The delivery of N782WN, B-737-700.
My old college roommate and good friend was about to retire as a fellow SWA pilot back in 2004 and we wanted one last chance to fly together before the age 60 rule changed our lives. So we picked up aircraft #782. Southwest started numbering the 700 series aircraft with numbers starting with 700, so that would make this airplane about the 82nd 700 series airplane that Southwest bought.
All the airplanes were picked up at Boeing Field in Seattle. Most of the time we flew the airplanes to Phoenix and they were put into service there.
We sit around a table at Boeing Field and via conference call SWA, Bankers, Lawyers... etc... SWA transfers the money to Boeing and I signed for the aircraft. They come with a full tank of gas so we could go just about anywhere we wanted to go...
Before you can leave this lady brings you another piece of paper to sign... You have to promise not to do a low pass flyby on the way out of town... us... no way! Legend has it some other airline guys did a flyby in a rather large airplane and thought they would get away with it... No one else gets the chance.
So here were with our brides... we double dated back in 1967 with these very beautiful women. Now we are about to takeoff for Phoenix.
We found a couple of stowaways...
They tried out all of the equipment on the airplane just to make sure it worked.
Dave and Scherry flying the jet somewhere over Western USA
Trying out the Flight Attendant jumpseat.
Their job was to watch for airplanes as we descended into Phoenix to land. A rare chance to sit on the pilot jumpseats and feel the cramped and glamorous life of a commuter airline pilot.
It appears that two old guys safely found their way to Phoenix without getting in trouble.
Two old friends with lots of good memories.
Dave didn't retire. He is still working in Operations at SWA. Some day he will retire again... I think...
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