Hello, this is going to be my second trip report on this site. And believe me, it wont be my last. After this I have my trip back to TPA, vacation to DC and last summer, which will include China. I hope you enjoy not just viewing the pictures and videos in this report but I also hope you will enjoy reading it.
August 4th, 2009
3:00AM MST
Boise, Idaho
I was awoken my my cell phones alarm. Being tired and not quite "with it" yet I made my way downstairs to the shower. After getting dressed and moving my bags to the F-250 I sat down with my iPod and looked up the on-time status for my flights and received my confirmation number from my dad for my stand-by listing. At about 4:15AM we got in the truck and made our way to the Boise airport. My cousin, which was with me, was also traveling to Cleveland today but he was connecting in SLC and CVG. I got to the airport and went to Delta's self check-in kiosk where I checked in and printed by stand-by pass. While my bag was being checked I was informed that there was 2 first class seats open and 3 couch class seats open with me being number one on the list. I sat down with my cousin and uncle for about 10 minutes before heading to my gate. I soon said goodbye to my uncle and walked to security. Security was the normal strip down with the extra pull a side that I always get. I then found my gate, which was all the way at the end of the terminal, and sat down. I decided to try to get a picture of the CRJ-900 but I couldn't get even a glimpse through the windows. I sat there and waited. After two other non-revs were boarded and after my parents called me saying that my name had been removed from the list I went to the counter. She said that my name has been disappearing and reappearing. I found that odd. She finally said that she doesnt' show any open seats but she walked me into the plane and found me one. Only after I was on the plane, my dad texted me saying that the two nonrevs infront of me were her relatives and that my name was removed from the list at the counter. We weren't too happy. I ended up getting an aisle seat while her relatives sat in 1C and D. Anyways, we pushed back on-time and began our flight to Minneapolis.
First, I will show a few pictures from my summer in the west.
The Idaho state capitol.
Lake Coeur d'Alene, located in Northern Idaho
A seaplane belonging to "Brooks Seaplanes"
A bit of technical info, this picture was taken at 1/4000 of a second!
Someones house on Lake Coeur d'Alene
The fireworks show on the Lake. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get a shot like this with no tripod!
Sunflowers on a dirt road near Spirit Lake.
Boise Airport
Boise Airport check-in.
Airlink Flight #3544
Operated by Mesaba Aviation
Boise (BOI) - Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)
Equipment - CRJ-900
Seat Assignment - 09B Aisle
Departure Time - 5:30AM
Flying Time - 2 Hours 50 Minutes
Gate Departure - B20
Gate Arrival - C16
Aircraft Registration - N919XJ, delivered on 2/1/2008
Flightaware map for 3544
Gate B20, to Minneapolis
My drink on board, somewhere over Wyoming.
N919XJ, CRJ-900, viewed from inside Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Airport
Firstly, sorry for the lack of pictures and video on the last flight. It's difficult to really get anything from the aisle. Especially when the person in the window closes it. Anyways, after arriving in Minneapolis I had to make my way to my connecting flight's gate to verify my listing since it got screwed up in BOI. I walked up to the counter and got in a line of three. When I was next in line I hear from about 20 feet to my left someone scream for help! As I look back I see a man on the ground and I hear a woman scream again, "Help! I think he's having a heart attack!". Being a 16 year old I just stood in amazement not knowing what to do. Within seconds the gate agent serving the customer in front of me ran and retrieved a defibulator while a police officer was performing CPR. When the agent came back she and the police officer used the defibulator. After watching him move slowly for about five minutes they started to help him up. He was alive but not to well for the time being. He was able to walk and talk so there probably wasn't any brain damage. I'm just glad that the officer and gate agent were able to save him!
After about 20 minutes another gate agent arrived and I got verified for my flight. She said the flight was open so I kindly hinted I wanted to be in a window in the back since it was a DC-9-50. She said that wouldn't be a problem and gave me 24F. I walked to the nearest window and saw N776NC, a DC-9-50, parked at gate F11 in the new Delta colors. This was the first DC-9 to be painted into Delta's new colors. I got a iced mocha from McDonalds and made my way to the observation deck for some spotting. They were all backlit except for a few so they didn't come out that great. I went back to the gate where I waited to board and before I knew it I was off to Detroit!
A Compass Embraer 175.
N457XJ, a Delta Saab-340B+
A US Airways Express Embraer 170.
Flight #1450
Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) - Detroit Metro (DTW)
Equipment - DC-9-50
Seat Assignment - 24F Window
Departure Time - 11:22AM
Flying Time - 1 Hour 53 Minutes
Gate Departure - F11
Gate Arrival - A66
Aircraft Registration - N776NC, delivered to North Central on 4/27/1979
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0oKhpTq_RA
View after takeoff. Downtown Minneapolis can be seen in the top left.
Small snack after takeoff.
Entering Michigan after crossing Lake Michigan.
On final.
Taxing past the McNamara
N828MH, a 767-400ER is the only 767-400ER in the new colors.
Two Delta A330-300s.
The flightdeck of this 30 year old plane.
My plane, viewed from gate A66.
Detroit Airport
After I arrived in Detroit I got off the plane and literally ran to Chilis. I was that hungry! I then walked over to gate A76 and A78 to do some spotting. That's the only windows in the McNamara terminal without those horrid dots on them. I then walked over to the Airlink terminal to gate B20. I got there and when I heard them announce they wanted people to volunteer to give up their seats I knew I wasn't getting on this flight. After they closed the boarding gate I had my dad move my listing over to the 7:30PM flight. While I waited I walked back to A76 to spot again. After a while I walked back. I must have walked two miles by then! I walked up to the gate and he gave me my seat right away. I was in 12A in a CRJ-200. I then boarded my last flight of the day. And, it was a short one!
I have to say this, as many times as I've been to DTW, this has to be the busiest I've seen it!
The flight to CLE I didn't get on.
Concourse B
D-AIKH, a Lufthansa A330-300 taking off for Frankfurt, Germany.
Airlink Flight #2367
Operated by Pinnacle Airlines
Detroit Metro (DTW) - Cleveland Hopkins (CLE)
Equipment - CRJ-200
Seat Assignment - 12A Window
Departure Time - 7:30PM
Flying Time - 48 Minutes
Gate Departure - C4
Gate Arrival - C6
Aircraft Registration - N8930E, delivered 04/01/2004
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzmslXCtTrY
Sun beginning to set while we wait in line for takeoff.
Climbing to an astonishing FL110
The flightdeck of this small regional jet.
My plane viewed from the Cleveland Airport.
Thanks for looking! If you haven't already, take the time to watch my videos. The MSP-DTW flight includes engine startup, pushback, takeoff, landing and engine shutdown.. Hope you enjoy and keep an eye out for my next few trip reports within the week!
Matt Doehring
Great pictures, and great report! A pity the GA was f-ing around with the list and cost you a FC seat. Did you or your dad get her name? It might be worth it for him to report it, who knows what other stunts she is pulling.
You're only 16? I hope you a long life ahead of you, one that includes much adventure and traveling. And decades from now, you'll look back on these pictures and reports with great nostalgia.
Thanks everyone!
Yes, I'm only 16.
My dad did report her. He contacted the management in Boise and they said that they would take care of it. Who knows what happened though.
For those of yo wondering I am using a Sony A-200 DSLR with a 18-70mm and 55-200mm lens.
Just for some further information, I;m currently editing my pictures from my CLE-DTW-TPA trip and TPA-ATL-DCA-ATL-TPA trip. So, I should have those two trip reports up by tomorrow night. I may have my China vacation pictures up by Tuesday if everything goes well. After that expect my North American Autoshow pictures around next Friday.
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Posts: 824
Great Report and Photos
Your photograph of the flight crossing the Lake Michigan shoreline shows Muskegon Lake (the small lake north of Muskegon Lake is called Bear Lake) and, south of it, Mona Lake (which is near Muskegon County Airport (MKG)), and, south of that, the final few miles of the Grand River before it flows into Lake Michigan just below Grand Haven.
The longest river in Michigan, the Muskegon River, is prevented from flowing directly into Lake Michigan by some dune formations, hence the lake (the city of Muskegon is on the southeast end of the lake; the river enters the lake at its northeast end). This is typical of rivers flowing into Lake Michigan from the east
I grew up in Fremont, Michigan, 28 miles NE of the city of Muskegon; Fremont is the "Baby Food Capital of the World", as it is the home of Gerber Products Company (which is now owned by the Swiss food giant Nestle). My father used to take me salmon fishing on the Muskegon; we put his boat in the water at a place called Bridgeton, in Newaygo County about 8 miles south of Fremont. Your photo brought back a lot of happy memories for me (I've lived "in exile" in the DC area the past 33 years).
Keep writing and taking pictures. You are a natural journalist.
Last edited by ND76; Sep 13, 09 at 5:56 pm..
Reason: Additional detail
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Posts: 824
N776NC
When I was your age, I got to fly on North Central Airlines, the famous line of the "blue goose". The Delta paint job on this aircraft is at least the fifth one on this aircraft, as the NC undoubtedly refers to North Central. Its name described its route system, and it flew "milk runs", consisting of several stops on turboprops such as the Convair, and short haul flights between business centers on DC-9s. A "milk run" might originate at CLE, then fly to DTW, LAN, MKG, MKE and ORD. Another such flight might originate at ORD, and end up at RAP, after having stopped at JVL, MSN, LSE, RST, FRM, OTG, SFY, MHE and PIR.
In the early days of airline deregulation, North Central merged with two other regional "feeder" airlines, Southern Airways and Hughes Air West, to form Republic Airlines. Republic aircraft had the blue goose on the tail.
Republic and Northwest Orient merged sometime around 1985-86; this merger was somewhat contemporaneous with the mergers of Delta and Western (which took place in 1986) and TWA and Ozark. The resulting airline dropped the "Orient" and simply became Northwest. This aircraft probably was painted with a plane red tail; later, it picked up NWA's "compass" logo
When I was your age, I got to fly on North Central Airlines, the famous line of the "blue goose". The Delta paint job on this aircraft is at least the fifth one on this aircraft, as the NC undoubtedly refers to North Central. Its name described its route system, and it flew "milk runs", consisting of several stops on turboprops such as the Convair, and short haul flights between business centers on DC-9s. A "milk run" might originate at CLE, then fly to DTW, LAN, MKG, MKE and ORD. Another such flight might originate at ORD, and end up at RAP, after having stopped at JVL, MSN, LSE, RST, FRM, OTG, SFY, MHE and PIR.
In the early days of airline deregulation, North Central merged with two other regional "feeder" airlines, Southern Airways and Hughes Air West, to form Republic Airlines. Republic aircraft had the blue goose on the tail.
Republic and Northwest Orient merged sometime around 1985-86; this merger was somewhat contemporaneous with the mergers of Delta and Western (which took place in 1986) and TWA and Ozark. The resulting airline dropped the "Orient" and simply became Northwest. This aircraft probably was painted with a plane red tail; later, it picked up NWA's "compass" logo
Wow it's nice to here stories like that along with all the information. My parents started working for Northwest right before the merger with Republic. They went through that, the crash and now the DL merger. My dad was a ramp worker in CLE in the 80's and my mom was in the CLE NW office.
I do recognize the age of N776NC. Actually, I chose to fly this route (with the DC9) just because of it. I wanted to cover all variants of the DC9 with NW this summer and I did. I have also been on the -10 but that was in 2002. I had the gate agent give me a seat in the back just so I could experience the DC-9 one more time before the get phased out.
N776NC was delivered to North Central on 4/27/1979. It then it became Republic's in 7/1/1979 and then becoming NW's on 10/01/1986 due to the merger. Now, it's DL's!
In my earlier report, I flew on N8960E a DC-9-30. That was delivered in 1968 to Eastern Airlines!
Airlink Flight #3544
