Alaska Airlines flight 9370y departed from gate four at the Santa Barbara Airport just before 9 a.m. on March 2. For this flight, passengers experienced the routine boarding process — they scanned their tickets, found their seats, and stowed their items under the chair in front of them. They listened to the flight attendants go over safety measures as they recognized the unmistakable feeling of the plane propelling forward and leaving the gate. Except this plane wouldn’t be leaving the ground.
The Santa Barbara Airport partnered with Alaska Airlines and Alpha Resource Center to host a flight simulation before this year’s Plane Pull. On the morning of the third annual Plane Pull event, Alpha Resource Center families and other personnel participated in the unique experience.
The event captured the essence of a traditional airport experience, complete with check-in, security, and boarding announcements, all without the actual flight. The airport chose to organize the event early in the morning, given that the airport is usually not busy at this time, an airport worker told me.