SUN, 29 MAR
ACT TSA blockade almost unnoticeable. Aluminum belt buckle and watch, quick-shed loafers, stroll on through.
AA3364 shuts the door early, rolling at 1110A, off the ground by the scheduled 1115A. ERJ145, all seats full, TO to South meaning "long way around" (over East Ft. Worth and Grapevine) 21-24 minute flight to DFW, no "catering" on full flight. My favorite seat, 1A (bulkhead, galley across the aisle, but no overhead bin, but as usual "ramp-check" carryon), quiet, uneventful.
AA3639 late arrival stalls boarding from 135P until 155P. ERJ145, Seat 7A, Ramp Check bag, all aboard, inc. at least 1 standby by 205P, then confusion. One seat broken, FA, "Enrique" and cockpit (with an extra check pilot aboard?) confer. Maintenance called to fix previously "yellow sheeted' (written up) broken seat (faulty recline lock), now critical since because of standby boarded, no extra seat exists for occupant. 245P - After interminable wait, maintenance person arrives, no tools, but large roll of duct tape. No joy on seat repair. Now 255P. Discussion, 1 Standby deboarded. Evolution requires (a) locate, remove checked bag (fortunately "on top" under ramp checked bags), redo paperwork/manifest, refile with ATC. 315P - Push back, taxi to East side for departure on 17L, beverages, uneventful 47 minutes airborne to JAN, final from South to 34(OK?), finally at the jetway by about 425P, 1:05 late
Screw up involved air crew, GA and OPS, boarding the standby with broken seat already reported, then extensive messing about with little in the way of explanation from the cockpit.
TUE, 31 MAR
JAN's TSA routine, almost unnoticeable except for substantial doubt that the ID/Boarding Pass Checker (in training) was up to even MS's modest standards of reading comprehension. Even more confusing to him was that I and the guy ahead in line used the same IDs, his Green (Active Duty), mine Grey (Retired, in my case Reserves), he clad in the new speckledy-dun BDUs of active military service, I in jeans and and golf jacket. An explanation would have so confused the TSA guy as to dilute his mission capability, already marginal.
JAN/DFW -AA3650 ERJ145 SKED for 1255 DPT loads early as weather front with thunderstorms rumbles by. Door closes 10 minutes early. I'm in 1A again with a ramp checked bag. 100% load factor. Push back 10 minutes early - "Get the Hell out of Dodge!" ahead of a weather front, high speed taxi, airborne a few minutes ahead of schedule, break through overcast at about Angels 15, no big thunderbumpers in sight. Overcast (below) clears about Shreveport, and descent into DFW speedy and straight in, turning on final for the East side "outboard" runway, 33? maybe. Long taxi around the park and over the bridge to B21 or so, in the midst of RJ city. Bunch of ATRs at the "High" B gates, and 2 "Soldier Bird" R&R flights from Kuwait, 767s, 1 at the gate, 1 on the ramp. Two Christmases in uniform abroad lead me to bless my current good fortune as I pass the USO, its doors filled with troops younger than I once was.
Then a long wait, and my first departure from B4 one of the added "low number" gates in B, a featureless passageway connecting the B and D terminals.
DFW/ACT - AA3375 - ERJ145, 1A, very light load, door closes about 445P, 5 minutes early, taxi out to 36L, no waiting, airborne immediately, 21 minutes downhill to ACT, quick catering due to light load, followed by the over the water final, getting us to the terminal ahead of schedule, Gate 1 (of 2), followed by a 250' walk to my parked (Free) car (54 hours in the 24 hour lot, just a little over time).
On the 3 flights on which I was in 1A, the FAs were pleasant and personable, one advantage of the seat, the occupant being to only pax "at close range". Also to confirm earlier conclusions, the ERJ145s at least are head and shoulders above of any a/c previously employed on the run to Dallas (and I go back as far as DC-3s)
