Your first ever flight
Discussion
Eric Mc said:
Dr Jekyll said:
Composer62 said:
I think it was 1967. Aer Lingus, Edinburgh to Dublin. Possibly in a Trident ??
Maybe a 727?Viscount
BAC 1-11
My recollection is of it being a jet so possibly the BAC 1-11.forsure said:
Eric Mc said:
British Eagle did a lot of trooping flights. Consequently, they adopted the RAF Transport Command style of having rearward facing seats in some of their aircraft.
Yes, that rings a bell. I think my Dad said at the time that there was a military connection. Thanks.My first flight was at 17 in 2011, from LBA to Nice with Jet2, a 737 IIRC.
I only did my first long haul last September, Amsterdam to Toronto with KLM on an A330, home was on a Virgin A330 from LAX to MAN, somehow that seemed quicker despite being about 3 hours longer than the first one and hitting turbulence a few times.
I was originally supposed to fly MAN to JFK on a Virgin 747 (then onwards to Toronto) and I'd booked a seat upstairs, however, being not super lucky I'd booked the holiday with Thomas Cook who as you may have heard went slightly tits up so rebooked at last minute with TUI, but different flights, when I rebooked, it was a 747 with KLM but that changed.
I only did my first long haul last September, Amsterdam to Toronto with KLM on an A330, home was on a Virgin A330 from LAX to MAN, somehow that seemed quicker despite being about 3 hours longer than the first one and hitting turbulence a few times.
I was originally supposed to fly MAN to JFK on a Virgin 747 (then onwards to Toronto) and I'd booked a seat upstairs, however, being not super lucky I'd booked the holiday with Thomas Cook who as you may have heard went slightly tits up so rebooked at last minute with TUI, but different flights, when I rebooked, it was a 747 with KLM but that changed.
I was 10 years old in 1973 flying with my mom and sister to join my dad in Zambia.
Zambia Airways DC8 from Heathrow to Lusaka. The plane didn’t have enough fuel to make it all the way so had to make an unscheduled stop at Dar es Salam. On landing the a/c was surrounded by armoured cars and troops boarded the plan. Quite exciting for a 10 yr old.
When we got to Lusaka we had an internal flight to Kitwe in a HS748 but the European contract aircrew (British Midland, I think) had not been paid and so were working to rule; basically they were acting as safety numbers, as Captain, but not flying the plane. At Kitwe the co-pilot was therefore flying and went round twice - on the third attempt he was clearly determined to put it down and we slammed hard onto the runway and my waiting father reckoned we bounced 3 times before eventually settling on terra firma!
Zambia Airways DC8 from Heathrow to Lusaka. The plane didn’t have enough fuel to make it all the way so had to make an unscheduled stop at Dar es Salam. On landing the a/c was surrounded by armoured cars and troops boarded the plan. Quite exciting for a 10 yr old.
When we got to Lusaka we had an internal flight to Kitwe in a HS748 but the European contract aircrew (British Midland, I think) had not been paid and so were working to rule; basically they were acting as safety numbers, as Captain, but not flying the plane. At Kitwe the co-pilot was therefore flying and went round twice - on the third attempt he was clearly determined to put it down and we slammed hard onto the runway and my waiting father reckoned we bounced 3 times before eventually settling on terra firma!
1963 London Stansted to Singapore via Ankara and Bombay .
Flew back in 1965 again in a Brittania and got diverted to Tehran , Iran with a hydraulic fault. We spent 24 hrs in a hotel where the curtains were kept closed , not even allowed onto the roof garden .
Flew out to Singapore again in 67 in another Brittania but by then I had also been up in old style side by side RAF gliders and a Tiger Moth owned by the metalwork teacher who was ex RAF ww2 pilot . While in Singapore I had a few flights in RAF aircraft, Hastings, Beverly, Argosy and Hercules plus a Wessex helicopter.
The joy of being a forces brat when times were more relaxed over H&S .
1985, Gatwick to Rome on a family holiday. Remember being blown away as a 10yr old by the thrust of take-off and then the theatre of landing and the mechanical action of the reverse thrust on the JT8D’s that snap closed.
Been hooked on flying ever since. Done a ton over the last 18 months for work and ended up holding star alliance gold, Virgin gold and silver on emirates.
Nothing like walking down the jetbridge and turning left 😂✈️
The Kirby Cadet?
We flew in those from White Waltham.
ATC 2211 Squadron
Two gliders side by side with a winch at the far end of the airstrip. Lots of instructions. One was to one of the lads on the ground.
"The pilot will call, "All clear above and behind?" and you will reply, "All clear above and behind, sir."
What wasn't explained to this particular lad was there was a responsibility to actually check.
It worked fine for several take offs with him doing as he had been told. Then it wasn't clear above and behind but he still called out that it was. He was just following instructions. It could have been very nasty. We all survived but he was relieved of his duties.
We flew in those from White Waltham.
ATC 2211 Squadron
Two gliders side by side with a winch at the far end of the airstrip. Lots of instructions. One was to one of the lads on the ground.
"The pilot will call, "All clear above and behind?" and you will reply, "All clear above and behind, sir."
What wasn't explained to this particular lad was there was a responsibility to actually check.
It worked fine for several take offs with him doing as he had been told. Then it wasn't clear above and behind but he still called out that it was. He was just following instructions. It could have been very nasty. We all survived but he was relieved of his duties.
Like many others my first flight was in a Chipmunk. Our nearest AEF was at Filton with it's huge runway. It seemed like half the flight was spent getting over the airfield boundary!.
It certainly created an impression, I can still vividly remember looking 'up' through the canopy at the Severn bridge as we did aeros over it on a glorious sunny day.
It certainly created an impression, I can still vividly remember looking 'up' through the canopy at the Severn bridge as we did aeros over it on a glorious sunny day.
DickyC said:
The Kirby Cadet?
We flew in those from White Waltham.
ATC 2211 Squadron
Two gliders side by side with a winch at the far end of the airstrip. Lots of instructions. One was to one of the lads on the ground.
"The pilot will call, "All clear above and behind?" and you will reply, "All clear above and behind, sir."
What wasn't explained to this particular lad was there was a responsibility to actually check.
It worked fine for several take offs with him doing as he had been told. Then it wasn't clear above and behind but he still called out that it was. He was just following instructions. It could have been very nasty. We all survived but he was relieved of his duties.
The Cadet had tandem seating rather than side-by-side; we flew both at Sealand. I was so scrawny that strictly speaking we weren't in trim, but it was only about 10ibs short.We flew in those from White Waltham.
ATC 2211 Squadron
Two gliders side by side with a winch at the far end of the airstrip. Lots of instructions. One was to one of the lads on the ground.
"The pilot will call, "All clear above and behind?" and you will reply, "All clear above and behind, sir."
What wasn't explained to this particular lad was there was a responsibility to actually check.
It worked fine for several take offs with him doing as he had been told. Then it wasn't clear above and behind but he still called out that it was. He was just following instructions. It could have been very nasty. We all survived but he was relieved of his duties.
CISTRS?
Bristows Bell 47G, Middle Wallop Airshow, July 1979. It was only a quick extended circuit of the airfield but it still magical. I remember being surprised at how stable it was. I stamped on the floor to see if it would wobble, but it didn't. Halfway around the pilot picked up my hand and put it on the cyclic stick so I could have a go but I was too worried about upsetting it to do too much.
Awesome visibility out of the bubble cockpit. We were back on the ground all too soon.
Dad got a boll*cking when we got back home for unnecessarily putting us at risk without getting permission first. He wouldn't have got it which is why he didn't ask.
Awesome visibility out of the bubble cockpit. We were back on the ground all too soon.
Dad got a boll*cking when we got back home for unnecessarily putting us at risk without getting permission first. He wouldn't have got it which is why he didn't ask.
Must have been the mid-to late 60s, Frankfurt to Berlin with BEA, aged 6 to 8, I had numerous flights alone.
I think Lufthansa were not allowed to fly over DDR territory.
Flying as an unaccompanied child was fun : I got all my papers in a plastic bag hanging around my neck,
was treated well by staff and always got a visit to the cockpit, with the pilots explaining their work.
I think the airplane was a Boenig 737, did BEA have these in operation ?
I think Lufthansa were not allowed to fly over DDR territory.
Flying as an unaccompanied child was fun : I got all my papers in a plastic bag hanging around my neck,
was treated well by staff and always got a visit to the cockpit, with the pilots explaining their work.
I think the airplane was a Boenig 737, did BEA have these in operation ?
Benni said:
Must have been the mid-to late 60s, Frankfurt to Berlin with BEA, aged 6 to 8, I had numerous flights alone.
I think Lufthansa were not allowed to fly over DDR territory.
Flying as an unaccompanied child was fun : I got all my papers in a plastic bag hanging around my neck,
was treated well by staff and always got a visit to the cockpit, with the pilots explaining their work.
I think the airplane was a Boenig 737, did BEA have these in operation ?
No. Could have been a BAC111, a Trident, maybe even a Comet.I think Lufthansa were not allowed to fly over DDR territory.
Flying as an unaccompanied child was fun : I got all my papers in a plastic bag hanging around my neck,
was treated well by staff and always got a visit to the cockpit, with the pilots explaining their work.
I think the airplane was a Boenig 737, did BEA have these in operation ?
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