Funny passenger story
 

Given that I am a fan of the ATC forum, I thought I would share a funny story from the passenger perspective.

Firstly it should be known that I am not the most confident flyer - I manage it but do not enjoy the experience.

So November 2001 I am on my first 'solo' flight from Manchester to Amsterdam in a Fokker 100. I've managed to negotiate myself a window seat so that I check out of the window and make sure the wing and engine are still attached (it's a very important job - someone has to be on the ball). But being November the weather is not at it's best and the trip is a little jumpy

Around 40 minutes into the flight the captain comes over the intercom and begins the usual 'we are now starting our descent into Amsterdam and expect to be on the ground in around 20 minutes. The weather in Amsterdam is a little foggy .....HOLY S:mad:T"

The plane received a very large lightning strike! Whilst he was on the intercom!!!

I have never made such a mess of my trousers in my life! But talk about timing, now I can only LMAO at it.

Many thanks to the captain in question - you have provided me an all-time great dinner-party story! And to the lovely KLM cabin crew who saw me down safely.

Spidah, you mentioning that you're not the best pax in the world has reminded me of a flight I had from Brisbane to Tokyo. Like you , I'm not exactly the most comfortable passenger in the world, and normally (I know, it's a little pathetic) have to have a wee dram or two of something before a flight. This flight however was at 0900 and I though it was a little early, and as I was traveling by myself.......(you know about drinking by yourself and all!)

Anyway, there was a Japanese family sitting across the isle from me, and the father must have noticed my discomfort. He proceeded to ask the cabin staff for 3 plastic cups and took what looked like a milk carton from his bag and poured three drinks. He gave one to his wife, one for himself and offered the third to me. A little wary, I took the cup and waited to see his wife and him take a sip. They both took a health slug from their cups and smiled. Not wanting to offend them, I did the same.

It was this point in my life that I learned you could get Sake in milk cartons and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable flights of my life (although, trying to negotiate Narita airport with a skinfull of rice wine is not advisable!)

Back in the early 1970s I was at university in Manchester (well, Salford, actually). During the Summer, BEA (which became BA shorthaul) had a Sunday charter out of Blackpool and had to position a One-Eleven up from Manchester in the morning - a 20-minute flight - and back late afternoon.

They decided to sell daytrips MAN-BLK for two pounds, advertised in the local press and aimed basically at first-time flyers. A bunch of us students made the trip (the Uni Transport Soc even paid half the fare).

Coming back into Manchester, the aircraft was all over the sky. It was the wildest ride I've ever had, before or since. I quite like 'interesting' flights so at first I was revelling in it. I was convinced that the captain was stirring the stick a bit because he knew the back was full of first-timers.

As things got worse my enthusiasm waned - I thought he was going a bit far and I really got quite scared. In fact extremely scared. After we finally got down, he made an announcement and he genuinely sounded as though he'd been through an experience himself. Humblest apologies for the landing, the crosswind had been right on the limit, any more and we would have ended up in Birmingham.

I later heard (don't know if it's true) that the 1-11 was a real dog in crosswinds.

A couple of years ago, we had really rough weather at Gatwick. The buffetting and turbulence as the aircraft made their descent was horrific and we were very close to having the airport closed. Many aircraft aborted landing twice and diverted. (Due to "diversionary" fuel restrictions, they are only allowed two attempts to land before committing themselves to divert.)

One aircraft from Marseille had already had one attempt and we watched from the end of the swaying jetty as she rocked her way down for the second attempt, wings swaying and rain streaming from her flaps! The downdraught caught her and slammed her down hard and the flight crew brought all their skill to bear to bring her back under control and ease her into our stand.

As the passenger disembarked, sheepishly depositing bulging "sick bags" into the plastic gash bag by the door, the crew turned to me and presented "Jamie - the 10 year old Unaccompanied Minor"

Wide-eyed and glowing with excitement, he exclaimed "Man! That was better than Alton Towers! ........and I didn't even have to pay for it!!!"

My sentiments exactly! Although GIB on a blustery south-westerly day was a bit much even for me.

I did a "favour" for a friend getting him the jump seat on an F28 from Madang to Pt. Moresby. Pt Moresby was borderline with rain storms. The aircraft did everything but turn upside down. Like Jamie, in Bealine"s post, he was over the moon... he wanted to do it again whilst everyone else, including the crew, were pleased to be on the ground.

Could you really see that the engine was still attached from a window seat of a F100?:O

When I was about ten I went to stay for Christmas and New Year with some relatives in New Zealand and flew over and back to Brisbane by myself. Now as bealine will tell you this is amoungst the busiest time of year for unaccompanied minors (UM) to be on flights and in large numbers on each flight! Anyway as I left my relatives to go through immigration & security I heard one of our ground staff escourts say to another member of staff "GOD, I hate this time of year!" . I wonder why? ;) :p

Sit at the back, they're right next to you

I watched a pax jet approach GIB and end up with an instant 70 degrees of bank due to turbulence. It diverted to Malaga, but the Spanish Authorities refused to allow the pax to disembark. I spoke to the captain [an old mate] later in the day. Apparently, the whole cabin stank, because a lot of pax had been airsick all over the place, so the captain led the pax off the aircraft, elbowing the Spanish police out of the way in the process!

He had the cabin cleaned and recovered to GIB later when the SW gale abated.