American Airlines Virtual

There we were all poised to escort Santa trying out his new sleigh and ... a no show. So, we flew it anyway. That's Bert Rivera (AAV486), Ted Martin (AAV537), me (AAV580), Wayne Pierce (AAV783), and Jim Parish (AAV1050).

Here, Jim finally gets his chance to be #1. Wayne will be #2 with me following. Bert was still dealing with some recalcitrant pax at the gate. Word is he whispered something in her ear and then rocked back with that "Bert" smile on his face. The old lady shot up the stairs and promptly took her seat. I'm sure what he whispered is in the handbook ... but which handbook?

Jim rumbles down the runway slowly slowly gathering speed.

Lifting off

Wayne departing.

Bert finally moving to the runway.

Please observe that Ted has not shown up yet.

Wayne climbing to altitude.

It may look like he is burning his landing lights unnecessarily, but those are not landing lights but special equipment Santa had shipped to us for this top secret flight. He called them Grinch detectors mod 1 mk 4 or GD14s.

Me climbing to altitude.

Here's Bert. The problem grandma is being very quiet.

About this time we hear radio traffic over the company freq that Ted Martin showed up at International Falls. Now that is very curious this being a TS mission and Ted not being on the distro list. Moreover, there was some rumor of Ted running into the pilot's locker room wearing a heavy trench coat almost to the ground. Some reported seeing he was wearing heavy black boots. One of the flight attendants he rushed by said he had a twinkle in his eye and there was this white fluffy cottony thing on his chin like someone missed shaving a small spot. Someone said they overheard an occasional "Ho, Ho" as he was changing.
By the time he left the locker room he seemed like the old Ted with the same Clark Kent glasses everyone new.

Ted burning his GD14s. What was really amazing was that he started way behind us and almost in the blink of the eye Ted was all the way in front of me!

Later, his co-pilot, Donnie, said they had just taken off and he thought he saw Ted tug on his ear lobe and all of a sudden they were at cruise and in the middle of our flight. Donnie shook his head saying, "I've never fallen asleep on a flight and I can't believe I did this time ... but how else do you explain that?" Besides, Ted was such a jovial and fun loving guy. He'd even let him do the takeoff, and when the ATC gave takeoff clearance, Ted had said to him, "On, Donder."

We all made it to Detroit, but I'll have to say this was a very unusual flight with a lot of strange things going on.

B2T: Ted, me, Wayne, Jim, and Bert.

By the way, the problem grandma on Bert's flight was really upset when she deplaned and Elvis wasn't there to meet her.

Then, Ted had to leave immediately after we landed. He didn't stay for any of the post GFI gabbing and ribing. Said he had some dear tasks to take care of ... at least that's what it sounded like as he ran down the hallway.


Postscript: The strange gets even stranger. AAV got an email from Santa saying thanks for the test and something about Bert getting a bag of switches for lying to his mother.

Tail time.






pps: The facts related in this GFI bear a faint resemblance to anything that has ever lived. No animals were harmed in the telling of this.

Harold Henderson wrote:We all made it to Detroit, but I'll have to say this was a very unusual flight with a lot of strange things going on.

B2T: Ted, me, Wayne, Jim, and Bert.

By the way, the problem grandma on Bert's flight was really upset when she deplaned and Elvis wasn't there to meet her.

Then, Ted had to leave immediately after we landed. He didn't stay for any of the post GFI gabbing and ribing. Said he had some dear tasks to take care of ... at least that's what it sounded like as he ran down the hallway.


Postscript: The strange gets even stranger. AAV got an email from Santa saying thanks for the test and something about Bert getting a bag of switches for lying to his mother.

I admit nothing, deny everything and demand proof!!!!!

I'm just seeing this post. Harold you have a very interesting mind .

This just goes to show you that you can't put anything over on a hub manager...not even a top secret flight.

As for the stewardist (as we called them back in the day), there was a reason she and I were "jolly." Nup' said...

BTW, you can call me Chris because I still have the magic...

(Harold, your commentary is still outstanding....and the say the mind is the first thing to go).

Theodore Martin wrote:I'm just seeing this post. Harold you have a very interesting mind .

...

(Harold, your commentary is still outstanding....and the say the mind is the first thing to go).

LOL. They say there's a fine line between genius and loon. If the line were just straight, you could better know where you were.