The Superbowl and AirTran's Ravens One

Rarely do I ever talk about sports on this website because I have decided early on that I would maintain this as an aviation based personal website. Thus it has been about my life and my involvement with aviation. Yet, it has been a pretty special month for my home town of Baltimore, Maryland, as the Baltimore Ravens won the Superbowl in front of a record setting crowd of viewers. Football is a special thing in Baltimore, too, as it is one of the few things that unites those around the city and, like many cities around America, it gives people an opening in conversation when meeting new people from around town.

The Ravens have always held a special place in my heart in that I have followed them since 1996 and while in Iraq I watched every game of that season with the exception of two. I somehow lucked out enough to actually have down time whenever they played and it did not matter if I was on convoy for the last 24 hours, I would sit down and enjoy the few hours that images of 'home' were streamed to me. So, in honor of the Ravens bringing another Lombardi trophy home to Baltimore, I was able to find an old short article I wrote via Archives.org for the long since dead website, RavenFan.com. Mind you, it is a piece I wrote about an airplane for football fans, so it's a little backwards; Nonetheless, enjoy.

"Ravens One" Comes to Baltimore
I have yet to mention that I am absolutely in love with aviation and flight mainly because these things have nothing to do with football or the Baltimore Ravens, until today. At 10AM this morning I am sitting in my cubicle running a daily report and browsing BaltimoreRavens.com when I see a link I had missed the previous day that reads: "Media Advisory - Baltimore Ravens and AirTran Unveil Plane Livery". Upon clicking it I discover that in fifteen minutes the Baltimore Ravens and AirTran Airways were not just unveiling any ordinary aircraft; they were unveiling a brand new Baltimore Ravens inspired Boeing 717. Being the fan that I am, I had to be one of the first people to see it, so, with Joe Flacco like precision I flew down to my car and sped down Baltimore-Washington parkway towards the airport.

Unfortunately I was a half hour late so I missed a lot of the ceremony but I did get a chance to listen to both Todd Heap and an executive from AirTran give their speeches. I really liked that the AirTran executive was keen on letting everyone know that the aircraft will be flying into Pittsburgh on a regular basis, which is a nice thought. The ceremony was short and sweet and after it had concluded I was able to get Baltimore's favorite tight end sign my Maryland flag. After a short conversation with Heap, I was able to the make my way onto the tarmac to see the beautiful bird. Be proud Baltimore, she's really a sight to see.

While a short trip, it was well worth it and I've included some pictures with this article. I'd like to also say that the Ravens team and staff are very receptive to fans who come to events 'unannounced' and would highly recommend going out of your way to check out things that might interest you in person. In the few events that I've attended on a whim, the hosts always seem more than happy to include you in the activities. I guess that's just one of the perks of being from a small city that thinks that it's a big town. Stay classy, Baltimore.

NOTE: If you're interested to see where the plane will be flying to and from, you can go to FlightAware.com and look up the tail number: N946AT. That is the "Ravens One" tail number and you're key to seeing it's future schedule.

Like I said, the article was written for a football fan website but rereading it I remember where I was in both my life and my flight training. Back then I was still working at the Defense Information School doing information systems administration for Lockheed Martin and being a pilot was only a wish I had in the back of my mind. Funny how things change. It's also kind of a trip to see how much my writing style has changed. Anyway, I'm going to try not to end this with such sentiment of the past today because this month is about celebration of the city's new achievements! I'd like to say that I'm proud of the players on our football team because they did a hell of a job during the season and it brings honor & recognition to our little city on the east coast. Also, next to Southwest Airlines "Maryland One", AirTran's "Ravens One" is my favorite civilian aircraft. Both aircraft liveries have clean, bold looks to them and I'm thoroughly impressed. Below is a video of the new aircraft on the day of the event I talked about attending above.

"The way I see it, you can either work for a living or you can fly airplanes. Me, I'd rather fly." - Len Morgan