TOUR AMERICA 2000 Part One-Inflight It's 4:30am on a friday and I'm woken by an early morning call from telstra that I've booked as a back up just in case my alarm doesn't go off. Thirty minutes later and its off to Adelaide airport and the start of a journey that will take me across the pacific, the united states and into New York. Living in Adelaide has its many bonus's but not so when travelling to the states. First up it means a trip to Melbourne with Ansett where I'll board a United Airlines jumbo for the long haul to Los Angeles. Travelling with star does save a a few hassles though, especially with my luggage which is taken care of by the staff at Ansett and will be booked straight through. Its only a short haul of around an hour but its made all the better by their great service and a hearty breakfast. With a bit of time before I depart Melbourne I check out the duty free shops just in case I find a bargain, but it seems just about everyone else has the same thing on their minds, so after a half hearted look around I head off through security and immigration for flight 848 departure lounge.
There's plenty of room on the flight and as luck would have it I get a whole row of seats and a window all to myself which will come in handy when I need to take a nap. Right on time at 09:40am we taxi out on to the runway at Tullamarine Airport. Cabin staff on United are just as friendly as their australian counterparts and as we prepare for takeoff they go through a well drilled routine of ensuring everything is in order. I just love the thrill of takeoff, its something I just can't get enough of and when we finally swing round on to the main runway and they give those big engines the full throttle I'm in heaven. The roar of the four engines shatters the quiet morning air and the big bird wallows down the runway, at first seemingly getting nowhere but in a short space, accompanied by shaking and the usual tarmac thump flt848 gathers speed. It still fascinates me that something so huge can get up in the air, but get up

it does and with all engines at full power the jumbo starts to give out its distinctive whine. It's a smooth takeoff and ascent to around 34000 feet and the view is just great. Our flight path will take us up the east coast, over the Snowy Mountains to the southern outskirts of Sydney where we hang a right turn for Los Angeles. Did I mention its also non-stop, so if you change your mind about being on board for around 17 hours, well its too late now. Heading east means that it will be daylight for the major part of the journey so unless your really tired and can grab some shut-eye your in for a long haul. There are some magic moments during the flight though as we fly past

huge thunder heads that tower above the Pacific Ocean and the views of coral surrounded islands are outstanding to say the least. I spend my time in the daylight hours watching inflight movies, news, taking photographs and enjoying the meals that are served. We pass the International dateline and we're back in friday again and all that really means is it's going to be a bloody long day by the time I arrive at JFK Airport in New York. First port of entry into the USA is Los Angeles and an early morning breakfast together with a spectacular sunrise are a bonus as we near our destination. The flight path in to LA gives an extended panorama

of the coastline which looks really good from up high but the view of the city will be just as one would expect, covered in a blanket of smog and low clouds. I guess that there will be those who have seen the city of angels at its best, but today is not one of those days. After spending so much time in the air its good to be on the ground and the first stop is US Customs. The staff are friendly and efficient, after all you'd expect that as a visitor. I have just enough time to get around to the United domestic departure lounge before my next leg starts to New York. The flight will be a little

longer than planned, as we find out once we are in the air. With thunderstorm and tornado warnings accross the whole midwest, we are joining a long line of aircraft, all rerouted via the deep south and then up the east coast. It turns out to be really enjoyable with the scenery changing from coastal to desert, then spectacular mountains and views of passenger jets, all at different altitudes, cruising below our 767 Boeing. Because of the delays, the captain has decided they won't be charging us for the in-flight movie today, which seems to make everyone very happy. Along the way we have a few minor moments with the turbulence and soon we're winging it in over the east coast and on final approach in to New York. The view of the city and Manhattan Island is just like a post card and the landing flight path takes in some beautiful scenery. Touchdown is a non event to everyone, everyone except for the american passengers that is. They seem so grateful that their in one piece and the plane hasn't slid off the runway that they break into spontaneous applause as the plane touches down. As we pull off the runway I glimpse a line of around 8-9 aircraft all coming in one after another.

The second in line is the supersonic Concord, having just completed another trans Atlantic crossing. Its still a marvellous looking aircraft as it taxis past. A little further on the french concorde is being loaded up ready for its return trip. There is little delay with the docking proceedures, unlike LA where we were sitting onthe apron for 35 minutes, and before long I'm retrieving my luggage and heading for what I hope will be an exciting time in the heart of New York. If you don't want to spend big bucks getting from the airports to hotels then the best way to travel is by Airport Shuttle. These sleek van

transporters are efficient and less than half the price of a cab. You also get a chance to see, depending on where your staying, a lot of the inner city sights as they drop off at the various hotels. I'm heading for the Holiday Inn at West 54th Street and after a long day that saw me leave Adelaide at 06:30am and arrive in the States on the same day at 17:45pm I am really looking forward to getting a good nights rest. But not before I enjoy dinner.
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