What I didn't know was that I'd be on the plane's last flight for AA. Here's the story:
It was a gorgeous day for the flight, once we got above the low cloud cover in STL, and N711ZX (I only caught her reg from a distance later, I'm 99% sure this was it) gave us a wonderfully smooth, quiet and POWERFUL ride down to DFW. I had no idea that it was her last flight for AA until (talk about amazing luck) I was literally right by the cockpit on my way out the door in DFW. The pilot said to the purser something to the effect of "I think it's this one's last flight. They're towing her to the hangar after they're all off." Stupidly, I spent a brief second thinking he meant her last flight of the day, and then I put two and two together basedd on what I know from on here, and realized she was headed to DL. I found it just a little bit sad that there was no acknowledgement of her service, nothing special said while we were on board. But I was definitely happy to walk by the captain right when I did. Sure enough, when my flight to AUS taxied out just a few minutes later, she'd already been towed to a remote stand. The gate we'd just come into was empty.
So here's to N711ZX, and her continued career.
 Photo © Joerg A. Dittmer |  Photo © Jason Whitebird |
 Photo © Matthew I. Smith |  Photo © Phil Derner Jr. - NYCAviation |
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