Quite an adventure. I’m a fan and graduate of the University of Georgia, but this particular weekend was a bye week. I have a friend in Boise who I had not seen in years and who constantly pestered me to travel out there and see a Boise State game. So I have this huge pile of Delta SkyMiles sitting around. I figured I should put it to good use for a long trip, so I did. I took Friday off work and headed out there for the weekend. My routing was odd but deliberate. I flew up there via SLC so I could catch a domestic 767 and back via MSP for a different routing and to catch a 757-300. Anyway. Enough rambling. Let’s fly.
I checked in via my phone the day prior
And my nice little reminder.
My flight wasn’t until 9:35, but knowing Atlanta traffic I decided to leave very early to avoid any mess. Besides, what could possibly be bad about having an extra hour or two to go exploring? I left my house in Gwinnett County at 5:40 and throwing my truck in park at PreFlight Parking at 6:34. From there it was a very short ride to the South Terminal, although where I got off was irrelevant because I had all my boarding passes ready to go on my phone.
Delta’s check in area is always very nice.
Usually I just blindly go to the main security checkpoint at ATL, but I noticed the wait was over 20 minutes, while the smaller south checkpoint had almost no line at all. That was an easy decision to make. I remember a time where the north and south checkpoints were just for Concourse T passengers. All in all it was a very smooth process.
From Concourse T I took the back way to the train and went to explore. I spent all my time on Concourses E and F because that’s where most of the fun is. I was some good stuff, and even some planes that had carried me in the past.
http://1drv.ms/1wxCXxf
http://1drv.ms/1wxDcbF
The links are just some videos I shot because I could
N179DN. Not particularly exciting, but it was a 767 I flew home from London almost a decade ago.
And an Airbus A330 just because I think it’s beautiful.
This is probably more mundane than I think it is, but I thought it was really cool. In my research I found my flight to BOI from SLC was set to be operated by N3741S. I gave it a look and it was in Atlanta at gate B25. Naturally I had to go take a look. Again I know it was probably pretty mundane, but I thought it was cool to see a plane I would fly later in the day on the other side of the country.
Anyway the time came to head back to Concourse A and a took a seat at gate A25 where N136DL was ready to take a full load to SLC.
Sitting outside was N136DL
10/24/2014
Delta Air Lines Flight 8776
ATL-SLC
Boeing 767-300
N136DL
Depart ATL: 9:35 AM (Was actually 9:33)
Arrive SLC: 11:50 (Was actually 11:23)
Photo © Scott Arfin
Boarding began at 8:52 and I boarded with zone 1 and took my seat in 13A, a nice Economy Comfort seat with a PTV.
Moving closer
Finally the step we all love to take
My view out the window
We pushed away from Gate A25 and made our way to Runway 26L
And a little something caught my eye. It was Virgin’s 787 they brought in to celebrate their beginning of service.
I also took a quick video of takeoff
http://youtu.be/Hx4HH0I9FFQ
The Dicks distribution center is a landmark you really can’t miss taking off this direction.
Just a beautiful day
Slowly working our way up to 34,000 feet
I forgot where this was, but just a look down at the landscape below
Right after we started to level off I really just settled in for the ~4 hour flight
Sportscenter in the air. Can’t complain about that.
At 8:35 Mountain Time they came around with round 1 of cabin service. Apparently there was a peanut allergy on the flight, so they didn’t have peanuts on board. No matter for me. I don’t like nuts of any kind anyway.
Works for me
I wasn’t up and about the cabin at all. I just settled in staring out the window, surfing the internet and watching TV and enjoying every minute of it.
Cabin service round 2 was at 10:23 Mountain Time
Some of the landscape below before we started descending at 10:57
Approaching SLC from the north
OGD I think?
Hill Air Force Base
I took a video of landing on Runway 16L as well:
http://youtu.be/F34U01Cn63M
We taxied to gate D3 and I had a couple hours to explore SLC for the first time.
A quick look at the beast.
Two 767s in the shame shot
And a look down Concourse D
I walked around a bit and grabbed some lunch as well before my next flight. It’s a nice airport. I still had one more flight that day though.
Delta Air Lines Flight 2258
SLC-BOI
Boeing 737-800
N3741S
Depart SLC: 1:45 PM (Was actually 1:45)
Arrive BOI: 2:49 PM (Was actually 2:45)
Photo © Alex Khan
Boarding began at 1:09 about 35 minutes before departure. Unfortunately for me I wasn’t in Economy Comfort on this flight. As a six-foot-something I can tell you it’s not much fun. Unfortunately when I booked the only EC seats left were middle seats and having a window is more important to me. I boarded with zone 1 and took my seat in 21F for the short flight.
The view
We pushed back at 1:45 right on time and taxied to runway 16L for the short flight
http://youtu.be/WHFm6vhed1k
A quick video of takeoff and our turn to the north. Unfortunately takeoff was pretty weak.
We had a round of cabin service when we leveled out at 34,000 feet at 2:08 and not long after at 2:25 we began descending for runway 28R in BOI
Some unfamiliar landscape below
http://youtu.be/WbIhy8rLhAs
And a video of landing
That night I met a friend and went to the Boise State-BYU game that night.
So the next day it was time to come home
Delta Air Lines Flight 1503
BOI-MSP
Boeing 737-800
N3753
Depart BOI: 9:30 (was actually 9:25)
Arrive MSP: 1:07 PM (was actually 12:46)
Photo © Jehan M. Ghouse
I was dropped off at 7:45 in not much of a hurry since again my boarding pass was on my phone and there were no lines to speak of.
Nice little terminal
Some metal I don’t see back home
And heading to gate B22. These damn shaky hands of mine…..
Just about to board, which we did at 8:56. I took my seat in 11A with a nice PTV. We pushed back at 9:25.
http://youtu.be/-0Zb06X4UgI
Video of takeoff from runway 10L.
A couple views of the beautiful landscape below.
The flight on the whole was quite uneventful. We cruised at 39,000 feet. We had a round of drinks and food at 9:55 Central Time. Mostly for me I surfed the internet and watched college football. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Flight was pretty quick. We began approach at 12:18 for runway 35
Minneapolis
And in fact passing right by the airport itself.
http://youtu.be/vHZreuOKcWY
Landing on runway 35. Approach on the whole was pretty rough. We taxied to gate G20 before my 2 hour layover.
757-300 next to us before I got off.
N3741S from inside. I forgot where It was heading to after that.
A look in the gate area. Pretty cool setup Delta has at G.
On my layover I walked around and had lunch. Lots of things had been improved since my last visit to MSP in 2009. Anyway. It was time for one more flight.
Delta Air Lines Flight 1781
MSP-ATL
Depart MSP: 3:00 (was actually 3:03)
Arrive ATL: 6:26 PM (was actually 5:58)
Boeing 757-300
N584NW
Photo © Jason Whitebird
I made my way to gate G15 after lunch for boarding at 2:20.
Shots of N584NW at the gate
Sadly for this flight I was not in Economy Comfort. I was in 31F.
PTV, but satellite TV wasn’t working the entire flight. I have no idea why.
My view out the window
And a look forward
http://youtu.be/hWvQCvheiqU
Takeoff from runway 30L. About standard for a 757, which isn’t a bad thing.
Turning southward
Again it was an uneventful flight. I surfed the internet and streamed some radio while we cruised at 35,000 feet. Our round of service came at 4:25 Eastern Time not long after we took off from Minneapolis.
Atlanta at the time we started descent at 5:25 was landing from the east, so it looked like a landing on 26R was in our future. Sure enough it was as we turned left parallel to the airport before hooking a hard right somewhere over Dekalb County.
Taking a left
And Hartsfield
http://youtu.be/_nJX9g9GFiM
Landing on 26R heading in for gate A5
MD-88 next to us going to AVL
The beastly 757 about to turn around and head to LAS
I had another great experience with Delta. Not much to say except this short trip was lots of fun. Hope you enjoyed reading. Sorry for procrastinating forever.
