| Coming home from Mount Vernon, I missed the flight from Virginia, causing me to miss my flight in Dallas, and I had to spend the night outside of the security lines in the freezing cold DFW airport before making it onto a new flight the next morning. Coming home from Ticonderoga, New York, a flight was delayed, as was my flight from Orlando due to a flat tire on the landing gear, in May of this year. This time, the flight from Richmond, Virginia, to Charlotte, North Carolina, was delayed, but that wasn't any real concern as I would still make the connecting flight from Charlotte to Springfield, Missouri. |
It was still cool to see Carowinds Amusement Park from the air (See the slide show above.). Once on the ground in North Carolina, however, the weather took a turn, and delays started getting concerning. The airport was packed with people, the lightning began striking, tarmac crews were called inside for their protection, and everything came to a standstill. I got the picture below which shows the column of rainfall being poured out of the heavens onto the earth somewhere nearby. It looks almost tornadic, doesn't it? Why are we going, Daddy? When will the plane take off? Is my suitcase on the plane, Daddy? I didn't see them put it on the plane. Where is my suitcase? Why are there so many lights? There are too many lights. Are we moving yet, Daddy? When are we going to go? Etc., etc., etc. Relentless. | So all anyone could do was wait. And wait. And wait some more. It was quite dark when an incoming flight was finally able to land and receive the once-over and be refueled before we could board - all while the broad storm kept forcing people indoors again and again. On board, I think we sat at the gate for over an hour allowing the rain to pelt our windows and waiting for the light to literally turn from red to green. By this point, I was going to get to Springfield for a post-midnight ride home, so I tried and failed to get some sleep. This seat was second to the back row, and the back row was filled with a cute, but super-annoying little girl who would...not...stop talking. As quiet as the plane was, with weary travelers, one would think that the parents would at least try to squelch her constant talking, but no-o-o. |