Former Employees, Sick Children Along For Ride Around New York

It's official: a piece of aviation history will soon be put to pasture... or, more accurately, in a museum. "The Spirit of Delta," the first 767-200 delivered to Delta Air Lines and still the only airliner ever purchased for an airline by its employees, will soon be heading to Atlanta as permanent fixture at the Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum.

Before that happens, however, "The Spirit of Delta" has embarked on a 10-city farewell tour. Last week, the airliner made a stop at New York's Kennedy Airport for a heartfelt farewell, that also gave a few passengers a much-needed lift in spirit.

"It really brought the morale up. It was actually pretty wonderful," said flight attendant Cathy Sue Ellis, 51, about the aircraft's original dedication in 1982. Ellis worked in the aircraft's rear galley on last Thursday's one-hour flight around New York.

"I was back there crying," she told the New York Daily News. "I feel blessed and happy that I got here."

Also along for the ride were Delta executives and employees -- but the flight may not have been as important to any of them, than it was to a number of children also onboard the plane. The young guests of the airline are undergoing medical treatments at Beth Israel Medical Center, or are staying at the Ronald McDonald House while they fight cancer.

"Wow! That was amazing," said 5-year-old asthma patient Mario David, after checking out the pilots' cabin. "It was great."

"She was pretty excited," said Rosalyn Jiminez about her daughter, Ashley Santiago. Both were along for the ride that gave Ashley much-needed break from treatments for hydrocephalus and spina bifida. "It's been stressful at times not having the comfort of your home."

Several onlookers also gathered on the ground for a glimpse of the 767 as it flew overhead... a feat made nearly impossible by overcast skies and near-zero visibility. Those who may have initially been disappointed, however, received a pleasant surprise when the pilots were granted permission to make a low pass over the runway.

After landing, the airplane received a water cannon salute from two firetrucks -- an honorarium usually reserved for retiring pilots.

As Aero-News reported last October, "The Spirit Of Delta" was purchased by employees who voluntarily donated to Project 767 in the spring of 1982. The project, dreamed up by two flight attendants, was to show gratitude to airline management at the time who honored their previous promise to give employees a raise -- even after the airline posted its first quarterly loss.

Sadly, it wasn't the last... and with Delta now locked in bitter negotiations with its workers for concessions to help the carrier emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it's also unlikely we'll ever see another employee-bought aircraft flying in Delta colors.

Still... last Thursday, Delta's current woes seemed the furthest from anyone's mind.

"I got a model of this airplane [when] I was 15 years old," First Officer Benjamin Courtright said after landing. "So this is one of the highlights of my whole career."

FMI: www.delta.com, www.deltamuseum.org