Aeroplane stories.

I remember returning from Majorca once.

A woman near the back of the aircraft stood up in her seat & started screaming. She was having a full blown panic attack.

The hostess gently got hold of here & brought her to the front of the plane where she could sit down facing the hostesses own seat. Tony & I happened to be on the facing seats with a spare seat beside me. This woman was placed down beside me & the hostess asked me to keep an eye on her when she had to get up to do her duties.

The woman was quivering & shaking all the way to East Midlands Airport but at least she did quieten down a bit. I tried to keep up a steady stream of conversation and I think it helped. She thanked me & hugged me when we finally landed and said she's never fly again.

The funny thing was she told me she'd flown many times before & it hadn't bothered her..

Do you have any aeroplane stories?

Re: Aeroplane stories.

In Siberia, flying from Irkutsk to Bratsk a short journey of about 1 hour. The flight itself was ok, but when we landed we were some distance from airport buildings and the Russians had to send a bus to collect us. Bratsh is a main training base for the Russian airforce and there were MiG 29s lined up not too far away from us. As we stood on the -35 oC cold and snow waiting for the bus, an open cockpit biplane passed overhead and came into land a short distance from us. This was a Russian pilot trainee doing circuits and bumps. after he landed, nothing happened for a few minutes. Eventually the ground crew came out, climbed on the wing and lifted the pilot out of the 'plane (he had frozen to the controls). They train them tough in Siberia !!!

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We flew to Norway at something like 2 o'clock in the morning. Just as we were about to take off, the Pilot introduced himself to the passengers .... as Bruce Dickinson, of Iron Maiden fame.

Re: Aeroplane stories.

I have only flown once and that was around the coast of Cornwall in a helicopter. No more flying for me, I get dizzy in new shoes.

Re: Aeroplane stories.

Almost every time we get on a plane we seem to get an 'upgrade'. We always travel in the cheapest way as we would rather spend money when we get where we are going, so it's economy class but the number of times we've had the luck of an upgrade is weird, (maybe that's why I never win anything on lotto- I've used up our luck!)

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I am mad on vintage and veteran aircraft. Until a few years ago I used to go to airshows up and down the country every summer. The only planes I have flown in are. A Dakota, a Dove and a Varsity. I missed out by one number on a draw ticket for a flight in a Shackleton.

Re: Aeroplane stories.

First time I ever flew was a long haul flight to Florida. The journey there was fine but coming back was horrendous. It was very turbulent and to cap it all we hit an air pocket and the plane fell out of the sky dipping very rapidly. I and other people screamed it was horrible and for the remainder of the journey I had panic attacks.

I have flown a few times since but I detest it and it kinda ruins my holidays as the flights are constantly on my mind.

I.ve opted to go to Spain on the coach 4 times since and although it's a long journey I really don't mind it at all because I feel much more relaxed and I make the journey part of my holiday.

Not for everyone but it suits my husband and I for the peace of mind.

I hate the vulnerability of flying.

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Re: Aeroplane stories.

Air travel has really gone down the pan and is getting worse.

BOAC and British Caledonian were great, Lufthansa and Swiss Air were also good (for a while Swiss Air had real draught beer on board). Aeroflot was a guaranteed adventure each time so much that everyone applauded when a flight landed but Sabena was dreadful.

Word was that Sabena was an acronym for "Such A Bloody Experience Never Again"and based on every flight I took with them it was correct.

I dread to think how many hours I've spent flying. As things changed with time there's a lot of things that have been lost. The Belfast Shuttle for one. Just turn up, get on, and pay. Too many people for the 'plane and the promise they would put another 'plane on.

Mostly served by Tridents, one of the very few aircraft that could use reverse thrust while still in the air!

We seldom fly now. All the faffing around prior to departure is such a pain not to mention the long queues so often at check in.

One thing that I've always fancied was a cruise - but on a cargo vessel. Far from a cheap way to go, in fact rather expensive, but from what I've heard it appeals to me.

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That took me back a few years to the 50s when Dad had an appt with the Queen at Buck House. We flew down on a Dakota and I sang "take me back to the black hills, the black hills of Dakota" Also remember asking Dad what was the brown bag for and he said he would tell me if I needed it.