I remember my days on the 757. Glance down at the screens every so often. Hit the print button if I wanted something in front of me. Got a descent restriction? Type it in.

You can't even think about being that casual on the -9. So, yes, not having something to write on is a pain. But that truly is a minor point relative to all the other crap I went through. Like the gate agent who handed me a final WDR (unrequested) about two minutes before push. I asked where the preliminary was and she said she didn't know what that was, but would have to go find a supervisor who could show her how to print one.

Why can't we get that thing with the rest of our papers at the gate? What's so special about it that there has to be a formal exchange of papers just before the door closes? Or the fueler who put 1,000# extra gas on us and apparently never entered it into the system. Can we update the fuel figure from ACARS? No. And you don't discover the incorrect figures are being used until the final numbers come across after the door is closed. PITA.

NWA system: Enter fuel on board. Enter runway. Flip to appropriate takeoff weight card. Done.

I'm really not a a negative guy. I also don't espouse MGL as the be-all and end-all. MGL pre-dates me at NWA, so it is at least 15+ years old. I hope that when Delta finally gets around to upgrading their technology they don't "upgrade" to a 20 year old program. I'd like to think something better has come along in the last two decades. That said, I stand by my original statement - it is a lot harder to get an airplane off the gate and into the air using Delta's systems. And you -9 guys need to find something to write on. My last leg I finally just ripped the WDR in half and we each wrote on the back of it.

With that, I vote that we officially close discussion on this topic. I'm sorry I started it.