AA_EXP09

I like how everything except the plane is using globe livery.

LarryU

A 22 minute video including visits to operations, maintenance and jetway deployment:

Video.

ZenFlyer

Apologies for coming late to the after-party: while I managed to avoid being snowed in at DCA on Saturday, I have been snowed under with work since returning on Sunday night.

This was my first DO ever, and I thank everyone for making me feel welcome. I enjoyed meeting people, and putting names and faces to some familiar FT handles.

So much has already been said above, but I couldn't possibly post without extending a personal thanks to:

-- Captain Denny for both coming up with the idea and following it through to completion;

-- Adrienne, Dan, Patricia and the entire United staff at PDX for spending so much time with us, and going out of their way to ensure a memorable experience for all;

-- Machelle and the entire crew at the Port of Portland who equally rolled out the red carpet (and the fire trucks) for us;

-- Shannon, Carlos, and Irina from United headquarters for their behind-the-scenes support and good humor (including hauling the red carpets all the way to PDX);

-- Captain David Dosch and First Officer Mark for also braving their first FlyerTalk DO as well providing lively conversation;

-- everyone who has taken the time to post pictures and videos above, especially since my camera was on the fritz the entire weekend;

and last but most certainly not least

-- opushomes and his lovely wife MarshaB, whose efforts and attention to detail ensured that this great idea actually came to fruition, and in high style to boot.:-:


I share many of the sentiments already posted above by other participants, but will add a few parting observations:

Favorite aspect of the PDX tour While driving the jetbridge was definitely a highlight, I think what I found most interesting was talking to the various UA employees and learning a bit about their personal history and training - e.g. how many gate agents have been cross-trained in ramp operations and vice versa, the number of different jobs Adrienne has had on her way to station manager, the type of experience needed to work in the Operations Center, etc. And I have renewed appreciation for the amount of pressure that everyone is under to turn an aircraft around at the gate in as little as 30-40 minutes.

What I learned about FlyerTalk DOs They are a lot of fun, but it also takes a lot of volunteer sweat to put these things together, particularly an event as large and multi-faceted as this one. I wound up volunteering to help out opushomes with a few small administrative tasks in the couple of weeks leading up to the DO. In that capacity, I was privy to just a very small fraction of the behind-the-scenes e-mails flying around between all of the individuals listed above, trying to coordinate every detail and answer a bazillion questions to make everyone's experience as smooth as possible. We are fortunate that our organizer and his wife were so generous with their time.

You know you've finally left the DO when . . . On the last leg of my return flight, my seatmate and I started engaging in some friendly banter due to a strangely malfunctioning cabin light over my seat. After several rounds of eye rolling, I mentioned that I had happened to have spent the morning touring a United maintenance facility, and repeated some of what the mechanics had mentioned about the challenges of the electrical system on the A320. I took great care to say this in my most humble and non-chalant voice, as I did not want to appear to be bragging or make him jealous. Instead, he scrunched up his face a bit and said "Touring a maintenance facility is a strange way to spend a Sunday morning." Clearly not a FlyerTalker!

Again, it was great meeting everyone, albeit many of you briefly, and look forward to crossing paths again.

kwildnj

Somehow I am glad this was not part of our tour:

Man strips naked at airport to protest security screeners, authorities say

http://mobile.nj.com/advnj/db_96837/...tguid=R7mk0J4T