AT-ATs at Dulles

They're pretty quick...

[andrewzuo]

Thorough anti-freebooting precautions in effect.

[euromicelli]

What is not obvious from the video is that the cabins are mounted in hydraulic lifts. Once positioned, they can raise several meters off the ground; that way they can connect to special gates at the same level as the terminal. They retract for stability while traveling. What is even less obvious is that they can *mate directly to the doors of the plane*. Yes, that’s how they were supposed to be used! They are “mobile jet bridges”, before jet bridges existed. They were conceived as high-tech replacements for “ladders and normal buses”, and for that they are way better and more efficient. You can park planes anywhere in the tarmac and get people to/from the terminal more safely, more comfortably, and in a fraction of the time it would take with ladders and buses. But then, “jet bridges” were invented and the “mobile lounges” were obsoleted before they had time to become popular. It turns out that adding boatloads of gates with permanent bridges that can mate to the planes was more desirable than the Mobile Lounge approach, even though it requires larger terminals with more gates.

Today, “Mobile Longes” are mostly used to shuttle international passengers from the plane to the Immigration section of the IAD terminal, which is probably why Grey gets to see them so often. Passengers disembark via conventional jet bridges to an isolated hallway, and then are directed to a Mobile Lounge gate which shuttles them.

A few years ago I had the experience of boarding a Mobile Lounge as it was intended, mated directly to the plane. It was actually quite fun. I don’t know if it’s ever done anymore.

[NerfHerdsman]

This is in my recommended but not my subscription feed. Weird.

[Devgal]

Man these are not remotely what I envisioned... Never meet your heroes, kids.

[MuJoeTheMean]

Awww, they have little wings on their heads just like the real planes!

[akkhoroffline]

Omg I finally saw them on my last flight out of Dulles! I literally started shrieking in excitement. People around me were so confused lol

[WilcoVerhoef]

I'm just past the episodes where the Dulles corner is becoming a thing, glad to know they're still not done talking about it

[LafferStyle]

That's a little disappointing, I thought they'd have legs like in Star Wars.

[danielmazin]

A family friend who grew up in the D.C. metro area called them the "Demented Buses" when growing up.

[kelvinc]

Oh no what poor life decision by our host(s?) led to another dreaded encounter with Dulles?

[alexmaction]

Making TMZ look weak AF with this watermark

[melnewdemon]

I rang the little bell for this channel why am i only seeing this 2 weeks later after finding it in my recommended feed.

[kaycieromano]

Whenever you guys mention Dulles I'm tempted to book a flight for the sole purpose of visiting the airport and riding one

[jnthegreat]

i've been in these things more times that i'd have liked. i never knew they had stabilizers on top or whatever those are!

[Atalinay]

I haven't seen a picture of them since they were first mentioned. I think I changed them un my mjng to be more AT-AT like cause this isn't how I ever picture them.

[Zajum]

I am not the first one who posted this link into this comment section, but the link was only posted in answering comments, not in a comment on its own

[MrBaldenegro]

I just saw them for the first time last weekend, lol.

[rancidmarshmallow]

there are the bus version of guys on steroids who have massive torsos and arms and tiny everything else.

[tobafett]

I was in Dulles airport when this went up

[astra_mn]

Remember though! Too quick makes also uncomfortable :P