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448 reviews
Hello Aviation lovers and travelers and welcome to another flight review!
On October 16, 2021, I flew United Airlines from Kansas City, Missouri to Frankfurt, Germany, via Denver, Colorado. Of course, as a student pilot and aviation lover myself, I took lots of pictures and couldn't wait to share them with you all! Enjoy reading and please feel free to take a look at my other flight reviews as well. Thank you and have a great day! :)
The aircraft for my flight to Denver was a Boeing 737-800. With two General Electric High Bypass Ratio turbofan engines, it can fly with a speed of 530 miles per hour and is commonly used on short- to medium-range flights. According to Boeing, it is the world's most popular jet and primarily competes with the Airbus A320.
This trip was my first flight since the outbreak of the Coronavirus and I was really anxious to experience what everything was going to be like. But, as I quickly realized, almost everything turned out to be ''business as usual'' and aside from wearing a mask, socially distance in the airport, washing hands frequently, etc., I did not feel that a lot had changed. Everyone was dealing with the situation very well, and at the check-in, the only thing different was that I also had to show my proof of vaccination card and fill out a form online and answer some basic questions. Other than that, everything went well and I made my way through security and finally to the gate. :)
My seat number was 27A, which is by the left wing. I love sitting behind the wing and watch all of the aerodynamics in action, such as the flaps, ailerons, and the spoilers. :) The flight time was estimated to take one hour and a half, which was a little less than expected earlier. The Captain said that the weather in Denver was very nice, and I was already looking forward to seeing parts of the Rocky Mountains on our descent. :)
Boarding was completed very quick and we pushed back from Gate 68 on time. The guy that you see next to the wing is part of the team to make sure that the plane, and the wings especially, don't hit anything. The driver of the towing vehicle has a very limited view of what's going on around and behind the airplane, and so on each side, there is at least one person to watch out and ensure that the aircraft doesn't collide with or come too close to any obstacles.
Extending the flaps for takeoff. Next to the Delta Air Lines terminal, you can see a crane, where they are currently building a new terminal. Kansas City Airport at the moment has two separate terminal buildings. One is Terminal B, used by Delta, Southwest and Allegiant. The other one is Terminal C, which we are departing from, used by United, American, Frontier and Spirit Airlines. Soon there will be one big terminal for all the airlines.
Taxiing out to Runway 01Right, with Spirit and American Airlines in the background.
Crossing Runway 09/27.
Lining up on Runway 01Right…
We didn't even have to stop on the Runway; we were immediately cleared for takeoff and started accelerating. That is always my favorite part of the flight! :)
Bye bye, Kansas City! :)
Rolling to the West towards Denver.
Slowly coming out of the turn on our western heading, with Kansas City International Airport on the left.
View of Platte City and Interstate 29/71
Approaching the Missouri River and making our way towards northern Kansas…
Down there you can see Perry Lake, pretty much between Lawrence and Topeka, where I live. It is kind of funny that I first drove East to MCI Airport and then flew west again over where I came from. :) I have also flown above Perry Lake in the Cessna 172, which is the aircraft that I take flying lessons in. It was a great experience! :)
Flying over Topeka in the Cessna 172, back in July 2020.
Flying over Topeka, shortly after leveling off at 30,000 feet. If you look closely, you can see Billard Airfield in the background. They also have a flight school, but I am attending a different one in the Kansas City area.
The flight was very smooth, uneventful, and not many clouds were in the sky. It was truly a great day for flying. :)
Waconda Lake, by Cawker City, Kansas. This is the part of the state where there is not much to see, until you eventually get to the Rocky Mountains.
In the middle of the flight, the flight attendants served some beverages and a light snack. I chose a cup of coffee and (not pictured) some Lotus Biscoff cookies. :)
The plain fields of Kansas. :) At this time we are approaching the edge between Kansas and Colorado.
One hour after takeoff, the Captain announced our beginning descend into Denver. As you can see, the weather was excellent, and I could hardly wait to see parts of the Rocky Mountains very soon! :)
Here you can see the spoilers, also called ''speedbrakes'', in action. :) They help accelerating the descend and getting the aircraft down a bit faster. In the top right of the picture, you can see parts of the beautiful Rocky Mountains! :)
Extending the flaps for landing…
Slightly adjusting our heading to line up with the runway, with some suburbs down below.
Over Aurora Reservoir, southeast of Aurora.
On final approach. Down there is Interstate 70 East/West, which you can take to drive from Kansas to Denver. A trip from Topeka to Denver, for example, would take about 8-9 hours by car. I have driven on this Interstate many, many times, especially when commuting between Topeka and Lawrence or Kansas City. :)
Touchdown!! Welcome to Denver, Colorado! :) The landing is always very fun! You touch the ground and then slow down very quickly. This is always so exciting! :)
We landed in Denver a few minutes early, and there was no reason for me to rush to my connecting flight, because my next departure gate was at the same terminal and I only had to walk a few gates down, so it couldn't have been better. :)
Arriving at Gate 32 ahead of schedule. My connecting flight to Frankfurt, Germany was going to depart from Gate 36, so I did not have to walk very far. :)
Last view of my plane. :) My next aircraft was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which I have flown once before, on a flight from Washington Dulles to London Heathrow. It is a great airplane, and I was looking forward to flying with it again soon! :)
To be very honest, I have never been a big fan of United, because I have had some delays in the past, which resulted in me missing my connecting flight(s), but I would also say that it partially depends on what airport you fly through. Overall, I think it is fair to say that they do a decent job as far as friendliness, cabin design, services, and so on. I would definitely fly them again in the future. :)
6 Comments
I think a lot of us feel the same way and are pleasantly surprised to see the positive evolution at United. I used to avoid them like the plague, but today's United isn't the same messy post-merger UA that I used to avoid. They've really improved and it's nice to see all the efforts they've made working to change old perceptions.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the nice report. If I may ask, isn't the routing a bit odd? (Flying West to then fly East again) Anyways, I really enjoyed all your photos and the background info. I'm sure many of us already knew some or even most of it, but it's always good to get different perspectives, especially that of a (student) pilot. I'll sure check out the flight to Frankfurt, too.
thanks for reviewing my flight report! I am glad that you liked my photos. Yes, I agree that the routing doesn't make a lot of sense, but it was the best option for me. United offered me two fairly cheap routes; the other one was Kansas City-Chicago O'Hare-Munich-Berlin. I usually try to avoid ORD whenever possible, so I chose the longer route. But it sure was an interesting experience for a change. :)
Thanks for a very interesting, informative report.
Haha. Don’t tell them that Airbus is king in my country. But my first commercial flight was on a 737-200, so I have nice memories involving Boeing. :D
Yes, we either adapt or die. I wonder if these new measures are here to stay. It’s OK with me anyway. I was worried about germs on planes even after the pandemic!
Thanks for this detailed information about those guys. I used to think they were just somehow guiding the pilot, but I see they are really important. Is there any particular name for them? Or is it just “the guy next to the wing”?
Funny thing. I was sure that Kansas City was in... Kansas! I had to make some research after reading this. You live, you learn. Hah!
I agree! Sometimes you feel like asking “Where’s the fire?” because the captain seems to be eager to take off. XD
Beautiful aerials, They are usually my favorite part of reports.
I learned a lot with your report! Thanks! Stay safe!
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