I'm in for that - because nothing could go wrong with the Box Goes to Vegas.

I've only had one missed approach ever - LH into Montreal back when they did PHL-YUL-FRA.

I've had several, but until last year they were years apart. The first in 2001, then there was one in 2006. But in 2007 I had about five in a three month period between September and the end of the year.

Oh, and speaking of Texas (and specifically Lubbock), on the way back to the hotel tonight I came very close to running over two prairie dogs that darted out into the street in front of me. Fortunately I didn't hit them. If I had, I'm sure I'd have the police beating down my door now, since the prairie dogs are one of Lubbock's few claims to fame. After Buddy Holly and Texas Tech, that is.

I've also had several. The last missed approach I had was about a year ago at LAX. UA A319 landing from the east. Got 11 knot tailwind (max is 10), the Airbus 320 series is not the best aircraft with tailwinds. Pilot's followed the book and headed out to Catalina to hold and wait for new clearance to land.

And the Boeings kept landing.. :) (gotta love Ch. 9)

DL Shuttle. Mad dog 88. Landing from the North. (Queens, U-turn, then past the Throg's Neck, White Stone, and down in.)

T'storms over LGA "gridlocked" the tarmac. Since we were going into the MAT we got clearance to land.

yadda yadda yadda, on final our timing didn't match the takeoff sequence and we had a :eek: with a UA 757 rollin' for takeoff on the cross to the West. It wasn't weather related but rather physics related (two objects can't occupy the same space).

I just noticed that the box celebrated its one year birthday and no party?

Happy Birthday Box!

A Well Belated Birthday!

Hat trick - Well done. ^

I made my patented healthy stew this evening: Beef, Salt Pork, Red Onions, Potatoes, Okra, Bell Peppers, Serranos, Seasoning, and Enough Red Wine to kill an Ox.

Just quick update about my NW flights to HKG. My flight landed while typhoon signal #3 was still up on 8/6. But down from signal #8 early in the day. In fact, we were about 20 minutes early.

The final approach was pretty bumpy, but not THAT bad. I guess being at night helps as we can't see much of the outside. I'm sure it'll be scarier if there's light out.

What's interesting is that throughout the various announcments and updates from the flightdeck on that flight, there's no mentioning of "typhoon" at all. When we land, he told us wind is 25knots from the east. [Later, I heard on local radio that at Ngong Ping, a few km from HKG up in the hills, they've recorded gusts exceeding 100MPH.]

Another observation is that the Americans/Japanese/HongKongers who make up all the passengers are very quiet people. They just stay quiet during the final approach, making hardly any sound in the cabin. And no clapping, either. ;)

But on this last flight, I think having known too much about aviation does have its downside. First, I keep thinking about the China Airines 747-200 that broke up over the Taiwan Straits partly due to metal fatique. This NW 744 was delivered in 1989, making it 19 years old. Younger than the DC-9s, but still...

And, just before touching down, I kept thinking about the Mandarin Airlines (CI subsidiary) that flipped over and burnt at HKG soon after the airport opened, also during a typhoon. Oh well.

Not one, but TWO creme brulee sets, including the torch. One is still in the box wrapped and the other was unwrapped but never used. I have a great butane torch for plumbing work that I use for creme brulee most of the time.
Do we really need a special reason. Tell the collective other halves that there is a "plane thing" going on and they'd release us to do whatever we want. Or so it seems. Sure, there'd be payback, but what fun is it if there isn't.

Missed once into DCA from the south. Turns out there was "activity" on the runway. I find out the next day that a US ground crew guy on his first day down from PHL turned the wrong way after pulling the chock blocks from a Dash-8 and walked into the prop. That was bad. Strangely everyone on board was relatively calm and reasonable about the situation. I suppose that misses into DCA aren't all that uncommon, though it is my only one in quite a few landings there.
Not happy thoughts, but you made it in OK. All's well that ends well. :D

Sage advice, and so true. :D

Thanks.

You know it just hit me. Whataburger needs a liquor license. They should serve some good cold beer with their food.

Speaking of beer, I had the pleasure to have some Ommegang with dinner tonight. It was really good. ^

What was the name of the Mexican restaurant?

Today the group went to Durango's.

I have a little dilemma I hope the box can help me with. I am still residing in PHL... for now. I have a wedding in south Florida coming up in a couple of weeks. It is just too expensive to do CO PHL-IAH-FLL R/T, unfortunately. Should I (1), burn part of my 148K miles left w/ US on a F R/T ticket PHL-FLL (I would spend 50K miles)? (2) Spend the $$ on US, with a small chance for an u/g (I am silver)? (3) Avoid US altogether and take WN or FL? (4) Take the train and fly CO out of EWR?

Decisions, decisions.