My flight was scheduled to depart at 640AM. Boarding was scheduled to begin at 615AM. So I woke up at 345AM so I could be out of my house by 4AM. I live about 10-15 mins away from SYR so I would get there about 2 hours before boarding. I wanted to be able to see all the early flights leave so I thought I would have plenty of time to do that. I got dropped off at the curb and walked in and was on line at the AA counter at 417AM. I checked the FIDS and my flight was not on there. I was the fourth person to get on line and two of the three people ahead of me where checking in with AC to YYZ. AC uses the AA counter and gate at SYR. There was no one behind the counter when I got there. It was about a 10 minute wait and at 430 one AA person came over and made an announcement that the AA system was down. She said that they were unable to check anyone in. They could not check any bags and print out boarding passes or bag tags. However the AC system was working. So she began checking in the AC passengers. A couple of the people who were going to YYZ wanted to move their seats however the agent said that AC rents the space from AA and the only thing she is allowed to do is check people in and bags for YYZ. They can’t print out boarding passes or assign seats or anything else for connecting flights from YYZ. At least one of the passengers checking in was connecting through YYZ to NRT. She was supposed to go the night before but her flight was cancelled. She showed up really late and was arguing with the agent because she couldn’t give her an aisle seat for the long flight for the YYZ-NRT flight. The agent told her that she needed to go to the gate before she missed this flight. As all this was happening the AA system still was not working and the line for AA was getting really long. The one agent working was nice and kept us informed and kept apologizing for the situation. Only one person during the whole time on line, left the back of the line and came up to the front and for about 5 minutes and started yelling at the agent and arguing with her about he hates AA and how she was inefficient. She told him that she was on the phone with ROC, ALB, BUF and ART and trying to see if they could check us in there and send the boarding passes for the gate, or if they could give us gate passes and then check people in at the gate but the gate was having the same issue the counter was. So she said I am doing everything I can and I am sorry for the wait. After about 35 minutes of waiting everyone for AC to YYZ was checked in. However no one for AA was checking and there was a full E145 of people that were not checked in and it was less than 45 mins before departure. After about another 10 minutes, they decided that they would handwrite out the boarding pass and bag tags. They then went through the list of everyone on the plane and checked off them off. They had one person check off the person’s name then the next person she asked where your final destination was and if it was a connecting flight she handwrote out the SYR-ORD boarding pass and told you once you got to ORD, go to your connecting gate and show them the handwritten boarding pass and your ID and they will print out your next boarding pass. Then the next person handwrote out a bag tag and got your connecting flight# and city so they bag would be transferred. Then you could go up to the gate. At first they waited to have you come up to start this unusual check in process, but since I was only the second person of 50 to check in and we were 40 minutes to departure, the first person went up and down the entire line of people to find out what everyone’s name was and there final destination to cross check with the list of everyone on the plane. The person infront of me was going to TUS and the woman behind me was going to ANC, but she was not on the one list so they thought she was on UA but she was on a different list so there where a few issues getting everybody checked in. We were all told that security knew was going on so we would not have any issue with the handwritten boarding passes. I left the AA check in counter for security at 552AM. I spent 1 hour and 35 minutes on line before being “checked in” and getting my boarding pass and bag checked in. The only good thing about this long wait was that they didn’t charge $25 dollars to check in a bag. I then went down to a part of the airport were you can see the ramp. I got there in time to see the B6 E190 as flight 115 the 6AM flight to JFK pushback. After that I went up to security. It was a quick wait and I was through in about 5-10 minutes. As I was going through I saw the B6 E190 begin its taxi and the DL MD90 nonstop to ATL pushback. Once I was through I got some breakfast and went down to my gate. I have never flown AA so I was hoping I would get on the old colors before they were gone. I knew that my E170 from ORD-ATL would be the new colors. I went to my gate and saw my plane and was glad to see N688AE in old colors was sitting there. I lucked out because the day before it was in the new colors.
Driving into the airport
An empty check in area early on this Sunday morning
The AA counter with one of the two kiosks that where not working
N198JB as flight 115 to JFK pushing back from gate 11
N959DN at gate 25 as DL 816 to ATL
N12569 at gate 26 departed to ORD as ASQ 5900 at 1020AM
3 US planes with B6 E190 beginning its takeoff roll by the E170 tail. N430AW headed to PHL at 910AM as flight 3732
N916DE at gate 24 before departing to MSP as flight 2286, N916DE was at SYR as the early morning flight to ATL last summer when I flew to ATL
N430AW with N916DE in the background
N280SK on taxiway mike headed for runway 28 for departure to JFK as DL 6049
Brickyard 3452 N133HQ to PHL at gate 9
C-GAAV AC 7285 to YYZ
N104UW as US 867 to CLT at gate 8 leaving around 810AM. This was the orginal flight I was going to take to CLT. With a Dash 8 N362PH as UA4779 to EWR taxing to runway 28 in the background
N104UW
N362PH taking off
N354JB at gate 3 as B6 655 to MCO
A good morning for flying
My plane at the gate 5, AA moved from gate 12 to gate 5 the week before, to be in the same area as US as gate 5 used to be a US gate
Front of the plane
American Eagle “Envoy” 2987
Syracuse,NY(SYR)-Chicago,IL(ORD)
Sunday July 13, 2014
2004 Embraer ERJ-145 N688AE
Seat 18A
Scheduled Departure- 6:40AM
Actual Departure-7:29AM (departure delayed because of the computer issues)
Scheduled Arrival- 7:43AM
Actual Arrival- 8:11AM
Departure Gate-5
Arrival Gate- G8
Flying time- 1 hour 42 minutes
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N688AE/history/20140713/1040/KSYR/KORD
Boarding video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNsv-BR6JQo
Gate 5
View of the wing
Engine
B6 pilots
I then looked out my window as they were loading up the bags and saw my bag on the lower left. All the bags had the yellow handwritten bag tags
Eventually the pilot came on said that as we knew there were computer issues and the last of the passengers were still at check in and that as soon as they got everyone done we would pushback and they hoped to be able to make up some of the time in the air. He then said the weather and flying time and after about 15 more mins the rest of the passengers boarded and they closed the doors. Within 5 minutes we were pushing along with the B6 E190 to MCO pushed at the same time as us and he turned to the right we pushed straight back. We started up our engines and began our taxi. We taxied to runway 28 on taxiways Echo then Alpha then crossed over runway 33 and we then held short of runway 28. The E190 followed us then turned onto runway 33 then onto runway 28 and backtaxied to the end and took off infront of us. As soon as the E190 was in the air, we taxied onto the runway and took off. I was not sure why the E190 taxied onto the runway and backtaxied and took off infront of us. Just before 730AM we taxied onto the runway and took off.
Pushing back
Starting our taxi
Passing by the US A320
Crossing runway 33
Taxing onto the runway
Departure Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pOceFTmEfI
Taking off
Right after takeoff we made a right turn and flew a 310 heading to join the V483 airway and began our flight west towards ORD
Climbing out
The engine
The cabin during the beverage service
Once the beverage service was completed, one of the pilots came on and informed us of arrival gate and the time of our arrival. He then said the weather and thanks for his business and that we would be descending into ORD shortly.
Descending into ORD
10 minutes prior to landing the flaps were lowered and we made a right turn to line up for landing
During the flight up at cruise we passed right above a DL 757WL and as we were on final an AA E170 descended from above us and then followed us and landed on the parallel runway.
Short final
Landing video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIlnKtu2zMo
We touched down around 30 minutes late. Once we landed we taxied off the runway and made a right turn and then another left turn and taxied down to a runup area and we taxied off the runway and then the pilots shut down the engines. The pilot made an announcement that since we were late, there was another plane using our gate and that it should be pushing shortly and that he would get back to us. About ten minutes went by and the pilot once again came on and said the plane was the still there and he hoped it would not be too much longer. Ten minutes passed again and he came on and said “well, im out of excuses…. They are trying to get us a new gate. We realize that many of you with less than one hour connections have your connections. Once we get to the gate go to customer service to get rebooked. About five to ten minutes later the engines started and once again the pilot came on and said they got us a new gate and we were still far away and would have about a five to ten minute taxi and we would be at the gate. Once we got to the gate I was one of the last off because I was in the last row. The people next to me were traveling to SJC had about 30 minutes, but only had to go a few gates away. I had about 40 minutes but had to switch concourses. My original layover was supposed to be 2 hours but ended up being 40 minutes with all the delays. Once I got off the plane I went to the agent to try to get my ATL boarding pass (since they could not print it out at SYR). Someone else from the plane was doing the same thing. I didn’t have too much time and had to get from the G concourse to the H concourse so I decided I would get my boarding pass at the ATL gate. Once I got to the gate, the plane was not there. But within a couple minutes the E170 N428YX with the new extended winglets pulled into the gate and boarding began within twenty minutes.
Touchdown
We
DL 3322 N912XJ to JFK at gate E14
On the way to the holding area, we passed a UA 747 in the old blue tulip livery. N174UA as UA 835 PVG
Passing by two AA E145 one eagle one AA connection. The Eagle N623AE arriving from MHK as flight 3446 and the connection E145 N295SK arriving as flight 5335 from SDF
Next to this E145 in the holding area
After starting up our engines and getting taxi clearance we started to taxi to the gate.
N15555 as flight 4504 from SAV
N13133 as flight 3851 to LNK
Pulling into the gate
Since I was in the last row, it took a while to deplane
My plane from in the terminal
AA MD80
SkyWest CRJ200
FIDS (my flight to ATL AA4289/US8523)
On the way to my gate
Once I got to the gate the plane was not there yet, so I went up to the gate agent and explained her what happened at SYR and she seemed pretty confused that the boarding pass was handwritten and then she asked for my ID and reprinted my ORD-ATL boarding pass. After a couple of minutes my plane pulled into the gate. Within twenty minutes of the plane pulling in they made an announcement that the flight was full so they needed people to gate check there bags to the baggage claim at ATL for free. Anyone who let them check there bag they let board before they began preboard. After preboarding and first class they began general boarding. Overall boarding was pretty quick and they got everyone on the plane and seated fairly quickly. The two flight attendants Chris and William were getting all the bags stowed and once everyone was on the plane they closed all the overhead bins and the boarding door. Prior to the flight attendants beginning the safety demo they came over to person on the aisle next to me and the woman in our row in the opposite window, they both were traveling together and after takeoff they switched around and the person on the other aisle came and sat next to me. Both people had really young babies so the flight attendants told them where the infant lifevests were. We pushed back and started our engines. Within a few minutes the flaps were lowered and we began our taxi. It was a fairly quick taxi. We taxied by the international terminal and I saw some 747s and triple seven’s. A couple minutes later the pilots came on and said how long our flight time would be, the weather in ATL and then said we were a couple planes away from takeoff and then asked the flight attendants to be seated for takeoff. Within a couple minutes we were taking the runway and after a brief hold we were beginning our takeoff roll on runway 28R from the intersection Echo Echo. It was a pretty short roll and before long we were airborne. Immediately after departure we made a wide left turn and then began to climb out. After one right turn we were on the way to ATL.
Gate H6
My plane to ATL N428YX with the new extended winglets
Extended Winglets
My plane on the right with the new winglets and the old winglets on the left
American Eagle “Republic” 4289
Chicago,IL(ORD)-Atlanta,GA(ATL)
Sunday July 13, 2014
2014 (2 months old at the time of flight) Embraer ERJ-175 w/ extended wingets N428YX
Seat 12A
Scheduled Departure- 9:45AM
Actual Departure-10:19AM
Scheduled Arrival- 12:25PM
Actual Arrival- 12:46PM
Departure Gate-H6
Arrival Gate- T10
Flying time- 1 hour 27 minutes
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/R...9/history/20140713/1445Z/KORD/KATL
Boarding
Looking forward at the end of boarding
Wing view out the gate
Engine
Extended winglet
Pushback
Flaps down, starting our taxi
JAL 777
N794AN AA289 preparing for departure to PVG at gate K12
N907DE DL 2183 also headed to ATL
“Brickyard 4289 cleared for takeoff 28R Echo,Echo”
Departure Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-_IdNg_Hhg
Rotate
“Brickyard 4289 contact Chicago Departure”
Climbout
Getting closer to cruise
Once we got up to our cruising altitude the flight attendants came through with the beverage cart. The only served drinks they didn’t give anyone any snacks in coach.
cabin
As we got closer to ATL, the pilots came on and told us the weather and our arrival information. As we began our descent the clouds started to increase and we made some turns to fly around them. At the end of the descent the flight attendants came through the cabin for trash pickup and at 12:34PM the pilots lowered the flaps. We then made our final descent and the flaps got lowered a little more and we slowed down for landing. At 12:40PM the landing gear was lowered as we turned final for runway 26R. We then flew a parallel approach alongside a DL A320. We made a rough landing on runway 26R at 12:46PM as we rolled out a DL 717 took off from 26L. We rolled down the rest of the runway and taxied via the Victor loop and without crossing over 26L we taxied into gate T10.
Clouds
Final Descent
DL 370- N340NW on final from MGA
Departing Traffic with KAL 36 A380 HL-7619 preparing for departure to ICN from 27R
About to touchdown
Arrival Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkIA86vtt5g
Taxing
UA E170 departing
DL 717
Arriving at the gate
View out the window from row 1, while I was waiting to go in the cockpit
Once we got to the gate, they connected the jetway and deplaning began within a few minutes. As I was getting off I asked the flight attendant who was standing up in the front if I could talk to the pilots. She said the CA left the plane and the FO was in the lavatory if I wanted to wait so I told her I would and sat down in seat 1A in first class. A couple of minutes later I heard the flight attendant say to an agent who wanted to clean first class that there was still someone in first class, as she said that the FO came out of the bathroom and I went in to the cockpit. The CA was Henry and the FO was Benjamin. I talked to Benjamin for about ten minutes. I told him how I am going to be a pilot and fly a Cessna 172. We talked for a few more minutes and I took some pictures and then I thanked him and left. I then went down to baggage claim and got my bag, I then had to walk over to the other side where DL baggage claim is and I met up with my ride.
Cockpit- lower left is the yellow sticker that says extended winglets
Gate T10
My plane at the gate
Bags
Leaving the airport
After the week in ATL it was time to head back to SYR. I went to ATL for a camp so there were lots of people flying different airlines to different cities. My flight was scheduled to leave at 510PM on US to PHL. Different people’s fights started leaving at 3PM so we all got to the airport around 1230PM. I was one of the few people flying US. Since it was ATL the majority of the people were flying DL and some WN. I was one of the few people flying US so I got checked in and was able to meet back up with the group pretty quickly. Once everyone got checked in and we all went through security then and then I went down the escalator and got on the underground (plane train) from security to concourse D where my flight was leaving from. I then got some dinner and found a place to charge my phone and video and take pictures of planes arriving and departing.
Driving into ATL
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