First flight ever

jivan · Nov 13th, 2007, 22:34

Hi all,
This is a recount of a newbie (me) being on a flight for the 1st time

For some professional reasons I had to go to Bangalore by flight. My first in the 30 yrs. I'm on this planet earth. So hopefully I can recount the experience in as vivid detail as some of my peers on the portal.

I reached well-in-time before the flight ( about an hr. or so). The last time I had come to leave a friend was about 4 yrs. ago so things have changed in the last 4 yrs. While there was the usual elite crowd that one sees at the airports (nose chin up, feeling important that sort of people) what
was surprising there was also lot of people like us ( casually dressed, not trying to make any sort of statement, people you will run into a bus station or wherever) . Anyways the plane took off at 19:50 ( a delay of 10 minutes) , it was a smallish plane, (180 odd seats on-board with 95% full capacity) from what I know/read about aircrafts. .

Right from the bus ride to getting on the aircraft. The kind of feeling one has in the pit of the stomach when the aircraft taxies on the runway. The feeling when it does finally take off, when you see earth move away & when you can't see the ground anymore & don't know whether you're upright or not. There was also the realization that so many people (millions I guess) have been on aircraft before me, and millions after me. The excitement, fear all in there.

I had read quite a bit of fiction books in my childhood so had some theoretical knowledge/knowhow of how things work. But feeling, being there at 38k feet or thereabouts is another thing altogether. I am reliving the experience talking about it.

Anyway we (the passengers) ran into some turbulence about 1/2 hr. before landing which the pilot advised us to put the seat-belt on. The pilot was a gentleman by the name of Mr. Sharma who was good enough as we didn't feel any turbulence at all. Anyway we ran into rains whle landing, it was around 21:30 . Checked out the baggage & were out of the airport by around 22:00 . I had also called up couple of IT professionals whom I had known for a long time & had been friends with. They were gracious enough to show up as well as people who were going to be our hosts for the remainder of the day.

Another thing, food stuff at both Sahar Airport as well as Bangalaru Airport was reasonably priced compared to the scenario around 4-5 years back. It was premium restaurant kind of pricing. The airline was GoAir & the only complaint, not enough variety of food in plane.

The return flight was as eventful as the one when I travelled first . All in all a dream experience comes to an end & back on earth. Now I know why people crave to go to the Moon

Mickey S · Nov 13th, 2007, 22:53

Your excitement is quite infectious, jivan!

I wish I could remember my first flight; I really don't understand why I don't. It was on a school trip to Switzerland in 1970, with Swissair, and quite literally all I remember is the smell of aviation fuel and being served a plastic cup of mineral water (which I hated, because I thought it was going to be lemonade).

These days I just dread the whole airport and flying experience, which is rather sad considering just what a wondrous thing it is that we can now travel to any corner of the globe at a moment's notice.

capt_mahajan · Nov 14th, 2007, 12:15

Jivan, nice post.

Like Mickey S, I can't remember my first flight either. Nowadays a flight is like a painful exercise to be completed, for me. My wife and daughter (who have flown many times, domestic and international) still get excited about a flight; wish I could, too.

Nick-H · Nov 14th, 2007, 12:46

You are lucky that your first flight was quite short: that is the best way to enjoy flying, without having time for the cramped conditions and the screaming children to become tedious. On your first flight to Europe or USA you'll know what I mean, although the excitement of anticipation of your destination will get you through it the first time, just as it did for my first long flight, to India.

I was able to relive the first-flight wonder through taking my wife to England two years ago: that first experience of leaving the ground and flying into the clouds, and the stunning view of clouds from above them, and that fabulous sky colour. In fifty years she had never flown, and she was able to be like a child in this new experience, making it like that again for me too.

I have to confess that I enjoy a little turbulence, and that I have even found landing in weather that was bad enough to be a challenge to the pilot quite thrilling! I'm told by a colleague I used to travel with on business that I wouldn't be a good companion for a nervous flier!

Two years ago I did the return trip between India and UK twice in three months --- it was beginning to feel quite ordinary by the time we came to do the second trip back, and my wife was now far from being a first-timer. But it wears off, and my trip to UK this year felt very long indeed!

I guess that flying was once for the rich and famous. That's certainly all changed now. Who knows what will become of oil prices in the future? It may well become the preserve of the super rich once again in years to come. Let us enjoy our flying while we can!

jivan · Nov 15th, 2007, 00:25

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