Currently split between Skywest Airlines and Endeavor Air, Delta Connection’s fleet of Bombardier CRJ-900s is still going strong, after a series of mergers and bankruptcies among various contract regional airlines in the United States. Names like ExpressJet (formerly Atlantic Southeast Airlines), Mesaba, Compass, Chautauqua, Trans States, Shuttle America, and Colgan have now faded into the mists of time. Remaining are GoJet, CommuteAir, Skywest, Republic, Envoy (formerly American Eagle), Pacific Southwest, Mesa, and Endeavour (formerly Pinnacle). This lattermost airline is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines and operates a fleet of 18 Bombardier CRJ-700s, 123 CRJ-900s, and a single Embraer 175 for Delta Connection throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Southeast.
Server: Solo
Airline: Delta Connection (Operated by Endeavor Air)
Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-900
Origin: Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Cedar Fork Township, North Carolina (RDU)
Destination: Nashville International Airport, Nashville, Tennessee (BNA)
Flight Number: DL5114
Route: KRDU-KBNA
Seat: 8D (Delta Comfort+)
Time En Route: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
Boarding in the heart of North Carolina’s Research Triangle and home to North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, and one of the longest-running rivalries in college basketball
Ready for a short taxi to Runway 05L
Takeoff and climbout for the quick hop to Music City
Cruising over the Appalachians
Turning onto final over the hills of Middle Tennessee, through which I’ve taken many a scenic drive
Arriving in Nashville, crossing Murfreesboro Road, which runs under Runway 02C
Parked at Concourse B, which handles all Delta flights, and getting ready for a flight to Minneapolis-St. Paul