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Another business trip... this time a 3-week stay in Tampa, Florida. took a zillion pictures enroute, of course...

Before the pix, a fun story:
I had a window seat, but way in the back (757-400,) and once I'd stowed my gear and got shoehorned into my seat, I realized there was a crying baby in front of me and a little kid who was yakking away behind me and of course kicking my seat. Terrific...  ::)

Then an announcement was made for Yours Truly to head to the front of the aircraft... uh-oh. Had to be a problem... all the way forward I tried to imagine what it might be... had my Pelican case, stuffed with strange motley tools and cables, as well as a USB joystick (more on that later ) raised some TSA eyebrows? Had Peg escaped the kennel and tracked me to the airport, where she was now hobbling around the ramp, anxiously looking for me? Had I been chosen at random for a cavity search?

Nope... I'd been bumped up to First Class!! Yippeee!

Normally, I prefer to sit behind the wing
(in the event of even a minor crash, the front of the plane generally arrives first), but decided to make an exception this time.

Legroom... sweet legroom! Reclining seat, real plates, cutlery, and even a real glass, actually made of glass... wow. Heady stuff.


OK, so here are the usual boring pictures... some are very pretty, some are interesting. I'll let y'all judge for yourselves.


Our mount... note the odd rainbow-effectt on the windscreens; they really out to work on these texture files. Maybe Alrot can fix that... he's been working a lot on rendering glass...

     


The sky was getting interesting as we pushed back... that's the Newark skyline in the background. The smokestack visible behind the nose section of the Continental plane in the foreground is my building, I think.




Probably warmer in alaska today than it is here... been freezing for weeks. Can't wait to wing south...

     


wind was waffling a bit as we rolled onto 04L.





Like my new add-on City of Newark textures? Looks great but "compression killed this shot".

You can see my house in this one, too... it's right over... oh nevermind.


     


Just after we broke through on top, still climbing, I figured I'd look over the side to try to spot some airports.
Bing! My home field: 47N. LOL!!





And away we go...
Seat Reclined? Check.
Footrest? Up.
Pillow? Deployed.
Beer? In hand.
Climb checklist complete; poached salmon coming up in... ten minutes.




Next: part 2

I'd been bumped up to First Class!! Yippeee!

It also happened to me once but I hated it because no nice wingviews

...You're very lucky that you fly heavy irons very frequently

Lucky man,  the only airline flight Ive been on (that I can remember) was a Southwest 737,  no First class there  :-/   But I got a good view on the wing  ;D

I'd been bumped up to First Class!! Yippeee!

It also happened to me once but I hated it because no nice wingviews

...You're very lucky that you fly heavy irons very frequently

I had to do some interesting contortions from the third row to get shots of the wing... I like to look at the wings in flight, too.
But looking at things on the ground is a fun pastime... or even just observing the sky and clouds. Very interesting perspective from that altitude.
As long as I have a window to look out of, I'm OK... especially if we hit a few bumps so I know for sure we're flying.

I'd much rather be able to fly myself on these trips, but now that I'm getting used to the whole process, sort of streamlining my methods, it's become more bearable to fly with the airlines.
It'd be better if I flew 1st class every time... even though the great propliners were slower and more at the mercy of weather, it must have been wonderful to travel by air before they figured out they could make more money dividing aircraft up like ocean liners... everybody paid the same for their tickets and got the same amenities. First class on a Continental 757 has about the same leg and elbow room as a typical DC-3 back in the day... very civilized even though it's not a "proper" airliner.

Funny, thing, though: each seat has a clever little touchscreen LCD that unfolds from the armrest, but there was a problem with the software that controls the various multimedia functions, so none of us big shots could watch movies or listen to music.  ::)
Fortunately for me, I'd rather look out the window and listen to the slipstream and the engines...  ;D

I like reading about your escapades. Much more interesting than Grumpy's Tours. Keep 'em coming.

Nope... I'd been bumped up to First Class!! Yippeee!

So, how did you wangle that then?

Lucky you!!  Going to warmer weather and being bumped to first class!!

 That happen to my Wife and I flying from Chicago to Philly.  Our flight from Honolulu was late and we missed our connection in Chicago.  We sat for four hours in the airport until they got us on another flight.  When they handed our boarding passes they were first class seats.  That was the first and so far last time I flew in first class!!  That was in 1986 coming home from my Honeymoon!!

 Great shots!!

 Have a great time and post more shots!!  

  ( Some beach shots!!  nudge, nudge, wink, wink!!  ;) )

  ( Some beach shots!!  nudge, nudge, wink, wink!!  ;) )

Careful. You need to be more specific. Otherwise we're going to have a thread full of Sean in a man-thong.

  ( Some beach shots!!  nudge, nudge, wink, wink!!  ;) )

Careful. You need to be more specific. Otherwise we're going to have a thread full of Sean in a man-thong.

Oh, man... you spoiled the surprise... I was planning my own little tribute to "Party Boy" from Jackass...

Reminds me- I forgot to get one of those "pervert lenses"... but what the heck, it's Spring Break down here- in a couple of days the girls will be ready to bare all for the camera for a sip of beer.

I like reading about your escapades. Much more interesting than Grumpy's Tours. Keep 'em coming.

Nope... I'd been bumped up to First Class!! Yippeee!

So, how did you wangle that then?

I have no idea... it was a heavily- booked flight; maybe they had a spare in 1st class and needed another free seat in steerage, and I got priority because of so many recent flights?

Or... maybe I have a mysterious benefactor.
Call me Pip...

Otherwise we're going to have a thread full of Sean in a man-thong.

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!



Nice pics.

Nice crepuscular rays in the Newark overview! ( I'm getting into atmospheric optics at the moment)

Nice move forward for you! It also provides you with an excellent view on engine and wing... Very nice!

Nice shots Sean, but the topic has swayed to a very unstable area........

Careful. You need to be more specific. Otherwise we're going to have a thread full of Sean in a man-thong.

I think there is a HUGE marmalade assault waiting for anyone who dares to even mention intentions of wearing a " Banana Hammock " around here..........

Sean, maybe you can answer a question I have wonder for a long time, since I have never been in first class. I heard a rumor that the female flight attendants are better looking in first class, is that true or were you looking out the window?

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