Most memorable flight ..... ever! (Merged)

[neutral99]

It's impossible to tell how many Ppruners are actually pilots but, whatever the percentage, there's obviously a great wealth of experience/aviation stories out there which would be of interest to others.

If you had to pick your most memorable flight ever, which would it be? And, why?

Most enjoyable?
Most exciting?
Most frightening?
Most unusual, or interesting, aircraft?
An emergency which ended well?
Military or civil?
Fixed-wing or Rotary?

If it's difficult to choose just one, even better.
Tell us about more!
http://www.rideguide.com/snoopy.gif "There I was, nothing on the clock but the maker's name, ......."

[jumpseater]

...and someone had tried to scratch that off!

My best ride was into Sondestromfjord in a plane on a delivery flight, at an altitude of....erm it wasn't us guv!. Took some nice pictures too!

[fifthcolumns]

I started a similar thread some time ago
Got a few stories but a lot 'smart' comments.
Hope this does better.

[redsnail]

A couple here.
First solo. Coincided with Neil Armstrong's stroll on the moon. (Different year though)
Doing Coastwatch in a Shrike along the kimberley coast line. That was fun!
Finally, doing my first flight in a Dash 8 (after sim) on my birthday :)


------------------
reddo
A Feral Animal.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Half an hours lunacy in the late Lefty Gardners P51 (back seat) looking UP at his house in Texas in a 90degree bank between house and garage, then taxying across a public road to park next to the swimming pool.
Then I KNEW what I had to do in life. Ive done most of it, but I still have to fly a Merlin engined fighter. Still, theres time...

[This message has been edited by Agaricus bisporus (edited 17 September 2000).]

[traveler]

First day at my first paying flying job. 19 years old, had to drop skydivers at a big hot air balloon show in the states. Even got checked by a Fed that day. Sure got beautiful around sunset. And I was getting PAID to do this stuff. HA.
Sometimes life is good ...

[Diesel8]

Flying over Greenland and landing in Nasarsuqa, great lunch at the Greenland air hotel.

Feerying a Ce-404 btw.

[JBravo]

I don't know if I should be posting here with only 160 hours, but I still get chills thinking of the first time I opened the throttle in the first twin I flew. This baby had power! Better then my first solo....
But I hope my most memorable flight ever is still coming up somewhere in the future.



[This message has been edited by JBravo (edited 17 September 2000).]

[hosteehunter]

How about first shag on a night-stop?

Couldn't get it up!


JBravo,
You keep posting mate, there's lots read this forum who'd love to have your hours.

------------------
Girls get beer goggles too!

[traveler]

You drunk, or she ugly ?

[WhoNeedsRunways]

Late 1999. 3rd hour in a helicopter, after 15 years or so of always wanting to learn to fly them, never having the money, never making the Bristow's sponsorship which is why I'd forked out £5000 for a PPL in the first place 10 years before.

After a brief demo of how it works, I get to hover the thing. And it stayed there. And I said "F**k me, I've waited 15 years for this", and thought "F**k me, I CAN do it".

And I hovertaxied back to the pad after as well.

[Wycombe]

Mine are mostly as pax with Betty's Flying Club (my own flying is nothing like as exciting):

1. 1.5 hrs at low-level in a Herc, standing behind the LHS, followed by TALO landing.

2. 3 hrs in the back of a large tandem rotor helicopter, flying around some South Atlantic Islands earlier this Year.

3. Short hop (VFR) in a Gulfstream 5 (isn't the cockpit small!)

4. As a pax in the back of a Cathay L1011, doing the IGS to 13 at HKG (1990)

5. 1 hr trip around SW England in an ex-Interflug IL18 (an aeroplane cast from solid
steel, or so it felt!)

Great experiences for me, I'm sure everyday occurences for a lot of you who read this.

[Tom the Tenor]

One of my most enjoyable flights was at Farranfore, (Kerry) in summer 1984 on a pleasure flight over the Lakes of Killarney on an Air Atlantique DC-3 - the day was dry and sunny and the lakes and mountains were gin clear. Such a treat to have been able to fly on such a classic aircraft. Magic!

[Speechless Two]

As crew being positioned from Inverness to Sumburgh in a BA Viscount in the mid 70's. Not above 1000ft the whole way and I have a cracking photo of the Old Man of Hoy - taken that day along the wing with both starboard props visible and the rock stack towering above the wing, and no we weren't in a turn, it was level flight way below 500ft!!

[This message has been edited by Speechless Two (edited 19 September 2000).]

[Flintstone]

Aerobatics in a Tiger Moth on an August evening. Dead calm and not a cloud in sight. Gorgeous.

We taxied in, shut down and all we could hear was the ticking of the engine and a skylark.

Mate, I nearly cried.

[tunneler]

as a pax the best ever was on my 18th birthday.......

Flew to JNB from GLA (via LHR) turns out the girlfriends big sister (a BM stewie) had been making a few phone calls. Got the jumpseat on the BM flight to LHR as well as a bag full of mini champers at the door with a couple of kises from stewies (girlf none too happy!!)

Then onto the SAA flight mysteriously bumped up to club (5 of us!!!) then as the 744 (hubba!) was climbing outta heathrow the purser comes over the tannoy giving the usual blurb then starts up with happy birthday to me!! Bog bottle of champers appears and a plesant few hours had by all then after breakfast i was invited to the flight deck for a VFR landing at Jo'burg in a 744......... what a great day!

As a pilot, the best so far in my whopping 38 hours, has to be my solo cross country. PIK-West Freugh-Carlisle, not a cloud in the sky and tootling along at 4,000ft thinking "I could get very very used to this....... :)"

Right i think ive written enough now eh?

B
x

[Helmut Wisorcover]

Mil blurb; Flying in Bosnia, war still ongoing, about 6000', VMC on top, total cloud cover except the peaks of the mountains poking through like little islands on a vast lake. Total peace up above, carnage below! Surreal.

[Pinger]

And some poor sods have to work for a living! :) :) :)

Poor devils.

[fifthcolumns]

At the moment, the one I flew today,
A ho hum circuit detail but the first
in 3 months.

Not mine but surely the most memorable
for a friend of mine. During his Commercial
flight test, another aircraft, a twin went down
also during a flight test. He found himself circling
the site directing the emergency services to the
scene. And yes he passed.
Hard to beat that.

[dingducky]

here is my friend's:

My most memorable flight would have to be my first solo flight. When I was early downwind in the circuit the tower cleared me as #2 to land behind a cherokee.But when I was late downwind the tower said that I was #2 behind a metro on long finals. I heard #2 so I turned base and cut right in front of the metro. The metro capt swore on the radio to confirm he was #1 to land as some idiot had just cut in front of him. He had to do an orbit on finals! and when on the ground the capt of the metro tracked me down and was just about to kill me but when he found out that it was my first solo he just smiled and bought me lunch!!!!!!!!!!
PS:He said that his first solo was just as worse..... :)


------------------
Being an airline pilot would be great if you didn't have to go on all those trips.

[Dimmer Switch]

2-seat Hunter, Minches (NW Coast of Jocksilvania), pretending to be a missle flying 'appropriate' flight profiles against HM War Canoes ! Yippeeeee!

[KeithAlexander]

First Solo, Perth, Scotland C-152.
And only two months ago as well, so its still fresh in my memory

Bloody landed on a grass strip with my brakes on too!

[Oleo]

Hmmmm... so hard to choose...

First solo (of course), crisp winter early morning in New Zealand, not a cloud, and the air cold and still (in a "traumahawk")

First cross country across Cook Strait in NZ battling a thumping Nor' Wester.

Flying down to Aneityum Island in Vanuatu in a C206, landing downwind (!) on the little atoll they use as their landing strip on the third attempt after dragging it across the beach with the stall warning pipping. Later being ferried across to the "mainland" by outrigger canoe. (The windsock was stuck "blowing in the wrong direction, well that's my excuse.)

First flight in a twin (Seneca I), and later coming home in the same plane after IFR training, skimming over the tops of the clouds into the sunset of a cold winters night (its always bloody winter in NZ!).

Aerobatics as a passenger in a big yellow Harvard when I had 15 hours (yes that was winter too).

Flying my 80 year old grandmother 250 miles up the East coast of NZ in a Piper cub!

First flight in the yellow, fabric covered, single seat homebuilt in which I bought a share.

Flying from PNG to Honiara for 3 hours over water, using dead reckoning over the sea until we picked up the NDB as our only beacon. Looking down at the azure blue atolls off the coast of PNG, and later skimming the whispy clouds with the sun setting behind us. Arrived in the sultry pitch black night.

First ever solo IFR flight from Chicago to Atlanta.

Ferry flight from Los Vegas to Atlanta in a cardinal at max weight in the middle of summer.

First flight in "my" King Air :) and ummmmm... every flight in "my" King Air.

[Flying Lawyer]

Most exciting:
First flight in a Warbird. In the back of a P51 Mustang (Stefan Karwowski flying) performing a "synchro pair" with, and then "dogfighting" with, Ray Hanna in his Spitfire Mk IX to open a show at West Malling.
We were joined by a Corsair and Yak 11 for a battle attack scene and ended the display in close formation with the B17.

Most enjoyable:
Flying from Duxford over the Alps on a beautiful summer's day to Sion (Switzerland) in a P40 Kittyhawk in formation with Spitfire Mk IX, P51 Mustang, P40 Kittyhawk and Me109.

Most exciting:
Single-engined across the Atlantic. Thruxton, Iceland, Greenland, Goose Bay, Quebec, and then across the States to Texas in a Siai Marchetti SF260.
Flying over the ice-cap, and then following a fiord to land at Narsasuaq (Greenland) - hoping we'd chosen the right fiord added to the excitement. (Pre-GPS days!)
Low-level over the ice-cap is breath-taking. Our clearance to land included a warning to avoid an enormous iceberg on the approach!

Most frightening:
As above, when the engine stopped mid-Atlantic.
Thankfully, only briefly - we'd miscalculated the time to transfer from the ferry tanks which had no gauges.

Most glorious sound I've ever heard:
As above, when the engine started again!!


[This message has been edited by Flying Lawyer (edited 21 September 2000).]

[traveler]

Yeah that earlier post was really enjoyable but, when I think about it, the unpleasant ones are probably more memorable. So quite a few years ago I'm cruising along in this C-152 following the river way to low. Feeling really cool like Mr. Aviation with all my ±100 flight hours. I'm checking out how the banks of the river are higher than the top of my wings. Turn my head facing the front again, and in a flash see the big power lines what seems to be between my propeller and the windshield. Yank the wheel into my stomach, hart pounding in my throat. Cursed something really loudly to myself. Realize I'm still alive. ( all this in 1 second ) Hart rate returning into the green/yellow. Look out the side window, see I'm flying vertical (well, almost). Look at my instruments and actually notice the airspeed indicator. Hmm, that seems low. Jam the yoke forward into the instrument panel. Hart rate way up again. And as I'm diving down getting a better visual overview, remember I have a throttle too. Finally a controlled climb out of the valley swearing I will never, not ever do that again. Of course later I have, for I am male, but not before seriously scouting the area first. No matter what the chart says.

Live and learn, hopefully !

[Oleo]

That calls to mind a similar flight I had, practicing circuits at night ... it was winter as I recall... Practicing circuits with the landing light off at an airfield with no vasi/papi. Got a weird feeling and popped the landing light on to see a tree growing right in front of me!

Same thing pulled up and over it heart in my mouth. Since resolved never to fly at night without a slope indicator...

[neutral99]

Really interesting post, Flying Lawyer.
Bet the engine stopping "briefly" didn't seem very brief at the time!

[Form 5 please!]

This happened a while back and was probably one of the most heart stopping incidents to date!

Whilst flying on night vision goggles in a military helo on operations somewhere, we got the call to extract some chaps on the ground, they HAD to be extracted, no question! It was just getting dark; the period of the day that goggles are pretty crap and mark one eyeball is no better. The weather was foul with a cloud base quite probably below minimum’s (well below!). We managed to get the first load of guys out and were returning for the remainder. By this time it was dark proper with the cloud base getting lower and lower. We ran in at about 70' agl and tried to re-locate the pick up; at this stage we went into cloud and lost all visual references! The normal drill in that circumstance would have been to pull pitch to safety altitude and return to an airfield for an approach.
Snag 1.....Airfield 30 minutes away
Snag 2.....20 minutes usable fuel left, just enough to get back to the drop off.
Snag 3.....Surrounded by big jaggy hills all round
Snag 4.....IF not an option!
At this stage the non-handling pilot was shouting airspeed/height calls which ranged from 40kts/100', 60kts/50', 80kts/30', 30kts/70' and so on for a period of time that seemed like an absolute age. The crewmember in the rear was trying to be helpful by switching on the powerful IR torch to our front, which as you will be aware is like going on to mainbeam in fog!
I eventually saw a dim light to our front and homed in on it, it turned out to be a farmhouse. I held on to it for all I was worth! At this stage we managed to get our bearings and found the troops, picked them up and took them back. After shutting down at the drop-off, we all just sat in the aircraft for about 10 minutes saying nothing. The crewman remarked that all he could see was telegraph poles whizzing past the side window horizontally then vertically then horizontally again every so often! It's one of the few times whilst flying I actually had the thought 'this is really going to hurt, this is really going to hurt in a minute'.

Moral.......is it REALLY that important?


------------------
Put that in yer pipe and smoke it!

[mach78]

In a B-25 Mitchell in Florida,on the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbour-what a machine!

[Sporadic E]

During my AFI course, one of my fellow instructor-trainees and I took time out to fly from Liverpool to Nottingham in a PA38 (not very far, I know). The weather was absolutely c**p - low cloud, bad vis, pouring with rain etc. A major sense of achievement when we got there.

The thing that made it a memorable flight was demonstrating how teamwork can overcome difficulty. We also agreed that flying in that weather felt much safer than driving down the M56 towards LPL in the same weather earlier that morning!

[IanSeager]

A few years ago now I did an aerobatic competition, beginners level, basic stuff - but it was an experience and got the adrenaline going (Managed not to come last) - anyway the flight back from Little Snoring took place late in the afternoon/early evening - the air was silky smooth and the light almost golden - there seemed to be nothing else in the sky apart from a couple of hot air ballons and then to cap it all I saw Concorde westbound.
Driving back from the airfield I couldn't help thinking how privileged I'd been that day.
Ian

[TwoDeadDogs]

Hi folks
TomtheTenor
My first flight was in Air Atlantique's Dak G-AMPO from Farranfore and it was just magic!That year,there was an all-red Spitfire, a Comper Swift,a Harvard and lots of Spamcans present.
Apart from that,three backseats in Fougas,courtesy of the Don,a dozen SF260,a dozen Alouette,three Gazelle,dozens of King Air etc.
First solo was bloody brilliant.
Ahhhhhhhh..
regards
TDD

[ehwatezedoing]

Could be an hairy touch & go on a B-18 with 80 degres crosswind at 15 kts, gusting 25.

Mamamia, no feet stuck on one brake pleeeease.

R/T from the tower:-"Problem with the heading sir :) !?"

[javelin]

Cloud check for skydiving in a C206 - 120, pull up, Doh - 300 feet. Now I am IMC 20 degrees nose up with the speed decaying, that was interesting.
7,000 IMC PA32, vac pump failure - thanks Air UK for the steer into clear air.
Night cross country for ATPL, half way over the sea south of West Freugh - tank runs dry showing quarter full! Other tank was quarter full and we had to get back to PIK - we did, just.
Air racing in the Schneider race - 30 feet watching for yachts.
Flying a Beaver on Floats.

[Tom the Tenor]

Hi TwoDeadDogs, Gosh, you are very well in with the boys and gurls at St Mary's! Were you inside? Yes, I am envious of all the goes you have had in the Fougas & SF260s especially if they were doing aerobatics?. However, the Alouettes must have been the best of all? They make such a great sound flying overhead. They must now be the oldest Alouettes still flying? Kind regards, TTT.

[G-IRLY]

Best diversion - On a day off from work, gloriously sunny, I decided to do a cross country nav exercise and land away. My instructor said Gloucester would be better from a training point of view, but I had a niggling feeling that I should treat myself to a nice break at Compton Abbas. Route planned, airport rung off I flew in a PA-38. When I contacted Compton Abbas with ETA :36 they advised that I meant be held out of the zone as they were expecting a fly past by the Red Arrows at :46 My brain tried to remain calm as I called the airfield in sight and joined right base. Turning finals I heard the Reds call to see if the airspace was clear. I was asked to expedite, as I landed the all clear was given to the Red Arrows and I was just stepping out as they came screaming out of the skies straight through my wake turbulence (ha ha)just overhead.
Funny thing is I forgot to worry about the difficulties of a short grass strip that day.

Best pax - in the cockpit for landing at the old Hong Kong airport Kai Tek - It was a lifelong ambition, I had a little speech planned for talking to the Captain if I got the chance to go upfront. When I went to the cockpit it was night, before I'd said a word the captain said to me "You can't see anything now, why don't you come back for landing?" Gobsmacking

[FL001]

On NVGs as a Pax in a Seaking at night, Very low in between oil rigs. A silly way to make a living.

OR,

Over Lands End in a Dominie, high level on a perfectly clear winters night. You could see most of Great Britain. Thats when I realised where the best seats in the house are.

[Biggles Flies Undone]

First aeros lesson. Beagle Pup with an ex-display pilot for instructor. All about keeping the momentum and hardly felt the G forces the way he did it. Gobsmacked by his technique and how quickly the Pup spun compared with the old C150 I did my PPL spin training in :)

Flying Lawyer – was that SF260 ferry in the early 80’s by any chance?

[Flying Lawyer]

BFU:
No - it was in June 1989.

[McDuff]

Most egocentric: flying F16Cs over the Gulf of Mexico, refuelling from a KC135 carrying my wife.

Most fun:flying down 100ft gulleys in Labrador/Quebec from Goose Bay in Tornado GR1.

Most frightening: coming close to hitting another Jaguar; as I pulled up to clear him I could have sworn that his tail was about to cleave my a**e.

Most satisfying: night low-level DH on time with a Maxeval chase on board.

Most worrying: 7-odd Jaguars wandering above cloud in the Rhone valley in 1981 ("the cloud will clear by 1000" - Met) with fuel below minimum with no radio, IN (Navwass) or Tacan in my aircraft. Istres was Red, Orange was Amber... and French ATC would not let us go Nice which was closest - we had to go to Orange...

But all rip-roaring fun.

McDuff

[Flying Lawyer]

Impressive, McDuff!

Biggles:
I'm curious - why did you ask about the date of my SF260 trip across the pond?

[Tonkenna]

Where to start,

1st Solo
FHT after which I got my wings
Pax ride in a Lightning

But probably the most satisfying, my first operational onload of 20 tonnes of gas. AAR is just such good fun.

[EGAC]

One of my best trips was as SLF in a C-46 meathauler out of La Paz, Bolivia. It had no seats, a bloodstained wooden floor, it reeked to high heaven and had holes bored in some of the cabin windows for ventilation.

A bunch of us gringos rented it for a 30-min. jolly around the foothills of the Andes. We took some of the meat workers for the ride as they had never actually flown in the thing. It occurred to us that thay might think that all flying was like this, even with Lloyd Aereo Boliviano!

No sterile cockpit here either. As we were keen to see our approach and landing at close quarters we managed to get eight souls into the large cockpit behind P1 and P2 on finals.

So unforgettable I repeated it a year or two later!

:) :) :) :) :)

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Safety is no accident

[This message has been edited by EGAC (edited 10 October 2000).]

[Biggles Flies Undone]

Flying Lawyer – I got involved with a guy who did an SF260 ferry to the US in the early 80’s (I recall a subsequent article in Pilot mag) – and he never paid his bill!!

EGAC I guess you must remember Frigorifico Reys too (now there’s a misnomer!). Did you ever meet Steve Piercy?

[Flying Lawyer]

NOT ME!!!

(But I can recommend a good lawyer if you want to sue next time!)

[White Shadow]

So many...
Maybe the next one?

[dh108]

Hope I won't get turfed out for being a non-pilot with this - though I did actually do some of the flying in one of these episodes.


Most memorable flight :
Vickers Viscount circa 1990, Belfast Aldergrove to Manchester. British Airways plane broke, so we all trudged for miles to a forgotten part of the airfield. The plane looked like a museum-piece, and no-one had heard of the airline whose livery it wore. General clutching of rosary beads and mutterings of "only one step up from a Tiger Moth". In reality, much more solidly built inside than the modern stuff, huge panoramic windows - and a comfortingly large number of engines. And a very comforting sort of gentle rolling motion as it crossed a sunlit Irish Sea - 'danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings', just as in the poem. I'm not actually a keen flyer at all, but that flight could have carried on forever.

2nd most memorable :
BA turboprop circa 1990, Manchester to Belfast Aldergrove. Plane broke while flying (spot the pattern here ?) - something navigation-related. Flew around for ages trying to find a hole in the cloud that went all the way down to the ground. Passengers were asked to join in the search - seemed a bit like a Holy Grail thing for a while. Very interactive flying experience.

Least memorable
DH Chipmunk, Air Training Corps. Woodvale, late 70's. I know it's a pretty-looking thing on the outside (see them regularly still since I'm near Barton Aerodorome), but it didn't seem so good strapped in the back seat. The parachute straps cut off all circulation, that's one thing I can remember. And the poor visibility through the 'birdcage' canopy.

Worst Missed opportunity
By digging a bit deep I could have just about managed a Concorde charter flight. Maybe I thought the plane was for fat cats and celebs only, the 'champagne and caviar' set, not for ordinary Joe Public. More likely, I'm just very, very stupid. Now, having seen the public reaction and press/TV coverage, I wish I'd gone for it. Has there been this much interest in a flying machine from the general public since the 50's ? Will my doctor give me anti-depressants to get over missing out on Mach 2 ? Is it possible to sustain long-term damage from kicking yourself too much ? How are those Concorde crews going to cope with life now ? I'm not trying to hijack this thread by the way - someone else mentioned the big white bird earlier on.

[rotornut]

My most memorable flight was on Indian Airlines back in about 1987. It was in July from Santa Cruz (Bombay) to Poona and it was around 6 in the morning. The wx was typical monsoon - lots of rain and the equpment was typically Indian Airlines at that time - a very tired old 737-100 or 200 series.

The pax were driven out to the plane in a clapped out bus and we had to step around puddles from the night's deluge. On embarking I noticed the skin looked like it had about 6 coats of low gloss house paint on it and the interior was something else. The overhead bins had no backing and you could see right throught to the insulation and wiring. The emergency exit row had no seats. Instead hand baggage was piled there with the encouragement of the flight attendants.

The main door was left open and it began to rain - a real monsoon rain. Meanwhile the crew attempted to start the darn thing but to no avail. By this time, the humidity and temperature were becoming very uncomfortable, at least for this Canuck. While this was all going on I could hear a strange type of Indian music on the PA. It wasn't exactly classical but it was indeed an Indian version of Muzak complete with sitars and the rest of it.

Meanwhile they still couldn't get the damn thing started. Most passengers bore this in their stride. Indians have a wonderful ability to handle delays and inconveniences, unlike us Westerners who can get very upset and anxious.

At last I heard the familiar whine of the engine spooling up and before long we were taxiing and in the air. It was an uneventful short flight to Poona until the landing.

Poona was relatively dry. The pilot set up the approach with lots of visibility and ceiling so everything seemed OK. Until the wheels touched and we bounced back into the air! We came down hard but stayed on the ground... ouch! I rather expected the gear to collapse but it held - tribute to the toughness of those old '37s.
Anyway we safely disembarked at the end of a rather unforgettable flight.

[Flap operator]

Flogging the circuit for the N'th hundred time on a pleasant winter afternoon ... must have been in the early mid 90's ..at a certain (now closed) airlfield in the southeast... when a Sunderland of all things asked ATC for zone transit... he got the transit on proviso that he gave the boys in the tower a good view... so we got the call "G -XX call finals number two to the Sunderland" ..... managed to get tucked in about 300 yards behind ... what a view !
I think it ended up going to Austrailia ? :cool:

[PAXboy]

As the name says, I'm pax! Although these are the most memorable, each flight is special. Even a 45 minute flip from LTN to IOM, has something to treasure.
[list=1]
First ever: BOAC VC-10, LHR to JNB 5th December 1965. Joined the Junior Jet Club!
October 1970 Viscount from SAY (Salisbury as was) to VFA (Victoria Falls) watching the falls from the big windows as we circled before making the approach.
A week later Viscount SAY~JNB. Through a thunderstorm at FL160 ... just after breakfast ...
March 1972: JNB~WDH (Windhoek) in a chartered DC-4. It was a school trip. Great views and a visit to the front.
January 1985, boarded an 8-seater in Durban to go to Richards Bay and found that a guy I was at school with was driving. But the weather was so bad, I could not get up front.
First into HKG (Jan 1991) and every subsequent time to Kai Tak was a dream.
October 2000. JNB to Plettenberg Bay in J41. I was in the jump seat because my nephew was FO and it was my first flight with him. He operated the sector and, during the take off roll, I looked out of the window at the familiar site of JNB and then at my 24 year old nephew and felt a pride that I had never experienced. I do not have children of my own and to watch him and hear his voice to ATC .... no words. He's in the LHS now.
November 2000. Daylight on VS, CPT-LHR. I was in the flight deck whilst over the Sahara. The crew were amused to hear of my father navigating Beaufighters across the desert following camel tracks. Well, the map said the tracks were there but they were still not visible at 75'! When I got back to my seat, I telephoned him and he was thrilled to pieces when he heard that I was at FL370.
8th August 2003. G-BOAC for BA0001. Beyond words.
[/list=1]

[chiglet]

For my 2 pennr'th
Backseat in a Hawk [magic words "YOU have control"]
AAR VC10 and WE tanked
First Jet j/s [Laker Bac111] coming over Hurn at FL350 and seeing ALL the cities of the UK.
Backseat in the Chippie from Woodvale...It was the Boss's last flight......magic
and all the rest....please, PLEASE bring j/s back for us poor ATCers
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy

[STANDTO]

Most Memorable

- the trips with LASU from Warton.

- Jump seat on a J41 from IOM to Jersey. Arteries furred up with the amount of clotted cream consumed!

- taking my kids up front for the first time in a 767 - thanks Brittania

(when will the CAA see sense again)

- even though I didn't get airborne, my old mate from school bringing the Lanc over for the Jurby air show, letting me having a crawl around, and managing a flypast over the house.

Biggest missed opportunity - the chance of a day out at Brawdy, whilst holding at St Athan. Screwed up med category (which I later found out in the mess the quack could have sorted for me). I will never quite get over that. The only way I will ever get the opportunity for a FJ trip now is handing over 10k to Mike Beachyhead - Unless, Mr Saville, you are out there reading this?

[interestedparty]

Biggen Hill to Ostende on board Lufthansa's Ju52 a few years ago.
Droning along at 1000' - great fun.

[Descend to What Height?!?]

First Solo
Followed by first cross country.
But always remember the flight after an Oh silly hundred hours departure from ASI, watching dawn break over the South Atlantic. Once light, descended from FL230 to 50ft AGL, and saw toothed from 50ft to FL150 to 50ft all way to Namibian coast. Comment from right hand seat when at 50ft about half way between ASI and our nearest Div in Africa: "This is an awfully long way from anywhere to be doing this sort of silly thing!!!"

Saddest flight.
Last sortie of Snoopy, killed off by accountants and miss management! :{ :mad: :{ :mad:

[Lawyerboy]

Paxboy - 8 August 2003, I was on BA 001. Small world...

[PAXboy]

L'boy - I cannot be sure if it was because of our curiously linked PPRuNe names or simply that Conc was detailed to carry special people that day. :}

My only disappointment on the flight? With all the threats that the temperature would cause us to make a tech stop so that we would get two supersonic flights :E and ... they flew the a/c so damm well that we didn't have to. :sad:

"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[Falcon50driver]

flying into the azores,dest lppd below min 0/0 alt lpaz below mins 0/0
2nd alt Lajes cavock wind 42kts quartering headwind

hows that for exciting

[Blacksheep]

A crisp early spring morning at RAF Dishforth. Climbed into a DHC Chipmunk with a parachute strapped to my backside so tight that I couldn't stand up straight. We climbed out over the Great North Road and went over to Ripon and circled a couple of times then away over the Vale of Yorkshire for some aerobatics - loops, stall turns, falling leaf, barrel rolls - the pilot must have had a great time but for this ATC cadet it was my first time and I was wonder struck. They say you never forget your first don't they? If only I could see properly, maybe I could have been a pilot...

I wonder who the pilot was? Maybe he's a PPRuNer eh?

**************************
Through difficulties to the cinema

[Flip Flop Flyer]

Yeah, a good old A300B4 Freighter. Riding the jumpseat only, what?, 2 weeks ago into Saddam Intl. The approach is, shall we say, a bit unconventional given the circumstances that there are bandits around with guns and stuff. Anyway, we came in a bit hot (like 200+ Kts over the threshold) and a go-around is called for. Not your average go-around though. It's more like levelling out at 300 ft-ish, left turn behind the tower to track the paralell runway, then another 180 to the left when abeam the threshold opposite end, ending up slightly right of runway with the skipper quitely saying "left foot, level off, right foot" and ka-chunk firmly place around 130 tons worth of aluminium on the runway. All to the tune of "sink rate" and "bank angle" not to mention the all time favourite "whoop whoop pull up" and yours truely wondering whether it was such a good idea to visit Baghdad just for the hell of it. Could have sworn the left wing was about to impact the terminal as we screamed overhead.

Was told on the ground that was nothing special. "Nah mate, you were pretty high. Should've been onboard the other day when they did the same thing at 80 feet AGL" .... Ehh, no thanks.

[phnuff]

First solo in C152 - great

Being the only passenger on a BM fligh from Liverpool to LHR. (great cabin service)

A trip to Houston on BA (for reasons I can't disclose!!)

[Taildragger67]

Sorry but I've got five. All equal.

1) First flight - F27 in country Australia, about 6yo.

2) First open-cockpit flight - Tiger moth, the old man flying, beautiful clear day. I couldn't get the grin off my dial for weeks.

3) BA Conc 1977 IAD-LHR. I still recall the gentle pushes in the lower back as we crossed mach 1. I think it was either AA or AG but I can't recall that exactly.

4) Up front as a 10-year-old nigt t/o out of Kai Tak in a CX 707... wow, all those dials...

5) My first solo, C152, early, misty morning - had to remind myself to stop singing & yelling to do my checks & make my tower calls!! Quite unexpected, had been doing circuits & bumps & then on one landing, the instructor said 'right, pull into the taxiway' - thought I'd stuffed it as we had the bird for an hour & this was only about 20 mins into it. He then said 'righto, away you go, I'm going for some breakfast' - shut the door & started walking!!

But they're all special, really.

[Wee Ali]

Aaah.... Getting all emotional here..

1 In British Caledonian BAC1-11 from Glasgow to Gerona on August 12th 1980. I was eight years old & it was the first time I had ever flown..Fell completely & madly in love with all things that flew from that day on.
Life was never to be the same!:)

2 24th May 1998. My first flying lesson. Almost taxied it it onto the grass,much to the amusement of my wonderful FI.Didn't do much better when actually airbourne,but what a memorable day..

3 23rd July 2001.My first aerobatic experience in a 'Starduster' belonging to one of my pals..Tearing along,inverted at 3000ft is truly the best fun to be had in any state of undress.Managed not to squeal,puke or beg for mercy.. :ok:

4 The time I was travelling back from Eindhoven in the jumpseat of an SD3-60 & snogged the Captain.Naughty, but very nice...

5 Scariest? Today when eejit Ali did not check thoroughly enough that seat was properly locked in position. Seat chose to move back rapidly at exact moment key was turned in ignition & engine started, causing aforesaid eejit to kick throttle forwards,causing aircraft to move forwards against the not-quite-fully engaged parking brake for a distance of several feet.. Oh the shame & dishonour, not to mention the blinding stupidity!
Oh well,another lesson learned.:uhoh:

[InFinRetirement]

I have but a few.

1) On the 5th leg from Sao Jose dos Campos Brazil in a Bandeirante over the Dominican Republic. In a raging storm at FL120 with active CB's and being told by ATC that any alterations in height or heading would be impossible due to Mil traffic exercises!!!!!!!!!! Then after what seemed like forever suddenly breaking loose from ALL wx and looked left and right to see a wall of vertical cloud extending from mountains up to FL280, with not a puff of cloud in front!! I have a picture of it. Staggering.

2) The approach into Goose in a snow storm when viz dropped to zilch and the only way in was a GCA - which was just about as perfect as it could be. In the bar that night with a room temp of 90f - the world seemed vastly different.

3) The approach into Narsaruaq where, if you needed it, you got a PERFECT lesson in perspective - providing you went up the correct fiord first! The wall of a mountain that seemed a few hundred yards away was over 8 miles. The Glacier at the end of the runway which seemed to encroach on it's TD point was 10 miles away. Oh! And the senior met man's surname was exactly the same as mine! Well it is Danish territory!

4) At the Tiger Club when the great Bezak, who escaped from the East with a number of his family in a AN-2 in the middle 70's, taught me to do a Lomcevak in a Stampe. A memorable experience indeed.

Many more but those were the best.

[pigboat]

IFR, those GCA's into the Goose came in handy sometimes, didn't they? Mine was with a DC-3 on skis under similar circumstances. We'd been hauling fuel onto a lake north of Goose, and had nowhere else to go.

[InFinRetirement]

You got that right pigboat. What struck me was the sheer professionalism of the GCA guys. Right on to the deck - and they told you when you were there! Amazing.

[pigboat]

Yep, right down to the deck, "Begin the round out now."
He did seem kind of bored when we informed him the aircraft type on initial contact.:D

[fritzi]

Landing a C185F floatplane with winds gusting up to 20 kts, 2 meter high waves, and a T-storm waiting to unleash its power while being low on fuel... :}

[No comment]

1: air experience flight from Benson in a RAF bulldog. Hammerhead turns, barrel rolls, loops etc. For a 14 year old cadet is was a dream come true. Sick bag was well and truly used!!!

2: easyJet promo flight from LGW to GVA via the Swiss Alps. Passing the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc as close as 500ft was something else in an A319!!!

3: Flight from Biggin Hill in a C152 on a Sunday (not a quite day) when the radio failed. "blind" approach using the lights was quite fun (2 missed approaches when we werent spotted!!!)

[Onan the Clumsy]

Most frightening: Ttrying to punch through a thin layer and noticing the horizon is level, but the DG is showing a turn and then just getting...confused.

Most favourite: An ICOMP flight filed for 3000' with the tops at exactly 3000' and no wind. Just skimming along like we were driving a car and then descending into a cloud bank and watching the outside get darker and darker.

Most missed opportunity: being in a UAS and not going on Summer detachment to fly FJs :(

Most memorable: Not my flight but the day my brother passed his private flight test. I was his CFI :ok:

[Golf Charlie Charlie]

500 feet from the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc ? Are you serious ? And is that legal ?

[finfly1]

So very many! Three stand out: sitting behind pilot of North American P-51D on a board seat and taking off at a 50 degree climb angle, with VSI pegged at 6000 feet per minute; reaching 61,000 feet in minutes in Capetown in ZU-BEX (Electric Lightning) and finally, BA002 on 6 June this year. Hoping to ride to 80,000 feet in Moscow next winter.

[Ace Rimmer]

Ahh well most memorables...

First Solo need I say more...

Then there was flying Mother in Law Rimmer home from a visit last Summer last time she'd been in a light aircraft it was being flown by Alan Cobham...

Or
A couple of weeks back in Sao Jose dos Campos when I got to be the first journo to 'do a Clarkson' on the EMB170 - jolly pleasant aircraft (bet they spend a lot of time being hand flown when they enter service next month) and by happy coincidence when we'd finished I totally greased it

[duir]

1. Kathmandu to Lukla in Twin Otter. Fly into Everest valley and then land on a tiny (500m) strip with 30 degree upslope and no second chances on the side of a mountain.

2. Biman Bangledesh Airbus A310 Daka to Kathmandu...the approach to Kathmandu is breathtaking and with little runway remaining and a stinker of a landing full braking and screeching applied and lots of stuff flying around the cabin we managed to stop in time!

3. Biman Bangledesh DC10 Dubai to Rome.straight into a huge thunderstorm the first time I have been truly scared in a plane....huge thuds big drops and horendous turbulance. We went left and right and all over the place to try to get away from the blackness and flashes of blue over the wing.well scary for such a big plane.

[free and zero]

Hi guys,

My most memorable flight was my first day of line training, LUT>CDG>LUT: then LUT>AMS>LUT. Thrilling, scary and a blur my mind was still in the breifing room!!

[Flap operator]

Best pax flight.. Malta to Zurich Christmas 93 (Swissair MD80).. so empty the crew upgraded everybody to first class and drowned them in Champagne while they watched the islands slide into the sunset...... aaaaah!!:cool:

[mickey22]

I have two, one I was driving, the other I was jumping.

1) A summer flight from Coral Harbour to Repulse Bay (Artic Canada). All by myself in a twin piston popper. Crystal clear day. Ice packs in the ocean, Islands poking out of the bluest water you have ever seen. It was just like a painting. Couldn't have imagined anything more beautiful. I was as nervous as hell. Not a word was spoken over the headset. I was truly alone in the world. I could hear every cylinder, and every creak of the airframe. It was amazing.

2) Skydiving with 39 others out of a perfectly good DC3. I was standing on the wing of this DC3 at 12500 agl, when the jumpmaster signalled for everyone to jump. Good Times!! Ohh to be young!

[canuck slf]

In chronological order,

1) First solo, as ATC Cadet, RAF Chivenor, Kirby Cadet Mk 3 glider, before I was old enough to drive, many moons ago. Magic!!

2) Air experience, Vampire T ??, Exeter. Low level across trawler in Torbay.

3) Pax, Kenya Airways 707, LHR to NBO non stop, end of charter season flight, 6 passengers, spent most of time in the cockpit.

4) Pax, BA VC10 Seychelles to Colombo, in cockpit for take off (light load, what power!), also in cockpit for night landing in tropic storm.

5) Pax, Concorde LHR-JFK March 1979 or 80, all the normal superlatives about Concorde expressed better by others. Previous days flight schedule disrupted by hydraulic problems (it made the news, I remember!!). Leave LHR, captain announces technical problem, dump fuel, return to LHR. Mechanics all over the plane, 2+ hours champers etc. in lounge, back into plane. Take off, cruise climb to FL 700 (or does the memory become feeble with age?). Landing into JFK, later learnt with only one operational hydraulic system. Two flights for the price of one!! Really surprised by violent oscillations of outboard wingtip when at slow speed and high angle of attack whilst dumping fuel and on approach.
Connected onto AA DC 10 to SFO, after monster storm which shut down JFK, Conc followed us out and took off behind. I was listening to ATC on seat headset, Conc requested fuel dump and return to JFK. Read several years later that the problem was hydraulic fluid being topped up by BA using tanker stored outside. This introduced small amounts of moisture which then produced steam when system got up to operating temperatures and blew seals in the pumps. I believe at one point BA ran out of pumps and flights were cancelled. AF did not have same problem as they stored tanker inside. Anyone know anything more about this?

In closing I really thank all the crews who used to be able to indulge me with a visit to the cockpit during long flights. As a PPL with passion for aviation my inane questions were always patiently answered. Thanks guys, very much appreciated.

[broadreach]

Two on floats as pax:

Early seventies. Sitting on the floor facing back in a C-180 steadying a drillbit between my knees on flight from the BP base at Lisboa on the Ucayali river, to Pucallpa. Ten-minute+ takeoff run before finding a boat's wake to bounce us up off the step. Trying not to think what that 50kg drillbit would do if we came to a sudden stop.

Same timeframe. FAP Twotter leaving the Oxy base on the Rio Tigre. Current sweeps us rear-first into the bank, breaking lots of the upright balsa trunks sticking up out of the shallows. Downriver takeoff run begins, cut short by a yell from me to stop and dislodge the balsa branch wedged between tailplane and control surface. Pilot later said he was wondering why the yoke was so stiff when he pulled back.

[ChrisVJ]

Many but this particularly unforgettable.

5 yrs old, Standing beside Nancy in the nose of a Rapide on a sightseeing flight down the Thames from LHR. Banking over Tower Bridge and the Tower etched in memory it is still clear after 50+ years.

[fifthcolumns]

Hmm, thread ressurected after three years, me too. Not Pruning much these days. Things have changed for me since September 2000. I see that I contributed already. But had another memorable flight since then. A lunchtime trip, one crisp hazy November day in a Pitts Special. 25 mins of exuberant aerobatics.

It was a two seater, my tormentor sat in the back. I sat in the front seat trussed and restrained by the rat's nest of a harness, my senses beaten by the roar of that vibrating engine, vertical climb on take off, pressed to the seat, glancing back to see the solid earth receding, felt the burble of the airflow as the tiny wings on the edge of a stall threatened to reverse our progress, my hand flying involuntarily upward as we levelled as my weight ceased to be a burden to me or the little Pitts.

Then with the customary clearing turns, he began to revolve the world. A roll, with the violence of a kick, to the right then to the left. I vainly grasped for a handhold and widened my stance to avoid the swirling joystick. My head smashed against the canopy, the helmet saving my senses. Loops were next, my head pressed to my chest, released, pinned again. The world outside a blurred green, blue unfocussed swirl. Then it was my turn, a loop, not enough speed. I fall out of it upside down, no control. I let it go just wait for our little aeroplane to find it's way and try again. This time better, I try again, this time it works and again. I'm an aerobatic pilot! A stall turn, more stall than turn, backwards this time we go. I'm a loser! My tormentor laughs. He shows me how to do it. More G, even more G, 5 at the last count.

We head back, the circuit is empty and my tormentor delights in showing off for the assembled few below. We loop and roll and fly all around the invisible envelope but to me it all looks and feels the same, ground, too close seeming. The sky swirling the earth turning, postive G, negative G. This is real torture but I'm smiling under the cosh. I momentarily note the pleasant grassy field spinning over our heads and think that if he gets it wrong, we die right there, right below, instantly and without appeal. But at this moment I don't care or fear that possibility because if we do, it is in the midst of expressing something we love. No better epitaph.

But today no one is dying, only living life over the edge of the precipice. We return to Earth not with a thump but with a whisper. Although the Pitts tries scare us again as it shakes it's tail and threatens to leave the runway and teach us to respect it more. I sit trembling as the engine stops with a final shrug of it's broad cylinders and twitch of it's stubby wings. I can barely move. My stomach churns, my head fizzes and spins while my shoulder twitches as the muscle which will bother me for weeks begins to feel the pain.

I thank the man who injured me, made me sick and renewed my soul in a glorious moment of violent three dimensional poetry and I crawl away happier than a lottery winner on Monday morning.

Recorded rather drily in my logbook as 25 mins P/UT Pitts Special - Aerobatics.

That was my most memorable flight, tragically made all the more memorable because I never flew as a pilot since. I haven't stopped flying really, just a small gap year or three. I'm going back to it soon, anytime now, not this week though. I've got to wash the car or something. Maybe the week after next? I'm still a pilot really, just in between flights. You know how it is?

[Ref + 10]

The day I took my old man flying was very special. He's an 18,000 hour pilot with airline experience and he was pretty scared about going for a whirl in a 172 at the local training airport with a dozen others like me.

After a few circuits of him sitting there with white knuckles on the dash spotting planes left, right and centre he said to me, "you obviously know what you're doing. I'll get in the back get a circuit on video". He did exactly that and having Dad as my first passenger in those circumstances was fantastic.

I'm sure plenty of others out there have similar stories.

[atb1943]

An empty DC-6 positioning Frankfurt-Hannover and on to Brussels, then Brussels-Munich in a Modern Air CV-990.

An old DC-8 Frankfurt-LGW-Denver.

A Dragon Rapide from Portsmouth, my first flight.

A Tiger Moth from a Russian Army Hind base near Magdeburg, my first looping. My second looping was in a Jet Provost from North Weald, and my third in a Yak-52 above Brighton Pier in March this year.

A Proctor from White Waltham to Toussus via LGW, 1963.

A Citation from Jo'burg to Cape Town ten years ago.

An East African VC-10 from Frankfurt to LHR.

A Twin Comanche from near Paris to Cairo, down the Nile to Abu Simbel, up to Amman and down to Aqaba.

Rhodos to Egelsbach in a Cessna 337, glorious view of the Alps.

A similar view of the Alps from the flightdeck of a LH A321 at a specially requested FL200 (just for lickle me).

LH's JU-52 from Egelsbach to Biggin Hill two years ago, followed Sally B in, tragic show though.

An empty Eagle Viking from Blackbushe in 1958.

And a British Eagle Viscount on which I emigrated in 1965.

Lots of wonderful memories.

May they continue (to be added to)!

[LOMCEVAK]

The greatest privelege of my flying career was to fly Jeffrey Quill in a 2-seat Spitfire on 14 Sep '88. The aircraft (G-CTIX) was owned at the time by the late Charles Church. We took off from Charles's strip at Roundwood, then Jeffrey flew us over the old Supermarine experimental airfield at High Post and over Boscombe Down. I only took over control again just before landing back at Roundwood. He still had a wonderful feel for the Spitfire and was one of the most humble and interesting people that I have ever met. I believe that it was Jeffrey's last trip in a Spitfire; it was undoubtably my most memorable.

[answer=42]

1. Cameroon Airways. Douala - Yaounde. Big big storm. Nasty 732. Still looking for a PPruner who can tell me how bad it really was.

2. Woman in seat in front going into labour. 742 top deck, if you must know.

3. Terrorist attack at airport. Not much fun.

answer=42

[rotornut]

Perhaps the crew of that DHL Airbus that was just hit by a missile in Baghdad would like to say a few words. It must have scared the s*** out of them.:oh:

[IanH]

An enjoyable thread to read !

My memories are :-

First Flight - In a RAF HS125 out of Northolt with circuits at Benson, it was handy being in the local ATC Squadron !

First Helicopter flight - In a RAF Whirlwind out of Northolt, I felt ill before we had even taken off !

Chipmunk flying.... Enough said already ... the most uncomfortable experience, I dont know how we were supposed to jump out of them in a hurry when it was near on impossible to get in them on the ground......

Being in a Virgin Viscount from Gatwick to Maastricht & back again, the crew let me stay in the cockpit from start to finish on the return sector, even though there wasnt a jump seat !

Being on board the last commercial flight of the Comet from Gatwick on the 9th November 1980, a very memorable take off and overshoots and I made my first appearance on the TV ! ( ITV news )

My one and only VC10 & B707 flights...... Classic planes !

Being in the back of a RAF Tristar over the North Sea watching the air to air refuelling of Harriers and an E3.......

Aerobatics in a Lynx Helicopter..........

and my highlight....... Having a hands on go at flying a Sea King...... I even landed it after bringing it into the hover !

I could go on...... but it looks like I have already !

IanH

[LIGHT TANNING]

Grabbing a jolly in the Catalina at Middle Wallop (in the airshow many many many moons ago)

Polution spraying in a DC-3 with 6 others (DC-3s) at around 20ft over the sea at Milford Haven. 7 Dac's in tight formation, watching the sea come up to meet you is dam good fun!!! And then a ride back in a Cessna 310. A good couple of days.:ok: :ok: :ok: :ok:

[Aviatrix69]

Last summer in georgous weather from Paris to Sion - one of these bright perfect days without a trace of moisture in the air. Cancelled IFR overhead Sion to scratch by the Matterhorn (not by 500ft like No Comment though... but impressively close), left turn to descend to FL80, joining the valley to follow the ILS 25 (you know the one where Jeppesen said to follow the glide until 2000ft AGL and then follow the motorway until you are visual with the Runway), circling with the mountain on our right wing to 07. Speed in base turn 145kts, ROD 1500ft... the turn was almost too wide for the tight valley!! but we could not go any slower with the MD80. After ldg vacating the RWY, joining the taxiway, me sitting on the rim of the open window to check whether the tyre would stay on the narrow concrete strip during taxi. This day I could have walked away from the a/c and never touch it again, it just could not get any better!!! But someone had to fly the pax to GVA, where we performed a CAT III approach :cool: .

And then the day I had the pleasure to take my parents on a trip... coming back to Zürich, performing a VOR28 appch with icing btw FL 120 an 80 (I have never seen the windshield cover completely that quickly :uhoh: ). Massive workload, my father with big eyes and relieved after smooth touchdown... and yes, extremely proud and telling me so. Did feel good.

Now our MD80 has gone out of operation. I will miss her. Can it get any better?

Cheers
Av

[PPRuNe Pop]

This is not especially memorable but it was good.

I was in my Islander at Biggin. I loaded up with 9 aviation photographers and at the agreed point Mark Hanna in a P2 sat on my left wing - well almost under it actually but moved back and forth in fine margins to let the guys get their pics. Great formation flying.

On the other wing was Dave Perrin in a Pitts S2. His flying, as I had known from the days I used to fly with him to keep him legal at the age of 15/16, was immaculate and he moved under back and forth after Mark had departed. Then in formation he went inverted and followed me in every turn I made - not 6 feet away at any time. Still clear in my mind that!

D'you know I never saw ONE of those pics. Any of the photographies got any?