CaptAWACS

Hola,

I'll be moving back to Houston and buying a house in the next couple of months and I am looking near Greenway plaza. What's the words from the insiders here about the market in that area? I haven't driven it since January. Are more midtown/4th ward townhomes/condos going up. Are any of the classics oldies still around for sale? I haven't found much on the market in this area recently. thanks.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Not all pilots are alcoholics, we don't go to meetings

My whole point, all along, has been that Terminal A is not the last terminal that is to be redone into "banks" of gates from the current "banjo" design," as you stated. The truth (the fact, if you will) is that Terminal A has already been redone into banks of gates from the former banjo design

But again, very simple here, the construction for all of Terminal A is not finished, period dot, why is that so hard for you to understand.

(you keep talking about underground systems, the existence of which I am well aware and you keep conveniently ignoring that the topic is "gates" which I have not yet seen in an underground configuration, even in Atlanta... the reason I ignored your comments about the underground portions of the Atlanta airport is that your comments were irrelevant.

No you were talking about ops, not gates. Go re-read your posts. Obviously, other than a few rare examples, jetway gates do not come out of the ground (there are some rare examples). All of Atlanta's airside ops (on the terminals east of "T") are in basements, something you had issues understanding for multiple posts. Now all of sudden you are an expert on the goings on underneath the airport and airside? LOL

I had asked if you had ever seen underground gates and you responded by telling me that Atlanta has undergound baggage handling and passageways. Yes, and Seattle has a space needle... ), and Terminal B will be redone into banks of gates from their current banjo design, therefore, by simple deduction, we can see that Terminal B, not A is the last terminal that is to be redone into banks of gates from the current banjo design.

And as I noted from my first posts, Terminal B is to be redesigned as well, BUT it is not happening yet, and the plan (as Terminal As did, and at most airports) is being reworked as we speak. I never said Terminal B would not eventually be redone.

Go back to the beginning of our discussion, you will see that was the point from the start. Go to the Master Plan, you will see that I am correct.

I am well aware of the master plan, I helped with Trans plats for it when I interned with the city in 97. You asked many times, in various posts about Terminal A, and my comments about it and its underground construction and reformation. Again, Re-read your posts.

And by the way, I never said in any post that IAH has no underground ops.

No you have just asked what it means for three posts-so if you don't what it means, you still know it happens?

Now, you are apparently trying to avoid admitting your error by stating that you had also noted Terminal B would be changed. Nice try. You earlier admitted that it would be changed, but in some mysterious "different" plan, which somehow didn't constitute redoing it into banks of gates. As I've stated repeatedly, the plan is there for all to see in the Master Plan. Sure looks like banks of gates to me.

I've been ignoring all of the other statements about the undergound systems, etc etc etc, because, as I said before, it's tangential to the issue of whether Terminal A is the last terminal that will be redone into banks of gates....

You ignored them because you asked questions about them, I answered, and they were not the answers you wanted to hear. nothing was tangential when you asked a direct question about it-nice try.

I don't see any way for either of us to prove what we believe to be the case regarding the details of the underground systems. I have gotten my information from people who have worked in Terminal A baggage handling, but I have no way to prove it. And you don't have any way to prove what you're saying either. If you do, I'd love to see it. I'm genuinely curious. But, as I said, it's irrelevant to the issue we were discussing

So let us see, the paragraph before you didn't care about Terminal A, but in this one you say plenty about Terminal A ops and how you talked about it? Okay.... I'll scan some photos when I get back to my home compter this weekend and post them, or email them if you prefer. You can also look if you ever go into Terminal B southside (atTerminal A) and see the construction going on. You can also look at the photos in the current issue of "Airports magazine and see some of the construction. I get my info from actually going places and doing the things I talk about, not heresay [sic]

THe issue you brought up was various questions about Terminal A's underground system after I mentioned it in my post. When Terminal B, looks like Terminal A, call me.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Sarcasm, just another service I offer

LOL

I never said "sweatheart" I apologize if I forgot to use a quote mark on an occasion or two. Cutting and pasting does not automatically insert quote marks.

And once again, we see no response whatsoever to the facts and arguments presented in my post

It's been fun, but I have to get to bed to be well-rested as I am preparing to depart tomorrow on a trip to thirty-seven foreign countries on four continents and several sub-continents. Good night and God Bless.

You said Sweatheart in your post # 38 "And BTW, sweetheart, I know what "ops" means"

How is the crow?

I answered your questions in a seperate post, since they are seperate issues. As for arguments, you admited yourself you ignored those I answered, so you need to take your own advice.

Good trip, I've done that a few times myself. But then again I've lived on 4, been to all seven, have two passports (one Official), and do it for a living . Don't force your religions garbage on those with common sense BTW. Have fun

Well sweatheart as you say let us look at some of posts here-

-""well "teh" spell man...""-

Funny, your mistyping of teh was not in a quote, but how exactly is that a personal attack, explain to all our readers

-"You have shown nothing but a lack of understanding which does not suprise me after reading all of your posts here. "-

All of your posts did show a lack of understanding, you even noted it yourself if your "obtuse" ref. How is a lack of understanding a personal attack? I do not understand heart surgery, but I would not see it as a personal attack if the doc told me so.

-"constant use of you favorites "kiddo" and "kid""-

Kid, I call everyone kid, and have for years, it has long been a favourite of mine, since college.

While you might find something patronising, doing such does not make a personal attack

-""people like you, simpletons if you will,""-

Being a simpleton is not really a pejoritive[sic] but a ephamism for uneducated, which you are on the subject.

-""look out from your RJ window (that is the round thing made of glass and plastic""-

Ditto, where is the profanity or personal attack?????

-""I would type slower if I could HAHA.""-

I refer the right honourable gentleman to the response I gave some moments ago. Many times when speaking in technically jargon people speak too fast, have you never heard of such things?

-""Sorry kiddo. I am just curious as too why it bugs you? Do you have airport issues?""-

And the question stands, why do the unfinshed construction issues at Terminal A bother you, do you have airport issues?

No profanity, attacks on you personally. No casting aspersions [sic]

RJ stands for Regional Jet, that is the most common player for Express Jet (flying under the Continental Express banner) who use Terminal B.

Banks of Gates are basically long rows of boarding areas and jetways, normally in a linear fashion, whereas there are also circles, semi-circles, "banjos" and others. It is a more discriptive term. It is used in some airport planner books (many of my older ones use it re:atlanta)

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Have you had sex in a Ford lately

<yawn>

If you don't need "personal attackes", why do your posts consist of little BUT peronsal attacks? Please, go look at the Master Plan, Terminal Development, Phase I. I just proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that your initial statement (which is what this whole thread is about) was incorrect. Everything that followed is tangential (mostly me presenting my understanding of the facts and you throwing out personal attacks.)

well "teh" spell man I don't know, care to show me any personal attack-please share with the group?

You have shown nothing but a lack of understanding which does not suprise me after reading all of your posts here.

Again, the simple fact, which is, indeed a stubbon thing: The plan for Terminal B is to remove the banjos and replace them with banks of gates. Please, go take a look at the master plan. The fact that they plan for it to be RJ focused is irrelevant. Terminal B is RJ focused now as well. The fact remains that the rj-focused banjos will be removed and replaced with rj-focused banks of gates. Again, please go look at the Master Plan, Terminal Development, Phase I. You will surely understand then that you are mistaken.

So let me get this straight, now your whole point is the terminal B future construction issue and not how airside ops works? Because you spent multiple threads explaining how there could be no underground ops at IAH (I used Atlanta as another exactly you have seemed to ignore), but when your point there is debunked you go back to Terminal B, which I also noted would be changed? Nice attempt at redirect, you still answered no points in my post, which of course addressed every point in you text, funny kiddo.

Heh, I know more about airports than all of you.

And I've been to more than all of you combined, what is your point? Maybe you can explain the baggage system at Atlanta to H-niner here.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Forum Alpha Breeder Male

Spin it, man, spin it.

Simple fact: The plan for Terminal B is to remove the banjos and replace them with banks of gates. (See the Master Plan, Terminal Development, Phase I) Thus, very clearly, Terminal B, and not Terminal A, is the "last one that is to be redone into "banks" of gates from teh current "banjo" design."

As to the rest of your rant, I'll let others (including the board moderator) read the thread and determine who has engaged in peronsal attacks.

Translation, you can't answer my post because you were wrong and put in your place. The defence rests HA.

When Terminal B gets demolished and rebuilt come talk to us (it will be RJ focused and not like A), but that was not the point you made in your previous post. You tried to argue some odd semantics over the word basement and were wrong, sorry kid, maybe next time. I don't need personal attackes, I have facts and they are stubborn little things.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Am I the only one who likes 70$ a barrel oil

Yes, indeed, facts are facts. And I can't help but notice that you neither addressed nor contradicted a single one of the facts in my post, to-wit:

The inbound and outbound baggage belts were moved to the new bridges when the new north and south concourses were built. For another, the "basements" were never basements underneath the banjos and were never in the banjo configuration. They were merely tunnels (one to each of the north and south sides I believe). Virtually nothing of the original banjo configuration remains at Terminal A.

You are simply wrong. Again, I have been there (saturday as a matter of fact), and know how the airplanes are serviced. I guess the word basement confuses you, try not to go to "semantic" on us just to prove some odd point here.

And BTW, sweetheart, I know what "ops" means. I was just trying to get you to move beyond the very generalized statements you were feeding us (and continue to feed us). Nothing you have posted in this thread indicates that you have ever been on the "ops" side of an airport or know anything about the "ops" side of Bush Intercontinental. To the contrary, your statements that the banjos had basements and that the basements of the banjos are still there indicate you have never been anywhere near the ops sid of Terminal A.

Look, I understand that when people like you, simpletons if you will, do not understand how complicated things work, they try to put down or redirect, but your redirect will not work here. The burden of proof is on you if think the airside carts and belts do not load under that terminal and underground, because as I noted, they do at that location. At this point I don't think you have travelled or ever even been on an airplane if you can't understand (have you?). Do you have questions about aviation, I am always here to answer questions, lord knows I get enough odd ones at airshows and such.

Fact: You stated that "Terminal A is the last one that is to be redone into "banks" of gates from teh current "banjo" design. "" (A statement that is clearly, demonstrably, visibly incorrect)

You are wrong. Do me a favour, open your eyes if you ever go to the airport and fly to Tulsa to see the family, look out from your RJ window (that is the round thing made of glass and plastic). You can see what is still being constructed at Terminal A as the old banjos are fixed. And the plan for terminal B is different so I was correct, sorry. THe way HAS runs their plans lord knows it could change again

Fact: The city started a major renovation of that facility around 1997. During this time the southwest pod (or "banjo") was demolished and construction started on a new, modern south concourse. This concourse opened in 1999, and shortly after the old southeast pod was demolished. Construction then moved to the north side of the facility, and the new north concourse opened there around 2001/2002. (Terminal B, not Terminal A, still has the banjo design.)

I know all that and never said otherwise. I flew in and out of all during those times, many times actually. I even taxied my own T-1 up to terminal A in 2000. All of that above I never contradicted, but thanks for writing it down for us.?!

Fact: When called on this misstatement, rather than admitting error, you tried to back and fill by saying that: "I mean Terminal A's servicing below ground is still in the banjo configuration, " which, of course is not anything at all like what you actually wrote, to-wit: "Terminal A is the last one that is to be redone into "banks" of gates from the current banjo design."

No you simply did not understand and seem to still not understand, I am sorry my first statement confused you, I would type slower if I could HAHA. Terminal A is still being reconstructed into full banks and half of it has the new underground airside servicing while the rest is using the old system. Go read the newest issue of ""Airports" magazine and you can see some pics yourself. You seem to just be focused on what is above ground near the jetways. Well much of the cost of a terminal is actually below ground in the gate servicing and baggage system (some airports do elevate more than others depending on soil and other configuration issues)

Tell me, from your vast knowledge and experience of airport ops, have you ever seen "banks of gates" below ground? ;-)

Yes Atlanta- all of the servicing belts and people walkways are underground, just to name one of literally 100s.

Fact: Terminal A's "servicing below ground" was never in a "banjo configuration." There were no banjo-shaped basements as you suggested. (If you were correct that the underground system was in the banjo configuration, there would surely be four underground compartments, given that there were four banjos.

In your latest response/personal attack, you state that "one full underground compartment is left and half of the other," strongly implying that there were only 2, not 4, underground compartments. What happened to the "basements" under the other two banjos, man?

As a said above, two were dug up when the north side was razed in the late 90s, the south side is yet to be done. If you ever pull into the "70s" RJ gates in Terminal B you can see the construction on the A area to fix it (look west). You work the personal attacks, I just point out the facts. Just because you don't understand doesn't faze me. I've been there, done that and gotten the T-shirt more times than I would care to remember. I've flown more in the last 5 years than you will in your entire life, and that is just a fact- I've seen a few more airside terminals than you have. Next time you fly try and pay attention to it and you will see what I mean. Notice where the tugs park and bag belts, and the food trucks and the ____ trucks etc.

HeightsGuy, Terminal A is supposed to be like servicing all the none skyteam domestic airlines (and Air canada since you clear UScustoms in Canada). Co Connection should pull over to B and the remote stands to the North eventually to Keep CO, KLM, Delta, NW and the skyteam folks happy

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Your humble teacher

You tell a good story, but I'm calling BS on this one. For starters, the inbound and outbound baggage belts were moved to the new bridges when the new north and south concourses were built. For another, the "basements" were never basements underneath the banjos and were never in the banjo configuration. They were merely tunnels (one to each of the north and south sides I believe). Virtually nothing of the original banjo configuration remains at Terminal A.

Well Kid, I really could care less if you call BS or not-facts are facts.

Just for "shits and grins" as someone like you might say, I went down into the bowels of Term A Saturday after flying into IAH and meeting with some execs at Cotinental. DId a little tour and one full underground compartment is left and half of the other (one is partially in use due to diverted funds-mainly AA's). Construction was stopped due to some rain, but should be finished and linked into the new system as noted above.

You basically show you have no idea how any airside of an airport works. The fact you did not even know what ops means tells me that. Sorry kiddo. I am just curious as too why it bugs you? Do you have airport issues?

This is a project being coordinated by Continental, not the City of Houston. Now if only Continental could get the right to manage the concession contracts for Terminals B and C also, because they obviously do a much better job with that than the City does.

COntinental will not get those anytime soon. Terminal B's landside refurb is actually ahead of schedule (something rare in Aviation construction). edit /link

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Seven Continents Down, None to Go

Sorry those of us in the business know the jargon I guess LOL

Yes some of the baggage is run from the old loaders into the central system, which has not been completely refurbed yet, also several of the tug paths run from the old points in the A terminal banjos. Some of the money was redirected to the new 17/35 runway but it is now funded to complete the refurb. Ditto all of B and the full above ground terminal link connection (not to mention the old people mover refurb that will be done). You can kind of see it if you fly out of hte AA gates, you will see tugs drive "out" after servicing the aricraft airside. All of it should be finished "soon" thus getting A up to snuff, even though it si a forgotten terminal in relation to the other Continental babies and INternational ones.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, You better Belize it

yes CE, "Banjos" were a nickname given to the spoke and circle design of early terminals. THey are not popular these days with modern "hub and spoke" airlines (like Continental) they do not allow for easy transfer of equipment, cargo, baggage and people. Houston's terminals are being redesigned as part of the master plan. You can look online for diagrams or in various aviation publicaitons over the last few years, to include the current "Airports" magazine, and FI from October of 05.

H19- OPs is a common aviation term for anything going on at the airside of the terminal, sorry you aren't as familar with such terms they are common in aviation. You cannot understand how the terminal contains more than the building above ground??? If you don't get it sorry, just be happy it is all going to be fixed and allow IAH to be "uber" functional!

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Oklahoma- a native word for trailer park

well I don't know what else to say. Maybe you could think of it like a house having a basement. You move the house, the basement doesn't move unless you dig a new one. If your water heater was in your old basement you need to hook it up to the new location before it works, the same with the baggage loaders, belts, and servicing that was (and still is) in the old config under terminal A. The good news is, even though you don't get it, it will be fixed soon enough, allowing A (along with the new terminal link connection) to be fully integrated with the others terminals. The "banjos" were not suited for hub ops of todays airlines and will go the way of the dodo.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Yankee Air Pirate

THe servicing network of hte airport is partially "buried", as Terminal A was partially reconstructed, funds were diverted away from rearranging all of Terminal A's ops. It is quite a sight, I have toured the entire ops side of IAH on several occasions. American Airlines has been quite vocal in getting A up to full interline service. As for top side as noted above, all the banjos airport wide will be gone by 2010-2012.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, No Honey I don't want to meet your parents

What does that mean?

When A was refurbed the serving docks that link underground were not all updated. It is projected another 4 million will complete A's transformation from Banjos, and 13 mil for B.

Every CO aircraft type flies through Houston, and the 787 shouldn't be any different. Now if we were speaking about the Airbus A380, or even a 747, then that would be different!

True though the Wingleted 757s are normally only based at Neward EWR, with some MX stops at IAH from time to time. CO will not order the 747 anytime soon, but they have optioned their ectra 777 to add int'l expansion.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Veni, Vidi, Bibi

Terminal A's "banjos" were removed several years ago, new concourses were built and the whole terminal was remodeled.

The remaining banjoes are in Terminal B, the interior of which has also been completely remodeled.

The airport system is developing a 20-year master plan for the airfield and terminals at George Bush Intercontinental, in order to handle double the current traffic. The plan will remove the central terminal buildings of Terminals A, B, and C, build a new consolidated central terminal building and new concourses, and connect them all via an a new high-speed underground train (similar to Atlanta's I suppose). It will be done in phases as needed.

Go here to see more:

http://web.houstonairportsystem.org/iahmasterplan/frame.htm

allow me to clarify 19514- I mean Terminal A's servicing below ground is still in the banjo configuration, which is due to be dug up and reworked over the next ~two years. Terminal B's above ground rings will be fixed per the plan as linked and discussed in this month's airports magazine. Terminal B has been reworked to link in to the Continental bag system now. I will be flying into B tomorrow will have to ask a friend who is a manager there if B's underground works have been linked to As yet.

iwill throw in another plug for this month's "Airports" magazine (Barnes and Noble normally has it) which has a good Houston IAH article from pages 62-70

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Watching you from 30,000 feet

There is a great article in this month's "Airports" magazine about IAH and its post 9/11 boom and future expansion plans. While the magazine is pricey at $10USD it is a great 8 page read on IAH with some good photos.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Hermano bebe, que la vida es breve

Terminal A is the last one that is to be redone into "banks" of gates from teh current "banjo" design. Term A is the one that all the "other" non-Continental airlines and partners fly into for domestic (andCanada) flights. It will eventually get "guccied" up

Continental does not have the aircraft to even think about flying to Seoul from Houston at this time, sorry.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Watching you from 30,000 feet

DJ V, I hate to say it, but you're friends are ignorant.  Downtown is the SAFEST district in Houston.  Tell them to look up the stats on HPD's website.  Richmond, on the other hand, is probably the worst, outside of maybe 5th Ward.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

RedScare is correct, Downtown is the safest.

As for the clubs, these things do go in cycles for the various reasons listed above, I would not worry about any longterm problems. If anything it should get better as the weather cools off.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, not all pilots are alcoholics, we don't go to meetings

Houston has been #2 for years-as city proper. Houston has lost several as well, Enron, Compaq, Administaff, American General.

For Metro's I believe Houston is ~4 or 5 behind NYC, Chicago, Bay Area. I'd have to look at my paper copy when I am back in the states.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Yankee Air Pirate

Was in town this morning and tried to go to my favourite the Breakfast Klub and it was closed. I didn't go look at the door though I saw no signs posted. Have the gone to a new schedule? Was this temp? Anyone know?

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Not all pilots are alcoholics, We don't go to meetings

it seems someone ganked my old handle. But I was always Lt AWACS with the rank using a small "t" but that was over 15 months ago. Oh well, as the future mayor of Houston I have to represent

I'm a big fan of the Continental, maybe it is the pilot in me-- but I am not a big fan of neon. (I can see the CO from my frontyard when I am home and it is great IMO).

Leave the flashy neon to Vegas... Tasteful is good.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Delightfully Tacky, Yet Unrefined

as long as it doesn't get to tacky, I say go for it. Oh and it is nice to be posting here again.

Question for LTAWACS, why are you using my old login name?

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Veni, Vidi, Bibi