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Last month, I took a brief trip to NYC, mainly to use up vouchers from AA. I did get to visit with old friends and see the old neighborhoods while I was there, though 
5/22/07 FLL-LGA
AA flight 626
MD-82
Registration: Unknown
Unknown because I swear AA puts it's reg. #s on the plane at the least readable location possible. I swear they do it just to thwart the spotters
626 is the return flight of flight 695, which leaves LGA at 9:45 AM and is supposed to arrive at FLL at 12:55 PM. It leaves FLL at 1:30 PM, arriving at LGA at 4:30 PM. Knowing LGA, those times are almost never met. On the 22nd, 695 was delayed as usual, they were saying that it would arrive at 1:13 PM (so our departure was pushed back to 1:40), but it actually arrived a few minutes after 1. I was traveling with my mom, who requires wheelchair assistance to the plane, so we boarded first. It was my first time on a MD-8X plane since September 1997, when I flew a QQ (may they RIP) MD-87 LAX-SJC (my return flight was my only flight ever on a MD-90. I had flown AS MD-83s on a couple of LAX-SFO roundtrips in the mid-90s, but my only other MD-8X experience was my first MD-8X, on AA, LAX-ORD 7/28/95 (Lotta fun, flying 2,000+ miles on a 2-3 jet, fortunately, the return ORD-LAX flight was on a DC-10)
Anyway, we pushed back from gate F5 at FLL at 1:47 PM (17 minutes late). There was some traffic ahead of us, so we did not leave the ground until 1:59. After climbing out over the Atlantic, we seemed to take the usual n/b airway, out over the Atlantic until around North Carolina, then over the Norfolk area, passing near Washington DC and Philadelphia, then descent into LGA. We passed over Staten Island and then directly over Manhattan island (above rouglhy 5th Ave), then into the Bronx and maybe partially into Westchester county, before making the u-turn and approaching LGA from the north. We tounced down at 4:30 PM and arrived at gate C5 6 minutes later. Pretty good flight. I don't remember the Captain's name, but the F/O was Jessica Whitaker. F/As were OK, all NYC-based.
5/26/07 LGA-FLL
AA flight 695
MD-82 N554AA
The only reason I got the reg. for the return flight is b/c I could see it parked at gate C3 while walking from the terminal area. C3 is the first mainline gate on that side, as C1 is used for American Eagle (and an RJ was indeed parked at C1). We boarded on time, and seemed ready to go a few minutes before the schedule 9:45 AM departure--but then I noticed some activity at the cockpit, whose door had remained open. Several mechanic types shuttled in and out of the cockpit, occasionally conferring with the flight crew (Capt. was Peter something, with F/O Marty-something). The 9:45 AM departure time came and went. Finally, one of the pilots made a P/A saying that they were having a problem with a gauge (did not specify which one), and they were having maintenance look at it. I'm guessing it was something on the MEL. A few minutes later, there was another p/a saying that the gauge could not be fixed, and they were going to have to install a new one. Good thing that AA apparently has a maintenance base at LGA. Eventually the gauge was installed, and we were underway at 10:16. The pilot announced that there would be a delay in taking off b/c LGA was using one runway for takeoffs and landings (I think there was some problem with the other runway). I don't know the runway layout at LGA, but the one runway that was in use was the one where landing planes would pass right by Shea Stadium on final. (I was familar with this approach from the many flights I took on Ozark from CMI (via IAD) in the 70s). So we joined the conga line of RJs (and the occasionally US Airway Express prop), as well as Delta Shuttle MD-88s, until we finally took off at 10:42. We were supposed to cruise at FL 320, but we ran into some clear-air turbulence, and the capt. got clearance to 340. Our flight plan took us over the DelMarVa peninsula, past Norfolk, Wilmington, NC, then over the Atlantic around Cape Hatteras. We turned into the coast around the Broward-Palm Beach county line, then made the u-turn a few miles over the Everglades and into FLL. Wheels down at 13:07, and arrived at Gate F5 4 minutes later, where we started 4 days earlier (I wonder if F5 is reserved for flights 695/626. Prob. a coincidence) Not bad, for what could be my last flights on AA, at least for awhile. I think 2 of the F/As which worked 626 on the 22nd were on this flight as well. Perhaps they bid that trip exclusively.
Now the explanation of the title. I realized that every one of my flights in/out of LGA (starting with my 2nd ever flight, Eastern 727-25 "Whisperjet" from CLT) has been on a t-tail aircraft. After the Eastern, there were 10 Ozark DC-9-31 flights to/from CMI via IAD, an AA 727 from ORD (alternate flight due to an OZ flight in June 1973), a DL 727 to CLT in 1976, and my last LGA flight before this trip, a UA 722 from ORD. Kinad weird that I have only flown t-tails into LGA.
BTW, if anyone can find the reg # of the MD-82 that worked AA 695/626 on 5/22/07, I'd appreciate it. I suspect the BTS website doesn't have this info yet, though I'll check over there after his post. Hope you enjoyed this trip report.
5/22/07 FLL-LGA
AA flight 626
MD-82
Registration: Unknown
Unknown because I swear AA puts it's reg. #s on the plane at the least readable location possible. I swear they do it just to thwart the spotters
626 is the return flight of flight 695, which leaves LGA at 9:45 AM and is supposed to arrive at FLL at 12:55 PM. It leaves FLL at 1:30 PM, arriving at LGA at 4:30 PM. Knowing LGA, those times are almost never met. On the 22nd, 695 was delayed as usual, they were saying that it would arrive at 1:13 PM (so our departure was pushed back to 1:40), but it actually arrived a few minutes after 1. I was traveling with my mom, who requires wheelchair assistance to the plane, so we boarded first. It was my first time on a MD-8X plane since September 1997, when I flew a QQ (may they RIP) MD-87 LAX-SJC (my return flight was my only flight ever on a MD-90. I had flown AS MD-83s on a couple of LAX-SFO roundtrips in the mid-90s, but my only other MD-8X experience was my first MD-8X, on AA, LAX-ORD 7/28/95 (Lotta fun, flying 2,000+ miles on a 2-3 jet, fortunately, the return ORD-LAX flight was on a DC-10)
Anyway, we pushed back from gate F5 at FLL at 1:47 PM (17 minutes late). There was some traffic ahead of us, so we did not leave the ground until 1:59. After climbing out over the Atlantic, we seemed to take the usual n/b airway, out over the Atlantic until around North Carolina, then over the Norfolk area, passing near Washington DC and Philadelphia, then descent into LGA. We passed over Staten Island and then directly over Manhattan island (above rouglhy 5th Ave), then into the Bronx and maybe partially into Westchester county, before making the u-turn and approaching LGA from the north. We tounced down at 4:30 PM and arrived at gate C5 6 minutes later. Pretty good flight. I don't remember the Captain's name, but the F/O was Jessica Whitaker. F/As were OK, all NYC-based.
5/26/07 LGA-FLL
AA flight 695
MD-82 N554AA
The only reason I got the reg. for the return flight is b/c I could see it parked at gate C3 while walking from the terminal area. C3 is the first mainline gate on that side, as C1 is used for American Eagle (and an RJ was indeed parked at C1). We boarded on time, and seemed ready to go a few minutes before the schedule 9:45 AM departure--but then I noticed some activity at the cockpit, whose door had remained open. Several mechanic types shuttled in and out of the cockpit, occasionally conferring with the flight crew (Capt. was Peter something, with F/O Marty-something). The 9:45 AM departure time came and went. Finally, one of the pilots made a P/A saying that they were having a problem with a gauge (did not specify which one), and they were having maintenance look at it. I'm guessing it was something on the MEL. A few minutes later, there was another p/a saying that the gauge could not be fixed, and they were going to have to install a new one. Good thing that AA apparently has a maintenance base at LGA. Eventually the gauge was installed, and we were underway at 10:16. The pilot announced that there would be a delay in taking off b/c LGA was using one runway for takeoffs and landings (I think there was some problem with the other runway). I don't know the runway layout at LGA, but the one runway that was in use was the one where landing planes would pass right by Shea Stadium on final. (I was familar with this approach from the many flights I took on Ozark from CMI (via IAD) in the 70s). So we joined the conga line of RJs (and the occasionally US Airway Express prop), as well as Delta Shuttle MD-88s, until we finally took off at 10:42. We were supposed to cruise at FL 320, but we ran into some clear-air turbulence, and the capt. got clearance to 340. Our flight plan took us over the DelMarVa peninsula, past Norfolk, Wilmington, NC, then over the Atlantic around Cape Hatteras. We turned into the coast around the Broward-Palm Beach county line, then made the u-turn a few miles over the Everglades and into FLL. Wheels down at 13:07, and arrived at Gate F5 4 minutes later, where we started 4 days earlier (I wonder if F5 is reserved for flights 695/626. Prob. a coincidence) Not bad, for what could be my last flights on AA, at least for awhile. I think 2 of the F/As which worked 626 on the 22nd were on this flight as well. Perhaps they bid that trip exclusively.
Now the explanation of the title. I realized that every one of my flights in/out of LGA (starting with my 2nd ever flight, Eastern 727-25 "Whisperjet" from CLT) has been on a t-tail aircraft. After the Eastern, there were 10 Ozark DC-9-31 flights to/from CMI via IAD, an AA 727 from ORD (alternate flight due to an OZ flight in June 1973), a DL 727 to CLT in 1976, and my last LGA flight before this trip, a UA 722 from ORD. Kinad weird that I have only flown t-tails into LGA.
BTW, if anyone can find the reg # of the MD-82 that worked AA 695/626 on 5/22/07, I'd appreciate it. I suspect the BTS website doesn't have this info yet, though I'll check over there after his post. Hope you enjoyed this trip report.
Stop Searching. Start Traveling. southwest.com 
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