Reporting to you from somewhere up in the skies!

When I first heard that yours truly was the chosen one to attend the Dodge Challenger launch in New York City I could hardly retain myself. After all, there has been so much hype about the new muscle car from Dodge, and the thought of driving it in the Big Apple, a city that I had not yet visited, just added to the excitement.

I packed my bags several days earlier, as if that would make the days go faster, and although I was told to be at the airport 2 hours prior to the flight I was actually there 3 hours ahead of schedule.

As I boarded the Air Canada plane the excitement was starting to build. Would I have time to visit Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty, and maybe I could take in a show. I've always wanted to see Monty Python's Spamalot on Broadway (I love that bit...It's only a flesh wound!).

Of course, that's when things started to go wrong for me!

An hour and a half sitting on the plane at the loading gate waiting for takeoff started to get me a little concerned. Something to do with bad weather in New York apparently!

Never mind, we finally set off down the runway and the smile crept back onto my face. Of course it didn't last long too because somewhere around Syracuse, the pilot informed us that we'd been put in a holding pattern (whatever that means) and that we were awaiting further information on the weather conditions in New York.

After circling over Syracuse for about an hour (And no, it doesn't look any better from the air!) the pilot came back on the intercom...Unfortunately, even if we were to be allowed to continue on our way we couldn't, because we didn't have enough fuel left.

Come on now mate, I'm going there to test drive the new Dodge Challenger and we all know that you carry a little emergency gas on board. Heck, I might have only dreamt of being a Concorde pilot but I've driven enough cars with the empty light on to know that if you ease off on the happy pedal, we might just make it. Might would do me fine, I'll take the chance, after all, it's the Challenger we're talking about here! Besides, we're up in the air already mate, didn't they teach you how to glide this thing?

It was no use, either the guy wasn't listening to me (don't worry, I'm used to that) or the other passengers safety was somehow clouding his vision. Anyway, about an hour later, there I was back on the ground at Toronto Lester Pearson.

Lovely eh, I'd been sitting on a plane for five hours and was back exactly where I started from. Now I like air travel but not enough to want to indulge in pleasure trips like that!

It then got even better...We were told to deplane, and I quote, try to find ourselves some alternative flights!

Yes, yours truly and the several other planeloads of passengers whose flights had been canceled. Of course, they had plenty of opportunity to rebook as they were already on the ground. Me? I now had as much chance of finding an empty seat to New York as I did of becoming the next Pope!

Finally, after endless hours of standing around the ticket desk waiting for an Air Canada manager (who never did materialize) I received a call on my cell phone informing me that I was definitely confirmed on a flight out in the morning (maybe the fact that Chrysler spends a lot of money with AC had something to do with that result).

The next morning after only two hours shuteye I passed the hordes of people sleeping on the chairs in the departure lounge, many of whom would be lucky if they got a flight at all that day, and headed for the gate.

On my way at last, but the next time I'm off to something this important, I might try Biggles Airways...You know, the one with the half drunk pilot who says "No problem mate, I've flown in force nine hurricanes with only vapors left in the tank"!!!

Seriously though, Air Canada did do their best to overcome the problem and with a bit of luck (fingers and toes crossed) I'll be bringing you all the news on the 09 Dodge Challenger