Your first ever flight

[Eric Mc]

One splutters, farts about, stutters a lot and makes a lot of noise not doing much - and the other has a diesel engine.

[louiechevy]

Eric Mc said:

louiechevy said:

I built that one! well a lot of the fiberglass parts that is.

Wasn't me guv!

Being serious for a sec, what effect did the accident have on morale at the factory?

About as bad as it could be we all felt terrible, it was in fact two police officers that died and I was 18 or 19 at the time. Then of course the company went bust and as I was very new in the industry I couldn't get another job in it so I ended up a car mechanic. The only other airplane I've ever flown in was the club's beagle pup I managed about 5 hours off learning before losing the job and the chance of very cheap lessons.

[Trevatanus]

Eric Mc said:

louiechevy said:

First flight was when I was working at Edgely Aircraft in the 80's and was in the prototype E.A 7 Optica, All employees where aloud a flight in it and the chief test pilot who took me up knew I had just joined the companies flying club so I got to fly it for about ten minutes!

One of them spun into the New Forest - killing a policeman passenger. I always think that this was the death knell for the aircraft.

Not permanently though Eric, just reading on wikipedia that the rights have been purchased with a view to re-launching it (although it day say it was due to launch 2018/19.
This does tie in with the comments made about the one at FIA 2018.

[blue_haddock]

2002 - ryanair from stansted to cork.

Completely unremarkable!

[Eric Mc]

Trevatanus said:

Not permanently though Eric, just reading on wikipedia that the rights have been purchased with a view to re-launching it (although it day say it was due to launch 2018/19.
This does tie in with the comments made about the one at FIA 2018.

I actually spoke to John Edgley's son at the 2016 Farnborough Air Show (I think) and they were hoping to relaunch the programme. My feeling is that its time has come and gone. What might have been a lower cost option in the mid 1980s (compared to a helicopter) is no no longer valid with the advent of surveillance drones.

[louiechevy]

My thoughts as well Eric much as I would like to see them back in the air a drone would do the same job for a lot less. As it's one of only two types I've flown in I can't really speak from experience but it was like flying around in a goldfish bowl!

[Eric Mc]

I always thought that it was like an update of one of these -

[Mort7]

I worked with someone who was a police observer in Optimas. The pilot who was killed was well known to him. Hope they fly again.

[dvs_dave]

1990 LHR-BOS on a United 747-100. Loved it, cockpit visit for me and my sis too. Spiral staircase was marvel to 10yr old me, seeing as it was on an aircraft.

[Johnniem]

Single prop light aircraft out of Rochester, Kent in 1972. First commercial flight I can't even recall! We drove everywhere on holiday when I was a young 'un.

Edited to add: Memory jogged by later post! 1973 - British Midland, propeller driven aircraft for school skiing trip to Aprica in Italy. There was very little snow if I recall rightly.

Edited by Johnniem on Wednesday 19th February 09:13

[DickyC]

Shortly before he died I asked my dad what he first flew in. He was very ill but enjoyed talking about the old days. Nearly all his working life had been in aeroplanes. When I asked, his face fell. Then he started to cry. He couldn't remember. It still makes me miserable when I think of it.

[Steve_D]

Mine would have been a Viscount. Dad was a Captain on them so cheap staff travel and a virtually guaranteed visit to the 'Office'.

Many day trips on staff were restricted to availability. One day trip to Paris Mum, my brother & my sister went out on our planned flight. I went on the next flight on my own whilst Dad blagged a jump seat on Air France.

Happy days.

Steve

[4Q]

1978 on a school trip to jersey. I don’t know what kind of plane other that it seemed huge and it had propellers.

[Narcisus]

Around 1974. East Midlands Viscount from Castle Donnington to Jersey :-)

Edit to say I was about 6 and I remember it !

Edited by Narcisus on Tuesday 18th February 23:13

[forsure]

1960, Hurn Airport to Jersey, Handley-Page Herald

I was six years old, and I do vaguely remember it.

[Eric Mc]

4Q said:

1978 on a school trip to jersey. I don’t know what kind of plane other that it seemed huge and it had propellers.

From what airport did you fly?

Can you remember the airline?

[Poisson96]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who got to fly the plane on their first flight, makes it that bit more special

Aerobatics wise we did the usual loops (flew a couple of them unaided), stall turns, barrel rolls and a couple of other bits. Every other flight since has been boring though in comparison :/ (And mostly in PovertyAir 737s)

[4Q]

Eric Mc said:

From what airport did you fly?

Can you remember the airline?

I don’t remember as I was 12 but it was probably East Midlands. I have a vague recollection of the plane being dark blue but may be way off.

[Eric Mc]

Sound like it might have been a British Midland Airways Viscount. These are the colours they wore in that era -




They also flew a couple of Handley Page Heralds in that scheme -

[Coolbananas]

Mine would have been when I was 6 years old, 1975, in an SAA 747-200 from Heathrow to Jo'burg when my parents emigrated to South Africa.

Ah, back when SAA was a leading airline and not the bankrupt mess it is now.