You'll Love The Way We Fly ... Paused for 24 Hours

This was supposed to be a feature post about Delta Air Lines and their 2026 Milan Cortina Livery employee and media event held at their ATL TechOpps Hanger on Jan. 8.

And it still is -- see below for details on this spectacular aircraft, the custom Airbus A350, branded for Team USA and striped with 26 lines for this year's Winter Olympiad.

Meanwhile, I'm typing this post from Gate E11 at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, not far from Gate E3, where last night (30 Jan) we boarded for a flight to Amsterdam, my connection to Milan Linate airport. 

All was on time. In fact, things were looking up considering the threat of snow that encouraged and enabled departure one-day earlier than planned. On 29 Jan, after two hours on hold to respond by phone to the weather rebooking prompt, Delta seemingly had me all set. I was happy.

Around 8:20 last evening, right on time, we pulled out from the gate. But 10 minutes later, and over the course of the next 2.5 hours, the following announcements aired from the cockpit to passengers:

• 8:30 p.m.: Sorry, folks. This is your captain -- we need to return to the gate to pick up a pilot supposed to ride to Amsterdam to bring back a different plane [???WTF???]
• 9:15 p.m.: OK, our guest passenger pilots (now plural) are now on board (from my seat, no one boarded the plane).  We'll be on our way shortly. (We pushed back from the gate again)
• 9:40 p.m. (after idling by the runway): Sorry, folks. We have a mechanical issue and have to return to the gate
• 10:15 p.m.: We should be ready to go shortly. (Delta app affirms, but states new takeoff at 11:15)
• 10:45 p.m.: Sorry again, folks. But because I flew earlier today, my time to pilot this flight has closed. So, we're now awaiting a new pilot. They also updated the mechanical issue, still being addressed 
• 11:15 p.m.: Sorry again, this flight has been cancelled

Sparing you, dear reader, the customer service counter and app-infused rigmarole, fortunately, by midnight I was rebooked for a new flight today, which boards in about 20 minutes. And more good news, my checked bag with 24 days of laundry is also rebooked for the new flight. Though a free hotel room offer, meal vouchers and eventual reimbursement for another round of local Ubers and taxis, I'll have to duke it out with travel insurance reps for other cancellation and delay expenses. 

Though it was disappointing to lose a potential extra day in Milan, I am relieved that even with snow flurries out the window, the wintry mix does not seem to be sticking, so we may actually take off today. Fingers crossed. Happy again with a dose of anxious.

Now, about that 2026 Livery ceremony: Delta unveiled the aircraft and their sponsorship roster of Team USA brand rep athletes at the 100 Days to Games milestone in October. The A350 is a gorgeous flying machine inside and out, with several accoutrements that are new, such as fresh color schemes and new whiz-bang tech for the front-of-plane VIP seating. On the media tour, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's airline reporter captured some of the details in her report. 

Employees at the ceremony and I enjoyed remarks from Paralympic Champion Amy Purdy (see photos). I'll add a video of our conversation soon. Gotta board!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver. Logo via Delta. 

Speedskating Into 2026 With U.S. Olympic Trials

Just days after ringing in 2026, U.S. Speedskating hosted the long track Team USA Olympic Trials at The Pettit National Ice Center in the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis. 

Nestled beside the snow-covered Wisconsin State Fair Park, The Pettit sold out three of the four competition dates Jan. 2 to 5, with thousands of fans -- including multiple Olympic champions who reside and coach locally -- in attendance.

Though I previously attended Olympic speed skating (domestically it's one word but in the IOC world it's two) starting with Salt Lake 2002 then again at Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014, and though my first visits to The Pettit spanned early 1995 through 2015, the 2026 gathering was my first Olympic Trials. 

It was also the first time with media access thanks to Kevin Butler of The Pettit and Alysha Rummler of U.S. Speedskating's media team, who hosted several dozen reporters including WTMJ-TV and crews from Chicago, USA Today, The Athletic, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and NPR affiliates. 

A typical reporting session involved:

• Viewing the races from grandstand seating or standing room credential-access sections on the ends of the skating oval
• Keeping an eye on the top finishers to wrap up their national NBC interviews and change out of their skates in the center of the venue
• Hustling to the under-track maze of corridors, locker rooms and workout spaces to the "mixed zone" at which athlete:media conversations took place in short post-race or post-ceremony intervals

In no particular order, Olympian interviews took place with Erin Jackson, Brittany Bowe, Jordan Stolz and Conor McDermott-Mostowy, who each entered the trials as favorites. 

Surprise conversations also took place with newly-designated Olympians, most notably Greta Myers, who became the buzz of the Trials when she crossed over too close to Bowe on one of the last straightaways in their 1500 race, forcing a disqualification while creating an opportunity to race again for an Olympic spot. 

Though skating solo and exhausted from the original race only an hour earlier, Myers finished with a faster time to seal her Milan Cortina travels. Here's one of the athlete conversations: 

The full U.S. Speedskating roster for Italy is available with bios here. 

At one point over the weekend, I spotted Olympic champion Shani Davis speaking with NBC's reporting team. Later near the merch tables, he shared a few stories from his Olympic experiences (we had previously crossed paths at a restaurant near the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Village at that Games) and we talked pin collecting, an aspect of the athlete experience he seemed to appreciate. Nice guy! 

With only minutes to spare before my Jan. 5 sprint to rental car return and fly home from Mitchell Field MKE, my all-time favorite skater Bonnie Blair -- who resides not far my ex-girlfriend's home in Delafield, Wis. -- shared a few minutes about skating at the Olympic Trials in Milwaukee when the ice oval was outdoors (BRRRRR) circa 1988. 

Inspired by the Team USA Trials, I secured tickets to three of the speedskating finals (so far) in Milan, where its reported the Americans have a shot at sharing the podium with Team Netherlands and their entourage including Femke Kok (the ice answer to my other favorite Femke). 

See you soon at Milano Speed Skating Stadium!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver