcements were made for people to sit in the seat on their boarding pass, the last one made by the Captain. In the end, two passengers ended up getting off the airplane. Coach was 100% full and First had two empty seats: 5A and 5F. We pushed at 8:17pm and the safety demo was done mid-taxi. We took off on runway 12L at 8:27pm with an estimated flying time of 59 minutes. Drinks were served from the cart and accompanied by Biscoff crackers. We cruised at 31,000 feet before starting our descent, during which coats were passed out. We had to make a low 360 turn for spacing with a light aircraft doing the ILS in front of us. We touched down on runway 32L at 9:30pm and pulled into gate 4 at 9:32pm.
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Jason Seiple
OMA