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#1
3rd May 2017, 00:49
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Do you enjoy flying?
Do you enjoy flying? The airports? The transits? Anything about the actual journey door to door about an air trip?
I find the whole business tedious in the extreme. It's never simple, always tiring and a real chore. Problem is that these days to do anything or go anywhere one needs to fly. Sitting on ones backside in various forms of transport for up to thirty six hours door to door was only made worthwhile by my choice of destination, and the period of time I could stay at that destination. The choice of airline is quite important methinks, but not THAT important, as no matter what company one flies with, one still has to sit still for most of the flights. Problems became more difficult as I got older, and I had to be wheeled on and off all aircraft, as my mobility was severely affected by the onset of flue, and my COPD condition which prevented me from walking for miles through airport terminals. It was very handy being wheeled everywhere I suppose, but it didn't do much for my street cred  Todays flying is so different from the flying I did in the 60s - 70s when I was young and considerably fitter. Plus it was fun and exciting then. Because of mobility issues transit hotels were out, I'd have likely overslept in a hotel anyway. The longest journey as far as hours go was from the Isle of Wight - Heathrow - Singapore 12hrs (8hr stopover) Singapore - Adelaide 7hrs (9hrs stopover) then a 20 minute flight down to Kangaroo Island. The best part of 45 hours without a kip, and so tired when I got to KI I wouldn't drive the hire car, and had to ask someone from where I was staying to come to the airport and collect me. I collected the car the following day. I was wrecked for days, and with jet lag on top, you can imagine I guess my flying days are over now, too much hassle 
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#2
3rd May 2017, 03:55
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Have to agree with your sentiments mate. My last trip brought it all home for me especially landing at Manchester. we came in hard and hot. hit the deck. brakes on hard we came to a halt a long way from the terminal with engines shut down. after sitting there wondering what had happened I noticed the blue lights flashing on the fire trucks which were surrounding us. after a few more minutes a tug came out to us and towed us into our gate. when we made our return journey we got to Manchester Airport in plenty of time but, It took an age to get through the final baggage check (hand carry) when we eventually managed to reach the departure lounge we had only 15 minutes to wait before boarding. we are talking over three hours from check in to departure lounge. eventually Airborn and on our way to Munich. get off the plane and back on again then take off for singapore. Change planes at singapore and a two hour layover. then take off for Cebu, once again get of and back on again. and finally we land at Davao. Our son met us there and drove us the one hour drive home. we felt like we had been around the world several times. No I dont like flying, nervous passenger me. Anyone ever seen a large plane stop to change a tyre at 35,000FT. I dont mind admitting them there big planes scare the heck out of me......LOL
__________________
"Imagination is more important than knowledge". A. Einstein. 
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#3
3rd May 2017, 06:54
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Absolutely hate it! My first rule of flying is avoid if at all possible, if not possible to avoid, someone else must pay the fare! My sum total of flights:
Manchester - Eastleigh Manchester - Bilbao Liverpool - Manila Yokohama - Liverpool Houston - Liverpool Liverpool - Genoa Valencia - Liverpool Liverpool - Abidjan Sete - Liverpool Lyneham. - Ascension Island Ascension Island - Brize Norton Brize Norton - Ascension Island Liverpool - Cape Town Plus a two helicopter flights (free) during Falklands (Wasp & Wessex). Then one freebie from Cape Town to land on Esso Atlantic south of the Cape of Good Hope, change the crew, and then fly back to Cape Town in a Wessex. That was quite enjoyable. Missed a chance of going on patrol with the army from Port Stanley in a Chinook in '83, but prevented by bad weather - would have liked to have done that one! The first two were OK, but the rest sheer torture (apart from the helicopters). I have never been as uncomfortable at sea in 31 years as I was in aircraft on long flights. At the age of 73, we no longer have passports, and never ever intend to fly again! Bob
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#4
3rd May 2017, 07:48
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If I NEVER have to traipse through an airport and get on a plane again, it'll still be too soon.
__________________
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Corporal Hicks (Actually Ripley said it first.)
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#6
3rd May 2017, 12:15
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Here in Oz one has no choice but to fly. Flying is certainly an uncivilised way to travel no matter what. Flying QANTAS is usually out of the question as it is normally much more expensive than the other mid-range carriers. Nor does QANTAS go where we want to go in Europe except via the dreaded Heathrow and British Airways both of which are on OUR NO FLY list.
Next year QANTAS is opening a new Perth - Heathrow non stop (18 hours or so ??) upon which we WILL NOT be travelling.
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#7
3rd May 2017, 16:17
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I, or at least my Secretary doing the bookings, really booked me an exhausting trip to San Diego where I was to present a paper at an oil spill conference. She booked me Cape Town to London (SAA round the bulge at this time), London to Dallas, Dallas to San Diego virtually non-stop. The longest wait over if I remember was three hours in Dallas. I got to the hotel in San Diego put my gear in the room, showered and changed and went looking for a quiet large drink. No sooner had I sat down than a young lady on roller blades screeches to a halt to take my drinks order. All the flights were excellent which is more than I can say recently.s Airport security, security. I know it is necessary but I have a knee replacement and a pin in my left ankle so you can imagine the problems I have.
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#8
3rd May 2017, 16:57
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Several memorable flights. Flew an hour in a Hughes 500 with the passenger door missing through a rainstorm, (first wetting) then offshore to the local airport, (Jefman) via longboat, (wet again) to catch a fixed wing. Three forced landings in helicopters due to weather. One dodgy flight in a heli after a diver had placed his air tanks in the tail boom storage. Heli dropped off the wellhead and I believe we remained airborne to due to 'ground effect'. Aborted take off, hard braking, at Brunei when the pilot realised the a/c hadn't been refuelled. Eight hours in a Trident on the runway at Athens AP surrounded by military vehicles which had blocked take-off. Nowadays twelve hour flights in scheduled flights pure luxury!
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#9
3rd May 2017, 17:02
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My first long flight was from Okinawa to London in 1972. The plane was a 707 and landed in Hong Kong, and Bangkok where due to engine trouble we were delayed. It then flew to LOD airport in Israel for my connection flight which had long since gone. I sat in that airport all night guarded with suspicion by a tough looking Israeli soldier with an Uzi (this was a few months after the LOD airport massacre.)
Next morning was I ever glad to board a British Caledonian plane for home.
__________________
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Corporal Hicks (Actually Ripley said it first.)
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#10
3rd May 2017, 18:30
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I flew quite a lot in the mid 1970's, the most memorable (for all the wrong reasons) was Heathrow to Malaga after Christmas. The aircraft was a British Airways DH Trident. Apart from a late take off, the flight ended with a blind landing in thick fog at Malaga. After entering the fog, the 'plane flew out over the Med before turning to make the approach to the airfield. The next time we saw any land was when we touched down. Cue heavy sighs of relief from the passengers. One other memorable flight was in a Northwest Orient 707 from Seattle to Newark in daytime. Seeing the vast empty land of the prairies was quite awe inspiring. We flew across one state, and apart from a road running from North to South, and another crossing it from East to West where there was a small town, the countryside was empty. I remember thinking, "Who would live there?"
My worst airport experience was at Heathrow on the very first day that strict controls had been imposed on what you could take onto the 'plane as hand luggage. Checking in was a nightmare, and the passenger halls were full of people trying to get checked in. Queues snaked around without any apparent organisation, and I was still a long way from my gate when they got ready to close it. There were about six of us still trying to check in for the flight to Bilbao, and by shoving our way down to the front we got into the departure lounge OK. During the wait, this rather large chap was jostling his way through the crowds, trying to catch a plane to Germany at the other end of the hall. I felt something nudging me, and I turned round to see a large black holdall pushing against me. Holding it was Jens Lehman, the Arsenal goal keeper. I'm 6ft 4 ins tall, but he was bigger than me, so I let him through.
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#11
3rd May 2017, 21:44
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Flew to France once, flew back to Leeds Bradford, that's it for me, I'll walk. It won't catch on.
I enjoyed the flying. All the bits round it were bad.
__________________
Buvez toujours, mourrez jamais. Rabelais
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#12
3rd May 2017, 22:06
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Flying short distances I could live with. I'd seriously love to fly in a hot air balloon or a glider, that would be fantastic. But sitting in airport after airport, or standing in queues that stretch to infinity and being treated as nothing more than cargo (which of course, is what you are) ... no, I've had enough of that. Never again.
__________________
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Corporal Hicks (Actually Ripley said it first.)
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#13
3rd May 2017, 23:11
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Some time ago, a hot air balloon used to fly from a field very near the house when conditions were right. They came at about 5.30, and always woke us, which we didn't really mind. The house (no longer mine) was very isolated, so we were the only ones bothered. To say thanks, they gave me and a friend a trip of our very own, so just three of us in the balloon. It was quite magical and a real thrill. Unfortunately, I was feeling very low at the time so I never took a camera or even as much notice as I wish I had done, I would love another go but not as one of 25 in a big bunch.
Further back and far away, the farm I was working on was the venue for a World Ploughing match, what a jamboree. One of the most impressive sights was a slim young lady arrived, flung out a small hot air balloon and inflated it very quickly and flew off, advertising Nimble bread, made from knitted pubic hair by the texture of it.
__________________
Buvez toujours, mourrez jamais. Rabelais
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#14
4th May 2017, 12:43
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Quote:
Was her name Maggie? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NopAq6tUHVk
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#15
4th May 2017, 13:49
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That certainly was the effect, I thought "You wouldn't get me up in one of those", and of course, I was right. Too much plum duff.
__________________
Buvez toujours, mourrez jamais. Rabelais
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#17
4th May 2017, 15:25
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I think many of us would like to fly in space, I mean, just to experience the weightlessness. But getting up there means sitting on top of a giant bomb, and Steve Buscemi's words from the film 'Armageddon' would be haunting me at that point:
"We're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder."
__________________
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Corporal Hicks (Actually Ripley said it first.)
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#18
4th May 2017, 16:30
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In a scene from a series a few years ago which told the story of the Space Race, Werner von Braun meets some engineers who have been trying to work out why their latest missile doesn't work reliably. They need it to take the next step in their program to get a man on the Moon. He meets them in a diner near Cape Canaveral where they tell him that they have now got the thing to fire up every time, so they can now proceed with the next launch.
"That's good," says von Braun. "What was the problem?" "Errmm, we don't know. All we know is, it works now," they replied. Now THAT is worrying!
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#19
4th May 2017, 16:50
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Love flying...started in Air Scouts aged 12 and had about 90 hours in RAF planes,no jets but things like Shackleton , Neptunes, Dakotas,Hastings,Anson,Chipmonks and small helicopters ...thereafter businesswise West Africa ( Mauretania) and lots of European travel......But last December did trip to Bangkok and back via Dubai, loved the flying but airports which stretch for a mile or more,middle of night and no indicator boards did take edge of my love. Daughter,based in Thailand loves airports, in past month has been in and out of Japan,Vietnam and Malaysia...and doesn't mind hanging around.
geoff
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#20
4th May 2017, 17:19
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Flying doesn't bother me it's the crashing that scares the crap out of me.
__________________
Oul scabby knuckles If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried Anything God didn't create was made by engineers. I try so hard to make things idiot proof but they keep making better idiots
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#21
4th May 2017, 18:34
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Quote:
They lovingly work on a vastly complex and beautiful machine for years on end, but when they decided to fire it up, they prefer to be about two miles away in a concrete bunker. That should tell you something .... 
__________________
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Corporal Hicks (Actually Ripley said it first.)
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#22
4th May 2017, 21:22
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Quote:
To be perfectly honest, I don't like flying anymore.. too much hassle here in the Colonies with the TSA and their BS rules. The only flying I really enjoy is on the two warbirds I volunteer with.. a B-25 and a B-17... the pilots I usually fly with, on the B-25 specifically, I trust implicitly... same on the 17.. but the jets nowadays I don't feel safe on..
__________________
"Hey man, I only ride 'em. I don't know what makes them work... " - Oddball http://ss481.com
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#23
5th May 2017, 11:14
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Despite all the horror stories and bad experiences related by members, you must admit that sitting in an aeroplane in flight is a lot less wearing on the arms.
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#24
14th June 2017, 14:53
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I agree that long haul has become tedious in my old age (76) and struggling with suitcases is no longer easy. That aside, I have always loved flying. I got a PPL in the early 1960's for single and multi engined light aircraft and also flew gliders. Later I got night and instrument ratings. I kept the licences going for years and never regretted the money I spent. My longest trip, shared with two other pilots, was a trip from Bournemouth to the Med and North Africa and home via Gib, Spain, Portugal and France in a single engined Cessna. Having time to fly beat me in the end as I had three jobs ( two of them part time ), was a hobby diver and had a family to raise. Having said that, I had a trip in a microlight from a farm strip near Lymington to Thruxton and back last month and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Andy
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#25
14th June 2017, 15:54
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Quote:
I would recommend Gliding it is a superb feeling when you are soaring, the Gliding Club I was a member of had an open cockpit Glider and it was surprising what you could hear from the those on the ground-------------and sometimes see  when you quietly glide over them.
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