Capture My Chicago

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

A Trans-Atlantic Flight To Europe In 1996

On September 2,1996, my Father completed cash payment for our Lombard Historic Brick Bungalow built in 1927 on George Hornbeck's parcel subdivision owned by Mrs. Ahrens at 504 S. Westmore-Meyers Road related to Stebens Carpenter Handyman , adjoining the driveway and our backyard separated by a wooden picket fence.  I witnessed the full cash payment with my Father at the First State Bank of Maple Park in Kane County, Illinois USA.  Since my Father, I, and Nathan were all working full-time in 1996 as Lombard resident homeowners and taxpayers, life in the Lilac Village was costing us a lot more money, work, and suburban DuPage County expenses, as well as Illinois State fees, and U.S. federal taxes to us than were credited to other Lombard families in District 5, York Township in DuPage County, Illinois USA. In 1996, Mr. Roberto Hung Juris Doctor spent a lot of money in cash to pay Lombard real estate property taxes, mortgage, and DuPage County in York Township, Illinois.
I also spent a lot of cash in Lombard, purchasing electronics, computer equipment, and business professional memberships and associations for employment purposes. I was also travelling in the USA, Canada, France, and Germany. Since I was working the entire day, I would come back to the Lombard home late at night.
I had to travel to Berlin, Germany for the Languages and The Media Conference sponsored by the Federation of International Translators (FIT) during November 1996.
From O'Hare Airport (ORD), the Trans-Atlantic Flight was scheduled to leave at 8:00 p.m. Nathan dropped me off at the O'Hare International Terminal and did not wait for me to board the American Airlines flight to Heathrow Airport in London, England, in the United Kingdom.
When I got to the AA Terminal around 7:00 p.m., the intercom announced that due to engine failure in one of the propeller wings, the Trans-Atlantic flight to Heathrow Airport in London would be delayed and arrival time into Berlin would also be affected the next day. American Airlines was re-scheduling all international flight connections at Heathrow London and Berlin Germany.
The AA new engine overhaul took four (4) hours to be installed by Midnight. So, I had to wait at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago in order to make the Trans-Atlantic flight to Heathrow Airport in London UK before I could get to the InterContinental Hotel in Berlin, Germany.
All the passengers were edgy, irritated, and upset over AA faulty engine wing propeller for this Trans-Atlantic Flight, especially when AA promised a "complete new engine overhaul by Midnight".
I wondered why at the last minute, before departure, AA had a faulty engine on a wing propeller for a Trans-Atlantic flight to Heathrow London. The thoughts and memories of airplanes failing in mid-flight across the Atlantic reminded me of the perils in travelling overseas.
Four (4) hours afterwards, I was also wondering if the new engine overhaul for the wing propeller would be completed successfully. The AA stewardess called all the passengers to board exactly by 12:00 a.m. At Midnight, I was on my way to Heathrow London with breakfast ready for my overseas flight to Europe.
With all the delays and excitement, I did not sleep at all during the whole experience. Aboard the Trans-Atlantic flight to Heathrow London, the AA Captain announced that due to the 4-hour delay, all itineraries to European cities had been changed to adjust connecting flight at Heathrow Airport in London, England UK. I had to get through the Customs Gatekeeper at Heathrow International Airport in London before I could catch my connecting British Airways flight to Berlin, Germany. Fortunately, I never get lost at European international airports, so after Customs at Heathrow London, I found the British Airways terminal for a cross-flight to Berlin, Germany. By Noon, I was aboard British Airways without my AA ORD luggage...which had not made the connecting flight with me. A British lunch was served to calm my Trans-Atlantic flight jitters, jetlag, and European-travel excitement. Overall, I made my way through the Trans-Atlantic flight to Heathrow London without any problems, in spite of the AA new engine overhaul for the wing propeller and the 4-hour delay to make the British Airways flight connection to Berlin, Germany. The only thing was that my AA luggage did not have the same luck in transit at Heathrow International Aiport in London.

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