Airports

As far back as I can remember, I have loved planes and airports. When I was a kid, I always looked forward to a trip to the airport. In my case, the airport was usually Stapleton International Airport. It no longer exists but at the time, it was Denver’s main airport. This was back before TSA and all the security existed. When everyone could go to the gates or wander the airport. There was still security, of course, but it wasn’t anything like it is now.

Most of the time we went to the airport to pick someone up or drop them off. I only remember one flight I took as a little kid. It was a propeller plane of some sort that we boarded via a tall, outside, walk up stairs. I remember the Captain brought me a little pin, which was a pair of wings, that I could wear on my shirt. The food was on nice plates with white napkins and it was actually good.

My favorite memory about airplanes and airports as a kid wasn’t a flight, it was when I was able to go up into the control tower at Stapleton. I was probably 10 or 11 at the time. My dad and I had dropped someone off at the airport and I was wondering if there were any 747s there as they were new at the time and I really wanted to see one. If I remember correctly, my dad suggested going up into the tower to see. He wanted to know if I would like to do that and of course I did!

So, he called someone or many someones from the airport phone and pretty soon we had permission to go up! They told dad where the door was and we met a gentleman there who took us up to the top of the control tower. It was glass all around with many radar screens and people. There were also a couple of folks with binoculars watching the planes come and go.

The gentleman that brought us up described what was going on and answered all our questions. They never rushed us and seemed happy to have us there.

It was amazing what you could see from the tower! All the tarmac was visible along with the planes, gates and concourses as well as all the runways. An amazing view that I never thought I would ever get to see.

The folks at the radar screens were talking to the planes and in one case, one of the guys with binoculars was also talking to a plane as he noticed they didn’t have their landing gear down and were on approach!

What an amazing visit and a true privilege that took my dad asking if it was possible and it turns out it was! A once in a life time experience.

The frosting on the cake, there was a 747 at the airport! You could tell because the tail of the 747 was taller than any other tail at the airport that day. Well that and one of the controllers pointed it out when I asked! I still use this little trick today to tell if there is a 747 at the airport as I look for any tail sticking above the top of the concourse.

Once we left the tower, I ran to the gate where the 747 was and I got there just it time to see it pull away. What a day, seeing a 747 and the chance of a lifetime to visit the control tower! It doesn’t get much better than that!

That day and the day my dad and I saw Star Wars (the original), when it first opened, were two of the best days I ever had with my dad…

Airports are gateways to far off adventures and landing pads for getting us home. In between we have the opportunity to experience all sorts of journeys whose memories can and do last a lifetime. But, those same airports can also be a journey themselves and provide special memories that also last a lifetime.