rankourabu

some of your guys dates are from before I was born

BUF-DTW on a DC9 (N752NW) on Dec.19.2000



The bird was built in 1968, and flew its last flight for DL on 25.Nov.2011

Jax Tom

July 1991, just a few months after first moving to Florida. JAX-ATL-PDX and return for a conference in Portland. 757 or 767s between JAX and ATL. L1011-500s both ways on the ATL-PDX-ATL segments. This was back when PDX was the Asian hub for DL. I remember enjoying the "Japanese" meal on both flights between ATL and PDX as the flights continued to or originated in NRT. I remember many L1011s all at PDX at the same time going to various destinations in Asia, and the crowds of Asian tourists following the flag of their group leaders at Portland's airport.

orftomnl

April 1972 6 years old unaccompanied minor going to visit grandparents in Virginia during Spring Break. Plane was a Delta 707 or 727, PWM--BOS--DCA. Plane stopped in BOS, stayed on plane and then to DCA. First time flying and thought it was so cool to be served a Coke on the plane!

worldspan

Delta Air Lines Convair 880 jet in first class JFK to ATL in 1970. Damn, the dinner was great!

Predecesor: Northeast Airlines 727-200 from JFK to Nassau in the Bahamas, somewhere in 1972. And yes, the steak was awesome! Oh how I miss those Yellowbirds

Worldspan

Detroiter

Oh boy ... brings back some memories.

First NW flight was MSP-PHL-MSP over Christmas of '72-'73, flying home from college freshman year. Because of a problem getting a cab at the dorm, arrived at the gate minutes before scheduled departure (door would be closed these days). GA apologized that Y was full, then handed me and the young lady from my dorm who was taking the same flight F boarding passes (on a student fare)! Equipment was a 727 (most likely -200), dinner was a pretty decent steak, and beverage of choice was a whiskey sour (me to FA when she asked if I wanted a PDB "what's the drinking age?" "21, but I won't tell if you don't").

First (and only) NC flight was May '78, returning to LAF (Purdue) after an interview in Cleveland. Flight was CLD-DTW, connecting to Air Wisconsin flying DTW-FWA-LAF on a Swearingen Metro (ack!). Equipment was a Convair turboprop (don't know which variant NC flew).

First and only RW was LAX-PSP at Thanksgiving '79. Had booked DTW-LAX-PSP on AA, then AA dropped LAX-PSP and rebooked us on RW. Equipment was DC-9 (probably a -30).

First and only RC was DTW-LGA-DTW in I believe '80 (might have been '81) to see a Picasso exhibit at MOMA. Equipment both ways was 727-200.

First DL was October '85 DTW-ATL-JAX and FLL-DTW for a niece's wedding, then some relax time on the beach at Vero Beach.

Never flew SO, WA, NA, or PA. Have I left anyone out?

Detroiter

Yeah, yeah, rub it in sonny . My flying history dates to November '64 on a flight PHL-CXY (the old Harrisburg airport pre-MDT - I don't know for sure what the code was then), and includes flights on AL, TW, UA, BN, and AA before my first DL-or-predecessor flight on NW in '72.

iquitos

Fall 1966 Trip started in TUS but I was headed to Peace Corps training in Key West. At least the ATL (or DCA) MIA leg was DAL, probably a DC-6.

chyvan

Mine was NW flight 255 on Saturday, Aug 15, 1987. Had I been on the next day's, Sunday, Aug 16th's flight, I'd be dead.

Indelaware

My history is not nearly impressive as some previous posters as I don't have their years. But I certainly respect those who have earlier memories of flight than I do. I suspect that I had earlier filghts on some legacy of the current DL, but I'd have been too young then to remember. Here's is what I remember:

First on a DL predessor, SEA-ORD DC-10, 1973 (enroute back home to CLE); age 9.

My first (and only flights) on DL predessor Airwest (RW) was GEG-SEA, 1974.

If we consider PA a predessor, then my first flights on it were SEA-HNL-NAN IN 1974; I was aged 10.

I never flew on any of the other DL predessors.

My first flight on DL itself, I think, was PHX-CVG-CLE back when DL was a UA partner.

For equipment accross my many flights: NW, 727, DC-9, DC-10; PA 707; RW DC-9; DL MD80, 757.

us2

I still have the ticket from the flight and the timetable for the period. And, to me, it was a big deal, as that's when I fell in love with flying.

Indelaware

And a great love it is. That's why I often cringe at FTers who complain about petty things like upgrades and seat assignments rather than relishing in the joy of flight -- the worst seat on any aircraft is better than being on the ground.

A major regret that I have with the advent of e-ticketing and self-print boarding passes is that one doesn't have the wonderful piles of paper records. Surely, I am not the only one who misses red carbon paper, grease pencils (green felt pens latter on UA), and hand written tickets?

Even though I have lost mental track of the 1000s of domestic segments I have flown, I do mentally keep track of every international trip I have taken (100s of segments), routings and airlines but not specific flight numbers, times, or dates.

jackplum

1967 into TPA followed soon after by a pleasant trip to CHS on my way to Parris Island (not so pleasant)

For years, I flew the Slowhawk, Agony, and US Scare progression till about 1990. Since then it has been almost exclusively Delta ( exceptions: two United, two SpanAir, three Iberia, two Icelandair, two AerAranIslands, and one CityJet)

Indelaware

Thus far we have seen people posting flight experience with DL, NC, NW, RC, RW, & WA. Anyone have flight experinces on any of the other predessors -- viz. Bonana Airlines; Pacific Air Lines; West Coast Airlines; Southern Airways; Atlantic, Gulf, and Caribbean Airways; American Overseas Airlines; Aviation Corporation of the Americas; American International Airways; or Standard Air Lines?

Air Wisconsin Airlines (ZW) is not a predessor of Delta.

ZW was owned at one time by United Airlines which has since sold ZW but has retained ownership in the name "Air Wisconsin." ZW has taken the similar name "Air Wisconsin Airlines".

ZW owns a small chunk of US Airways and flies exclussively for them out of PHL & WAS. While they do not fly for any other airline besides US, ZW does provides ground operations for UA out of 20 different airports.

formeraa

My first flight on NW was SEA-HNL in 1970.

My first flight on DL was IAH-SEA in 1982.

My first flight on Western was SEA-LAS in 1972.

LouisianaFlyer

On a Delta DC-6 in the summer of 1963 leaving from the birthplace of Delta. There were thunderstorms that the plane had to fly through because it could not fly high enough to go over. I remember seeing a DC-8 when we landed and wishing I could ride on that instead.