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General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: beet1e on February 19, 2005, 03:50:57 PM

Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: beet1e on February 19, 2005, 03:50:57 PM
Include type of plane, airline (if applicable!), where from and where to, approximate date etc.

Mine: Iberia Airlines (Spain) on a Caravelle from London to Palma (Balearic Islands), April 1965. I was about 10, and was on my parents' passport! Even though London Heathrow is now the busiest airport in the world, back then the arrangements were a bit haphazard. Check-in was in central London - an office in Cromwell Road, Knightsbridge. Having checked in, we were taken on a converted London RouteMaster bus out to the airport, about 15 miles away. The bus towed a trailer which contained the passengers' luggage.

London-Palma is about 1000 miles, and the flight time was a whisker over 2 hours. The food on Iberia was - erm... - well I suppose it was OK - except that I got a salad and sprinkled sugar over it! That was the day I learned the Spanish words sel & azucar - meaning salt and sugar, respectively.

Now I really wanted to be cool by coming down the aircraft steps at the front left side onto the tarmac, with my raincoat over my arm - just like Roger Moore in The Saint. I didn't get my wish. We had to disembark via a door at the very back.

Even though this was back in 1965, we still had to pass through a security frame which checked each person for the presence of metal.

The return flight was on an old Vickers Vanguard operated by BEA. 4 props, and a journey that took 3 hours instead of 2. The jet age was just beginning!
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: NUKE on February 19, 2005, 03:57:54 PM
My first flight was in Los Angeles around 1971.  My dad was the pilot.....I was about 6 or 7 and it was around Thanksgiving.

We flew over our house in Long Beach. I don't remember the plane, but it was a small single engine rental.

He later bought an Aero Commander.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: VWE on February 19, 2005, 03:58:14 PM
Great thread for Straiga... I wonder which story he'll tell as his first jet fight... Hmmmm?
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: NUKE on February 19, 2005, 04:00:02 PM
whoops......sorry Beet.....I didn't read your thread title fully. I described my first flight, not in a jet.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Siaf__csf on February 19, 2005, 04:25:16 PM
My first flight ever was a DC-8 at something like 1978 or so. It took me about 26 years before I actually flew in a prop plane. All the planes before that were jets. Airbus, DC8, MD-10, MD-11, DC9, 737-200-300-400 etc. God forbid I almost once had to fly in a Tupolev. :eek:
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Dago on February 19, 2005, 04:43:29 PM
My first jet flight is as follows:

I was in the back seat of a modified two seat F16, secretly performing a mission for the CIA, making a low level attack on the motherland and central colony of the evil enemy lead by "scorpian".  My pilot, code named "Voss", a man of steel nerves and endless vision guided us to the target with the determination of a man destined to be regarded as one of the great patriots of our time, or of any time in recorded history.

As we approached the target, the god-like pilot held the aircraft rock steady through the incredible anti-aircraft defenses put up by the scorpian homeland defense forces, with their "stinger" style missles shooting off thier tail mounted launching platforms.  To meet up with one of those stingers on our inbound path would have guaranteed a painful death, unless of course we only took a hand shot in which case we would suffer greatly and find our email capabilities reduced to almost zero.

With steady nerve the pilot flew on, and I could barely contain my fear and overwhelming sense of dread as I manned the new chemical weapon dispensor, code named "Raid".  It was a one of a kind secret weapon designed in an insidious chemical laboratory and dispensed through an ominous black pressurized cylinderical container.

Approaching the enemy stronghold, and with our incredibly powerful and sophisticated radar, I was able to detect the leader, the queen, hidden under a large white linen cloaking device making her almost undetectable to the naked eye.  

Using our incredible speed, my cagey leader/pilot performed a low level "nap of the earth" pass over the hidden foe and the accompanying sonic energy, wintip vorticies and jetblast forced the invisibility cloak aside allowing me to dispense our entire contents of chemical agent upon the enemy "scorpian".

Death came quickly to the vanquished foe, and as the enemy resistance subsided allowing the forces of good to prevail, we returned to our base, and once again blended into the civilian landscape, playing computer games and waiting for the next call to save humanity.



Oh and I almost forgot, 1968, American Airlines, 727 Chicago O'hare to Mexico City.

dago
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Chortle on February 19, 2005, 05:20:26 PM
I was 2 or 3 years old and tanked up on Gripe water, I literally had to be carried to my seat. I passed out before we left the ground in Ibiza and didn't wake till landing at Heathrow so technically it doesn't count.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Masherbrum on February 19, 2005, 05:20:45 PM
I was 24 and in 1997, I flew in an A300 (Airbus?) on Northwest Airlines from here in Detroit to Portland, Or.  My buddy whom I have known since the 7th grade (and a month prior to the accident, was named as my Best Man at our wedding a year later)was in a Coma for over one month.  Some drunk driver lost control of his lifted Toyota P/U. It flipped onto my buddy's Escort.  

He came out of the coma when I was out there.   Went back out there for our honeymoon and our 1st anniv.

Karaya
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Dago on February 19, 2005, 05:58:05 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Masherbrum
I was 24 and in 1997, I flew in an A300 (Airbus?) on Northwest Airlines
Karaya


That would have been an A320.

dago
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Rolex on February 19, 2005, 07:10:18 PM
I remember it being a BOAC De Havilland Comet about 1961-2. I was about 10 years old and traveling by myself. Got a left side window seat just forward of the wing intakes, a pair of tin wings, a trip up to the cockpit and a huge hard on from the stewardess in high heels and a tight skirt (I could see her knees!!) fawning all over me.

I forget the rest of the flight from National airport in DC to Toronto, but I read that I was darn lucky to survive considering how the Comet had a nasty habit of disintegrating in midair.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Swoop on February 19, 2005, 08:21:26 PM
10 years old.  Boeing 747 from London Gatwick to LAX, 30 min stop then on to Hawaii, another 30 min stop and then to Auckland, New Zealand.

27 hours.  Only 1 decent channel on the radio and the tape was a 90 minuter. Only one smegging film as well (Tarzan Lord of bleedin' Greystoke).

I'll never forget my first decent (into LAX), ears hurt so bad I was crying like a 10 year old.  By Auckland I'd gotton used to it.  These days I go almost completely deaf for 30 mins or so after landing.  

(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/209_1081438631_swoop.gif)
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Otto on February 19, 2005, 08:38:14 PM
In 1976, a Boeing 707 (TWA), from Philadelphia to Los Angles.  Then a modified (Northwest) 707 (half cargo, half Passenger) to Anchorage Alaska. A (Northwest) DC-10 to Chicago and a B-727 back to Philadelphia.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Nash on February 19, 2005, 09:20:38 PM
When I boarded a jet for the first time, I had no idea what it was, nor where the hell we were going. The ride was heinous; the air pressure was killing me so bad I just cried my freakin' eyes out the entire time. Completely losing it, ballin' my eyes out... and LOUD. Then I had to go number two... but that was impossible to express to anyone... so I just 5hit myself right there in front of everyone.

What a nightmare that was.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: NUKE on February 19, 2005, 09:24:15 PM
lol Nash!
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: mora on February 20, 2005, 04:34:05 AM
Finnair domestic in a DC-9-10 circa 1982. Second one was an Aeroflot Tupolev or Ilyushin, dunno which.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Monk on February 20, 2005, 05:17:58 AM
Going to boot camp, Eastern airlines 727 in a snowstorm.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Nilsen on February 20, 2005, 05:20:26 AM
I flew to italy when i was around 3 but i dont really remember anything from the experience but the flight must have ended well.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: BUG_EAF322 on February 20, 2005, 05:22:38 AM
Going spain with my friends when i was 22 years old its boring .

But i was about 2-3 when i flew along with a cessna.

I had many trips with prop planes as my father worked as a ground mechanic.

Small planes are so much  more fun to fly with.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Pongo on February 20, 2005, 12:21:50 PM
Canadian Forces Boeing 707 flying from edmonton to comox going to my first battalion posting from Basic.
March 1983, I rode the exact same airframe to Cypress 5 years later. By the time my tour was up I think they were retired cause we flew back on a charter.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Sandman on February 20, 2005, 01:10:16 PM
It was dull.


My most memorable flight was sitting in the hopper of a Grumman AgCat. ;)
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: SFRT - Frenchy on February 20, 2005, 01:20:07 PM
A me262, and I ripped my wings trying to vulch a spitfire.:lol
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Toad on February 21, 2005, 12:40:39 AM
The one that counted was Summer of '72. My brother was a T-37 IP at Willie and I was an AFROTC scholarship pilot candidate.

Went out to Willie with my Dad, a retired USAF Lt. Col and my brother arranged two flights. He flew with my Dad in the morning and I went with him in the afternoon.

That was some cool. All the taxpayers shelling out for my brother and I to go have a blast in a Tweet.

The AF did some Father/Sons article in the AF Times so.. I guess they got their money's worth. I sure did.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Thrawn on February 21, 2005, 01:25:17 PM
I was 4 years old, 1978.  Canadian Forces 707, CFB Uplands to CFB Lahr (Germany).  Slept almost the entire flight.
Title: 1973
Post by: rshubert on February 21, 2005, 01:31:27 PM
November 10, a flight from FTW (fort wayne, IN) to ORD (chicago o'hare) as a navy recruit.  United Airlines, B-737.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Boroda on February 21, 2005, 02:47:00 PM
First flight - An-24 turoprop from Leningrad to Chernovtsy, summer 1978, 5 years old. 5 hours or something like that. I was disappointed - expected to see more from the window :( We flew from small Rzhevka airport near Leningrad.

When I flew An-24 again in 1999 I was really surprised that the crew let us smoke in the tail compartment, where all the control rods are.  An-24 is the size os a big bus.

First jet flight - later same summer, Tu-134 from Nikolayev to Leningrad. Faster and not as noisy as An-24. What I remember was that there were tables between the seats, we sat facing each other, never saw anything like that again.
Title: as the story goes..
Post by: Eagler on February 21, 2005, 03:06:31 PM
about 3 with a bad cold/flu

projectile vomitted on my dads shoulder and the person sitting behind him

sounds like I was loved on that flight :)
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: eagl on February 21, 2005, 03:13:16 PM
Some PSA flight (you remember the jets with the huge smiley face painted on the front?) from San Diego to San Francisco as a kid.  Got the little metalized plastic wings, got a peek into the cockpit too since hyper-religious whackjobs with butter knives and nail clippers weren't into taking over planes back then.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: cpxxx on February 21, 2005, 07:27:28 PM
My first jet flight was pretty unique. Remember Halley's Comet?  That was disappointing so a local travel agent organised charter flights to try and get a glimpse.  It was an Aer Lingus Boeing 737-200.  We flew up the length of Ireland. The cabin was darkened and you could wander at will in the cabin and even up to the flight deck.  A magic experience.  Never did see the comet but had a whale of a time.  

The irony of it was that while it was my first flight in a jet or any airliner  I already had my private pilot's licence and had been flying for 8 years.  

Just to further labour the point I got my Commercial  before I could drive a car.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: SunTracker on February 21, 2005, 08:27:57 PM
Jan 22, 2005.  Climbed aboard a tiny Embraer jet after walking across the tarmac.  I'm 6'2, and I imagine the cabin height is about 5'6.  Was 6:00am, pitch black, and I had to bend my head at a 45 degree angle just to see out of the window.  The tiny jet blasted off from Louisville International Airport, and I got a chance to see how cities light up the clouds at night.  Every time we flew over a city, it lit the clouds up in a huge golden glow.

On that one trip (and my first ride on a jet), I flew from:

Louisville to Charlotte NC
Charlotte NC Richmond Va
Richmond Va to Charlotte NC
Charlotte NC to Cancun Mex
Cancun Mex to Cozumel Mex
Cozumel Mex to Charlotte NC
Charlotte NC to Pitsburg PA
Pitsburg PA to Louisville KY
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: nirvana on February 22, 2005, 02:58:23 AM
Too young to remember first one, Denver to St. Louis i'm told.


First one I remember was summer of 2000 red-eye Denver to Indianapolis on United Airlines.  Stand-by tickets (my uncle was a mechanic for UA back then), we got 1st class in a 747 I think.  They still served food, got some kind of chicken dish IIRC.  I was 10 back then.  Stand by is cheaper but the wait SUCKS.
Title: Describe your first ever jet flight.
Post by: Creamo on February 22, 2005, 03:20:10 AM
My dad owned a Cherokee 6 at the time which I remember better, but for jets-1972'sh, an Air Canada DC-9 from O'Hare to visit relatives in Vermont. No idea where it would have landed.

Only thing I remember vivid was driving my toy tank or whatever it was on the tray table, and the guy in front of me having a ****fit, with me having no clue why he kept looking back at me. I get it now. That and the clouds were 100X as bright and murder on my eyes as a child.