Modern aviation never ceases to amaze me

Log about half a million frequent flyer miles (base, no bonus miles) and it becomes just a bus with wings.

 

I love flying. Once you can find a place to park, get on a bus with a driver that does not understand English, Wait in line to drop your bags and jockey for a better seat with a snotty clerk, take your bag to a security drop, wait in the security check line only to have them crawl up your a$$ with a microscope, walk ten miles to your gate, sit at the gate listening to guys on their cell phones that have to make sure EVERYONE hears their conversation, wait an extra two hours because the plane is late, eat crappy-overpriced airport food and overpriced beer, stand in your A-B or C line to board the plane and in ten minutes you will be at row six in front of a lady trying to stuff an oversized piece of luggage in the overhead, find your seat and there is a lady so fat, that there are three smaller ladies orbiting around her, clear the gate late, your plane is # 28 in line for takeoff, get in the air and have to pee and the captain won't turn the seatbelt sign off until you are half way to Chicago because one plane a week ago radioed in bumpy sky's, eat a horrible meal in business class that they would not have fed to coach passengers ten years ago, break your plastic knife, get the runs from the food, go through a hard landing, pull up to the gate 40 minutes late and watch everyone stand up at once only to stand there for a half an hour while the lady in row six tries to get her bag out of the overhead, get off the plane and walk two miles to baggage, find out that your baggage is back in San Jose and will be delivered to your hotel room before 10:00AM the next morning (That you have a meeting at 8:00AM) and hail an overpriced cab with yet another driver that cannot speak any Engliesh.....Other than that, I share your feelings on how fun it is to fly!

 

I'm glad someone is thinking of me while I'm sitting in exile.

 

I used to feel the same way as you when I was a kid. I feel the same way as Peters now.

If I have to take a long flight...I don't. My last trip to India was excruciating, despite business class tickets and the absolute shortest flight routing from here. Now I fly family here just to avoid going again. I have let three tickets to London expire and also turned down two job offers that involved regular travel. I just can't bring myself to do it.

 

Yup, the internet is truly amazing. And this is the infancy stage!

 

Where you make the fatal mistake of making eye contact with her which, in turn, green lights her into telling her entire pathetic life story!

 

For that reason, I can see that it is still fun.

I've checked off the big two, round the world both east bound and west bound. Spicy has checked off the east bound one too.

It was fun the first time. I've lost count now how many times I've done it. I really wish there was Concorde service over the Pacific.

 

That's where the "Ask me how I beat Ebola" tee shirt comes in handy.

 

Only a small portion of my flying is in commercial jets, it can be a bit boring but thats mostly because they won't let me do anything. I sit back there and think about all the fun stuff the pilots are doing... flying the plane, running checklists, talking on the radios. I always enjoy the view out the window as long as there isn't a cloud layer obscuring things.

As for the rest.... it's even better to be the one doing it. Planning a flight and then putting it into action is a pretty rewarding job. It's a lot of fun to be flying around with no outside information and using instruments (radar, tacan, ins, gps etc) to keep oriented and then look out the window and see everything you expect to.

 

If you're flying Northwest, don't forget drinking pitchers of beer before take off...

 

You should have told her about your trip to CO where you got to hunt them from the air with a crossbow and then ate them while the meat was still warm...

 

I LOVE flying. I enjoy the G-rush of takeoff, and I think about the anticipation of where I'm going, even if its a business domestic flight. I fly a lot and I love looking out the window and guessing what cities I am passing, wondering if anyone is looking up at us, and just enjoying the view. Sunrise and sunset in a plane is breathtaking.

The best kind of flying is going to new places in new countries. The feeling of being somewhere 'different' is great, and the expectation and anticipation is wonderful. Its a trip (ha!).

I will never get sick of flying. I do get sick of the small seats (I am 6'3", 230lbs), the overly hot cabins, talking to dorks who may be sitting near me (although most people are cool), etc, etc.

 

Nice attitude. I wish I wasn't so jaded about it. I did see a simply spectacular aurora borealis on my last international flight--I will never forget that.

 

Flying completely sncks!

What else can you think of where you are trapped bored out of your brain while you ever so slowly move towards your destination?. The only parts I like are the take off and landing ... the inbetween bit, plus the getting bags and security checks you can have thanks. I love the engineering ... but that is all.

Again most of my flights are business related ... and one of the main reasons I changed job! You can have my seat mate, and how anybody can find 14+ hour flights fun ... er, beyond me.

Atleast when driving you can see something, or stop and get out for a stretch ...

Pete

 

I Love flying! Im flying to Indy for the F1 race in a few weeks and am not sure what part of the trip I am looking forward to the most, the races or the flights

 

I like my business class fights to Buenos Aires where the seat turns into a bed & you get quality food & your own DVD player. Thats nice

Domestic travel I just take cattle class bcus domestic business class is not as nice as Interntaional business class

After law School, I may get a Big Azz custom bus to drive around domestically & avoid all the airline hassles

 

you folks that fly alot should look into a NetJets flight on a Gulfstream. talk about personal service with no hassles! i fly as a mechanic for testing and maintanence purposes, and its always a blast, even while "working". i love to fly!!! i bet the actual clients get treated like gold. i have no clue what all this costs though .

 

I think it works out to about $3k per hour. Fine if you are hauling 5-7 people around.

If I can get their in 8 hours or less by driving, I'm taking the car.

 

I hate it. Check-in $ucks. Customs $ucks. Security checks $uck. Seats $uck. The movies $uck. The noise $ucks.

All in all, I'll take a Maybach 62 over a plane anyday. Which may be a problem for transoceanic journeys ...

I'd love to fly (pilot) on my own though ...

 

During the NA introduction, they brought the first Maybach to the USA aboard the QEII.

I'm sure Cunard would make the same arrangements for you if you write a big enough check.

 

I hate to fly commercial. Trips under 1k, I use the Baron, but it doesn't make sense to use it for the longer flights. I have taken it to Europe (in 99) but I could have bought the entire family tickets on the Concorde for the cost of that little adventure. Still, it ws worth it, but I don't think I'm going to do that again, any time soon.

Complaints about Commercial flying: security, the small seats, the lack of control.

Art