One of my other first flight memories was looking out of one of the windows in the rear cabin as we approached LHR on the return sector, and seeing nothing but low cloud. Being a supernumerary I was occupying a passenger seat.
I remarked to one of the passengers how low the cloud was, considering by now we were all strapped in and fairly close to the ground.
The passenger, obviously a regular, looked at me and said,
"That’s the wing."
What a fool I felt!!
I was so used to looking out of the window at the rear on a normal jet and seeing the ground, I had completely forgotten that these were delta wings and so nothing to be seen but an expanse of white as you looked directly below. Doh!
I am happy to report that quite a few passengers have made this mistake, (it wasn’t just me, and no, I’m not blonde!). It sounds stupid but the mind plays strange tricks when it sees something it doesn’t expect to see!
I loved M2dude’s recollection of when he fell in love with Concorde. It happened to me around 1972 when I saw her in the sky, (believe it or not, over Blackpool!), for the first time. She looked beautiful, elegant, and serene and I knew then that not only did I want to fly for a living, but I wanted fly on Concorde. Later that year I was flying for Freddie Laker. So I suppose you could say that seeing her in the sky that day changed my life.
And no M2dude, you are not old. We have lived through, and had hands on experience of something that no other generation will have in the foreseeable future, so I’m pleased to be the age I am for it was being in the right place at the right time which gave me my chance.
Warm regards,
LL x