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CairnTerrier Member Since: November 2005 Contributions: 1438 Gold Stars: 148 View User Posts	First Plane Trip Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:28 pm Central Time First plane ride... When did you take your first plane ride? Where did you go? Were you excited or scared? My first ride on a plane took place when I was 8 years old....for a family vacation to Denver. A few months before, my older brother traveled to Germany, and while at Kennedy Airport to see him off, I stood amazed by all the big 747's parked everywhere and by watching them take off and land. I wanted to fly so badly. A few weeks later my mother suprised me by saying that my father had to go to a convention out in Denver...and we all were coming along. And we were getting there by a jet airplane! No car trip...a big jetliner! The morning came of our big trip. We got up bright and early and headed out to Bradley International Airport...which serves the Hartford/Springfield area. After checking in at the ticket counter, we headed down through the security area and to the boarding gate...and out sitting in the rain was our plane...a huge TWA Boeing 707. The boarding call came and out to the plane we went..(no jetbridges back in 1978...you went outside and climbed the stairs up to the door of the plane) I was amazed once I was on-board...the neat rows of seats and the squarish-oval windows. Once we took our seats...the flight attendant came over and asked me to come with her. (My mother tipped her that it was my first flight) She lead me up to the front of the plane to the cockpit where she introduced me to the pilots. He instructed me to push the four throttles forward when he said "when". When he did so, I pushed...and to my thrill the engines pitched up and the 707 slowly moved forward. The pilot let me start the engines!!! He then pinned on to my shirt...little plastic TWA "Jr. Pilot Wings" and shook my hand. (Things were alot more relaxed in those years before 9-11) I then was led back to my seat and fastened in for takeoff. The takeoff was thrilling...how fast the plane sped down the runway...and even more thrilling was how quickly we were above the clouds and in the sun....leaving the rainstorm back in Connecticut. I was loving every minute of it. Not long later, the plane flew clear of the couds and I could see the ground...and the huge bodies of water that I had learned about in school, the Great Lakes. While we flew along, I had a ball playing with the plastic headsets that plugged into the seat arm allowing me to listen to music (As I recall was a mix of "Grease" songs, some disco, and some Queen songs). I also recall how the egg patty breakfast was quite good...and how cool the little tray that popped out of the seat back was. We landed at Chicago O'Hare Airport for a change of planes....this next time we boarded another TWA plane...this time a 727. The next flight was just as fun and longer than the first. My face was against the window the whole way...looking down on farmlands and eventually mountains. No sooner than it started then we swooped in for landing in Denver. After a week in Colorado, checking out the city, heading out to Keystone for horseback riding and outdoor activities, we traveled back home. But for the return we would be flying United Airlines. We boarded the DC-10 in Denver and took our seats. This plane was huge! While the TWA jets had one aisle ...this beast had two. Two seats by the window, five seats in the middle, and two more on the other side. We were seated in the middle...no window, but once we were in flight, a big screen came dow at the front of the cabin and we were able to watch "ABC Wide World of Sports". How cool..watching TV in a plane! We landed in Chicago once again and headed to the gate to our plane that would take us back to Connecticut. We boarded the last plane...a United DC-8 and took off for Hartford. This last plane was thin and very long....I was amazed how far apart the front and back were. I asked the flight attendant how long the plane was, and I very clearly remember her telling me that it was 187 feet long. As our long and thin plane flew high over the country...the weather was crystal clear and I could see all sorts of cities. I remember the pilot pointing out Clevland and Buffalo...as well as Niagra Falls over the intercom. The river looked so small and like a snake creeping across the ground from up there. No sooner than it all started, we touched down and went home. I have flown many flights since then...and sometimes a plane ride seems as routine as a commute to work. But those first flights were a thrill a minute...at least to an 8 year old boy...and looking at how routine and mass-transport air travel has become. I think I was lucky to have been able to travel on a plane when the journey itself was part of the vacation...a trip durning the golden age of air travel. So...to end this long post....does anybody have a first plane ride story they can share? _________________
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harpo66 Member Since: June 2007 Contributions: 19 Gold Stars: 25 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:33 pm Central Time When I was 7, I flew home from Colorado with my oldest sister, her husband, and 1 year old daughter. I spent the summer with them out there out my family drove out there to visit for three weeks. (I ended up staying for almost three MONTHS). We came home on Aug 24, 1974. I always remember that date, and day. I remember being terrified to get on the plane the first time, but after the layover in Chicago, I was practically running for the plane, and I wanted the window seat. The stewardess gave me one of those little plastic wings pin, and I was so excited. Later that night, after we got back to Ohio, we were driving to my brother in law's parents home, and we had to pull over due to a very bad car crash. I remember sitting in the car with my mom and waited, while the others went up to "gawk". (I did see the car later in the week or so, at the lot where they took wrecked cars. I will never forget all the blood stains. All three passengers were killed, 4 if you count the baby the lady in the front seat was carrying.) Later in years, we had moved, and I was telling the neighbor about this wreck and how vivid it was... She asked me a few questions, and it turns out the wreck happened at the foot of our then home's driveway! Talk about odd! So that was in 74... I never rode a plane again until March of 2001. Since then, many times.
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Braniff Member Since: December 2006 Contributions: 713 Gold Stars: 61 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:55 pm Central Time My first plane flight (from Des Moines to Denver) took place when I was five years of age (in November of 1968). Our flight had been delayed for one day because of a heavy snowstorm. My mother, my father and my mother's friend Aunt Kay accompanied me. I knew that the flight was going to be noisy, because I had seen planes which looked like the plane we would be riding flying over my house and they were always louder than motorcycles or thunder. I was shocked when I discovered that the plane was leaving the Des Moines area--at that time, I had no idea how far away Denver was from Des Moines. It seemed to be forever until our plane touched down again, and then we landed on top of a freeway! To top things off, we didn't go down a flight of stairs outdoors as we had boarded in Des Moines, but walked into a hallway and found ourselves inside the airport terminal corridor. Dad took us to the airport terminal building and down an escalator flight (similar to the Younkers department store in Des Moines) and we saw our luggage come out of the ceiling in the baggage claim area. Then we saw my sister Kathy in the area. At the time I thought she lived in the baggage claim area, but I realized she was attending the University of Denver. As for surprises, the last one came when I thought was a freeway leading up to the terminal builidng. It was merely the two-level ramp which connected the street to the terminal. Not far away was the freeway which tunneled under our runway. And to the west, was the Rocky Mountains, which would loom above us during our trip to Colorado. I'll never forget that trip to Colorado.
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sbrening Member Since: May 2007 Contributions: 7605 Gold Stars: 235 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:42 pm Central Time In 1992 my family and I were still living in Corpus Christi Texas, and I wanted to come back to Kansas City to see friends and family because I hadn't been back since 1988.... My parents scraped together enough money for a plane ticket, and I flew all the way back to Kansas City, MO by myself at the age of 13.... I was freaked out! Shaun
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Rooney Member Since: January 2007 Contributions: 5217 Gold Stars: 894 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 6:02 am Central Time I've flown so many times I couldn't even begin to tell you how many. I do remember that the first time I flew was with my Dad & a family friend in a Cessena 182 very simlar to this one. I think I was 5 or 6. I've loved flying ever since. I do remember the first time I flew commercial by myself I was 14 and had a layover in Miami. I thought I had landed in Cuba! (Seriously - I thought I had gotten on the wrong flight!) I was really nervous at first because I had to go to another gate to catch another flight- and nobody could tell me where to go in English. ----- What, Me Worry?
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sbrening Member Since: May 2007 Contributions: 7605 Gold Stars: 235 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 8:44 am Central Time Rooney wrote: I do remember the first time I flew commercial by myself I was 14 and had a layover in Miami. I thought I had landed in Cuba! (Seriously - I thought I had gotten on the wrong flight!) I was really nervous at first because I had to go to another gate to catch another flight- and nobody could tell me where to go in English.view I hear ya, just think how it would be today in Miami.... No Habla Espanol! haha Shaun
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chrisno51 Member Since: June 2006 Contributions: 539 Gold Stars: 91 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:56 pm Central Time I took my first plane ride when I was around 7 years old to go to Disneyland _________________
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Calicalico Member Since: May 2007 Contributions: 235 Gold Stars: 30 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:25 pm Central Time My first plane trip was when I was five. My parents were divorcing and my mom was moving us back to Toronto with her. So, I don't even remember anything about the flight. I was too upset about leaving my dad.
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the_urban_prince Member Since: April 2006 Contributions: 180 Gold Stars: 92 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:18 am Central Time i think it was 87 and it was to Hawaii,i had a window seat and i was scared @#$%.i was just 7 or 8 at the time.
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Hel66 Member Since: November 2005 Contributions: 633 Gold Stars: 77 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:59 am Central Time 1984 to California. I was 18 and excited to be going abroad on a plane for the first time. I'd been to Europe but not by plane. My main memories were that the inflight film was 'Footloose', the journey took 12 hours...and I felt disgusting (smelly) when I got off the plane. My mum and I went to spray ourselves with a bottle of perfume in the toilets when we got into the airport and couldn't wait to get in a shower (not together ). Have flown quite a few times since then but never for as long.
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pooka Member Since: January 2006 Contributions: 8309 Gold Stars: 711 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:22 am Central Time Hel66 wrote: 1984 to California. I was 18 and excited to be going abroad on a plane for the first time. I'd been to Europe but not by plane. My main memories were that the inflight film was 'Footloose', the journey took 12 hours...and I felt disgusting (smelly) when I got off the plane. My mum and I went to spray ourselves with a bottle of perfume in the toilets when we got into the airport and couldn't wait to get in a shower (not together ). Have flown quite a few times since then but never for as long. view lol I like how you and your mum sprayed yourself! Maybe you shouldn't have watched such a sweaty movie... My first flight was when I was 18, as well. My friend and I flew to Tampa, FL for Spring Break to stay w/my brother & his wife.
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Hel66 Member Since: November 2005 Contributions: 633 Gold Stars: 77 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:20 am Central Time pooka wrote: lol I like how you and your mum sprayed yourself! Maybe you shouldn't have watched such a sweaty movie... view LOL...more like sharing the same toilet/cupboard(!) with a few hundred other folk for 12 hours!!
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Mikey Member Since: February 2006 Contributions: 10561 Gold Stars: 7046 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:11 pm Central Time My first plane trip happened when I was 6 years old. I didn't think to much of it than. I remember I was trying to talk to my Mom and I couldn't hear myself talk. It was pretty weird.
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West End Girl Member Since: August 2007 Contributions: 114 Gold Stars: 61 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:31 pm Central Time My first time on airplane, I was 4 years old. We had to fly to Dayton, Ohio for my grandpa's funeral. I sat by the window and thought the clouds were giant cotton balls. The stewerdess gave me colorforms to play with.
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Uncle Bubba Member Since: January 2006 Contributions: 565 Gold Stars: 20 View User Posts	Re: First Plane Trip Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 11:24 pm Central Time First ride on an aircraft was in Spring 1980. I was 18 and my high school Air Force JROTC unit got to ride on an Army C-17 Caribou, one of the smallest of the military's cargo airplanes. Took off from an Air Reserve Base NW of Atlanta, flew over Downtown - I remember how green and lovely the baseball field at Atlanta Stadium looked - and back to the base. First trip on an airplane was from Atlanta to Columbia SC on a commercial flight, courtesy of the US Army, in August '81. I was on my way to Fort Jackson, just outside Columbia, to begin my military service. Odd thing - as civilians Uncle Sam flew us to Ft. Jackson to in-process, then once we were firmly in his grasp (so to speak) we were bussed to Ft. Benning, 90 miles SSW of Atlanta, passing through the latter (and within five miles of my home) on the way. After Infantry School I flew from Atlanta to Frankfurt, West Germany, to my first duty assignment in November '81, then back and forth across the pond to and from the same cities going on leave and returning to duty (May and June '82, respectively), then from Frankfurt to Charleston SC for discharge in March '83. That, to date, is the extent of my airplane experiences. _________________ Habit Is Either The Best Of Servants Or The Worst Of Masters
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