June 5th, 2007
NEPA’s Newest Airport Terminal
I just came back from a trip to Mexico. My trip started here at our Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. It was my very first visit to the Joseph M. McDade terminal that opened just about a year ago (among other things, Joseph M. McDade represented Pennsylvania in Congress from 1962-1988).
The terminal is very impressive. The ticket counters are wide open with plenty of room for passenger check in. A new restaurant, appropriately named “Wings”, keeps the same staff from the restaurant in the old terminal! Northeast PA News & Gifts is worth a visit even if you don’t want a newspaper. It’s a great spot that brags about our area. I even noticed a rather respectable arcade! Pocono Club and Business Center is available for those who aren’t traveling for fun. After the going through security to the jet boarding area, I counted five jet ways.
It is by no means a sterile airport. The architecture is simply amazing and the morning sunlight spilled profusely throughout the terminal. I couldn’t help but notice the artwork by local artists. Hank Fells’ “Ascending Strata Assemblage” in the terminal by the escalators is the absolute perfect piece for that space. Hank Fells is also responsible for the eagle feather in the concourse floor and a few other pieces of work. Other local works are displayed by artist William Chickillo and sculptor Herbert Simons. There is a rather impressive display case chronicling the history of our airport since 1959. It showed construction, famous visitors, local big-wigs and a variety of changes that have taken place over the years.
Our flights to Mexico were both on time and uneventful. I sat in the window seat, but over the wings of the airplane. Every single time I get that seat, I think of the old Twilight Zone episode starring William Shatner as a passenger who sees a gremlin ripping up the wing of his airliner, while 20,000 feet in the air! I know that’s not relevant for this, it’s just something I passed along.
I can get back on-topic by mentioning the old terminal. Except for the air control tower, it’s abandoned. Very sad. I wanted desperately to walk over and look in. I bet it’d be like the scene in Stephen King’s 1995 television movie, Langoliers . If you haven’t seen it, there is a scene where they land at the Bangor airport after “yesterday” was done. The place is totally empty. Again, this is not really relevant, but still.
Tech Aviation is next to the old terminal. I had a wonderful experience there last year to pass along. My son purchased a gift certificate for his dad to take a flying lesson. The price was totally reasonable and my husband loved the flight. The picture to the left is one he took from the air. If you don’t have a Father’s Day gift in mind yet, do this. You won’t be sorry.
There is even more development to come. Landing Point is a development of Class A professional office space. The site plan calls for six buildings to be constructed near the present location of Damon’s Grill and the Holiday Inn Express.
Finally, I thought I’d pass along the experience on the last leg of my trip: Philadelphia to AVP. We flew US Air. For you frequent flyer readers, enough said. You know where this is going. The June 5, 2007 issue of USA Today reports that the Philadelphia Airport has delays in a whopping 65% of its flights.
To summarize: our 8:30 pm flight was delayed once, twice, a third time. We were then told to change gates and wait for another aircraft. Finally, we boarded an aircraft only to be asked to deplane due to mechanical problems. While delayed again, we were about to rent a car home when an airplane was brought “from the hangar”. Sure. We boarded the plane for a 22-minute flight, which just had to be an all-time record, to Avoca. We arrived home at 1:00 am. Our luggage, of course, took an unknown route and had to be delivered the next day.
Finally, finally, I must tell you about the landing. Airports with one runway are often constructed to be aligned with prevailing winds. Apparently, our winds here in Northeastern Pennsylvania are east-west. The runway is north-south. The smaller planes teeter-totter all the way in for their landing. Newbie flyers panic. Seasoned flyers don’t even flinch. I’m somewhere in the middle (”Our Father, Who art in heaven …” repeat as needed).
So, if I want to get from Point A to Point B, this is how I have to go. In my mind, I tried to count how many airports I have been in. I think it’s about 18 different ones in the states and seven internationally. I think that’s about enough to qualify me to compare us to others. Honestly, I believe ours is a stunner.
