United kept their promise on the assigned a/c for my trip booked months in advance...a 737 MAX 9 on the outgoing leg to Orlando and a 757-300 on the incoming leg back to Chicago O'Hare. It was refreshing to be back on the O'Hare premises after nearly 2 years, where one gets to see all kinds of aircraft...while travelling in the airport people-mover and during pre-boarding e.g., I caught sight of many long-haul series a/c of Lufthansa and United, the two (Star Alliance) airlines that were the staple of my trans-oceanic travels for nearly 3 decades, for business and pleasure. Over the next several years, Lufthansa is in the process of replacing its 330s/340s and United is also in the process of replacing its 777s... with more modern types such as 350s, 787s, 777Xs. Nonetheless, I owe a great deal, in my life, to the trio of (330/340/777 - hope to see the 777s here soon...🙂...), and always feel a nostalgic fondness whenever I catch sight of these hard-working planes (with proven track records) ...but nearing the end of their prime, if not already. Interestingly, I spotted a mix of both the United colored a/c sauntering around...with the iconic (Continental) Gold-Globe and the latest Blue-Globe tail-designs. My 737 MAX was blue-globed and the 757 was gold-globed.

I could not tell much difference between the 737 MAX 9 and e.g. an (amply flown) 737-800 (inside or outside). I understand they are different, the MAX having more fuel-efficient and higher-performing engines, and higher seat capacity etc., but once seated it all felt indistinguishable. There were however personal seatback entertainment screens in the MAX, that was a refreshing experience on a narrowbody (domestic) a/c. It allowed access to all kinds of (3D) plane views and flight data (just as what we do in our MSFS Camera...🙂...with our make-believe 737s...) e.g., I noted that the cruise was at 35,000 ft and speed 450 knots. Then, having ordered a tiny (finger-length) bottle of tequila...at an elevated cost of $10...🙂..., and having mixed it with the free offering of some Tonic Water; while sipping the concoction, I switched on the film "Dune Part Two" on the seatback screen, feeling a bit sorry for having totally disregarded the same on the MSFS free offer...🙂...for months. Prior to start of the showing of the film, there were friendly pop-up messages, suggesting that my flight time of the trip would not allow me to finish the nearly 3-hour film, so, I should consider alternate suggestions of shorter duration films, which messages I ignored, and went on with the (somewhat) rough (and brutal) beginning sequence of the film...and onward to those special airships...

When I'd earlier mentioned to my host family that I've flown "virtually" the ORD-MCO flight...🙂...they had asked, "Did you see the lakes on approach to Orlando Airport?" Of course, I did not mention to them that besides an A320, I'd also flown a Pan Am DC-3 between these two cities...🙂...because they would be baffled why would one fly a WW-II a/c on a modern route...Oh well...we understand around here. Anyway, Orlando is indeed home to nearly 100 lakes (small and big). These lakes were clearly visible in my past virtual recreations, here, of the flight. About 30 miles north of Orlando, around my temporary place of residence, there is a scenic lake (Lake Dora), which I visited (Lake Michigan is too big to feel like a Lake), and I took a (double-decker) Paddlewheel boat cruise on the lake...an enchanting experience, when the Florida summer weather is nice and the evening sky is brilliantly colored (yet to see these colors (exactly) in our SIMs...🙂...). While absorbed in the Sun's golden reflections on the waters just behind the paddlewheel vortex, and listening to John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads", sung by the on-board musical duo, my better-half had looked up on-line that this lake might have about 500 alligators, and whispered so in my ears...🙂...

My return flight was in a 757-300, the beginning part of which flight, I've mimicked below in a Friend Ship (legacy) livery United A320 (iniBuilds A320neo V2 - will get both 737MAX and B757 when I can in MSFS). It was nice to fly (RW) in this classic (medium-haul) airplane, a very long airplane indeed, but with a single aisle (-300 is the longest single-aisle twinjet ever built). UAL has over 60 757s in active service. There was no seatback screen this time (as was in the 737 MAX), and I recalled the days of hanging TV-Monitors in the Cabins of long-haul aircraft, for display of films or/and flight path of the a/c. No, there were no hanging monitors here...🙂...There was an option to connect WIFI to your own personal device for entertainment, which I did not make use of. Instead, I opted to open up my unfinished book of Steinbeck, "The Red Pony" (please see my earlier Steinbeck Country visit post, if you wish), and finally got to finish the 100-page book, on this 757, at 33,000 ft...🙂...

My return flight of the 757-300, per FlightAware, had the following route (SID/FATHE3, VIYAP Q69 GURGE Q93 BENBY DOOGE Q93 HEVAN BONNT VEECK5/STAR). The altitude filed was 33,000 ft and the distance was 1008 miles. I was able to enter the above route (including SID/STAR) manually into the MCDU of my Airbus A320. So, please see below the set of pictures of the (virtual) flight from lift-off to cruise altitude of 33,000 ft, following the same skyway that the 757 had taken on my RW flight. Do take note of the lakes visible (shot #s 5-6), and the Atlantic Ocean coastline also visible (last but one shot) on the starboard side of the a/c, on this nearly south-north flight, initially tracking the eastern edge of the Florida peninsula...in a late afternoon departure. In my shot #1, you may spot the palm trees, ubiquitous in Florida, but I haven't seen one around here in 25+ years...neither have I ever spotted an alligator...🙂...As the (setting) Sun was shining on my port side and the sky was darkening on my starboard side (see the last four shots), I closed my eyes for a bit and mused about that thrilling and spectacular (3D) Avatar Flight of Passage, on the back of the flying Dragon in Pandora's universe, in Disney's Animal Kingdom...with waterfall spray sprinkling in my faces...🙂...when I heard the cockpit announcement that the 757 was about to start its descent to O'Hare, so, I need to now stow away my tray-table...

Hope you enjoy this collection of UAL images...based on my (recent) RW flight...! 

Thanks for viewing...!

Edited June 26, 20241 yr by P_7878

Fine picture set, and i like that United livery on this A320 !

cheers 😉

Thanks, John, pmplayer and Dillon, for the responses...!

(pmplayer, yes, this classic UAL livery on a modern Airbus looks wonderful...btw, this is a RW Reg. ID and a RW livery...United has painted its N475UA Airbus A320 in this heritage livery...)

Nice shots! 😉 

On 6/27/2024 at 1:06 PM, Alaska738 said:

Nice shots! 😉 

Hi Will: Thank you for the comment...!!