Flying Experiences

I walked at a brisk pace from gate D, took the elevator to ground level, and took the tram to Gate B.

I began climbing up the escalator steps, but about halfway up, I stopped I was gasping for breath, and I let the escalator take me the rest of the way up.

Once I reached the top, I found myself among several restaurants and shops.

I started walking briskly toward gate 34B, beginning with gate number 20.

My mouth became dry it felt like I had swallowed a large ball of cotton.

I continued my journey to gate 34B after I stopped at the water fountain.

I checked in and was followed by a young man panting profoundly.

We both boarded Delta Flight 935, and the question everyone had on their faces was 

What Happened? Why are you so late?

The flight was waiting for an older couple who were walking like turtles. 

Two women were sitting in my section, I took my seat 34C next to the window. The two women had just gotten off a cruise and were headed home. 

We struck up a conversation, and the woman next to me said I did not know my father was blind until I was sixteen.

She said my father could do everything; he made furniture, and he could work on cars.

She said once a salesman came by to talk to my father, and the man said to my brother, your father does not like me.

He said I held out my hand for him to shake it several times, but he never responded, Then my brother said, My father is blind.

I had made a connection with this woman but never knew her name.

When we got off the airplane, we hugged each other and said goodbye, never to meet again.

Muscle Shoals to Atlanta, Ga 

The couple in front of me said they were going to Maryland for a Medical conference. I told them that I was going to Los Angeles. When they exited the airplane, they said Enjoy your trip.

All the luggage with wheels had to be stored below on the plane, so when we landed, my cousin and I had to collect our luggage from the cart.

We embarked on the plane down the chute, I was struggling with the handle on my suitcase as we started climbing the two flights of stairs. Somehow, I lost control of my suitcase, and it began its descent back down the stairs only to be caught by the man who had been talking to my cousin on the plane. He had told my cousin that he was a pilot and was headed to Atlanta. He said for the next seven days that, he would be making short trips, and soon, he would be making trips from Atlanta to Europe.

I thanked the pilot, and we started looking for our next stop, Gate T.

From Atlanta to Los Angeles ✈

We took the escalator downstairs to the Tram.

Embarked on the tram and walked across a couple of slow-moving conveys. I saw this beautiful art display of Zimbabwe Sculptures, took out my camera, and started taking pictures. I did not realize that there were so many statues. 

My cousin took my luggage along with her so I could take pictures. 

I became so obsessed with taking pictures that we walked right past the escalator we needed to take to our gate. 

My cousin fell onto her knees as we entered the tram. 

She said someone stopped in front of her as she entered the tram, causing her to fall. 

A man offered to help her up, but she said she was okay, and I just stood there dazed. 

I was not holding on when the tram began, and a man put his arm around my waist to keep me from falling.

We exited the tram and went up the escalators to Gate T, where we settled down to eat.

Hubby had stopped at Hardee's and bought us some sausage, egg biscuits, Bacon, and cheese biscuits. 

We bought a bottled drink at the airport. 

We were served pretzels and drinks once we were up in the air and the seatbelt sign was turned off. 

For lunch, we had peanut butter and jelly & chicken salad sandwiches.

I took out my camera and started taking pictures (I took over 200 while on the flight).

We flew from Atlanta, GA, toward Birmingham, AL, toward Starkville, MS, toward Greenwood, MS, through Texarkana, AK, Withcfalls Ok, Albuquerque, NM, Flagstaff, AZ, Boulder City, Nevada, (where we saw the Colorado River and the Hoover Dam) and the snow-capped Rockies Mountains (what was left of the snow). We flew near Lake Mead National Rec. The area that followed along Interstate 40 into LA International Airport.

It was neat looking at the land from the airplane and how their view changed by the state. In Arizona, you could see the mountainous and sandy desert, in New Mexico, the circles and squares of the land; and landing in LA, the monopoly of houses that covered the land. In some areas, you could see lots of clouds floating and their shadows on the ground below. 

We landed at LAX, collected our luggage, and walked outside to catch the (Flyway).

I boarded the airplane.

To my left was a University of Alabama student who was flying to Birmingham. 

We talked for a few minutes, and she started using her iPhone. 

To my right sat a man who was on a business trip to Fort Lauderdale. 

As we looked toward the sky, this awesome view came into sight. 

It was a cluster of clouds with the outline of the jet.

I said that would make a great picture but did not have my camera handy.

The man was ex-military, lived in Virginia Beach, and loved to travel and take pictures. 

I went through security without any problems and walked to the gate and waiting area. 

I sat down, and a nice woman named Eunice said, the strap on your dress is showing come over here, and I will fix it. 

We started talking, and I moved closer to hear her. 

She said she was a traveling minister. 

We talked about religion and politics. 

She was in a wheelchair and needed assistance boarding the airplane. 

I saw her again when she boarded the plane. She sat in the first-class section. 

I said goodbye when she left the airplane and wished her good luck, and I did not see her again.

I walked toward my gate and loading area, which was US Airways #3115 from Charlotte Douglas (CLT) to Nashville at 9:55 A.M., arriving at 10:29 A.M. 

I purchased a Coke and a bag of chips because I had not eaten anything and I was getting hungry. 

I boarded the jet and sat next to the window seat 10A, and a young man sat on the aisle seat next to me. 

We started talking, and he said he was from Newport News, VA. He was a BA for IBEW Electricians in this area. 

I said hubby was an electrician and in LOCAL 558 in Sheffield, AL. 

He was traveling to Nashville for a district meeting about health care for Electricians. We talked about the union and health care. 

When the plane landed, we said goodbye, and I called hubby.

Once the jet was up in the air and the seatbelt sign was off, the man sitting in the aisle seat took down his computer and handed me my camera bag. It was a beautiful day, and as we neared Maryland, I started snapping pictures of the area below.

We were served drinks and peanuts on the flight. When we arrived in Maryland, everyone got off the airplane except the ones going to Hartford, Connecticut. There was a headcount of seventeen, including one woman in a wheelchair. 

Our flight was to be a One-stop flight with no transfer of planes that was the schedule.

We were told to get off the flight and go to gate B. 

We were the first to board the flight. The front aisle seat is where I sat.

Setting next to the window was a man from Nashville, Tennessee he was going to visit his son in Hartford, Connecticut. 

He said he had four children, and his wife was short, about 5’1 inch tall, and full of energy, and that I reminded him of her. 

Traveling from Orlando to Birmingham

We checked in at South West Airlines.

They said that the plane was scheduled to leave at 5:10, and it was 4:45 P.M.  

They went ahead and checked our bags and Meadows's wheelchair. 

We walked through security Meadow, and I went through fine.

Security went off when Lora walked through, she had to walk through again. 

Lora had a roll of quarters inside her purse.

Marcus’s bag had two snow globes from SeaWorld that were not allowed to go through, and Madison had a tub of mud that was not allowed on the plane. 

We still had to take the tram over to load on the airplane. 

Lora and a security guard walked over to SeaWorld’s gift shop.

There, they wrapped the snow globes and had them shipped to her house.

I went ballistic because I thought we were going to miss our plane.

I called hubby and said I think we are going to miss our flight.

Finally, Lora and the kids come walking through, and we rush to the airplane.

They were calling our names for the last boarding. 

We took off running, I was pushing Meadow, running as fast as I could.

We made it, and I let out a thank you 

We got on the plane, and Lora proceeded to fasten the car seat.

I was so flustered that I needed help fastening my seatbelt

By this time, we were taxing down the runway. 

The plane was in the air.

We were given a snack of pretzels and sodas.

It took us a little over an hour to get to Birmingham Airport. 

We went to baggage claim and retrieved our luggage.

London to Atlanta 

We walked to the waiting area after checking in. We boarded the plane and were getting hungry because the flight attendant was late serving lunch.

Amelia and I ate the cookies and chips that we brought with us. 

We watched some TV, a movie, and read a book, and before we knew it, we were home in the good old USA. 

We had a good flight home.

The ground was covered with rain and fog when the pilots landed at the Atlanta International Airport.

We went through customs down the escalator and were greeted by guard dogs waiting there to sniff for drugs. 

Our luggage was placed on the scanner to make sure that we were not bringing drugs into the country.

Amelia was wearing a metal hair bow, and it made the scanner go off as she walked through it.

Amelia was taken to the side, and security wand her down.

Soon, we will be on our flight to Huntsville.

We boarded the plane at 7:45 A.M. from Huntsville International Airport and headed to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. 

I sat in row 30 right next to the jet's engine, and the roar was so loud that I could not hear myself think. 

Orbits called me at Huntsville International Airport to let me know that there was a delay in our flight after we had known for thirty minutes. 

We missed our connecting flight to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport because of the delay in Huntsville. 

We went to gate A15 to catch the next flight out, but it was full, then they sent us to A14, and they were full. 

Finally, I said, just give us a confirmed flight number, so they said our next flight would be at 3:55 P.M. 

We went to McDonald's in the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to eat lunch.

The flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International to LAX was very nice. 

I was bumped up to first class, and I got to sit in the steward’s rest area.

My seat would recline into a bed.  I had my own television screen.

I sat next to an army soldier (who was also bumped up to first class with me) who was going home to Hawaii.

He had been to Maine and was returning home.

He said I have four children, all boys ages 20, 15, 10, and 6, and my oldest son is in the army.

One of the stewards called us the King and Queen of the airplane because of where we were sitting. 

These were the best seats in the house!

Muscle Shoals to Lexington, Ky 

We loaded the diaper bag and my camera bag, which I take with me everywhere I go, to document Meadow’s experiences and ourselves into the airplane.

We flew from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to Lexington, Kentucky, in the airplane that seats six people; Meadow buckled into her car seat.

Meadow sat facing the sun, so she closed her eyes and slept most of our flight.

Lora spent the first fifteen minutes filling out paperwork for Meadows doctors’ appointments. 

Everyone put on earphones so we could talk to each other, to know the flight plans, the speed, the altitude, the weather and skis right of way, the landing, and then taking off. 

I brought my camera this time so I could take pictures. 

Inside the airplane, I took several pictures of Meadow she was laughing and enjoying the plane ride. 

Lora and I had to wear large headphones so we could talk with the pilot.

Therefore, we took pictures of each other wearing headphones. 

We flew low enough for me to take some awesome pictures of the ground below. 

I took several pictures of a boat chugging along the Tennessee River toward locks at Wilson Dam.

I took pictures of the Marriott Hotel and The Renaissance Tower standing behind it. 

For miles, I could see green trees, buildings with smoke coming out of the top, a white water tower, and I could see the flow of the Tennessee River.

Then we flew over the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course, what a view it looked like a video game with all the crooked paths, sandpits, and clubhouse. 

We left the Tennessee Valley, flying through Tennessee and Kentucky All the while, I was taking pictures of all the lush greenery, different land shapes, hills, and valleys, busy streets, houses, factories, and swimming pools. 

Kentucky was a totally different view with the brilliant glow of the Kentucky Blue Grass, acres and acres of horse tracks, green rooftop barns, a lush green field filled with Kentucky racing horses, and miles of white fencing. 

Our pilot gave Meadow a TEC Air lanyard and neck strap, which we put around her neck. 

Kentucky to Muscle Shoals 

It was very hot up in the bright white clouds, and these clouds were coming off a storm that was brewing in the Gulf, which caused a lot of turbulence.

There was turbulence in the Gulf that affected everyone flying in the eastern area.

This caused the Memphis, Tennessee Airport to have radar problems, in turn changing our flight pattern.

My daughter said I prayed all the way home that we would make the flight. 

I was upfront as a co-pilot talking to the pilot, Mr. Pride. 

The pilot talks about his family, he said that all his family was musicians, and most of them were engineers. 

Mr. Pride said, “ I have flown for many years, and I love working with the Angle flight.”

We sat near the front of the plane in seats 20 A, B, and C.

All our carry-on baggage is stored in the compartment above our heads. 

We slept most of the way to Denver, Colorado. 

I went twice to the restroom during our flight.

On one of those trips, my foot tangled in the straps of Meadow’s diaper bag. 

Lora was still asleep, I had to wake her up so she could help me untangle my foot.

Our flight from Nashville was delayed; we had to wait for another plane to taxi off, and they were late on their takeoff,  causing our flight to be late, which in turn caused us to be late for our connecting flight in Denver.

During our last descent into the Denver Airport, the flight attendant said over the intercom, please, if you do not have a connecting flight, stay in your seats.

Since we were in front of the plane and we had a connecting flight, we were the first to leave. 

I took Meadow out of her car seat, rushed up the walkway, carrying her in my arms, and walked to the ticket counter for our connecting flight. 

The person at the ticket counter said, "We have given your seats to someone else since the doors had not been closed for the flight's competition. We will have to ask the people whom we have given your seats to get off the airplane." 

Lora had to stay behind to wait for Meadow’s wheelchair & our luggage was brought up from the bottom of the plane and transferred to our connecting plane before she could board the plane with us.

We are flying with Frontier Airlines, and the plane we are now flying on has a porcupine on the wings and tail. 

I sat in the aisle seat, Meadow in the middle seat, and Lora next to the window.

During the flight, I ordered a drink and a small package of cookies. Meadow slept during most of the flight.

We saw the snow-capped, foggy Rocky Mountains from the airplane, where the landscape looked like chocolate-swirled ice cream.🍦

Lora was sitting next to the window, so she took several pictures of the snowy mountain range.

I tried to watch “A Harry Potter movie,” but I kept falling asleep.💤