Do You Love to Fly?....Hate Flying?....Or??

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
Location
USA
Some people really love to fly in airplanes, some don't care about it either way, it's just a means of transportation. Some people hate to fly, and I'd have to put myself in that category.

I could probably count the amount of times I flew in a plane on one hand, and that's a good thing. I'm not really afraid of flying, but I don't find any pleasure in it, except maybe the destination the couple of times I vacationed in Hawaii. I like watching the ground from above at both take off and landing, and I like to see the clouds from above.

I have never had to put up with the new TSA nonsense, of either frying you with radiation, or giving you a physical pat-down like a common criminal. I'd probably opt for the pat-down though, as I'm not a big fan of any x-rays and will avoid them whenever I can.

How about you? Do you like to fly, hate it, or don't care? Has anyone here never flown before? Any bad experiences at airports??
 

SB, like you I've only flown about 4 times, I do like it but.....but my ears don't.
I really suffer with bad ear pain and no amount of swallowing, chewing or whatever, helps it
and it seems to take forever to get back to normal even after we land.
I do have sinus problems..... my ear openings are very small, and wax builds up (sorry, sounds yuk I know).
I regularly have to have my ears syringed because of this problem and I'm guessing that is why
I have problems when flying......it's unbearable.
No bad experiences whatsoever otherwise.

:aargh:

 
I love it. I've flown in big jets and a 4 seater plane. I've had a flight in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon (exhilarating) and toured Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea in 16 seater prop jets, a wonderful way to cover vast distances to see the sights.

Every time we take off its a big thrill. I love having the window seat and will endlessly watch the stars and also the headlights of cars far below on the empty plains. No need for any TV to pass the time.
 

Flying doesn't bother me - it sure gets you there in a hurry. Took a cruise from San Francisco to Alaska a few months ago - it took 2 1/2 DAYS to get up north - a week after the cruise I flew up there for another trip and it only took 2 hours!
 
I just find flying relatively tedious.
After 12 hours on an long- haul flight, I am getting ready to unlock the doors myself though..
 
Warrigal, I've flew in a helicopter over the grand canyon too, the seats were three across, my fellow passengers were a nice couple from Australia, I sat in between them so they could each have a window seat and take pictures, after the flight the lady took my address to send me copies of the pictures, I didn't really think I'd ever hear from them but, later received this huge package of pictures in the mail.....was that you?? lol...anyway that incident helped shape my good opinion of Australians.


One of the strangest flights was on EL Al, a trip to Israel ...this was about 20 years ago...the security was unreal...on boarding, there were body searches of every passenger...and I don't mean just pat downs.. the flight had a stop in London..all passengers were locked in a waiting room while they refueled and cleaned the plane, I remember on the flight the isles were always crowded with people just walking around, talking and having a grand old time, come meal time, the flight attendant opened an overhead bin and took down this huge net thing that was full of hard rolls...lol...anyway, back then EL AL was known for the safest airline going.

On another trip...back in the 80's, my friend and I flew to London, we flew out of DFW, we had just boarded and was getting ready to take off...well, we sat on that plane for the longest, finally they took us off the plane back to the waiting room...we waited and waited....back on the plane, after about 2 hours of this we took off in the dark, on take off we could see fires burning below us at the airport, the airline never gave us any explanation, later the news came on the overhead TV, thats how we learned that there had been a crash and many people killed.

Even after that scarey flight, I love to fly, it is just an adventure and most of the time a wonderful experience to me.

As for the security that we have to endure now, even though it is a hassle, I'm glad it has been put in place, cuts down the odds of a catastrophe.
 
I haved worked in an airport for about 5 years, and seen some of the other side too.
hi-jacks, crashes, delays.....hard work, but never a dull moment, even if a little scary at times.
 
I don't mind flying - it's the crashing that bothers me.

I tend toward being a bit of a control freak, so flying is tough for me. I've been on 747s, DC-10s, puddle jumpers, helicopters - it's just the fact that I'm not the one in control that freaks me out.

I've even skydived, and that doesn't affect me as much as sitting in 21-B during a storm with little Elmer The Screaming Demon sitting next to me.

Happily all my flying was finished before TSA was born, because I WILL NOT subject myself to that experience. Like TWH, if I can't get there by bus, train, car, bike or foot it isn't worth going.
 
Viv, that's what you get for living on that royal throne of kings, that scepter'd isle, that earth of majesty, that seat of Mars, that other Eden, that fortress built by Nature for herself, that little world, that precious stone set in the silver sea, that blessed plot, that earth, that realm, that England.

(Apologies to The Bard and Richard II, Act II)
 
As a former military airplane pilot, you probably know my opinion about flying.

But commercial flying is a horse of a different hue; the long wait, the crowded seats, the security hassle etc.

It's a little better if one can afford to sit in first or business class seats...but that's the only advantage.
But,you gotta admit, it's the best way to get to point B from point A if time is a factor.
 
As the son of a Naval Aviator, I grew up flying, flying, flying. Then, of course, Uncle Sham had me flying, flying, flying. After all that, I had not gotten aboard an aircraft until a couple of years ago when I flew to Texas to visit my son living there. People think it's because I'm afraid of flying. Not the case at all. I just don't want to go anywhere. I did enjoy the pretty flight attendant flirting with me, though . . .
 
Warrigal, I've flew in a helicopter over the grand canyon too, the seats were three across, my fellow passengers were a nice couple from Australia, I sat in between them so they could each have a window seat and take pictures, after the flight the lady took my address to send me copies of the pictures, I didn't really think I'd ever hear from them but, later received this huge package of pictures in the mail.....was that you?? lol...anyway that incident helped shape my good opinion of Australians.
Click to expand...
No that wasn't me. I was squashed in the middle between hubby and another big man but I still had a good view through the front window between the pilots. The helicopter flew straight at a cliff, then paused and hovered so that we could look at an abandoned Indian dwelling carved into the cliff face. It was scary, thrilling and fascinating all at the same time.

It was just as we were leaving the Grand Canyon that we discovered that the film in our camera was not winding on and we had to make do with a couple of post cards.
 
There are lots of things professionals won't tell you and you're better off not knowing.

And this includes doctors, nurses and hospitals, lawyers, coroners, policemen, store managers....etc.

Think of some more.
 
I am not keen on flying at all, one time when we boarded an airbus from Johannesburg to fly down to Cape Town there was an announcement came over the tannoy that there would be a small delay in take off as there was a fault with one of the engines, then music was played over the tannoy not very appropriate at the time, it was...........................................................The Last Post.:eek1:
 
My Dad was an airplane mechanic during WWII. Later in life he bought an old wreck of a plane and rebuilt it with the help of a friend who owned planes. So as a kid, I used to go flying with him all the time. But the bug never bit me. My brother got his license when he was in his 30's and I went up one time with him, but that was the most uncomfortable I have ever been up in a plane. Not because of anything he did wrong, but just knowing he had very little experience at the time.

Commercially I have only flown about 1/2 dozen times. I just hate all the crap you have to go through in an airport now days. I've always wanted to go to NZ so I may do that one day, but not planning much flying in the future. My niece is getting married in Ireland in August, so that is possible just to keep peace in the family. I'm sure Ireland would be a great trip, but still not fired up about the flying. So will see......
 
Of course, there's always that dream of flying like a bird . . .

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I like to travel so I fly a lot. The worst thing about flying happens at the airport, as far as I'm concerned. Especially out of country. Next worse thing is it can be boring, on a long flight but aside from all that, I don't mind flying because it almost always takes me somewhere I want to go to...but lately, when I've come home from a long flight, I've gotten sick. This time bronchitis flying home from Hawaii. I wish the airlines would quarantine sick passengers..or something. I am wondering how many others on my flight got sick...
 
"High Flight"

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
- Put out my hand
 
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