Not to long ago, a few months back I took a flight from Kansas City (MCI) to Dallas (DFW), then from Dallas (DFW) to Denver (DEN).

I arrived at the airport several hours early just because I wanted to check things out and do some spotting before the flight.  I always go to see if I can spot the elusive Shamu.  I have over the years seen every Southwest Airlines special scheme (With the exception of their two newest ones Florida and Illinois) except Shamu.  There are three Shamu's and for the life of me I can not ever see them.  Never!  I've seen California One 5 times now, New Mexico One 3 times now, Lone Star One 3 times now, but never have I seen Shamu.  So I always head in a little early hoping that when I get to the Southwest gates I'll see Shamu.

So to continue I arrived early.  I was suppose to be flying to Chicago (ORD) to connect there, but when I checked in I was told the weather was bad in Chicago so they were changing my flight to Dallas (DFW).  So as a result I didn't have as much time to spot, but I did manage to get a few shots off before I boarded my flight.

Here are some of those shots.  Not the best photos, but since my flight was changed I didn't have much time.

I then went to my gate and boarded.  Unfortunately since my flight was changed last minute I got seat 32F on one of American Airlines oldest MD-80s...  Needless to say it was a very loud flight...  And as a result of being in 32F my view out the window was obstructed by the engine...

The plane was N255AA which has now been sent to die in the desert.  Only a few weeks after I flew here she flew her last flight.  I guess it's nice to know I was one of the last people to fly on her.  I didn't get a picture of her at the gate at MCI.  Here are some pics I took on the flight.  Not that I could take many since I was in 32F.

All of the pics I took at DFW that day were rushed.  The counter agent at MCI told me nothing about my connecting flight.  All he told me was "I'm switching your flight.  You'll be connecting through Dallas now instead of Chicago, and you will have a seat when you get to Dallas."  So when I landed I had no idea what gate to go to or what time it left.  So I asked a agent when I got to Dallas, and my next flight was leaving DFW in like 30 minutes.  From a different terminal.  So I had to grab the train, and go!

Something I do for every commercial flight i take is when I get back I do research on the plane/planes I flew.  So I know what I've flown, and not only know what I've flown, but know the history behind it.  So here is a little history on N255AA.

I feel each aircraft has it's own history, and now that this aircraft will probably never fly any passengers ever again its legacy will live on in the memories, and photos it gave thousands of people throughout it's lifetime.  N255AA was a workhorse from the beginning till the very end.

Once at Dallas, like I mentioned above I didn't have much time to get to my gate, and since my flights were all switched up I didn't get a window seat this time around.  I was suppose to fly a 737-800 from Chicago to Denver, but since I got switched I got another Mad Dog again.  This time it was a much newer MD-83 - N983TW.

These are the only two pictures I got on this leg of the trip.  I barely got the tail number since the whole aircraft was hidden at Denver, and it was almost all hidden as Dallas.  The first is the tail number.  The second one I took before the two other passengers sat down next to me since I was on the aisle.

Now a little history lesson on N983TW.

N983TW is still a workhorse.  And I assume it will be for sometime to come.  I bet 12 years from now it'll still be creating memories.

I should note that all the pictures posted in the aircraft histories are of the actual aircraft.  Not just another shot of the same type of aircraft.  So the Trans World Airlines MD-82 above is a actual photo of N983TW.

Thanks for reading!