When Flying Was Fun

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Siddley Hawker
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When Flying Was Fun

Post by Siddley Hawker »

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CID
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by CID »

Yep. I hate flying these days. It's faster, cheaper, safer......oh wait.....
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fleet16b
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by fleet16b »

Flew Sunwing to Mexico and back (got home last night)
The vacation was great but the most I can say about the flights.......meh nothing special
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cgzro
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by cgzro »

Flying was and still is fun. its travel that has always sucked.
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iflyforpie
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by iflyforpie »

For us huddled masses, we were priced out of the glory days of aviation. The choice is often fly no-frills coach or don't fly at all. Airline food has always sucked anyways....

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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by shimmydampner »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3dYS7Pc ... ata_player
I see your comedian and raise you a funnier one.
*EXPLICIT*
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by Shiny Side Up »

Airline food has always sucked anyways....
No man, the first time I flew on board an airplane it was one of CP's 727 when I was six and I will never forget how good that custard desert was. With real utensils and china too! Ever since I've been fond of orange and yellow airplanes.

BTW I found out recently that CP used the 727 for a very short time so you can probably figure out how old I am from that.
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by YBW-Kid »

Great thread- brought back the memories. Ah the days when I actually fit into an airline seat and could get the door closed on the lavatory when I sat down.

My first ride in an airliner was on an Air Canada DC-8 from YYC to YVR in 1972. I recall it felt like I was going on an space flight. Everything little shake- rattle- the cargo door closing- the taxi and then the take-off. Man the only thing which could compare or even come close for me today would be a ride on a Shuttle. And crap they are all in museums now. I'm getting old. I was so young and innocent then so everything was a new learning experience and so exciting. I wish I could have those days back.

January 1973 - big family holiday to Hawaii with Wardair on the B707. First time I saw the ocean. Did a flight deck visit- Very fond memories of Mr. Wards airline. See the pictures attached.

1974 YVR to Mexico City on a brand new (still had the new car smell) CP Air DC-8 Stretch. The Hostess said it was it's 2 revenue flight.

1975 Air New Zealand DC-10 LAX- Honolulu- Nandi Fiji- Auckland & return. Did a flight deck visit over the dark Pacific ocean at the Equator on the flight home. Same aircraft was the accident aircraft later at Mount. Erebus in 1979. Pilot on my flight signed my Jr. Pilot Logbook with the tail number of the aircraft. Sobering thoughts when I think back.

1980 YYC- Honolulu Wardair B747. Sat in the very first seat behind the rad dome. Mr. Ward if your reading this- Thank you!

Always wanted to fly the Concorde but never did. Saw it in person in Calgary and in a museum.

Those days are gone. What is sad is kids today can no longer do flight deck visits. I was one of the lucky ones.

Cheers
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by raven54 »

Great pics posted above! I was lucky enough to visit the flight deck as a kid on an AC B727, then before 9/11 rode jumpseat the same day I did my commercial ride on an AC B737 all the way to landing to YYZ. It is indeed sad kids can't visit up front. Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? :shock:
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by Siddley Hawker »

Geez, I hate to tell ya when my first airplane ride was. Ok, it was in 1951 in a Norseman on skis, sister ship to this one. That frickin airplane was cold when you're only five.

Image

First time I saw Concorde was at JFK, we went down to pick up Mila Mulroney and Jackie Demarest, off Air France. Once rode the jump seat on an AC 727 from ZV to UL. The flight was overbooked and the purser was a friend. As a joke I offered to ride the jump seat. No sooner said than done. For years every time we went to Gulfstream me and another company pilot would cash in our economy fare seats on Delta and buy 1st class seats, pay the difference out of our own pockets, just for the extra service. Only used to cost about a hundred bucks and you could make that back on the expense account in a couple of days by eating at Starvin' Marvin's. Caged a jump seat once with Delta on the 1011 from BOS to UL, flight overbooked again. Rode the Vanguard once, UL - XU.
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by Genetk44 »

First flight was on Eastern....Montreal to Miami...1960......felt like an astronaut...flew plenty of flights to and from Europe...the best were in the 80's....first class on AC or BA 747 or 767s...roast beef carved at your seat,caviar and champagne...but the best was a flight on New Years eve...6 passengers on a fully crewed AC 747.....now that was awesome....got to fly Concorde twice to and from London...what was amazing was how hot the window got from the friction....and the acceleration when they kicked the after-burners on after take-off...i hate flying commercial now..it sucks compAredto the old days!
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by Old Dog Flying »

I'm not much into airline travel but I can recall TransCanada Airlines DC-3 and noisy North Star, Wardair's servicemans special of $10.00(for the meal) if there was an empty seat and there usually was.

CPAir's Namao to Amsterdam in the Brittania (with filet mignon), and of course there was the RCAF's Comet(which I gave up my seat as a Christmas present to a distressed Army guy); and the 14.5 hour flight from Lahr, Germany to Trenton in the ass-wiggling Yukon.

Then there was the YVR-YQR westjet with my 14 year old son who rode up front both ways while I sat with a lovely blonde flight attendant who praised her son's flying instructor..turned out it was me! But the rest of the story.. :) :) :)

Don't travel by tin bus any more but there were quite a few good times as well as the ugly ones.

Fly safe
Barney
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by Cat Driver »

My first airline flight was in 1951 Windsor to Toronto on a Trans Cadada Airlines DC3.

Longest jump seat was on my Air France pilot ID crew card from Sao Paulo /
Rio / Paris / Toronto then jump seat Air Canada to Vancouver. Insane long trip to get home for a few days visit before I had to fly on my pass back to Sao Paulo.
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Old Dog Flying
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by Old Dog Flying »

Are you really that old .???????????
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by linecrew »

Old Dog Flying wrote:CPAir's Namao to Amsterdam in the Brittania (with filet mignon), and of course there was the RCAF's Comet(which I gave up my seat as a Christmas present to a distressed Army guy); and the 14.5 hour flight from Lahr, Germany to Trenton in the ass-wiggling Yukon.
Out of curiosity, seeing as you were fortunate enough to fly on both, was there a significant difference between riding in a Britannia compared to the Yukon?
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by 1000 HP »

I always liked flying the polish otter. Nice and quiet on the water. Lots of power when it counts. Loaded to the max with every ounce...
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Moose47
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by Moose47 »

G'day

My very very first flight on an aircraft took place on the 7th of February, 1961 on a Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar. We flew at 13,000 feet from R.C.A.F. Unit Fort Chruchill to Winnipeg enroute to my father's new posting at R.C.A.F. Station Namao, Alberta. The Loadmaster gave everyone ear defenders to wear due to the deafening sound of the engines. I flew in the very aircraft pictured below. The Boxcar was from to No. 408 'Goose' (TS & AR) Squadron based at R.C.A.F. Station Rivers, Manitoba.

Note: TS & AR - Transport Support & Area reconnaissance

Cheers...Chris
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Old Dog Flying
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by Old Dog Flying »

Linecrew: The Yukon had a bad corkscrew motion in flight..as though the tail pivoted around the fixed nose position . It was hard to describe but if you had the misfortune of sitting in the rear, it was wise to have a barff bag.
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Post by Beefitarian »

You could still ride in the front if you were a big kid and showed them your PPL as of November, 2000. That was my second flight on a commercial plane as well as my first and only visit to the cockpit.

My first commercial flight was August of the same year to YYC - YYZ - Heathrow. AirCanada, they were really great flights. The cabin crew were mostly super friendly and seemed genuinely happy to serve.
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Re: When Flying Was Fun

Post by JMACK »

You just never know when you are going to bump into a really enjoyable thread so far this one is, thanks all! The comics take on people and flying, the pictures of guys first rides awesome.

I know my first ride was on an AC Viscount mid-sixties must have been after or in 65 because I don't remember ever seeing the TCA livery.

Same a . first ride out of good old YQG but a good decade later.

The FA brought me up to see the flight deck of that beautiful Viscount! I was hooked bad real bad, imagine a five year old constantly asking for the latest air international just for the pictures of course!

I miss the days when we could have visitors on the flight deck. I remember a cadet coming home from camp in the jump seat being pretty stoked about seeing the op first hand from push back to blocking in.

My favourite memory is of a little one maybe 6 years old.
The FA's and FO I was working with needed to grab a bite to eat as we were shifting from trans boarder to domestic and of course crew meals were either non-existent or not enough to get you through a long day .

I went straight to the jet when a rather frazzled gate agent appeared! In tow was a UM She asks where are the FAs and can she leave the UM? Of course I say! Well the child is in row last and the agent was going to leave her at the back of the bus all alone! This lady was having a bad day.

I say hold on there she can hang out with me for now till the FA's get here. So the little one jumps in the first officer’s seat.

I say are you allowed to have a coca cola? OH YES with big eyes says the child! If there is one thing on the planet that is OK it is for sure coca cola. I laugh! Don’t worry everybody the FO seat was way back so she couldn’t spill pop on anything important!
Shortly thereafter the rest of the crew show up! The purser is ready to take the little one back to her seat. The eyes well up with big tears she wants to stay with the Captain, again I laugh but mostly on the inside. The First O and I decide she can ride the jump seat of course I can hear it now all the shock and horror of a child in the jump seat. But it was a different time and alas my good old airline no longer exists so I’m sure there is no one to chide me for this transgression.

On route the little one became more relaxed with her two new friends and asked for another soda when the purser came up to bring us a coffee. On decent we had a very happy little girl high on sugar! She was going to see her auntie Cecile and was very excited to tell auntie about her adventure.
I wonder if auntie believed her that she rode up front the whole way with the pilots……..funny!

Of course today that can never happen locked away behind our bullet proof doors.

J
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