Blackhawk144 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (7 years 9 months 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1620 times:
Hello,
Are there flying experiences you experienced, either as a child, or a long time ago, where you really wish you could re-live the moments again?
There are times I really feel like going back in time...
For instance, I loved the old DTW terminal much more than the new one. Why? Because I had great experiences there. Same goes with MSP. I wish I could go back to the days where MSP wasn't as big as it is now...and the concourses were named after colours.
I'm talking about MSP and DTW in the 1990s. Why? Because usually every year, I would fly BOI-MSP-DCA, and sometimes we would go to DTW for other destinations I can't exactly recall. A lot of the times it was just me and my dad. We flew on NW when they had much better service than today.
I have all of these funny memories from MSP and DTW...and I have a lot of vivid memories, from when flying was much more exciting to me, than now. It really makes me sad to think about these, as I probably will never re-live them.
For instance, I have memories from eating a good meal on the BOI-MSP, and getting into MSP, when it is snowing (that's usually the time of year I flew), and we'd always have a couple of hours to watch airplanes (back then I didn't even think of photography), just watching them, and admiring them.
I love the 1990s colors of NW, because of all of these very fun memories I had. I loved the old DTW terminal, and the MSP that had the concourses named for colors (gosh I thought that was so cool).
Anybody else have vivid memories of flying experiences? Or memories that give you an opposite opinion than most, about flying (as in how I like the old NW colors better than the new, contrary to what most people think)?
EurofleetLHR From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 101 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (7 years 9 months 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 1610 times:
Aaaaah - the days when the Spectators Viewing area at LGW was along the roof of the domestic pier of North Terminal. The days when LTN had a viewing area adjacent to the taxiway. The days when the Queens Building at LHR had a viewing area. The days when STN had .... errrrrrm ....nothing for the enthusiast (some things NEVER change !!!).
The days when being an aircraft spotter / photographer / enthusiast / spectator did not lead the authorities to believe you are a terrorist threat.
As for a flight I would like to re-live - has to be on a Monarch Airlines Bristol Britannia, back in 1971.
777DadandJr From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 1516 posts, RR: 13 Reply 2, posted (7 years 9 months 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 1598 times:
Ah, a stroll down memory lane.
Let me see................
Well, I didn't expirience my first flight until I was 20. BWI-OAK on World Airways DC10. That sealed the deal though.
I guess it all started when I was about 8 years old. I was with my Mom shopping and we passed this bookstore and in the window was this huge book call "The Lore of Flight."
I begged my Mom to buy it, but it was $30.00. That was alot for a book, back in '71. But, she bought it for me as an early birthday gift. I was thrill. I never put the book down.
Then, I remember sitting in my front yard as a curious 9 year old, writing a letter to Boeing, requesting info on their new "Jumbo Jet", the 747.
Much to my surprise, about a week later, a large envelope arrived filled with info, brochures and pictures of the new 747! I still to this day, have a brochure for the 747-100F, complete with diagrams and specs. It's kind of yellow now, but I still have it.
When I was 18, I moved near BWI, and what a thrill that was. I spent so much time out on Dorsey Road, standing under the approach lights, watching the planes landing on 28.
My biggest thrill was, one morning, I'm coming home from work, past BWI, and I see Concorde.
I raced home, got my camera and went back.
As luck would have it, Concorde taxied down to 28 to t/o. I was able to stand literally behind it as she pwered up her afterburners, and took to the sky. Boy was that thing loud! Fortunately, I was about 10 feet lower that the runway, because I would have surely been blown into the weeds!
Now that I am older, and have a 9 year old son, I am sharing my aviation expiriences with him.
We have toured BWI, IAD, MDT, ORD, and SEA. There will be more to come for sure.
This past June, we took a trip of a lifetime, and went to SEA and toured Boeing. He was thrilled, as I was seeing him so excited.
I will continue to encourage his aviation hobby in anyway I can.
Russ
My glass is neither 1/2 empty nor 1/2 full, rather, the glass itself is twice as big as it should be.
PanAm747 From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 4242 posts, RR: 10 Reply 3, posted (7 years 9 months 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 1593 times:
(1) Visiting LAX in the days of Pan Am, TWA, and Braniff.
(2) Flying to my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary in 1974 BFL-LAX-DFW-FSM on United 727, American 707, & Frontier CV-580, and FSM-FYV-JPL-MCI (all on one Frontier CV-580 flight)-LAX-BFL and a TWA 707 and a United 737. Back when flying on TWA was as glamorous as you could get!
Pan Am:The World's Most Experienced Airline - P(oor) S(ailor's) A(irline): San Diego's Hometown Airline-Catch Our Smile!
Spencer From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2004, 1623 posts, RR: 19 Reply 5, posted (7 years 9 months 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1555 times:
Hey, EurofleetLHR, you don't remember the carpark at STN that housed the Stansted Aviation Society's portacabin? What a spot!!
Actually, I kind of liked the LTN spot, adjacent to the taxiway, although the action did get a little too close sometimes!
Flights I wish I could redo would be something like the Eastern L1011 or the early 741s of British Airways, way back then. Just seemed a lot more airline like then, free face towels, the real McCoy I mean, soaps and cutlery, all that sort of thing. Yeah, those were the days!
Spencer.
EOS1D4, 7D, 30D, 100-400/4.5-5.6 L IS USM, 70-200/2.8 L IS2 USM, 17-40 f4 L USM, 24-105 f4 L IS USM, 85 f1.8 USM
Doona From Sweden, joined Feb 2005, 3706 posts, RR: 14 Reply 6, posted (7 years 9 months 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1555 times:
Being hustled around CPH, CDG, LGW, JFK, ORD, STL, and BNA by the UM squad around christmas was wonderful. Cutting ahead in line, pre-boarding, your very own 'lounge', all of it.
And of course getting to sit there listening to the other kids complaining of having to go on TWO whole flights to visit mom or dad, having to travel from Peoria to Little Rock several times a year. And then dropping the bomb on the other kids, 'You think you have to go far? I've got to cross the damn atlantic everytime I visit my dad,' Used to love seeing their faces... Good times...
Cheers
Mats
Sure, we're concerned for our lives. Just not as concerned as saving 9 bucks on a roundtrip to Ft. Myers.
HorizonGirl From Canada, joined Mar 2005, 781 posts, RR: 17 Reply 7, posted (7 years 9 months 4 hours ago) and read 1541 times:
My first time on Horizon.
It was the best thing that ever happened to me!
February 13, 2000 YYJ-SEA.
I have so many good things to say that it would make my fingers
fall off from typing so much if I listed them all!
LorM From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 409 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1534 times:
Going back to the age I was able to fit in the storage bins on the side of the window seats on the upper deck of 747s at a very young age was fun. I still remember having a good ole time standing up and staring out the window into the blue yonder.
Being really young flying was very fun since the seats were huge no matter what class you were in. Also Being able to lie down flat in two coach seats when the plane was empty was great too. I used to like laying down under my parent's legs on the floor since I could fit.
Only bad part I had back then was on landing sometimes my ears would plug up and hurt when the cabin altitude went down. Parents would usually get hot paper cups I'd hold over my ears and that would usually reduce the pain. With the automatic pressurization systems today it doesn't seem like it affects young children as bad as before. I miss the damn footrests in domestic first the most though
-LorM
HighFlyer9790 From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 1236 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1521 times:
I always was attached back in the day when Virgin Atlantic still flew to ATH, we would take them from BOS through GWK. Those good ol' 747-200s were awesome. of course, it was pre-9/11, so i visited the cockpit for dawn over ireland, and even sat jumpseat sometimes. coming back, it was going to the cockpit over the north atlantic and chatting with the captain. now if you talk to a captain, he thinks your a terrorist. well, not all, but you get my point.
Professional people mover. A to B. CL-65 Type; CFI/CFII/MEI/AGI/IGI
LFutia From Netherlands, joined Dec 2002, 3195 posts, RR: 31 Reply 11, posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 1509 times:
hmm.... I've had great service when i flew KLM the last 7 times... nice hot dutch girls... great city of Amsterdam... See Buy Fly... Schiphol Airport... always a great place.
Leo/ORD -- Groetjes uit de VS! -- Heeft u laatst nog met KLM gevlogen?
UA777222 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 3348 posts, RR: 13 Reply 12, posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 1511 times:
Seeing as I'm still a child (15) I have been far more than fortunate to have the chances I have had at; 1) being a decent aviation photographer and 2) having parents whom support travel to the fullest. (allowing me to leave for days at a time with a.net photographers/friends NOT funding my trips, what work I do supports that)
Some of my recent adventures this summer have been,
Heading out to MHV, getting ramp, and seeing this odd 727 do low passes at over 160kts for high speed tests (pictures were not allowed whatsoever at the time though taxi out was fair game)
Oh and I'm due out of SFO in about 2.5hours for a last min. Mileage run + photography trip to DEN for the day. This should be very fun as I hear the DEN guys are very very nice! See here for more information!
ZKSUJ From New Zealand, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 6929 posts, RR: 10 Reply 13, posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 1499 times:
ZRH From Switzerland, joined Nov 1999, 5534 posts, RR: 40 Reply 14, posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 1498 times:
When I was a boy my first flight was in a Convair CV-990 "Coronado" with Swissair from ZRH to ATH. As I remember it was great flight. The Convair "Coronado" was an amazing aircraft. I think it was the fastest airliner at its time.
BAViscount From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 2338 posts, RR: 4 Reply 15, posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 1489 times:
Quoting EurofleetLHR (Reply 1): Aaaaah - the days when the Spectators Viewing area at LGW was along the roof of the domestic pier of North Terminal. The days when LTN had a viewing area adjacent to the taxiway. The days when the Queens Building at LHR had a viewing area. The days when STN had .... errrrrrm ....nothing for the enthusiast (some things NEVER change !!!).
Mate, I couldn't agree more (although surely you mean along the roof of the South Terminal?)!!
Personally I miss the days when flying from any of London's airports was exciting rather than stressful! The days when you knew you'd arrived at the airport by the screaming of all the jets heading into the sky and by the smell of the jet fuel that filled the air. And when you actually felt you were at an airport rather than a shopping mall with planes. And the days when you appreciated being able to fly, even if you (or your parents!) had saved all year to be able to afford the cost of the flight, no matter how long or short the duration of the flight you were about to take!
Having said all that, I do appreciate how accessible flying is these days, after all, if it weren't, I wouldn't be able to travel as much as I do - it's just that to me, it's no longer the exciting event that it used to be.
Ladies & gentlemen this is Captain Tobias Wilcock welcoming you aboard Coconut Airways flight 372 to Bridgetown Barb
Christao17 From Thailand, joined Apr 2005, 888 posts, RR: 9 Reply 16, posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 1471 times:
There's something evocative about the stale smell of cigarette smoke and peanut oil that reminds me of my childhood years (1970s) non-revving with my parents and often winding up back in or near the smoking section of the plane.
Yes, remember smoking on airplanes? Sounds bizarre now, doesn't it?
Of course, I don't want to get back to this experience - keeping in mind the thread title - but it is an early memory related to flying that is really hard-wired into my brain.
GSPSPOT From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 2745 posts, RR: 2 Reply 17, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 1466 times:
How about flying from MOB to MSY (a 25 minute flight at best) in Economy on the old National Airlines, and getting warm sweet rolls and coffee/juice BEFORE takeoff! This was back in the '70's....
Reifel From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 1126 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 1463 times:
I used to live in Japan because of my fathers work and we always flew CX from Fukuoka to HKG and then to FRA.
That was in 1988, the used L1011, I hated them because they had no IFE.
Then we moved to Indonesia and always flew CGK-HKG with Stop in SIN. That was in the early 90's operated by 743. I loved the stopover in SIN, they gave us a transit card and as a kid I always ran to the places were they put things like Lego etc for Kids to play. I always went back at the last call though.
Then they put a direct HKG-CGK on L1011, and as I told you I hated them...
No I would love to have them back and fly with them again.
I also loved CX, they always offered big backpacks full of games and drawing things, logbooks etc for us kids we were... and as my father was regular traveler on diamond status I was upgraded once to First Class for a 744 flight from HKG to FRA. That was really great as the 744 was brand new and those were the times when Cathay had First-Class seets with electronic control... No PTV though
I also loved the green colour-scheme and Kai Tak with the odd black plastic floors. We always stayed at the Regal Airport Hotel with the cool bridge there. We always ordered rooms with Airport and runway views and there were those 2 channels with the arrival- and departure times... So I spend the day pushing my nose against the big window and looking for planes to land and to start...
I must say we flew so much on CX that I was proud to state them as my favourite airline... But the last time I had a flight on them was 10 years ago
ZRH From Switzerland, joined Nov 1999, 5534 posts, RR: 40 Reply 21, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1423 times:
When I was 16 we flew from ZRH to JNB on a Swissair DC 10. Till Nairobi the captain was the father of one of my class mates so we could stay in the cockpit for almost the whole flight. We experienced the sunrise over the Nubian dessert. This was very impressive. At these days the Swissair's DC 10s only had 8 seats abreast in economy. I miss really these old days with much more room in economy (no such cattle carriers as they all are in our days) and the possibility to visite the cockpit.
Brokenrecord From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 772 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 1420 times:
My best memory was the trip my family took to Toulon, France, when I was 12 (1994). We drove from our home in Virginia Beach, VA to a friends house in Northern VA, who drove us out to Dulles the next day to catch our flight to Paris. We were flying Air France, on an A300, A330 or A340 (don't remember which, perhaps someone with a timetable could look up a flight departing IAD at around 1830 for CDG), and this was still in the time when you had a gate number printed on your boarding pass, and this gate entered a people-mover, which drove you directly to the plane wherever it was parked on the ramp. Two people movers on both sides of the plane loaded business and first up front, and four loaded coach (two at the doors behind business, and two at the back of the plane). I also recall the flight having a smoking section. Myself and my sister, who is two years older than I, could not sleep because we were too excited about the trip, and although we were being very quiet so as to not disturb the other travellers, we were awake the whole night, so flight attendants kept bringing us various things to play with to keep us entertained, even though were content enough to try to play card games with French playing cards.
Upon disembarking at CDG, we then had to take a bus to Orly in order to make our connection to Toulon. The ride was slated to take about 30 minutes, and took about an hour to the best of my recollection. We barely made it to the flight to Toulon, but we made it. This flight was on an A320 I believe, and my sister and I were seated in the window and middle, with a business man seated on the aisle. This gentleman happened to spill his coffee into his lap and spent the entire flight in the loo. He only emerged upon the call to return to seats for landing. At this point, my sister and I had been awake for quite a few hours, but our young bodies handled it masterfully until about 2000 hrs., when we both hit the brick wall, and pretty much had to be carried into the hotel rooms my parents had.
I don't remember much about the return trip, so lucky for you guys, you don't have to hear about it.
Alphafloor From Chile, joined Jun 2004, 1277 posts, RR: 45 Reply 23, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 1404 times:
Back in 1982 I traveled from GVA to JFK on a Swissair 742 with my parents and my little brother on business class, I was 11 years old. It was my first time in a jumbo ever and I was overexcited ! I remember exploring the cabin, looking outside of the window of the last rear R-door when my father asked "What do you try to look at ?", "I'm trying to see the contrail !" I replied, he then laughed out loud ! Arriving at JFK was a big shock to me, I never saw an airport full of heavies.
My second childhood flying experience I have nice memories was the first flight with a Swissair DC10 the same year, Geneva-Dakar-Rio de Janeiro-Buenos Aires-Santiago.... loooooong trip with plenty of take-off's and landings ! I traveled with my little brother to see my grand father. The highlight of this trip was passing over the Andes...
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with much more room in economy (no such cattle carriers as they all are in our days) and the possibility to visite the cockpit.
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