> > I just recieved my new National Geographic and it contains some good material about the history of aviation. So it got me to thinking. I wonder how many people can remember their first flight?
> >
> > Airplanes are so common these days I'm sure there must be people who flew when they were infants or have flown so much they just can't pinpoint the first time.
> >
> > I also wonder if some people took their first flight in something besides an airplane. For example, maybe it was a helicopter or a balloon. I took a short, low-level flight on a bicycle once, and I still have scars to prove it, but bicycles aren't supposed to fly, so that didn't count.
> >
> > My actual first flight was in a Piper J3 Cub. It was the summer of 1947, give or take a year, and I flew off a dirt strip in Kentucky. It lasted about 15 minutes and cost $2.
> >
> > So I'm hoping to hear about your first flight. When was it or how old were you? What kind of aircraft was it? Where did you go? That sort of thing.
> >
> > I am a frequent flyer and I've flown in almost everything you can think of. But I am still a glued-to-the-window flyer. I resent it when I fly the red eye and drop off to sleep. Even at night, I'm afraid I'll miss something. If I'm not near a window, I keep track of direction, changes in speed or altitude, and I even listen for the wheels to come up or down. Everything that pilot does is part of the experience.
> > Howard
>
> My first flight was probably a 747 size plane and I was seven. We flew from Boston to Purto Rico. On the way home we got bumped and stayed an extra day or so that was neat. My parents got cash for the change in departure.
>
> Mrs_Grishny

I always enjoy San Juan. We flew there once to catch a cruise ship. We went a day early just to be sure we didn't miss the sailing and we stayed one block back from the beach. The next day we called a taxi to take us to the cruise ship down in Old San Juan. But the driver didn't speak English and took us to the airport. Finally I said "San Juan Viejo" and "Barka Grande" which I hoped meant big ship. He looked shocked and then got on the radio and had a very antimated conversation with somebody. Then he turned around and took us to the ship. I gave him a big tip.
Howard