By now, I have been to a few airline flight attendant training facilities and I am always in awe with what is similar and what is different. What I liked most about TAM’s training facility was they let us get really hands-on with the experience. Not just learn about what their different training devices can do, but we got to experience them first-hand.
The outside of TAM’s training facility, located in Sao Paulo
Although visiting an airline’s training facility can be quite fun for a visitor, there is no question that the facility is designed to train flight attendants on how to save lives.
Everytime I go to one of these facilities, I am reminded how flight attendants have complex jobs. Many see them as glorified waiters and waitresses, but they are anything but.
My only regret for this trip — I didn’t bring my bathing suit for the pool!
Dallas Love Field’s terminal area with restaurant and bar
In 1974, as Dallas/Fort Worth Airport opened to serve as the main regional airport and airlines moved their flights across town to the new facility, apart from one. Southwest AIrlines decided that their home at Love Field was the best way to service their customers, and from that moment on, the history of the airport would be tumultuous.
In 1979, the Wright Amendment, named after Fort Worth Congressman Jim Wright, set about restricting the airport to certain limitations. As the years went on, the amendment has had a number of changes, easing some of the restrictions.
The Wright Amendment originally restricted airlines with aircraft of greater than 56 seats to only fly services within Texas, or to the four neighboring states of New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Southwest expanded their services out to those states, but the amendment was a severe restriction on their ability to really become the airline that they wanted.
As the years went on, further changes were made, adding Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, and eventually Missouri to the state list. The biggest changes came in 2006 though, when the repeal of the Wright Amendment began. Although the original changes in 2006 would allow through-ticketing (previously, if you wanted to fly say Dallas to Denver, you would need to have two separate tickets, one to get you to an intermediary city like Albuquerque or Kansas City, the other onto Denver). Eventually, in 2014, the 2006 amendment/repeal would allow long-haul flights directly out of Dallas Love Field.
This is a classic promotional video for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) done back in 1970. Nothing like having some cheesy 1970s music while being able to look at retro airliners and LAX.
A ribbon cutting at Everett wouldn’t be complete without some dragons, right?
On a sunny Everett friday morning, press, dignitaries, and staff all gathered on the ramp outside the Everett Delivery Center. In front of us was a brand-new Boeing 777-300ER, a giant red ribbon, and two dragons. China Airlines is the newest carrier to receive this twin-jet, and since this was their first of the type, a large ceremony was called for.
The first 777-300ER for China Airlines – Photo Kris Hull | Hull AeroImages
China Airlines has been a Boeing customer for over half of a century. Their first Boeing aircraft was the 727, which entered them into the era of flying internationally within southeast Asia. Then, in 1970, they added the Boeing 707, which allowed them to begin transpacific flights to San Francisco.
Soon enough, they were expanding and other North American destinations were added. The airline grew, taking on 747s and, after the years passed, they had a fleet of 13 747-400s flying around the world.
In fact, they were the final customer of the 747-400 in its passenger form, taking delivery of that aircraft (B-18215) on the 26th of April, 2005. Fast-forward nine years later, and the airline is taking their newest Boeing aircraft, the 777-300ER.
The Southwest Airlines NOC with screens showing airline operations
In May of this year, Southwest Airlines unveiled a new crown jewel at their Dallas Love Field headquarters: their Network Operations Control (NOC). If the employees are the heart of the airline, the brain that keeps the airline moving day in and day out is the NOC.
During Media Day, we were given a tour of the NOC — it almost felt like being in Batman’s lair.
