“Delta 8799, Key West tower, runway 27, cleared for takeoff. We’re gonna miss the 737 down here.”
“Cleared for takeoff 27, Delta 8799, so will we.”
“Speedbird 400, runway 27R, cleared for takeoff.”
“27R, cleared for takeoff, Speedbird 400.”
“Speedbird 747, sorry about the nasty weather. Would you rather just depart runway 27R?”
“Let’s do that, Speedbird 747.”
“Speedbird 747, roger. Exit runway 27L where able. Runway 27R, taxi via A A3.”
“Vacating at… N3. A A3, runway 27R, Speedbird 747.”
“Speedbird 400, contact departure. Your colleague’s going to be sitting for a bit. The weather in Kemble is as miserable as the flying public.”
“What a way to say goodbye, Speedbird 400.”
“Fitting,” Speedbird 747 adds.
“Speedbird 747, runway 27R, line up and wait. Sorry the simultaneous departure didn’t work out.”
“Line up and wait 27R, Speedbird 747.”
“Speedbird 747, there’s an open spot of marginal weather now. Best we send you while it lasts. Runway 27R, cleared for takeoff. Make left closed traffic.”
“27R, cleared for takeoff, Speedbird 747. All hail the Queen of the skies.”
“Los Angeles tower, Delta 87-87, visual 24L.”
“LA Tower, Delta 88-07, visual 25R.”
“Delta 87-87, Los Angeles tower, traffic a company Triple Seven inbound on the parallel. Report them in sight.”
“We’ve got ‘em, 87-87.”
“Delta 87-87, roger, maintain visual separation from that traffic, runway 24L, cleared to land.”
“Cleared to land 24L, Delta 87-87.”
“Delta 88-07, Los Angeles tower, traffic a company Triple Seven inbound on the parallel. Report them in sight.”
“We see ‘em, 88-07.”
“Roger, Delta 88-07, maintain visual separation from that traffic, runway 25R, cleared to land.”
“25R, cleared to land, Delta 88-07.”
Any passengers onboard either of those flights will lose sight of the other as they descend below the terminal roof heights. I however, with my trusty eyes in the sky – in partnership with one of my helicopter-rated friends, have special permission to capture the final operations of the Delta 777.
8787 is coming in from Atlanta, operated by an ER, and 8807, technically the final one, left Kennedy before 8787 left Atlanta.
8787 was supposed to fly yesterday, but funnily enough, and rather ironically, a maintenance issue delayed the flight by a day.
In a rather poetic way, by my request, and to my surprise approved, the ER operating 8787 is N864DA. Since her new forever home is a part of my fleet, she in prep for her new life, has been returned to a livery that I think serves as one of the best ways to pay homage to the aircraft that has done so much for Atlanta’s hometown airline, by acknowledging one of Delta’s OG hubs. Her “sister ship”, N6701, is currently in the paint shop awaiting a similar fate. (Don’t worry, she’ll keep her winglets.)
The LR on 8807 is N701DN. Fittingly, Delta’s 1st LR, and appropriately named “The Delta Spirit.” She’s the first of two airplanes dedicated to the airline’s employees, along with N391DN, who is dedicated to both employees and customers.
(And then there was one.)
“Delta 87-87, exit at AA, AA E K to gate 152, contact ground passing E12.”
“AA E K, gate 152, over to ground past E12, Delta 87-87.”
“Delta 88-07, L hold short of C, stay with me. Your gate number’s 154.”
“L short of C, gate 154, Delta 88-07.”
“Nice. They’re offloading at TBIT. And at A380 gates too.”
*text*
“Hello, dear. I know you have your duties and responsibilities, but can we talk whenever you’re free? I’ve been following your little project from here, and I can’t begin to say how proud I am of you. I really wish we could be together, but I have the Lumas, and you have your obligations.
“I miss you. The Lumas miss you.”
If we both had iPhones, I could much more easily convey my reaction. I’ll just settle for the accompanying text.
“*Cap* loved a message.”
“Los Angeles ground, Delta 7-7-7 is a flight of 2, T-BIT, information Dixie, requesting a simultaneous parallel takeoff.”
“Delta Triple Seven flight, Los Angeles ground, on request. Only runways 25 are available, stand by. Can I get your individual callsigns, please?”
“Delta 7-7-2.”
“And Delta 7-7-Lima.”
“Thank you. Which one of you needs the longer roll?”
“77L.”
“Roger. Delta 77L, runway 25R, taxi via K B B1. Delta 772, runway 25L, taxi via K B F.”
“K B B1 to 25R, Delta 77L.”
“K B F, runway 25L, Delta 772.”
“TV 5, Los Angeles tower.”
“TV 5.” The pilot responds.
“Remain south of the airfield during the takeoff roll, panning shot approved. Maintain visual separation at all times.”
“Approved as requested, south of the field at all times with visual separation, TV 5.”
“Telly 1, Los Angeles tower.”
“Telly 1, go ahead.”
“Same to you, except remain north of the tower or Theme Building during the takeoff roll. Panning shot approved, maintain visual separation at all times.”
“North of the center complex, approved as requested with visual separation, Telly 1.”
“Delta Triple Seven, monitor tower now, 120.95, sad to see you go.”
“Indeed it is, but we’ll see you soon, Delta 777.”
With that, we can switch our monitor frequency back to SoCal departure, but we shan’t lest we spoil the audio. We are recording the ATC conversation after all.
“Delta… 772, Los Angeles tower, cross runway 25R, hold short runway 25L.”
“Cross 25R, short of 25L, Delta 772.”
“Delta Triple Seven, there is a small break in the sequence coming up, we’re gonna try and get you off in that time. Can you be ready go with no delay in about 10 minutes?”
“We’re ready now, 772.”
“Same for 77L.”
“Delta Triple Seven Heavy, roger.”
2 arrivals and 3 departures ahead, including twin A321neo arrivals from Dallas and Salt Lake, the time has come.
“Delta 772, runway 25L, line up and wait.”
“Line up and wait 25L, Delta 772.”
“Delta 77L, runway 25R, line up and wait.”
“25R, line up and wait, Delta 77L.”
“Delta 7-7-7 Heavy, for the very last time, runways 25, cleared for takeoff. Maintain visual separation at all times.”
“Cleared for takeoff 25L, for the last time, Delta 772.”
“Delta 77L, 25R… a sad goodbye to a fleet that helped put Delta on the international/long haul map. This is certainly not the way we wanted to send her off. We’ll definitely miss her in Atlanta, Salt Lake, and all across Delta’s network. Cleared for takeoff.”
