In the spirt of encouraging posts!!!

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MetroAir

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As many are caught up in the spirit of posting numbers, I though I would ask whats the funiest, sadest, most enjoyable, most terrifying, most notable thing you have seen or had happen on a flight?

I've seen the pilot running after the plane, someone die, drinking 3 bottles of Krug (and not having a hangover!!), loss of cabin pressure and talking to 'famous' people.

Whats yours?

Cheers
 
Funniest - probably a captains announcement where he was advising us to switch off before take-off all "blackberries, blueberries and all those other berries"...

Saddest - not had anything notable happen that I can recollect (certainly no deaths), other than a J pax wearing his full tray due to clear air turbulence...

Most enjoyable - flying Concorde BA001 LHR/NYC on 15 August 2001

Most terrifying - either having nasal pressure problem landing into LHR and having a blood vessel burst in my eye (but the relief it gave me :eek: ); or flying WHY/ADL on Whyalla Airlines in a thunderstorm at night....

Most notable - talking with Cher, her daughter and nanny in AA FL JFK and then getting onboard AA3 JFK/LAX in F, to find myself sitting across the aisle from Loretta Swit (but contact was discouraged by her large minder). Also, Mrs LW and I being invited to dinner with John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston at the QF BNE Hangers and touring his 707.
 
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I know someone who was on a flight with an Asian airline and the two pilots walked out of the coughpit to get a glass of water, and the door locked behind them!

Interesting...
 
On a BA flight from London to Hong Kong we were in the middle of the biggest, baddest thunderstorn I had ever seen. Lightening was flickering in-between the clouds every 30 seconds or so and then our plane got hit by lightening.

BOOM!

Lights flickered a bit then resumed.

The Pilot then told us that everything was fine as the nose cone was designed to attract lightening.

A few seconds later...

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!

A seconds strike occurs, lights go off again for about 30 seconds and we could feel the place ascend pretty fast.

When we landed at the old HK airport, while waiting for the bus that picks people up from the airplane I looked up at the nose cone and it was just a blackened mess with black soot all over the windows and now I know why they have wipers. :)

Regards
Daniel
 
What I find interesting to watch when I'm on an USA internal flight with UA is the choreographics of what happens when one of the pilots needs to visit the bathroom.

I's quite interesting to watch how the flight attendants and the pilots interact to enhance coughpit security.
 
I am glad to say most flights have been "unmemorable".

Some experiences:

2 1/2 hours MEL-SYD in storms was nauseatingly loop the loop all the way.

I have had similar thunder storm and multiple lightning stikes experience in a DC 10 out of ORD, but we kept on going to LAX, but even the crew were very scared.

I was on the first UA flight out of JFK after 9/11 - to LAX on the Friday. Was lined up at at the airport from 3am until we took off after 3pm (and that was J class!).

Sat next to Rod Marsh AKL-SYD - a lot of red wine and good stories for 3 hours. Geoff Dixon ADL-SYD (no discussion).

So many flights in 20 years - still hate being delayed or late, someone sitting next to me, kids, poor service, lousy movies and Y class!!!
 
I always fell so inadequate when questions like this come up, as for all the flying I have done, very little has happened. Oh, there's been the odd delay here and there, a diversion for a sick passenger.

Greatest Achievement
I did spend 9 hours in a United lounge at TBIT while waiting for a QF flight once. Don't actually remember how I got in.
 
Funniest:

Having a "lend" of gullible (mostly American) people about life in Australia. This often includes stories about kangaroos, koalas and crocodiles, explanations of metric time, discussions about the rotation direction of water in the toilet or bath tub, or about driving on the wrong side of the road.

Saddest:

Not while flying, but why away on a business trip. I has been away for 3 weeks already and was to be returning home the following day. Then we had issues with the project and I had to remain over seas for a further week. Telling my family on the phone that I was not able to return as planned and had to stay away for another week was very sad both for me and my family. It meant missing one of my boy's birthdays and a significant sporting achievement for my other boy.

Most Enjoyable:

Flying Cathay Pacific First Class from Hong Kong to Los Angeles. 14 hours of pampering and comfort in the sky. The Krug and JW Blue Label were a wonderful accompaniment to the Clavier and Balik Salmon. And the Dim Sum breakfast beats breakfast sausages any day :D .

Most Terrifying:

Take-off out of SYD with Compass (Mark I) in A300. Without any warning, soon after take-off the engine power was cut right back and the climb felt like it changed into a decent. Reality was that the manouver was planned and part of the noise abatement flight path. But at the time, as the nose dropped it felt like the engines had just cut out and the plane was dropping. After what seemed like an eternity, the engines once again spooled up and we climbed out. The captain eventually explained what happened. I was not the only pale-faced passenger at the time. Now I know a lot more about aviation I am ready for such manouvers and not concerned by it.

Most Notable:

Being invited to sit in the coughpit for a 747-400 landing into LAX back in August 2001. Sadly I will never get to experience that again. Also had coughpit landings into LHR (BA 777), MEL (QF 763), BNE (QF 763) and AKL (QF 744), and several coughpit take-offs from BNE (QF 744).
 
I have to add to what NM says about coughpit takeoffs and landings. I did a lot of them - virtually every SE Asian, OZ and NZ airports and was able to have my son fly up there too many times. His most memorable was flying on a Saab from Cooper Pedy to ADL, via Olympic Dam - 2 take offs and landins. He has a model of the Saab on his shelf as a reminder - he was 14 at the time.

Sadly a thing of the past for us mere mortals.
 
MetroAir said:
As many are caught up in the spirit of posting numbers, I though I would ask whats the... most enjoyable, ...?

Good idea MetroAir. Most enjoyable were the rugby trips away as a teenager with 25 mates. We all had a great time on the flights; not sure about the other passengers though :shock: .
 
BlacKnox said:
... Most enjoyable were the rugby trips away as a teenager with 25 mates. We all had a great time on the flights; not sure about the other passengers though :shock: .
...let alone the F/A's :twisted:
 
funiest: (sic)

Last year Sat night MEL-AKL, upgraded to J. Was in 1A, honeymooners in 1J/1K. Other 17 J seats were empty.

Two FA's doing pre-flight demo(one for me and one for the H/Mooners) ttrying and failing to keep a straight face; nor could I or the other two PAX.

(In retrospect the cabin was not big enough for those Honeymooners, at varying time during the flight I was not sure they were sitting in 1J, 1K or Both :shock: )

sadest:

HBA-MEL evening Sep 12 2001

most terrifying:

1hour fifteen minute flight MCY - BNE in a Shorts; we flew between, under, around and just about through Several Thunderstorms; I have this feeling Toowomba was the turnaround Point !

most enjoyable

F flight MEL-BNE in 1996, 2 mere blue (OB*) flyers used certificate to upgrade MEL-BNE on Saturday night. Y to J. 734 had no J that eveining, Y started row 3 converta seats. 1D/1E.

Very Experienced FA (Read 55+) took delight in ensuring we became attuned to the delights of Baileys and Contreau on Ice. The rest is a blur, but from how I felt the next day I am sure I enjoyed it :p

most notable

None really; sat beside a newly minted WA senator CBR-MEL in 2C; she was off home to PER and full of beans.
 
Some of the funniest journey's I have had are when the FA's keep encouraging me to finish off alkinol "We can't have it go to waste now can we?" or "But I've put another be*er on ice just for you!".

I even got one FA to try and arrange an assisted disembarkment for me so I could finish off the bottle that she insisted I didn't let go to waste :)

Nothing too scary flight wise. Just the standard turbulence etc. Have encountered various medical emergencies, but none that needed any diversions.

A few scary pax sitting next to me. A few missed flights due to dodgy connections, sleep ins or other shenanigans inflight.
 
Most memorable flight was on december 29 1969 flying fiji airways from honiara to port moresby.Was sitting outside the terminal at henderson field propped up on my large back pack.Next thing I know is the pilot coming over and saying is your name ron.Of course I answer.Well come on then lets go,you are the only passenger today.
On board just had to let them know it was my birthday.Pilot comes back to the cabin and says seeing its your birthday we will open the bar-the first officer and trainee can fly this thing.
Dont remember much more of the flight apart from arriving at moresby-stepped out to go down the stairs with I presume a good looking flight attendant on each arm and a great cheer goes up.Apparently the australian GG was due in and somehow the locals thought that this scruffy bearded uni student was he.
Downhill since then!
 
Several instances, both mine and friends'. Not sure whether they're funny, sad, or just plain ridiculous.

Me: QF MEL-LAX, on final approach, literally metres off the ground, when an (unseen) FA's furious voice boomed over the PA..."Sir, sit down IMMEDIATELY, we are about to land). Couldn't see the offending pax either but presume it was some goose rummaging through o/h locker). Never seen an FA so angry with pax before or since.

Friend: Mining Engineer, flying Wynyard (Tas) to MEL many years ago in an appropriate size plane (I think they used Fokker friendships on that route?) for the w/end, accompanied by a miner whom I don't think had been out of Tas before. Final descent into MEL, seat belt signs on, FAs strapped into seats, extremely close to landing...this miner presses the FA call button, and the FA unbuckles and rushes to the seat thinking "major problem". To my friend's mortification (he didn't know what the guy was doing), the miner simply said "Two more b*ers thanks". Needless to say, unamused FA and no drinks forthcoming.

Another friend was flying Europe-JFK on AF, and they stuffed her around in some way, so to make up for it, they kept plying her with champagne right throughout the flight. And she aint the type to refuse it. She was almost incapable of standing to leave the plane and was actually refused entry into the US on the grounds of intoxication. AF person had to take her somewhere quiet and private for some hours until she sobered up enough to be allowed in.

And a "I cannot believe she said that" incident. It was a QF international flight, can't remember where from/to, but late in the flight the chap across the aisle from me was having his seat back repeatedly kicked by a clearly bored boy. Not in a deliberately nasty way, but just "I'm bored". The guy eventually turned to the boy and said, politely, "could you please stop kicking the back of my seat". Well, boy's mother immediately leaned forard and said, quite irritated, to the guy, "What do you expect him to do, he's only 12", as if the bloke was being completely unreasonable to complain in the first place. The kid did stop.

Cheers
 
Memorable: My first landing in a 744 coughpit – around 6 AM into Sydney. Fantastic view. Top experience. FO straps me in and gives the exit instructions. He ends with, “…and if we do have to evacuate, don’t wait for us because you can be assured, we won’t wait for you!”

Funniest1: Seeing an Alitalia captain or FO walking a passenger's seeing eye dog around the aircraft in transit at MEL on a flight from SYD to SIN back in the laste '80s. With his trendy sunglasses on... Just wish I had a camera with me.

Funniest2: Watching United ground staff at LAX in ’91, call a different flight to a departure gate that I was leaving from around 25 minutes before my flight was due to depart. I thought this was odd, knowing it takes at least a hour to turn an aircraft around, but maybe things were different in the US. The pax showed their boarding passes and went down the air-bridge and boarded.

Nothing was thought to be amiss until they ran out of seats! They had more passengers than seats. It took around 4 minutes of chaos and scratching heads until a supervisor look as a passenger’s b’pass and discovered they had the wrong flight at the wrong gate! Lucky the aircraft was too small or I really wonder what would have happened! They got everyone off and across the satellite terminal to the right gate with the 737 there with a few more seats and a pilot going to the right place!

Scariest 1: Same flight as 2 above – nearly at Aspen when the pilot come on the PA: “ Ar, ladies and gentlemen, I have some bad news” OMG! Mountains. Winter. Snow. US. US Carrier… “Well, there’s been an accident at Aspen airrporrt an as the only rescue crew at Aspen Airport arre attending to that incident, FAA rregulations prrohibit us frrom landing right now. I’ll get back to you with an update.” We begin circling. And circling. And circling some more. “This is the captain. We have about 23 minutes before we’re going to have to make a decision with a low fuel situation. The weather conditions in Aspen are declining as its begun snowing and visibility decreased” Then, “The captain again. We’re 3 minutes away from having to divert to Denver. Weather’s holding.” “Well, we’re going to try to get you to Aspen. They tell me the fire’s out now and helped by the 21 degree (-6 C!) temperature right now. The crash crew – oh! I mean the emergency crew will be back and ready by the time we get there in just under 12 minutes” A lot of cheers when we touched down on the icy runway!

Scariest 2: Flying between LAX and New Orleans. Listening to Channel 9 – which is the air traffic control (ATC). On Final and cleared to lan on R’way 10 L. I hear another aircraft given takeoff clearance for the same runway “for immediate roll”. Keh? 5-4-3-2-1 “United 314 go ‘round. Repeat go ‘round United 314”. Silence. I’m thinking react damn it! C’mon you heard it. Silence. We continue to sink. Nothing. No reaction. Feels like minutes. On comes the power. Up come the wheels. “Ar New Orleans approach United 314 – acknowledge go’round. What’s going on there guys?” Question ignored…

Scariest 3: Flying between Langkawi and KUL in a 737. We circled and watched a thunder squall pass straight over the airport and drop about 40mm of rain in 15 minutes. Even though we were not IN it, it was rough enough just on the edge and circling; sitting in the second last row gave us a bit more sway a view forward to see the whole aircraft bending.

Scariest 4: First international flight from DFW after 911. Only way back to Hong Kong was to Frankfurt! Security check. Double check. Check again. Plane was very quiet when some pax of Middle Eastern appearance walked onboard. Someone had obviously complained as it wasn’t long before the FBI came and deplaned them, only to allow them to return. Didn’t ask. Don’t want to know. Uneventful flight, but the atmosphere was quite tense the whole way – as you’d imagine. A few cheers and the crew were actually hugging pax as they got off.

Had my company send a FRA-HKG ticket to Frankfurt airport – went to the CX office to collect it and met the captain of my flight who was doing his briefing. The CX station manager told him where I’d been and I recalled a few stories for him. Off to the lounge for a shower and these to board. Met by the In-flight Service Manager at the door who says, “Ah, Mr AlwaysUpThere – we’ve been looking for you. The captain has asked if you’d like to sit in first class for our trip home today.” My reply: “Well, as he asked, I couldn’t refuse…” Slept like a baby…

Most Enjoyable: Any time I’m in first class on CX / SQ. Well, first in most top-tier non-US airlines is pretty special, but SQ & CX are stand outs.
 
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