The first flight ever.
When was your first flight ever? For the first time, see thousands of doll houses in the ground, curvy coast from above, clouds flying right beside you.. when was that?
Today on my way to Jeju from Seoul, one little kid and his mom sitting behind me reminded me of my first time. When we were about to fly off from the runway, his mum was trying to tell him that now in a second we are going to fly off to sky. “Really? Really?” he kept asking her and they were so excited. “Right now, right now! Wow, see?” and followed by “Woooooooowwww……”
I was looking out the window at the same time. Little houses, buildings, black and white mountain and liver.. Yes it still amazes me and I only can imagine what it must like to the little boy who sees this for the first time. He was kicking and moving around in the tiny airplane seat behind me, but this time that didn’t bother me at all.
My first flight was, to Jeju, what a coincidence. When I was fourteen, my parents, my brother and I took a trip to Jeju island. I was pounding at the beginning because I didn’t really want to go to that trip. You know how teenagers are, I had a plan with my friends but my parents didn’t let me do my thing. So wherever the place would be, I was pounding. In the plane, I realized this is going to be my first airplane experience. My brother had few experienced with flight because he went to Busan few times before that. He said, ‘when plane is about to take off, you will feel zero gravity. The chair will suck you in so tight, and you are going to have this weird feeling just like when you ride a roller coaster.’ And I was in my scared of roller coaster phase.. Can you guess how I was feeling? I was unbelievably nervous. Held my seat so tight, closed my eyes so hard and held my breathe in to prevent for the chair to suck me in. After a while I opened my eyes.. guess what, I was flying with cloud. Yes clearly he lied to me and ruined my first flight. Well, at least I’ve learn that’s not true.
It got better after that. I found my peace and enjoyed the view. Tiny little houses, beautiful coast, and cloud! I couldn’t believe it. The plane ride had a little rough patch but we got over that nicely.
I guess flying really is the ultimate dream of mankind. No matter how long it is, it still makes me nervous-in a good way, and excited. So little boy who sits behind me today, don’t forget this moment. Who knows? He’s going to be.. pilot or something. Excitement is a possibility for something.
Awww, what a memory to have. 🙂
At the age of 24, I still haven’t ever been anyhere in a plane before. That’s all gonna change when I start my travels in November. Nervous!
Sounds great! Where to first? 🙂 I don’t remember much about it still, but I remember it was really different. My first overseas flight was… when I was just finished sophomore at university. That, I remember every bit of it.
I remember my first trip above the clouds. I was 11 and was going with my mum and my brother from Oslo to New Orleans. Exciting times!
I’ve seen Jeju Island mentioned heaps lately, and yet a year ago, I had never heard about it. Must mean I should visit.
My first flight was when I was one-year-old. Can’t remember a thing. 🙂 The first flight I can remember was when I was about six, from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. I was sooo excited, I couldn’t stop talking. My family was thankful it was only a 45-minute flight! Hahaha!
I can totally picture it!! Face of your family.. 😀 thankful for only 45 mins flight….. Funny Keith!! What a great moment!!
I do remember that first flight! I was 11 years old and my dad won a contest for Father’s Day to see the Atlanta Braves (baseball) play. It wasn’t a long flight but I remember falling asleep and enjoying an awesome Father’s Day watching baseball. I loved baseball and wanted to be a baseball player as a kid. So this is a great memory for me!
Sounds fascinating! Won tickets for Father’s day?? Wow. Did you want to be a baseball player? You know what , I love baseball. I’m rooting for Seoul LG every year but they just never won. How sad.. 🙂
Definitely remember the smell of the aircraft fuel.
Still gets me somewhat excited regardless of whether it’s a sensible business flight or a trip to somewhere with a heavy (p)leisure skew.
Dizzy…
I won a Radio Station Contest to fly from Montreal to Toronto to see the Beatles on August 17, 1965. So excited I was over the moon and I still love taking off!
Mine was when I was 7 years old and on my way to Tampa, Florida.
I only remember getting pilot wings and an endless supply of peanuts and 7-up that had me using the airsick bag during landing.
Good times!
I’ve taken my first flight when I was a baby all the way to Malaysia from NY. Ofcourse I didn’t remember a thing, but my second flight when I was 7 was the most important coz it made me the commercial plane freak I am today. Hence you’ll see my airline reviews and the collections of plane models..haha.. It was a long flight from Penang to London via KL, Dubai and Brussels. Thanks for the article!
My first flight ever was so long ago, I don’t remember it (I was 4).
But in 2008 I took my girlfriend at the time on her first flight ever, 21 years old, and she was as excited as a 6year old :-D~
Definitely worth sharing. Face glued to the window the entire flight.
My first flight was when I was five and flew alone to my Great Aunt’s for a holiday in the Aussie outback… there was a huge electrical storm that the DC2 battled through and it so excited me that I’ve been taking trips ever since.
But, the most delightful anecdote that I can relate was of an old peasant lady in Spain who was being taken to Australia to live by her family… It was at the airport in Madrid in 1973 and she had obviously not ever strayed far from her village before in her life.
She was awfully confused when confronted with a gangway leading up to the 747 and her family was trying to reassure her by saying that they were going to a new home in Oz… She looked about her and up the long staircase before saying: “When I get to the top will I be in Australia?”
Priceless!
Priceless indeed! What a great moment. haha!! If flight is that easy.. we could travel so much more than now! 🙂
I don’t recall my first flight, but I do recall staring out the window as a small child as we drove into the Pacific Northwest wilderness for my first camping trips. Watching the trees sail past and the mountains loom is my first memory of being in transit.
I don’t recall my first flight but every time I get on plane I am exited, I love the take off, watching the world shrink beneath the belly of the plane, I feel like a little kid. Only I don’t kick the back of your seat! 😉
You better not! 🙂 The take off part is really exciting. I didn’t feel like chair sucking me in like my brother said but we do feel a little graviti change, right? Really, flight is bringing our inner child out!!
I traveled all the time when I was not yet 3 years old because I got to fly for free with my dad on his business trips. We would fly, he would drop me off at my grandparents’ house while he went to work, then we would fly home. I wish I’d started earning frequent flyer miles way back then!
I think my first flight was the Southwest Shamu plane from El Paso to San Antonio so we could go to Sea World. I too got the pilot’s wings, endless peanuts, and some Shamu stickers. 😀 A kids dream!
OMG – I loved the Shamu plane when I was a kid…haha. I vividly remember my dad pointing the plane out to me in the airport and telling me I’d get to fly on Shamu – loved it! I think we also went Sea World on that trip.
Ohhh too bad I don’t remember my first flight 🙁 Am I getting old or maybe just traveling too much? :p
All I remember is that I loved to fly when I was a child.
Now, it’s not that I don’t love it but hmmm it makes me kind of nervous, I enjoy it but not to the max. It’s more the excitement of where the plane is taking me to 🙂
I hope that child that was sitting behind you won’t forget as I did… 🙁
What a wonderful post! It can be so easy to foget about the simple aspects of travel that should ALWAYS give us a thrill. How special to be able to recapture that through the eyes of a child.
It was a fresh and happy coincidence for me as well. Thinking about very first flight.. Hope the little boy could remember the moment for a long time and can appreciate it. 🙂 How was your first flight, do you remember Matt?
…like it was Yesterday, December the 12th 1986 Milan – Dakar i was 10 and it was awsome!!!
My first flight was to Poland when I was 9. My strongest memory is of seeing the white fluffy tops of the clouds as we emerged from the London gloom to the high level sunshine. I was amazed at their fluffy appearance. The BA crew allow me and my two brothers to go into the cockpit and say hello to the pilot. Those were the days!
Fluffy tops of the clouds.. that is still my favourite part of the flight. Every time I saw a very high-vertical cloud, I always hear “A whole new world-” inside my head, the song from “Aladin”. 🙂
You met a pilot for real? That’s awesome! People were much more generous back then 🙂
i was 6months at my first plane ride to Australia from the US. Don’t remember a thing!
Fancy- 6 month old flight passenger!
I don’t remember most of my early fights! Though I guess I was pretty well-traveled kid by the time I started to. My most vivid early flying memories is flying on Southwest’s Shamu plane – which I comment on above – and crying my eyes out in Seattle because my ears wouldn’t pop. I’m sure my parents loved that trip.
I don’t remember most of my early fights! At the age of 24, I still haven’t ever been anyhere in a plane before. Those were the days!
It will be special, I bet. 🙂 I remember my first international flight when I was 21. It was first one and 12 hours long. I was super nervous but I was so excited. 🙂
So cute! His excitement is what it’s all about!
I hate flying now, but every now and again it has a magic view moment, like see snow below, or an amazing sunset/rise….or seeing my home city in the window after a long time away.
I think my first flight was one my Mum purchased on a charity telethon here in Victoria (Australia), and it was just a little day return flight to a town in Gippsland (another area of our state), but it was pretty exciting for us all!
My first flight was when I was about 10months old so don’t remember a thing but it would have been from Dubai to the UK. The first flight I remember was when I was about 6yrs old going on a summer holiday with family, the things I always used to associate with flying as a child – a new book, colouring books, snack packs etc…!