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Date: Aug 14th
Flight: United Express 7744
Scheduled dep time: 12:53p.m.
Actual dep time: 12:55p.m.
Scheduled arr time: 3:05p.m.
Actual arr time: 3:05p.m.
Aircraft: CRJ 200
Seat: 2D
Dep weather: Towering cumulus, humid and warm. Temp: 89F, winds S at 15mph. Visiblity: 8 miles
Arr weather: Hazy, warm and humid. Towering cumulus in the area. Temp: 82F, winds ENE at 10mph. Visiblity: 4 miles
I was really excited as I woke up from bed. I was gonna fly again! And this time, to Chicago!
My first time to Chicago, and it would be really neat. Also, I was gonna be able to explore the new, 11-gate west concourse! That concourse now houses United/Express, CO/COEX, Great Plains, Frontier Jet Express and NW Airlink. My parents had some to-do stuff up in Oklahoma City, so they were gonna drop me off at the airport. We started out for Will Rogers Airport at around 10:15a.m. and after a quick, 30-minute drive, we arrived. Construction was in full swing on the landside expansion. I got dropped off on the departures side of the new steel and concrete transportation plaza. It is the temporary pick-up and drop-off zone until the new arrival and departure level roads are finished. I took one of the construction walkways to the terminal, then one of the up-escalators and went to a rather empty UAL/UAX ticket counter area. There were a few pax checking in for the early afternoon UAL 735 departure to DEN, and a few checking in for my flight. I soon checked in, got my boarding pass and was on my way to the west concourse. Security was pretty quick again, as no one checked my shoes or stopped me to check my carry-on. I put my carry-on and my camera through the screening machine and I was soon walking in the new concourse. Man, this thing is one HECK of an improvement over the old Concourse B. Lots and lots of glass all around. There's plenty of light and the concourse is pretty high and wide. It's gr8 for spotting. And it is capable of handling 75s and 76s and even 74s, though OKC won't be getting such aircraft (not even 75s) anytime soon. 
I then went ahead to do some photography. A Continental Express ERJ 145XR was at gate 10 being boarded for a flight to EWR. There were two AA M80s at gates 4 and 6, the one at gate 6 was getting serviced for a DFW departure, and the one at gate 4 was getting boarded for an STL departure. A UAX CRJ 200 got pushed back from gate 3 for a flight to DEN. It headed out to RWY 17R, followed by the COEX ERJ to EWR. The AA flt to STL was almost ready for boarding, but a few late pax ran upto the gate poduim. The agent quickly scanned their boarding passes, then they ran through the jetway to the plane. Just as she was abt to close the door, a few more pax came. They were followed by another pax, who said she didn't even hear the boarding announcement. 
(Yeah, right) And then a few more pax. By the time everyone (supposedly everyone 
) was on board, the flight was delayed by 10 minutes. However, the pilot made a quick taxi to RWY 17R, and got immediate t/o clearance. The M83 lifted off pretty quickly, and made a silky smooth t/o. It was gr8 to watch. 
That was followed by the DFW flight. Then I saw some WN 733s come in on 17L, but my view of Concourse C was obscured by Con B, which may have been demolished by now. (It was scheduled to be brought down last month, but I dunno. Haven't been up there) Anyway, I saw a Chautauqua ERJ 145 head out for another DFW departure (OKC has 23 departures every weekday to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. (DFW/DAL combined) Can you say "Number one destination"? Yah, it's insane. 
) I went to get some snacks at the concession stands located in between gates 5 and 7, and got a pack of cookies and some water. I went back to the west end of the concourse. Then the NW Jetlink Avro 85 from DTW came in on RWY 17L. It taxied across the field on one of the cross-field taxiways and pulled up at gate 8. Just gotta love the sound of those engines! 
The flight was pretty full, and so was the one headed back for DTW. By the time the ARJ was ready for pushback, it was about ready for my CRJ 200 to come in from ORD. I saw it come in on 17R. Another thing, this plane was w/o the UAL titles, both on the fuselage and the tail. Couldn't get the registration b/c of the way the gate was docked w/ the plane. The plane was only half-full coming in from ORD, but going back, it was pretty full, w/ only three empty seats. With about 30 more minutes till boarding, I decided to check out the NW Jetlink ARJ t/o on 17R. It was pretty cool. I really wanna fly that thing once. Soon came the time to board, and the gate agent called pax to board by the zones marked on their boarding passes. I was in zone 4, so I was one of the last to board. I sat down in 2A, and immediately glued my face to the window. 
Snapped a pic of a Great Plains 328JET that came in from TUL, on it way to ABQ. Counted 32 pax that got off the plane onto the apron, so the flight was definitely packed. The F/A then welcomed us aboard and went through the usual spiel of the safety demo. The jetway was retracted and she put the cabin door back up. We got pushed back and after a quick engine start-up, we were on our way for a 17R departure. The captain informed us that cruising altitude for the flight would be 35,000 feet. After turning onto the rwy, we got immediate t/o clearance, and after a hum, the engines spooled up quickly and we took off in 30 seconds. After going SSW for a while, the pilot made a 260 degree left turn, then a another one to 220 degrees. We flew just to the south of downtown, then over NE Oklahoma City. We paralleled I-44 for a while, headed up over the Tulsa area. The F/A came by w/ a full beverage service. I had the pretzels w/ some Sprite. I decided to check out the in-flight magazine, but to my surprise, there was none. Only a duty-free magazine, which was in a condition as though it had been in some major turbulence! As we approached ORD, the cumulus was a bit taller. It was getting pretty hazy as well. Then, we entered a slooooow, gradual right turn. And we kept on turning, and turning, and turning, and turning... By the time the captain came on the PAS, I had already figured out what was going on. We were in a holding pattern for ORD, as were about 6 other aircraft as I looked out the window. The visiblity at ORD wasn't too good, and it had rained there. I overheard another passenger asking the F/A if we were gonna be delayed too long, since he was taking the connecting flight to LHR. However, after abt 30 minutes of circling around, the pilot started the initial to ORD. It was only 2:35p.m, so we were still gonna be on-time. It didn't matter to me, but I'm sure the guy and some other pax were relieved! We pierced the cumulus over the western suburbs of Chicago, but the bad visibility made it difficult to see. I love flying through cumulus, so I was actually enjoying the ride. The CRJ was pretty smooth up front. However, it was a bit more rough for those sitting in the back I'm sure! About 4 miles out, the pilot deployed the spoilers, and THUD, the gear was deployed. I just love the way the CRJ's gear comes out and the sound of rushing air... We passed over the I-80 tollway. Full flaps and we were nose-down, on final approach. Passed over the highway, then the railyard. Then, RWY 9R appeared, and the plane landed with another thud. Yep, it had indeed rained a little at ORD before we came in, as was apparent from the damp ground. Boy, am I glad I saved enough roll of film. Snapped a pic of a USA 3000 Airbus 320 on the charter ramp. We taxied right by T5! Snapped pics of all the int'l stuff: UAL 744, Privatair 319CJ (arr from MUC), LH 343, SAS 332, Swiss 332, AA 772ER, BMI 332. Woohoo! Caught the tails of a KLM 744 and an Iberia 342. Also caught a DL 738 in cs #2 at Concourse L. We continued taxiing to gate F1. ORD was very busy, as usual. Plenty of UAL and AA stuff around. Almost every gate on the Eagle concourse was occupied. We taxied on the taxiway between the F and G concourses, and had to wait for some equipment to be cleared. Once that was done, the pilot spooled the engines and we turned left towards the gate. Then he made some really weird S-turns right on the ramp area. He spooled the engines up and down as he navigated through I don't know what, but I guess it's what u have to do for that gate. Anyway, we went down the steps and out onto the ramp and into the terminal. I met my sister who had flown in from AUS, at gate F3, and we went on to baggage claim. What do u know, even her plane was in holding pattern for abt 30 minutes. We met our uncle. On the way home through Chicago traffic, we heard abt the blackout in the NE. Yah, we were pretty surprised. and then we started wondering how my other uncle was gonna come. He was due to fly in the next day from LGA! However, he somehow made it to the airport and his flight came in at MDW on time.
Anyway, a gr8 flight overall.
Any comments/questions/suggestions are welcome. Hope you enjoyed reading this review!
Flight: United Express 7744
Scheduled dep time: 12:53p.m.
Actual dep time: 12:55p.m.
Scheduled arr time: 3:05p.m.
Actual arr time: 3:05p.m.
Aircraft: CRJ 200
Seat: 2D
Dep weather: Towering cumulus, humid and warm. Temp: 89F, winds S at 15mph. Visiblity: 8 miles
Arr weather: Hazy, warm and humid. Towering cumulus in the area. Temp: 82F, winds ENE at 10mph. Visiblity: 4 miles
I was really excited as I woke up from bed. I was gonna fly again! And this time, to Chicago!
My first time to Chicago, and it would be really neat. Also, I was gonna be able to explore the new, 11-gate west concourse! That concourse now houses United/Express, CO/COEX, Great Plains, Frontier Jet Express and NW Airlink. My parents had some to-do stuff up in Oklahoma City, so they were gonna drop me off at the airport. We started out for Will Rogers Airport at around 10:15a.m. and after a quick, 30-minute drive, we arrived. Construction was in full swing on the landside expansion. I got dropped off on the departures side of the new steel and concrete transportation plaza. It is the temporary pick-up and drop-off zone until the new arrival and departure level roads are finished. I took one of the construction walkways to the terminal, then one of the up-escalators and went to a rather empty UAL/UAX ticket counter area. There were a few pax checking in for the early afternoon UAL 735 departure to DEN, and a few checking in for my flight. I soon checked in, got my boarding pass and was on my way to the west concourse. Security was pretty quick again, as no one checked my shoes or stopped me to check my carry-on. I put my carry-on and my camera through the screening machine and I was soon walking in the new concourse. Man, this thing is one HECK of an improvement over the old Concourse B. Lots and lots of glass all around. There's plenty of light and the concourse is pretty high and wide. It's gr8 for spotting. And it is capable of handling 75s and 76s and even 74s, though OKC won't be getting such aircraft (not even 75s) anytime soon. I then went ahead to do some photography. A Continental Express ERJ 145XR was at gate 10 being boarded for a flight to EWR. There were two AA M80s at gates 4 and 6, the one at gate 6 was getting serviced for a DFW departure, and the one at gate 4 was getting boarded for an STL departure. A UAX CRJ 200 got pushed back from gate 3 for a flight to DEN. It headed out to RWY 17R, followed by the COEX ERJ to EWR. The AA flt to STL was almost ready for boarding, but a few late pax ran upto the gate poduim. The agent quickly scanned their boarding passes, then they ran through the jetway to the plane. Just as she was abt to close the door, a few more pax came. They were followed by another pax, who said she didn't even hear the boarding announcement. (Yeah, right) And then a few more pax. By the time everyone (supposedly everyone ) was on board, the flight was delayed by 10 minutes. However, the pilot made a quick taxi to RWY 17R, and got immediate t/o clearance. The M83 lifted off pretty quickly, and made a silky smooth t/o. It was gr8 to watch. That was followed by the DFW flight. Then I saw some WN 733s come in on 17L, but my view of Concourse C was obscured by Con B, which may have been demolished by now. (It was scheduled to be brought down last month, but I dunno. Haven't been up there) Anyway, I saw a Chautauqua ERJ 145 head out for another DFW departure (OKC has 23 departures every weekday to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. (DFW/DAL combined) Can you say "Number one destination"? Yah, it's insane. ) I went to get some snacks at the concession stands located in between gates 5 and 7, and got a pack of cookies and some water. I went back to the west end of the concourse. Then the NW Jetlink Avro 85 from DTW came in on RWY 17L. It taxied across the field on one of the cross-field taxiways and pulled up at gate 8. Just gotta love the sound of those engines! The flight was pretty full, and so was the one headed back for DTW. By the time the ARJ was ready for pushback, it was about ready for my CRJ 200 to come in from ORD. I saw it come in on 17R. Another thing, this plane was w/o the UAL titles, both on the fuselage and the tail. Couldn't get the registration b/c of the way the gate was docked w/ the plane. The plane was only half-full coming in from ORD, but going back, it was pretty full, w/ only three empty seats. With about 30 more minutes till boarding, I decided to check out the NW Jetlink ARJ t/o on 17R. It was pretty cool. I really wanna fly that thing once. Soon came the time to board, and the gate agent called pax to board by the zones marked on their boarding passes. I was in zone 4, so I was one of the last to board. I sat down in 2A, and immediately glued my face to the window. Snapped a pic of a Great Plains 328JET that came in from TUL, on it way to ABQ. Counted 32 pax that got off the plane onto the apron, so the flight was definitely packed. The F/A then welcomed us aboard and went through the usual spiel of the safety demo. The jetway was retracted and she put the cabin door back up. We got pushed back and after a quick engine start-up, we were on our way for a 17R departure. The captain informed us that cruising altitude for the flight would be 35,000 feet. After turning onto the rwy, we got immediate t/o clearance, and after a hum, the engines spooled up quickly and we took off in 30 seconds. After going SSW for a while, the pilot made a 260 degree left turn, then a another one to 220 degrees. We flew just to the south of downtown, then over NE Oklahoma City. We paralleled I-44 for a while, headed up over the Tulsa area. The F/A came by w/ a full beverage service. I had the pretzels w/ some Sprite. I decided to check out the in-flight magazine, but to my surprise, there was none. Only a duty-free magazine, which was in a condition as though it had been in some major turbulence! As we approached ORD, the cumulus was a bit taller. It was getting pretty hazy as well. Then, we entered a slooooow, gradual right turn. And we kept on turning, and turning, and turning, and turning... By the time the captain came on the PAS, I had already figured out what was going on. We were in a holding pattern for ORD, as were about 6 other aircraft as I looked out the window. The visiblity at ORD wasn't too good, and it had rained there. I overheard another passenger asking the F/A if we were gonna be delayed too long, since he was taking the connecting flight to LHR. However, after abt 30 minutes of circling around, the pilot started the initial to ORD. It was only 2:35p.m, so we were still gonna be on-time. It didn't matter to me, but I'm sure the guy and some other pax were relieved! We pierced the cumulus over the western suburbs of Chicago, but the bad visibility made it difficult to see. I love flying through cumulus, so I was actually enjoying the ride. The CRJ was pretty smooth up front. However, it was a bit more rough for those sitting in the back I'm sure! About 4 miles out, the pilot deployed the spoilers, and THUD, the gear was deployed. I just love the way the CRJ's gear comes out and the sound of rushing air... We passed over the I-80 tollway. Full flaps and we were nose-down, on final approach. Passed over the highway, then the railyard. Then, RWY 9R appeared, and the plane landed with another thud. Yep, it had indeed rained a little at ORD before we came in, as was apparent from the damp ground. Boy, am I glad I saved enough roll of film. Snapped a pic of a USA 3000 Airbus 320 on the charter ramp. We taxied right by T5! Snapped pics of all the int'l stuff: UAL 744, Privatair 319CJ (arr from MUC), LH 343, SAS 332, Swiss 332, AA 772ER, BMI 332. Woohoo! Caught the tails of a KLM 744 and an Iberia 342. Also caught a DL 738 in cs #2 at Concourse L. We continued taxiing to gate F1. ORD was very busy, as usual. Plenty of UAL and AA stuff around. Almost every gate on the Eagle concourse was occupied. We taxied on the taxiway between the F and G concourses, and had to wait for some equipment to be cleared. Once that was done, the pilot spooled the engines and we turned left towards the gate. Then he made some really weird S-turns right on the ramp area. He spooled the engines up and down as he navigated through I don't know what, but I guess it's what u have to do for that gate. Anyway, we went down the steps and out onto the ramp and into the terminal. I met my sister who had flown in from AUS, at gate F3, and we went on to baggage claim. What do u know, even her plane was in holding pattern for abt 30 minutes. We met our uncle. On the way home through Chicago traffic, we heard abt the blackout in the NE. Yah, we were pretty surprised. and then we started wondering how my other uncle was gonna come. He was due to fly in the next day from LGA! However, he somehow made it to the airport and his flight came in at MDW on time. Anyway, a gr8 flight overall.
Any comments/questions/suggestions are welcome. Hope you enjoyed reading this review!
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