What was the first airliner you flew in?

[FUMR]

Came across this thread and thought I had already answered it, but apparently not!

My first commercial flight was on an BEA Airspeed Ambassador. I flew on a long list of different types thereafter, including Concorde, but missed out on the Bristol Britannia and the VC-10. I had also missed out on the Lockheed Constellation but managed to finally tick that one off when I made a memorable flight on board the Swiss Connie in 2006. Purely on the piston side, I also flew a fair number of times on the DC-3, DC-4, DC-6 but only once on the DC-7. Other piston airliners I flew on were the Martin 4-0-4, C-46 and Convair 440. According to my Passenger log I have to date completed 2220 flights in 68 years.

[Rush2112]

I'd had a couple of flights from STN to Jersey and to Guernsey (and back again) for holidays, but I cannot recall what the aircraft were. I seem to remember they were quite small and at least one was a propeller job. Then in 1995 I got a job in Jakarta and my first long haul was a BA 747-400 (I think it was a -400 I but stand to be corrected), upper deck. It went via KUL then down to CGK. Having started my journey in sleepy Suffolk, getting off the plane in Jakarta was a bit of a shock to say the least!

Over the last 30 years in SE Asia, most of the flying has been out of SIN - I had a regional role for about 3 years with an insurance company here, and travelled at least once a month to either Malaysia, HK, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and occasionally Japan. Almost exclusively SQ, on a variety of aircraft: 777s, 380s, 340s, 320s and 310s. The 310s were a little long in the tooth by the time I was on them.

[Salusa]

Lost count to be honest.

When I was a nipper was all over the world with my old mans job.

The one that does stick in my mind is DC3 Brunei to Singapore. 1974 or around then?

One experience that firmly remains in my mind, although not aviation related, was sailing from Brunei to Singapore on Rajah Brooke.

I still remember the engine sound/vibrations sending me to sleep whilst sleeping on the cabin floor covered in blankets.

My BOAC Junior Jet Club log book is still around somewhere. Should dig it up one day.

Halcyon days....

[PPRuneUser136030]

First flight, alone at 15, SAS Caravelle Tromsř to Oslo.
Second flight, the day I turned 16, Oslo to Curaçao, DC9, DC8 and B727 if memory serves.
36 hours, a variety of airlines, ate every meal, drank every drink they put in front of me.
Arrived Curaçao well fed and slightly drunk.
Have since flown every Western jet, except the Concorde, a few Eastern and all sorts of propellers, Western and Eastern.
Present trip: A320, 330, 350 and Cessna Caravan.
Two flights left, November 1. Bali to Bangkok, Bangkok to Oslo, both flights A350.
Per

[homebuilt]

As a passenger : Airbus A300B4. As a pilot : McDonnell-Douglas DC8-55.

[Avionker]

BA Trident 2, complete with rear facing seats, INV-LHR in the summer of ‘79. Stayed one night in a B&B in Hounslow and the following evening flew to Malta on a BA Trident 3 for my first ever trip out of the UK. Two weeks later back to LHR on a BA Trident 3 (including a flight desk visit somewhere over the Alps) and then LHR-INV on a BA Viscount.

I remember the Trident 2 had the last 2 letters of the reg, FE, above the flight deck windows. This aircraft here I suspect:-

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/5900283

[justapax]

I'm amazed how many people not only remember the first aircraft they flew in, but the type, airline, route and even the registration. My only excuse for only knowing it was a Connie (because my father told me, many years later) is that I was 3 turning 4 at the time, and my memory doesn't really kick in that early.

Slightly off topic - that Trident 2 must have been one of the last BA aircraft to carry the 'speedbird' symbol. BA and AF have gone such different ways over the use of their pre-war symbols, the hippocampe ailé is ubiquitous on AF's branding (it's sometimes dismissively called the 'langoustine') but BA have completely dismissed the speedbird from their branding, apart from in the callsign of their aircraft. Which IMHO is a shame, as it was as recognisable as LH's symbol, or AF's.

[Avionker]

Originally Posted by Justapax1

I'm amazed how many people not only remember the first aircraft they flew in, but the type, airline, route and even the registration. My only excuse for only knowing it was a Connie (because my father told me, many years later) is that I was 3 turning 4 at the time, and my memory doesn't really kick in that early.

Slightly off topic - that Trident 2 must have been one of the last BA aircraft to carry the 'speedbird' symbol. BA and AF have gone such different ways over the use of their pre-war symbols, the hippocampe ailé is ubiquitous on AF's branding (it's sometimes dismissively called the 'langoustine') but BA have completely dismissed the speedbird from their branding, apart from in the callsign of their aircraft. Which IMHO is a shame, as it was as recognisable as LH's symbol, or AF's.

I was 11 years old, not too far off 12, so bit easier for me to remember details. I think that Trident 2 may actually have still had the BEA tail colour scheme, but BA logo, when I flew it on it but I’m not 100% sure.

Any experts know if that’s possible?

[Nick Strange]

BOAC Stratocruiser LHR to Lagos 1957 - return to LHR 1958
BOAC DC7 to Port of Spain - return on TWA Constellation 1963
Brittania LGW - Salisbury, Rhodesia, EEA Viscount - Salisbury to Cape Town 1964.
return the same way 1964,
Brittania LGW to Salisbury 1964 - return 1965
V C10. LGW - Lagos. Twin Pioneer Lagos - Port Harcourt 1965.
all jets after that until I retired

[Peter47]

Originally Posted by Avionker

I was 11 years old, not too far off 12, so bit easier for me to remember details. I think that Trident 2 may actually have still had the BEA tail colour scheme, but BA logo, when I flew it on it but I’m not 100% sure.

Any experts know if that’s possible?

Its certainly possible. Sometimes an arlines new name is painted on an aircraft before a full repaint - which after all is expensive.

Its not unknown for engines or weather radars to have a different livery to the rest of the aircraft when a new design is being introduced and there are no parts available in the aircraft's livery.

[justapax]

BA have one A319, G-EUPJ, that is painted in BEA livery. It was painted in 2019 and as far as I know is still in the retro livery. There are pix of it on flghtradar24.com.

IMHO it's more smart, modern and uncluttered than BA's current livery.

[Expatrick]

I do remember (as a 7 year old) "Engines by Rolls Royce" on the Dart Herald.

[Mr Mac]

Originally Posted by Justapax1

I'm amazed how many people not only remember the first aircraft they flew in, but the type, airline, route and even the registration. My only excuse for only knowing it was a Connie (because my father told me, many years later) is that I was 3 turning 4 at the time, and my memory doesn't really kick in that early.

Slightly off topic - that Trident 2 must have been one of the last BA aircraft to carry the 'speedbird' symbol. BA and AF have gone such different ways over the use of their pre-war symbols, the hippocampe ailé is ubiquitous on AF's branding (it's sometimes dismissively called the 'langoustine') but BA have completely dismissed the speedbird from their branding, apart from in the callsign of their aircraft. Which IMHO is a shame, as it was as recognisable as LH's symbol, or AF's.

Justapax1
I tend to agree with you re the livery thing. The current BA one is a little cluttered but at least not as bad as the Worlds Favourite airline tail fins with various art forms.
The new Lufthansa livery is appalling in my view and I have yet to speak to anyone working for them who likes it, and I am with them quite a bit and indeed some our staff, in Munich are married / partner with LH employees, and they don’t like it either. Hopefully they may do what BA did and row back to the Blue and Gold, but we will see as current one is very bland and corporate, if you get my drift.
Cheers
Mr Mac

[Bergerie1]

In my view BA's current livery is like a limp rag, and that stupid ribbon even worse. The Landor livery was the best - crisp and elegant.

[artee]

Originally Posted by Bergerie1

In my view BA's current livery is like a limp rag, and that stupid ribbon even worse. The Landor livery was the best - crisp and elegant.

Totally agree, the Landor was easily the best BA livery.

Although the one with the different tails (Chatham) did get one win for me. I was on a 757 shuttle LHR-MAN just after the introduction of that livery, the pilot announced "the first person who can say which emblem we have on the fin gets to jumpseat into Manchester". I got it right first, and spent the trip in the jumpseat until brakes on.

[double-oscar]

Early 70’s, a pleasure flight in a Cambrian BAC1-11 which was operating out of Speke during the Liverpool air show. It was very popular as I remember a long queue to get on and they ran into the evening. Along the North Wales coast and back over Liverpool as night fell. The following year something similar in a Cambrian Viscounr (G-ALWF if I remember correctly).

[dixi188]

Another vote for the Viscount.
NorthEast airlines Heathrow to Hanover and back for the airshow. 1971.

[RevMan2]

1963 AKLCHC Viscount 814. Flight #1 of 1563 (and counting…)

[edi_local]

1987 PIK-SNN-BOS Northwest DC-10.

[S.o.S.]

Ah Northworst ... I did a couple of JFK-DTW-JFK on their DC-9s. 'Functional' would be the word.