[4K] - Inaugural Flight - United Airlines - Airbus A321-271NX - IAH-ORD - N44501 - UA321 - IFS 796

[@sla31]

On Thursday I flew on United's brand new Airbus A321-200NX on its inaugural fight from Houston to Chicago! As always, even though it was raining and dark, I filmed the whole thing in 4K 60fps so you too can enjoy the historic flight. N44501 was the first Airbus aircraft United has taken delivery of in 21 years and marks a new era for the airline. The aircraft not only introduces new Airbus aircraft for the first time in two decades, but the onboard product is a major step up in every class. It is easily United’s best domestic product now, and maybe even the best overall domestic product for any US airline. Now, I invite you to join me on United Airlines flight 321, inaugural Airbus A321-200NX service, from Houston’s Intercontinental airport to Chicago’s O’Hare airport! One other note that I'll add. This was a bit of an unusual inaugural flight. United scheduled it at night, and held a large event for media hours before the flight. So, even though I arrived at IAH 5 hours before the flight, all of the celebration and pomp and circumstance had already concluded. And it was an invitation only event anyway, so even if I arrived even earlier I wouldn't have been allowed in. Then, there was really no special ceremonies or anything for the actual flight. Now, I did contact United ahead of time and tried to get access to the media event and my request was declined. Which is fine, United can invite who they want, but since they didn’t really do anything specifically for the actual flight, I just wanted you all to know that I tried to get access to that to event to be able to show you all of the speeches and fun. Regardless, their new A321NX is a beautiful plane on the outside and inside, and I am very much looking forward to sharing more Untied A321NX flights with you all in the future! Enjoy!

[@z90777]

Dang first time in 2 decades is amazing

[@sla31]

@@z90777 as a person who typically prefers flying Airbus over Boeing I am so excited for this! I grew up flying on their A319's our to Tula and Wichita and I still fly those all these years later. Now, the A321NEO is here and it's their best domestic product, hand down!

[@sintjagolwicianolwindomar6911]

I.m Like You Video Brand New A321Neo United Airlines inaugural flight

[@sintjagolwicianolwindomar6911]

​@@sla31I.m like you video

[@sintjagolwicianolwindomar6911]

Wow❤❤❤

[@deltafox757]

With a huge fleet of 320s and 319s, I always felt the A321 was missing in United's fleet. Finally they've taken delivery of it in the NEO form!

[@ysfsim]

Its only because the 757 is getting near retirement age and they needed a replacement

[@deltafox757]

@@ysfsim only the -200s though! The 757-300s are staying.

[@bekirbadem3101]

Wow!! The a321N United is soooo gorgeous!! I’m in love. Also the video is amazing! Fav part was the pushback, taxi and the takeoff during these rain and light effects

[@sla31]

I'm glad you enjoyed that part my friend. Filming in those conditions (raining and losing light fast) is WAY harder than people think. It is not easy haha.

[@Mostopinionatedmanofalltime]

One of the things I love most about flying is when the weather is crummy on the ground; rain, snow; and then you get up high and break through the clouds and everything is clear and peaceful 😌

[@2arizona1990]

Breaking out of the clouds around 29 minutes was fabulous!!

[@l1a_ofc]

These planes are absolutely beautiful. Regularly flew on them from MIA - ORD on American, but havent since moving out of Miami. Glad that United is getting some more, they're amazing!!

[@forester333]

you killed it with this one, fantastic shot as the UA321 breaks out of weather to gorgeous clouds.

[@sla31]

I'm glad you enjoyed it my friend! Thanks for watching!

[@BrianRea-w4p]

Awesome video SP! Night landings in the big cities is always cool! Thanks for your hard work!

[@sla31]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@mikewei5007]

Absolutely stunning when the plane crossing the cloud and see the sun light🎉

[@danieleregoli812]

Beautiful bird, inside and out! Sooooo smooth & quiet!!

[@AnilJacobs]

This evening flight was so awesome especially the take-offs and landing. Luved it, thx!

[@ATLFLIGHTS]

28:33 god dang that a321NX be sounding like an a350. I did not expect that.

[@ORS142k]

I actually never knew United never had an A321! You are so lucky to be on this flight!

[@sla31]

Well, they only have one so far haha. Many more on order though. This is the first Airbus aircraft they've taken delivery of new for 21 years.

[@EricHouserecho1284]

I enjoyed this thank you 🙏 I flew from Newark, NJ yesterday home to Charlotte on United’s A319 and I enjoyed it so much! One of my favorite flights ever. First time I flew on the A319

[@sla31]

Glad you enjoyed it! I'm glad you enjoyed your flight too!

[@CubeAtlantic]

Those Airbus aircrafts are legit relaxin' & good :D

[@JoshuasPHXAviation]

Very stunning Skylite👍. Liked and enjoyed.

[@sla31]

Glad you enjoyed it my friend!

[@idxluaviation]

Amazing flight! I was also on it and have just posted the trip report for it! Awesome video!

[@sla31]

Glad you enjoyed it my friend. I hope you enjoyed your first inaugural flight!

[@idxluaviation]

@@sla31 it was awesome and although I didn’t talk to you personally it’s cool to see others videos 😎

[@Warcrazyness]

37:50 I love that deep orange-red sunset colours

[@sla31]

I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the light would be all gone by the time we punched through the clouds.

[@scottbridge9391]

Wow... beautiful twilight skies there. Anyhow, brace yourself. We're about to be totally firehosed by an atmospheric river here. Batten down the hatches!! Secure all lines! And keep your seatbelt securely fastened and follow all instructions given by the captain.

[@KogureDevilchan]

28:52 You can see the wing shadow on the clouds and from that moment onward, it's a nice view.

[@moonza2201]

Love it. Thank you.

[@asafblasbergvideographer]

Those IFE screens look beautiful!

[@sla31]

They're very nice and even feature bluetooth so you can connect your own bluetooth headphones.

[@asafblasbergvideographer]

@@sla31 Great!

[@FlywithAbdul]

Mennnnn the light effects oh myyyy👑

[@sla31]

Thanks for watching my friend!

[@jo.frmva1]

W!! I been to that gate once also! At IAH!

[@BrandonHenderson-n8f]

Awsome vedio! I cannot wait until this aircraft flies to dulles

[@sla31]

I'm glad you enjoyed it my friend. It's a really great domestic product!

[@rixxy9204]

Crazy to think that not many years ago, a flight like this would have been impossible.

[@CraZy291]

The Captain seemed so excited

[@sla31]

So was the guy who hit his call button 500 times 😂. Seriously though, you could tell this Captain loves his job an was really honored to operate Untied's first A321NEO flight. How cool, and Captain, if you ever see this video and comment. Job well done!

[@CraZy291]

@@sla31 That guy was you, confess it 😂

[@sla31]

Haha, no. See I don't want the call button going off 500 times because it's obnoxious for the video haha 😂.

[@MrBogert]

@@sla31Thanks for putting this together, amazing video. It’s the Captain that flew this inaugural and you’re right…I very much enjoy flying, especially as an Airbus Captain for United. Been waiting for the NEO, it’s a great jet for pilots, F/As and pax’s. Go Bus!

[@sla31]

⁠@@MrBogertglad you the video my friend! I also took UA321 the next morning to Phoenix as I wanted to film a daytime flight too. So that one is coming up on the channel too. The views into Phoenix on that one were spectacular! You know, I was a kid in the 90’s when the original A319’s and A320’s were delivered to UA, and as a 12-year-old who was fully engulfed by a love for aviation already, I thought the new Airbuses were amazing compared to the old 737-300/500’s we usually flew on. I still remember the first flight we took as a family on N805UA from DEN-LAX in the old battleship colors. So even as an adult today, I still felt like a kid on a new Airbus again on this trip. I’m glad United has awesome pilots like yourself who share that love and passion for aviation! I’m with you! Team Airbus all the way 😁.

[@Roboseal2]

Its... Beautiful... Sounds are quiet and it looks so smooth and new. Side note how are you at Houston where it is very quiet? When I am there there are always a TON of people (mostly international flights to Europe) and the internet is not very good. Also I was just at that gate a few days ago.

[@sla31]

A Thursday between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was a pretty light travel day across the country. I had the whole row on both of my Southwest flights from TUL-DAL-IAH. That's all. Just a less busy day travel wise.

[@NovejSpeed3]

I haven't even finished your around the world flight but I knew you'd be on this one. I almost pulled the trigger on getting on this flight but. I didnt like any of the seats that remained. Turns out SOMEBODY took one of the seats i was looking to get. I forgive him because he just posted the experience here! 😂 Fantatic as always!!! Edit so in your opinion who has the best 321Neo product amongst the domestics?

[@sla31]

Haha my bad 😂. And I still have four flights from the ATW trip to still post haha. As for the best NEO, you can easily eliminate Spirit, Frontier, and American 😂. Hawaiian is nice, and I actually haven't flown on Delta's or JetBlue's. Believe it or not. However, from what I've heard from others, United's seems to take the edge on most categories. So, personally of the ones I've flown Untied easily wins. And it sounds like it still wins even compared to Delta and JetBlue according to others.

[@NovejSpeed3]

@@sla31 that's why I ask. Just based on what I see in vids I really like this United setup. Yeah that is surprising you haven't flown on DAL or JBUs. Your slacking man! 🤣

[@sla31]

@@NovejSpeed3 😂

[@ritupandeyprasad]

no around of applause

[@sla31]

Not when it landed. There was earlier in the video after the captions speech.

[@Sammysaviation]

Amazing!

[@piplotfs]

Always excited for United to get this plane and here it is! Truly magnificent. By the way, how do you get such a stable mount? Just wondering because I have to hold my camera lol

[@sla31]

Well, I can't help yo there my friend. I don't use mounts. I hold the camera by hand.

[@piplotfs]

You just have sheer talent i guess@@sla31

[@SaagarShivsaiKhandrika]

Thank you so much for uploading the video 😊😅😂🎉❤❤and what is your next flight video?

[@sla31]

The next flight I'm posting is the next segment of my around the world trip on British Airways from London to Dublin.

[@hunteranddajman2]

Oh wow, those Pratt & Whitney engines are so new they don’t make the whale noise hehehe

[@skyeye787]

Does the Iphone 14 pro really take such high quality night videos???

[@sla31]

It sure does. Everything you see on my channel has been filmed with iPhones.

[@mbilly710]

Skylite Productions Amazing Video On June 2nd 2024 Delta Airlines return to SBA with SLC as a returning route and ATL as a brand new route . The aircraft type is the A220 they will be operating those routes out of SBA. I hope you do a trip report on Delta Inagural Flight from SBA to ATL

[@sla31]

Well, I'll keep it in mind my friend!

[@farr5431]

Good about time some new blood get in there N417UA was delivered to United in 1994 and is flying to PUERTO VALLARTA today 12/22/23!

[@Odontomango]

Boarding in 70 minutes -> 69 Minutes. 1:08 Giggity.

[@sla31]

😂

[@mikeperdomo2108]

Hey Skylite Productions Have A Wonderful And Safe Flight Got Love The New United Airlines Airbus A321-271NX Aka Neo Also Got The Love The Thruster Verderese

[@jamestommy9812]

Do you record these with your hand whole entire time?😭

[@sla31]

Yes, I do. Mounts transfer too many vibrations into the lens of the camera.

[@zfrlax76]

Amazing

[@sla31]

Glad you enjoyed it my friend!

[@JustinPinedaMedia]

8:22 - Man’s voice saying the name of the aircraft.

[@sla31]

Well caught my friend. Thanks for watching!

[@ProCodeGaming]

At least you weren't on Ryanair in Seat 11A

[@ysfsim]

Its sounds as if they took the LEAP engines instead of the PW

[@TenMinuteTrips]

United aircraft 4501 uses Pratt and Whitney PW 1000 GTF series, geared-fan engines.

[@austinbatchelor29]

Feels like the right video to ask, skylite you prefer the 737 Max or A320Neo family? I've only had the chance to fly a 737 Max and not the A320Neo series due to living in Western Canada, A320Neo series seems nicer.

[@sla31]

I prefer both the A320CEO and NEO families over the Max and NG 737 families. The A320 series has a wider cabin, which means every seat and the aisle all have 1 more inch of space. That doesn't seem like much, but when airlines are now using 737's to fly 5-7 hour flights... I'll take the A320NEO series please haha.

[@danka2000]

I looked up the tail number and this exact aircraft today Dec 2nd and tomorrow Dec 3rd will be flying between Phoenix and Chicago. I live in Phoenix, AZ.

[@sla31]

Yes, it's the only one in service so far, and it only operating that one route for now. I believe LAS, FLL, MCO, and RSW are the next cities to receive it once more come online.

[@ksbear2]

nice looking plane, even if it is United. I was amused by the fact that the flight number was UA321 to match the plane. But they had to bring you into O'Hare on the southernmost runway and then take you around the west side to get to the north part of Terminal 1. That was quite the journey on the ground.

[@sla31]

Right? I was like, good I don’t have to hold the camera for much longer…. Three hours later 😳 😂

[@heatherstub]

Hahaha. It was a bit lengthy. @@sla31

[@maplemanz]

I wish that Airbus would certify a higher service ceiling.

[@jonathanstarling1082]

Is this a new plane?

[@sla31]

Yes, this was it's first revenue flight and it's the first Airbus A321NEO in United's fleet.

[@jonathanstarling1082]

@@sla31 does American have one too? What the difference between a regular A321 and the neo?

[@johnfenlon458]

Wow inside Blue lights. It looks like JetBlue.. I think that United wants a copy from JetBlue.. 👍🙏🤟

[@sla31]

To be fair, United’s main color for their cabins and aircraft has been blue since like 2003.

[@jsapyta]

No atc comms?

[@sla31]

No, my videos only include what you would see/hear if you were looking out the window yourself. Thanks for watching!

[@jsapyta]

@@sla31oh ok, Well UAL has it on channel 9 onboard.

[@sla31]

@@jsapyta at least historically they do. I could not find it on this aircraft. Either way, most people don’t even know that, and my videos are intended to be as pure as possible, so I wouldn’t add it even if this plane did have it. Thanks for watching!

[@sherlocked6769]

Why is the reverse thrust not opened when the olane landed ?

[@sla31]

They were. You can see the engine panel open, accompanied by a load roar, right after touchdown. You can then see the engine panel close again. Thanks for watching!

[@sherlocked6769]

@@sla31now i saw it. It was not clear at first thanks

[@pipeman4707]

That was a long taxi

[@sla31]

Yes, yes it was haha.

[@boeing737d]

did you fly over KTUL??

[@sla31]

We didn't fly directly over. We flew to the east of Tulsa and passed by as we were over Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

[@boeing737d]

@@sla31 nice! It’s hard to tell at night. I wasn’t on the flight cuz I I would’ve used FlightAware to tell me exactly where the line goes over or pass by.

[@robertkobrick4634]

Did United use their new boarding process.....window seats first, then middle seats, then aisle?

[@sla31]

I’m honestly not sure. I have Gold status with United so I have group 1 boarding regardless

[@RoadsOfAsiaBen]

Great fly! Does your iPhone gets overheat when recording you are long video?

[@sla31]

No, because with years of practice, I've been able to mitigate that and keep it from happening. But, it certainly can if you don't know what to do to help keep it cool.

[@kayciwittl]

@@sla31 What do you do to avoid that ? Because I film videos like you with a 14pro and it overheats quickly when I face the sun.

[@sla31]

@@kayciwittl I don’t face the sun haha. I specifically pick seats that will be on the non-sun side. The iPhone can handle the heat for 20 minutes or so. So even if you get some sun when you taxi and takeoff, you know what direction the plane is going to point once in the air. You can pretty easily avoid the sun at that point by simply picking a seat on that side of the plane

[@kayciwittl]

@@sla31 okey I also do what you du but sometimes only the landing and the takeoff don’t face the sun so I still choose to face the sun during the cruise. 😂

[@Anormalrandom]

You know flight sims are getting crazy when I’m thinking the thumbnail was from a FS 💀

[@sla31]

Sims are getting incredibly good now. But nothing but real flights on here my friend. Thanks for watching!

[@sintjagolwicianolwindomar6911]

A321neo A321NX

[@sla31]

A beautiful airplane, isn't it?

[@brianmcneil1194]

It never seems to amaze me that Air Traffic Controllers land the plane on the farthest runway, and it takes forever to taxi to the terminal.

[@sla31]

Not only that, but they took us all the way around the the other side of the airport to enter the alley haha.

[@artheriford]

Every flight I have been on into ORD the last 3 years has landed on 27L. Without fail

[@millennialaviation]

I actually like long taxis when you’re close to a runway lol you get to plane spot on a plane

[@OxnardRailfanner69]

Since when did united have a321’s

[@sla31]

Since the day this was posted. They put their first A321NEO into service on November 30, 2023.

[@zms8092]

He said original Airbus was 21 years ago - he meant 31 years ago 😂

[@sla31]

Well it depends on exactly what he meant. If he meant when the accepted their first Airbus, that would be closer to 31 years ago. If he meant when they last accepted a brand new Airbus, is much closer to 21 years ago. Not exactly sure which one he meant to refer to.

[@Liam-m2s8v]

Sp you didn’t said is a neo

[@sla31]

I did, that's what the N is for in A321-271NX. It's an A321-200 NEO with the eXtra window plug exit. It's official designation is A321-271NX.

[@LD.GeographyEdits]

first comment

[@sla31]

Thanks for watching my friend! Enjoy it!

[@SaagarShivsaiKhandrika]

Thank you so much for uploading the video 😊😅😂🎉❤❤ and what is your next flight video?

[@sla31]

@@SaagarShivsaiKhandrika Well, my next flight video to post will be the continuation of my around the world trip. We are currently in London and will be flying over to Dublin on British Airways.

[@nasheetaicecreamfan]

i kinda like delta a321neo more tho tbh

[@sla31]

Well, I haven't been on Delta's A321NEO yet, but there were quite a few people on this flight that have been and most of them said United's was better, but that can be subjective.

[@aritzoo.a]

Beautiful engine sound! I guess it was a derated takeoff, at 28:32 it's clear how they increased thrust.

[@jontran4119]

Beautiful red sky background when the plane cleared above the cloud. Always enjoyed your videos. 🛫🛫🛫

[@sla31]

Glad you enjoy them my friend!

[@rowen_travels]

No vulcan howling on this flight. Is there a fix to the PW 1100G to prevent this, or was the captain careful with the throttle?

[@sla31]

That is a good question, that I don't know the answer for. So hopefully someone else who does know will see this.

[@Smurdle450]

This is by no means scientific, But I've noticed that at least with the PW1100G, the whale call seems to only become an issue as the engine ages. I havent seen examples of a brand new aircraft or engine making the sound. This is the opposite of the 1500G which seems to do it right out of the gate.

[@AlexanderTheSimmer]

Amazing New Aircraft, I am so Excited, I wonder if I could get to fly in it for the 1st time. It's Cool, and it has IFEs compared to the New Boeing 737 Max from United Airlines.

[@harrymallory7963]

Yep. Thats O'Hare. Thats why you use the restroom before the top of descent because youre going to spend another hour getting from the runway to the gate.

[@sla31]

Yup; ORD, where the taxi time is often longer than the flight. 😂

[@MajorTom.]

Was looking forward to this one! Love it!

[@sla31]

Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching my friend!

[@BluestreakAviation]

Amazing vid as always! I also had some more questions about your full flight filming lol. So I know you use the phone for it all, but for those longer flights especially, do you have another external battery you plug in? And also, how many gigs does one of these 3 hour's ish videos take lol? Im planning on doing some full flight videos of myself, I appreciate all the tips you've given :)

[@sla31]

I'm glad you enjoyed it my friend. Yes, I travel with two 20,000 mAh portable batteries. Both are capable of charging an iPhone around 7 times over. Otherwise, filming at 4K 60fps would run the battery down in like 40 minutes. Then I travel with two iPhones that I use exclusively for the channel. I don't use them as phones or for anything else. They are both 1TB iPhones, so I have 2TB on every trip I take. I also travel with my MacBook Pro, which has a 1TB SSD, so i can transfer to that if needed.

[@BluestreakAviation]

@@sla31 Holy moly lol. Looks like my 128g phone aint gonna cut it lol

[@sla31]

@@BluestreakAviation not at 4K haha.

[@mbilly710]

Skylite Productions I have a question do you think you will fly on another United A321 NEO in the future?

[@sla31]

Well, I've already flown on it 3 times and it's only been in service for 3 days, so yes I'm sure I will haha.

[@ryandoe9278]

Crazy that this was recorded on an iPhone.

[@ricardos4257]

Great video!! I will be flying aboard the A321NEO from ORD-LAX in October

[@sla31]

I hope you have a great flight when it comes around my friend! Thanks for watching!

[@Tlcinsrq]

Love the climb out, loved the landing. What a sweet new plane. Great video, as always. Thank you.

[@marcinmarcinkiewicz2463]

Greetings from Poland. I love a saund of plane engine. You doing a great job. Dont stop it. Have You safe fly!!

[@sla31]

Thanks my friend! Plenty more on the way!

[@maxsaviation9512]

Unfortunately they haven’t fixed the problem with gross food or the cabin crew/airport staff

[@sla31]

Honestly, I feel like I've heard more good things about United's food recently then bad.

[@cousinsworld5380]

I'm in a phase right now where I binge watch flight videos. And your one of the channels I watch. Good quailty stuff. I like flying. Keep up the good work :>

[@sla31]

I'm glad you are enjoying them my friend. You're always welcome on my flights! 😁

[@sandyd4680]

Something so cool about night flights. This was special!

[@rayleo9697]

Finally bigger windows on an Airbus!

[@petercole8798]

Excellent vid great job.. A+ NOW WE NEED A NEW NIGHT FLIGHT TO LAS VEGAS 2023..24 LOVE NIGHT FLIGHTS ✈️ .

[@sla31]

Glad you enjoyed it my friend! Soon, United will be running the A321 to LAS from ORD.

[@Kreemerz]

Did he say NEO?

[@sla31]

Lol, yes he did. And it caused a storm of dinging haha.

[@nikp7706]

i wanna see a slight forward, not in to back...

[@sla31]

This is also my as far forward as you can get without being in first. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@ModoPlayzERLC]

I will be flying on this in February to MCO from Chicago I can’t wait

[@sla31]

You'll have a great time my friend. It's definitely United's best domestic product at this point, and it's in the running for the best of any US domestic airline product. Thanks for watching!

[@p-rockl8224]

Very smooth landing

[@Micahramsey]

🎉 FINALLY 🎉

[@simachakraborti8985]

Beautiful landing 👌 nice views 👌 👍, enjoyable trip, thanks.

[@sla31]

Glad you enjoyed it my friend!

[@mason3226]

Sounds much quieter than the usual a321

[@aeroman5239]

Pratt GTF - the fan runs at a slower, more-optimal/efficient speed due to the gearbox, and thus, it produces minimal "buzzsaw" noise compared to the CFM56 or V2500 engines.

[@capt.jessiedemore2884]

being there that day was soo cool

[@GarlandTexasSpotter2024]

what’s the difference between A321NX and A321neo? Is NX the higher density version of it?

[@sla31]

Yes, the A321-200N is like what Hawaiian Airlines operates. It has two full size door exits on each side of the wing. The A321-200NX is the high density version where the two forward wing doors are replaced with overing exit plugs.

[@GarlandTexasSpotter2024]

@@sla31 Thank you very much, hopefully this beautiful bird flies to EWR, LAX, MEX and my home airport DFW!

[@sla31]

@@GarlandTexasSpotter2024 I'm sure it will once they start to get more in the fleet.

[@GarlandTexasSpotter2024]

⁠@@sla31That’s what I’m saying, Already the their 2nd A321neo took its delivery flight a few days ago. The 3rd is expected to come in February or January. The A321XLR’s Are coming in 2024 and their 737 Max 10’s are coming in 2025 or 2026, and their Airbus A350’s are coming in a whopping 2029 aswell as their 787’s. Soon United is going have the largest aircraft feet in the world. Hopefully they might get the smaller A320neo and E190E2’s for the UA Express Fleet.

[@sla31]

@DallasFlightsandSpotting2023 well, with current contracts they won't ever add anything like E190E2's or A320's to any of their regional feeder network. The mainline Untied pilots scope clauses won't allow it. They hold too many passengers. But, I'm still sure the NEO's will be on some of those routes soon.

[@willamisbezerra6970]

Magnífico Parabéns 🇧🇷💚👍🏻

[@sla31]

Thanks for watching my friend!

[@nasheetaicecreamfan]

and if this was the 1st flight of the day would have been much better than at night cmon united!

[@sla31]

Yeah, I'm not really sure why they decided to move it from a 9:00am flight to a 5:30pm flight, but it is what it is haha.

[@TenMinuteTrips]

Were it not for the significance of this flight to Chicago on this particular aircraft, no one would have noticed the change or known that at major hub airports like ORD and IAH, airplanes get swapped all the time, due mostly to maintenance issues that haven’t been resolved prior to scheduled flight time. 4501 has been on shakedown and media blitz flights for the past few weeks, including an ETOPS certification flight to Honolulu. While in San Francisco, it flew around the Bay during the recent APEC economic meeting. I’m glad that you got to fly on the new airplane on its first revenue flight. Thanks for sharing.

[@usmann6872]

Amazing quality content!

[@sla31]

I'm glad you think so my friend. Thanks for watching!

[@Liam-m2s8v]

Sp you didn’t said is a Neois a a321NEO!

[@sla31]

A321NEO is just the marketing name for the aircraft. The official designation is A321-271NX and the "N" in the designation denotes that it's a NEO.

[@heatherstub]

Hey there. Great video, but it sounds a bit muffled, and it's slightly off balance. The left side is a little louder than the right speaker. It's not my headphones or computer either. Sorry about that. I love the pilot and his hilarious demonstration of the call button! This is also the first time I've heard the A321 Neo, and what a sound! It's similar to the A320 Neo, but it seems a little quicker with the startup. The sound clears up shortly before takeoff. What a quiet plane! I'd really love to fly aboard this one!

[@sla31]

This video was filmed with the same microphone and settings as I always use. I think I remember us discussing this before on another video, although I don't remember which one it was. I film everything in stereo audio, which means there's always going to be a difference between the left and right speakers. This changes based on where I'm sitting on the plane and what side of the plane I'm sitting on. In this case, I'm directly in line with the left engine which means the engine noise that is being captured by the microphone is just feet away. Meanwhile the engine on the right side is 12 feet or more away from me. This is also a brand new A321NEO which is incredibly quiet. So, the difference between the left and right side is amplified more compared to older aircraft where the engines were so loud it didn't matter where you sat, you were being bombarded by a lot of sound. So, you're hearing it the way it's intended to be heard, which is the same as it would be if you were on the plane. You would hear the roar much loaded in your left ear being only a couple of feet away from the engine, vs the right side which has 5 other people, 8 feet of cabin/air, and another 3 feet to the other engine. Now, if I recorded in mono sound, then it would equalize between both sides, but that is not realistic to what you would experience on the plane. Also, and this may have contributed as well, but only one engine was running for a good portion of our taxi, I don't remember which one, but that would vastly change the output on each side as well. Thanks for watching my friend!

[@heatherstub]

I've been able to tell the difference when you're nearer to one engine or another since you got the iPhone 11. What I'm referring to is a slight imbalance between the speakers even when the fans are on and the service engines are running. I remember mentioning this at one time and thought that perhaps one of the mics needed to be cleaned which you took care of, and it workked. I also check my headphones and speakers just in case something is off balance and adjust things accordingly if needed. I also had my hearing checked along with my ears, and I keep them clean as much as possible, since I depend so much on it. Please forgive me, because I can tell even when i'm on a plane or other vehicles whether the engines are in the back or closer to the front. I also totally understand where you're coming from. You and I have very high standards, so please forgive me if I've offended you in any way. You know I'll continue to support you, because I believe you've got the best@@sla31 full flight videos here on KZbin by far. Thank you so much for all you're doing, and keep up the great work.

[@sla31]

@@heatherstub no, you didn’t offend me my friend. I was simply trying to explain what I thought was causing what you were talking about. I will certainly check my cameras, but since that previous conversation I pretty much clean the mic ports before every trip. So I’m not sure that’s the same issue this time. That said, this was filmed with the same camera and case combo as every other flight this year. So perhaps it was a one time thing.

[@heatherstub]

Oh thank you so much. No worries. This was such a fantastic flight, and all is good. @@sla31

[@mxthunder2]

great upload TY

[@sla31]

My pleasure my friend. I'm always happy to take everyone along with me! Thanks for watching!

[@PikaMatt07]

No water salute into O'Hare?

[@sla31]

No, with cold rain and the chance for winter precipitation later that night, I imagine they decided against it to not add more water to the ramp and plane.

[@PikaMatt07]

thats a good reason@@sla31

[@nikolauswolff5791]

Straight from Mobile Alabama. Nice aircraft. 1st of 50.

[@sla31]

You left a 1 off the front of your 50 my friend 😉. Actually, I think it's 130. I think you may be thinking of their order for 50 A321XLR's. Together with their NX and the XLR orders I think they have almost 200 A321's on order. Thanks for watching my friend!

[@nikolauswolff5791]

@@sla31 🤭