This year was quite a year for the books. Thanks for starting this thread
Wakesetter93 (though we were chatting in real time through a bit of this so you know the "story" haha).
New Countries (0): N/A
New Airports (48): ABQ, AGS, AMA, BKG, BPT, BRD, BRL, BRO, CHO, CHS, CID, EAU, ECP, ELP, EUG, FAY, FWA, GEG, GLH, HIB, HRL, HVN, HYS, ILG, INL, JBR, LAN, LCH, LNK, LWB, OWB, PAH, PGA, PIA, PIE, PNS, PSC, PVU, SDF, SHD, SLN, SOW, STS, TBN, TVC, TVF, VCT, VRB
New Airlines (4): Avelo Airlines, Breeze Airways, Northern/New Pacific Airlines, Red Way (Op by GlobalX)
New Planes (3-4): ATR-42, A321neo, Technam P2012, Uber SUV (I say this as Cape Air put me in an Uber in lieu of a flight 3 times, but I got FF credit)
Shortest Flight: EAU-MSP, 85 miles, Sun Country B737-800
Longest Flight: JFK-LAX, 2,472 miles, JetBlue Mint A321
Flights That Got Me Involved in a Nebraska State Audit Investigation: 1
Total Airports: 98
Total Flights: 274 (3 pending 12/31)
Total Miles: 128,452 Miles
Next year already has Hawaii (my 50th and final state) on the books on Hawaiian's inaugural 787 from the mainland, and the UA Island Hopper booked to GUM from there.
An assortment of this year's flying highlights...
"Dinner" in First Class on New Pacific Airlines inaugural BNA-ONT
UA A321neo inaugural IAH-ORD (and I took the "original" inaugural 2 weeks later to PHX)
Ride out to Show Low, Arizona
Southern produces very nice destination pictures/art all over its system.
Inaugural Avelo Airlines flight from ILG (Wilmington, DE)
Inaugural Breeze Airways flight from Vero Beach, FL (to BDL... VRB hasn't had airline service other than some spotty third tier CRJ stuff in decades)
Arriving to CHS on Spirit's first flight
"Smoking or non?" made me do a double take
Thief River Falls, MN
LNK-MCO, Red Way Airlines inaugural flight
Jonesboro, AR
UA Inflight Training
CEO of Contour Airlines making remarks and then serving champagne and other beverages on his airline's inaugural flight from Owensboro, KY (to ORD)
The brand new terminal in Paducah, a long time coming
Branson, MO
BOS
First Brightline train from Orlando to Miami
MSL, a regular haunt for my charity work in Northern Alabama