Airports are good places to people watch. That was especially true Thursday, May 4, at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport's Terminal D.
"Who's here?" Tai Vu asked a fellow passenger with her iPhone poised to snap a photo. "Darth Vader," she replied. "Is he a rapper?" Vu asked. "No. He's from Star Wars," the woman said.
"Pretty amazing when you see the look on their faces," Rebecca Price said. Price is North Texas Squad Leader of the 501st Legion, the cosplay Storm Troopers who accompanied Darth Vader on his stroll through Terminal D.
"May the 4th, oh my gosh," DFW traveler Janell Haynes said as she realized the date. "May the Fourth be with you! That's why everyone is in that!"
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The airport arranged the surprise visit for Star Wars Day to spread a little sunshine on what was a cloudy day.
"It's just nice to see people be surprised and light up and smile," DFW Airport Media Relations Manager Cynthia Vega said. "It really is what we're all about."
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Darth Vader and an army of Storm Troopers stopped to pose for photos with fans along the way.
"It's actually pretty fun to see something like that in the airport," Haynes said. "Something different. Not mundane airport."
That was DFW International Airport's goal. "Mission accomplished," Vega said.
Before Darth Vader and the 501st Legion left, they helped guide an incoming American Airlines flight to the jetway, with passengers' faces pressed to the windows.
"Spread a little Star Wars joy," Price said.
