eveneing of July 4, 1970. My first flight ever. It was out of Washington National. We took off just as the fireworks were starting, and I (being 14 at the time) felt like they were to celebrate my first flight.

Evening winter flight from Seattle to Anchorage, full moon, and Aurora Borealis right outside the plane windows at 35,000 feet. Awe inspiring and the most unique experience I've ever had flying.

My favorite flight was a nonstop JFK-LAX flight I took one unforgettable evening in September 1998-- unforgettable because I had one of those "only in New York" adventures getting to JFK.

I was on the last leg of a "three cities in four days" business junket-- first night, Chicago (Swissotel-- fab!!); second, Boston (Dorchester Holiday Inn, a dump-- a citywide booked everything closer to Boston); third night, NYC (W Hotel Times Square, DURING the renovation-- tiny, tiny room). Meeting went well, a cocktail party at the (then) Regal UN went on too long, and I dove into a cab to ride to Port Authority to grab the subway to JFK.

All the way crosstown, my Russia-born cabdriver displayed a perfectly fluent command of cursewords in English, screaming at a young woman who had cut him off earlier:

"You f*&$%*# b$&#%! Why don't you f*&$%*# watch where the f*&% you're going?"

"Don't you f*&$%*# call me b*%&@, you f*&$%*$ a*&%^#@!!!"

And so on.

Luggage on my shoulder, laptop in my hand, I ran for the subway station. I had 90 minutes to get to JFK (in the pre-9/11 days when you could just waltz through security). The train took off, and then the train just ahead of it BROKE down in Brooklyn, leaving us stuck underground downtown. When the train started moving, I was silently thinking of how I could jump out and take a cab the rest of the way.

I din't. I just got to the JFK stop, ran onto the airport shuttle and rode to my terminal. Running like a madman, I threw my luggage and laptop through the X-Ray, got through the scanner and made another mad dash for the gate. They were just about to close the door when I showed up-- and they thankfully re-opened.

I got the Coach section of a DC-10 to myself for that blissful, uneventful trip. The flight attendants even brought me hot cookies from First Class. My first non-cattle car experience in Steerage-- I mean, Coach. Heaven.

Hard to choose, so two:

First time I sat in the right seat (copilot's - I wasn't, there wasn't one) on a Grumman Goose flying around the Aleutian Islands. For the uninitiated, the Goose was a pre-WW2 amphibious airplane - looks like a shrunken PBY - able to land on the water then lower the gear and roll onto the beach/ramp etc. Taking off from the ocean in an amphibious plane - the water level about 12 inches below the window, the radial motors sounding like a swarm of motorcycles just behind your eyeballs, the water rushing toward the windshield at an impossible pace - well, let's just say it's a serious rush. Many of these wonderful airplanes are still flying, even the one from Fantasy Island.

Second place (first?) goes to a flight on United from LA to New York, stopping outside Chicago at a new airfield the pilot called "O'Hara." 1958. The autumn colors - red barns, orange trees, green fields - from the air were very impressive to us pre-teens. I also happened to notice oil running from the back of one of the engines on the DC-7, and was thanked by the pilot personally for pointing it out - at "O'Hara" the UAL crew fixed it while we waited for the plane to be re-fueled for our ongoing flight to Idylwild. What adventure.

Fun flights were when I was little and got to go visit with the pilots and get my wings.

Poignant and favorite flight from London to Vancouver BC. We were in England 9/11, then to Scotland. We were so sad we barely recall seeing anything and spent much of our time in Scotland trying to figure out how to get home. Our flight was among the first to get out. We were lucky because we weren't bumped so we had first served - I felt so sorry for the people who had been waiting at the airport for 4 days! No one was allowed to carry any bags, no purses for some. All our stuff was in clear plastic bags (never felt so safe!). We were all patted down (literally). Flight was fairly uneventful until we reached Canadian shores then the pilot said we would have to land somewhere, I can't remember because his emergency air had an error light. We all traipsed off, picked up our luggage and they were going to get another plane for us. At that time people were friendlier and we were feeling a big like a family. Finally we get on next plane after several hours which means we have almost all missed our connecting flights and are stuck with all the other people still trying to get flights. On the new 'healthier' plane the intercom didn't work so the attendants had a bull horn that didn't work. We were all laughing and it felt so good and friendly. What else was there to do but laugh. It was such a warm feeling after such tragedy. The airlines put us up in a hotel and we continued to see our friends and chat the next day as we left on our connecting flights. I remember the crew and our new 'friends' with fondness.

Anchorage to South Africa, Thanksgiving Day, 1983. British Airways. Nine hours to London, they fed us three times. My mom, sister and I all had a row of seats to ourselves. After a 12 hour layover in London( AND LOTS OF SIGHTSEEING AND SHOPPING), we gratefully settled into the next flight, B.A. again, 14 hours. I'll never forget waking up at some point, looking down, and seeing a huge river glistening below. I knew we were somewhere over Africa, and the feeling was incredible. We stopped briefly in Harare, Zimbabwe(a little scary with the military guys and rifles boarding and checking us out), then on to Jo'burg, where we stayed with family and toured the country for 2.5 months. It was probably the most memorable flight to date. Nothing opens your eyes like seeing the world. Btw, I was 23 at that time.

I had posted this a while back, but it seems to fit here as well:

Sometime in the mid 80's, I was on a flight from Cairo and the Stew asked if it was alright if they moved a passenger from coach to business next to me. The passenger turned out to be a Nun, in her mid 70's, who had gone to Africa from Ireland when she was 16 and was now repatriating to "retire". It was only her second time to fly, and she could not believe how large and comfortable the 747 was. When the wine was served, she commented that it was her first glass of decent wine in over 30 years. The Stew overheard this and kept the wine flowing throughout the flight to Amsterdam.

We enjoyed several glasses of the wine together and had long conversations about her experiences in her 50 years in Africa, some of which made us laugh, and some made us cry. The three hours to Amsterdam seemed to fly by. We parted in a rush as we deplaned and went our separate ways. I was overnighting in Amsterdam to catch a flight to Houston the next day. I usually went into Amsterdam, but this time I stayed at the Hilton in the airport. At dinner that evening, I looked across the room and the Nun was being seated by herself. I knew she was using the KLM vouchers for her meal, and that that meal would be very basic, so I flagged a waiter and told him to send her a bottle of my favorite Bordeaux, and to allow her to order anything on the menu that she wanted. I am sure he thought I was flirting until he looked and saw the 70+ year old that I wanted the bottle delivered to. He did not know quite what to think then!

When the waiter delivered the wine, he pointed across the room to me and I waved at her. Her face lit up with recognition and she waved back. When I finished my meal and signed off on the bill, I told the waiter the short version of her story, and he too was touched.

I stopped by her table and she invited me to share the bottle. Not wanting to deprive her of the treat, I only had one glass as we talked another three hours. She was a lovely lady and it was clear that while she was happy to be going home (for the first time in 50 years) she was, at the same time, sad about leaving the world she had shared for so long. When we could talk no longer, we said our goodbyes for the last time. On my way out, I arranged for another bottle to be delivered to her room with a "thank you for sharing your evening" note from me. The manager said that he would not hear of my paying for the wine, and he would send it "on the house". I was truly impressed!

That was almost 25 years ago and I suppose she is gone now, but I think of her often and wonder at the personal sacrifice she endured for her faith. I am not very religious, but I say a little prayer for her from time to time and toast her every time I open a bottle of Bordeaux.

ALL flights that have taken me away from work!

That would have to be my first flight, many years ago, as a teenager. I was going to Miami to visit my grandparents. For some reason, I was upgraded and sat in first class with a bunch of airline employees, either going on vacation or hooking up with a flight. I had the time of my (young) life!

As they say.....priceless!

November 93 London - Palma de Mallorca, as the ONLY passenger on board, chatting with five beautiful hostesses and drinking wine as well, taking up and landing seating in the cabin with the pilots, God !, I felt like in my own private jet ! Sounds nice, the previous flight, from Palma to Aberdeen, Scotland, I did it ( for free ) seated in the very small seat at the end of the plane, so that when someone went to toilette, i had to stand up and remove mi seat to allow them in the toillet. Nice just to tell !

I have two favorites.

Prettiest was Bar harbor Airlines from Worcester to Montreal in early October. It was a DC 3 at about 5000 feet, right up the Conneticuit (sp?) river valley during peak foliage season. Awesome!

Summertime Friday afternoon flights from Dallas to Boston on American. Back when I flew weekly, I always upgraded to first class. On the early evening flight Bob Crandall, Chairman of American would be travelling to his weekend home on Cape Ann. The service was always superb!

Cradall lives about a mile from me. He has a huge sloop with a GOD AWFUL AA logo on his jib. Thought some would find that interesting.

rich...what a story! now that's worth the trip.

What an image, Brenda!! How lucky you were.

I had a flight from SEA to SFO and we overflew a Blue Angels airshow. It was really something else to see their formations from above, esp. the one where they fly straight up (more or less) and then peel out in several directions like a flower blooming.

JFK-DEN on JetBlue, it was the first time I was west of the Missisippi, and on the way we passed Chicago which you could see with the lights and all, and of course seeing the Rocky Mountains.

Probably the flight on the day we got married. Ceremony at 11 a.m., fun receiving line, sit-down meal at noon. Changed clothes, grabbed luggage -- our flight was about 4 p.m.

After I got my lap belt on, my husband and I looked at each other. I can't describe the joy I felt!! Nine-plus years later, I remember it so well. I'm sure we glowed.

My favorite flight was in HS when I took pilot ground school through Jr. ROTC. We did a wing over in a Cessna 152 and pulled a negative G. We had pencils floating around the cabin!
I also enjoyed taking off on my own and having all the power to myself. I once flew over an air craft carrier. I really wanted to do a touch and go on it!
My class also went on a heilcopter ride at Ft. Lewis. It was amazing flying over the Nisqually river and seening hundreds of bald eagles.