Since we're allowed to log old trip reports here, too, I figured I would write down my recollections of the flights I took over (U.S.) Thanksgiving weekend, 1994.

I flew on Southwest Airlines. It was my first flight with them and only my second flight without any family. I was pretty nervous as this was during the time I was still afraid of flying.

As soon as I got on the plane the flight crew put me at ease. I was seated in the second row of the plane because I had gotten a late boarding card and people had naturally moved towards the back of the plane. Back then there were still the first/second row "lounge" seats with the first row facing the rear of the plane. I had good people sitting with me and we chatted throughout the flight. One of the flight attendants also stayed at the front of the plane and we talked, too.

Either the pilot or first officer on this flight was hilarious! He blew a train whistle over the P.A. and made announcements during the flight as if we were on a train instead of an airplane (Now departing Albuquerque Station on the Southwest Limited... All aboard!) Our flight was in total darkness but it was one of the smoothest rides I ever had. The landing at LAS McCarran Int'l was particularly fun because during the approach we had a crystal clear view of the airport and the Las Vegas Strip (which is very close to the airport).

The return flight to ABQ was late in the afternoon. By November even ABQ starts getting dark at about 6:30 PM local time, so my 7:00 PM (late) arrival was in twilight.

This time my flight was delayed. The plane was enroute from Burbank, California, and we ended up leaving about two hours late. Consequently I got another "lounge" seat (many people had rebooked), this time in the rear-facing first row. Takeoff was a bit rough on the seatbelt area!

Departure out of LAS was smooth and we cruised over Lake Mead. I couldn't resist taking some pictures of the deep blue water and white ring surrounding the reservoir. Since the sun was setting, the northern Arizona mountains were breathtaking with western shadows providing sharp relief. The man sitting beside me did not believe that I would get any good pictures (I was using a disposable camera), but when I got them developed I had some beauties!

Once again the pilot was in a good mood and told us "When you're seated, you might want to keep your seatbelt on, just in case I decide to fly the plane upside down."

Our initial descent into Albuquerque was so smooth that I didn't believe the pilot when he gave us the required "fasten seatbelts" warning. We caught good thermals approaching from the west and we basically coasted straight in without any turns or course corrections that I was aware of (and back then, I felt everything!)

Our final approach and landing was incredibly smooth. For those of you who don't know, western Albuquerque is on a relatively flat mesa and eastern Albuquerque is on the western slope of the Sandia Mountains; the two halves are separated by the Rio Grande river. When I was out there, the southwestern quadrant of the city was still relatively open and undeveloped. When we came in for our landing there were a few lights, then the river, and suddenly the ground just came up underneath the plane! That was what it looked like, so I could hardly believe it when I felt the plane braking.

Sitting in a rear-facing seat has its biggest advantages on landing. While everyone else is being held back by their seatbelts, if you're sitting like I was, you can simply relax and sink into your padded seatback.

Those two flights were my first encounter with Southwest Airlines, and they definitely "sold" me. I fly Southwest now whenever I can.

redngold