Seiple
Dec 19, 00, 1:33 pm
3 December 2000
TWA 518
OMA-STL
MD-80
N9304C
Seat 3D
I arrived at Omaha Eppley Airfield at 7:05am to check-in for the 8:14am departure to STL. Lines were negligible at the ticket counter, so I was helped quickly. I was confirmed in coach but was able to upgrade to First. I went upstairs at 7:25am for a quick Burger King breakfast and then went to gate 5 on the south concourse to await boarding. At 7:45am the crew showed up and went on board, two very young pilots and four flight attendants. At 7:53am preboarding began for Trans World First customers so I went on board and took seat 3D, an aisle seat. The seats had the newest coverings. Under the outer armrest was the tray table with the "Airfone" under the center armrest. A flight attendant came and took my coat and asked what drink I would like after take-off. Boarding ended at 8:10am while deicing occurred. A F/A came through and offered water or orange juice to the four passengers in the front cabin. Coach looked to be about 75% full. We pushed back on-time and began our taxi to 14R whiel the F/A's did the safety demonstration. The aircraft did not stop and rolled right into the take-off roll, rotating even with the terminal building. Shortly after take-off, the F/A's prepared the drink cart and parked it at row 1, then served First from the cart. Two Breton cookies accompanied drinks. Flying time was announced as 56 minutes, so by the time the F/A's finished coach we had begun our descent. The MD-80 flew past the airport, made a 180 degree turn just north of downtown, then landed, bouncing once, on 30R at 9:15am. After a quick taxi we pulled into gate C23 at 9:18am, ahead of schedule.
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3 December 2000
TWA 577
STL-OMA
MD-80
N903TW
Seat 1F
After a day of spotting at STL and checking off aircraft in JP Airline Fleets (I saw just over 180 different aircraft) I prepared for my return flight. I proceeded to a service center on D concourse and checked in at 3:00pm. After a quick walk to East Terminal to see Southwest's Triple Crown One, I went to my departure gate of D6. After a previous Minneapolis flight left, the gate emptied. I checked at the podium to see if I could upgrade. I had my choice of seats, and chose 1F, a bulkhead window on the starboard side of the aircraft. At about 4:20pm, N903TW arrived at the gate, completing the first leg of TW577 (FLL-STL). The gate agent did somtehing I haven't witnessed before: she introduced herself and the other gate staff by name over the PA system. At 4:45pm boarding began with a courtesy preboard for Trans World First. I proceeded down the jetway and on board N903TW. The aircraft was showing its age in everything but the seats. The wall paneling was old and some was stained from years of use. I took a left when I entered the aisle into row 1 and took my window seat. A flight attendant took my jacket and addressed me by name (something that hasn't happened to me on an airline flight in quite awhile). The flight filled up pretty quickly. Coach appeared to be 100% full. First class did not have any empty seats either. When boarding was completed, a second flight attendant came around with a tray offereing pre-takeoff drinks: orange juice or water just like the flight down. This time they were in glasses and not plastic cups. I chose water. The aircraft pushed back at 5:20pm with the lead F/A welcoming us aboard "Trans World Airlines flight 577 service to Tulsa, Oklahoma." Then he stopped and laughed loudly before starting over, this time saying the correct destination. There was a long taxi to runway 12L. We waited in line for 20 minutes short of 12R. We departed behind a TWA B757, with the wheels up at 5:49pm. The aircraft made an immediate left hand turn on climbout before circling back to the west. The pilot announced we would fly west to St. Joseph, Missouri and then directly north to OMA. As soon as the seat belt sign came off, the drink cart appeared in the aisle offereing first class passengers drinks (this time in real glasses and mugs) along with a bag of snack mix. The flight was smooth, with a descent starting at 6:30pm. The flight attendants collected the drinks before sitting for the bumpy approach. We broke out of the clouds near Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska and landed on OMA's runway 36 at 6:47pm. The flight attendant cane om the intercom jokingly welcoming us to Tulsa before thanking us on behalf of TWA's 21000 employees. We had a two minute taxi to gate 4 on Omaha's south concourse.
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Jason Seiple
OMA
TWA 518
OMA-STL
MD-80
N9304C
Seat 3D
I arrived at Omaha Eppley Airfield at 7:05am to check-in for the 8:14am departure to STL. Lines were negligible at the ticket counter, so I was helped quickly. I was confirmed in coach but was able to upgrade to First. I went upstairs at 7:25am for a quick Burger King breakfast and then went to gate 5 on the south concourse to await boarding. At 7:45am the crew showed up and went on board, two very young pilots and four flight attendants. At 7:53am preboarding began for Trans World First customers so I went on board and took seat 3D, an aisle seat. The seats had the newest coverings. Under the outer armrest was the tray table with the "Airfone" under the center armrest. A flight attendant came and took my coat and asked what drink I would like after take-off. Boarding ended at 8:10am while deicing occurred. A F/A came through and offered water or orange juice to the four passengers in the front cabin. Coach looked to be about 75% full. We pushed back on-time and began our taxi to 14R whiel the F/A's did the safety demonstration. The aircraft did not stop and rolled right into the take-off roll, rotating even with the terminal building. Shortly after take-off, the F/A's prepared the drink cart and parked it at row 1, then served First from the cart. Two Breton cookies accompanied drinks. Flying time was announced as 56 minutes, so by the time the F/A's finished coach we had begun our descent. The MD-80 flew past the airport, made a 180 degree turn just north of downtown, then landed, bouncing once, on 30R at 9:15am. After a quick taxi we pulled into gate C23 at 9:18am, ahead of schedule.
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3 December 2000
TWA 577
STL-OMA
MD-80
N903TW
Seat 1F
After a day of spotting at STL and checking off aircraft in JP Airline Fleets (I saw just over 180 different aircraft) I prepared for my return flight. I proceeded to a service center on D concourse and checked in at 3:00pm. After a quick walk to East Terminal to see Southwest's Triple Crown One, I went to my departure gate of D6. After a previous Minneapolis flight left, the gate emptied. I checked at the podium to see if I could upgrade. I had my choice of seats, and chose 1F, a bulkhead window on the starboard side of the aircraft. At about 4:20pm, N903TW arrived at the gate, completing the first leg of TW577 (FLL-STL). The gate agent did somtehing I haven't witnessed before: she introduced herself and the other gate staff by name over the PA system. At 4:45pm boarding began with a courtesy preboard for Trans World First. I proceeded down the jetway and on board N903TW. The aircraft was showing its age in everything but the seats. The wall paneling was old and some was stained from years of use. I took a left when I entered the aisle into row 1 and took my window seat. A flight attendant took my jacket and addressed me by name (something that hasn't happened to me on an airline flight in quite awhile). The flight filled up pretty quickly. Coach appeared to be 100% full. First class did not have any empty seats either. When boarding was completed, a second flight attendant came around with a tray offereing pre-takeoff drinks: orange juice or water just like the flight down. This time they were in glasses and not plastic cups. I chose water. The aircraft pushed back at 5:20pm with the lead F/A welcoming us aboard "Trans World Airlines flight 577 service to Tulsa, Oklahoma." Then he stopped and laughed loudly before starting over, this time saying the correct destination. There was a long taxi to runway 12L. We waited in line for 20 minutes short of 12R. We departed behind a TWA B757, with the wheels up at 5:49pm. The aircraft made an immediate left hand turn on climbout before circling back to the west. The pilot announced we would fly west to St. Joseph, Missouri and then directly north to OMA. As soon as the seat belt sign came off, the drink cart appeared in the aisle offereing first class passengers drinks (this time in real glasses and mugs) along with a bag of snack mix. The flight was smooth, with a descent starting at 6:30pm. The flight attendants collected the drinks before sitting for the bumpy approach. We broke out of the clouds near Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska and landed on OMA's runway 36 at 6:47pm. The flight attendant cane om the intercom jokingly welcoming us to Tulsa before thanking us on behalf of TWA's 21000 employees. We had a two minute taxi to gate 4 on Omaha's south concourse.
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Jason Seiple
OMA