In August 1972 I paid off the Hudson Friendship in Okinawa and the flight home proved to be a journey that Odysseus would have been proud of.

Flew to Tokyo then Hong Kong. Here had a five hour wait before my next flight so by the time I got on the Boeing 707 my eyeballs were already out on the springs. We landed in Bangkok but then were delayed as they could not get one of the engines started. Some blokes in boiler suits came out and removed the cowling and poked and prodded the engine's guts for a few hours and got it fixed.

We then flew on and finally arrived Lod Airport but my connecting flight had long gone. They fixed me up with a British Caledonian flight the next morning, so I sat on a luggage trolley the whole night being eyed suspiciously by a tough looking Israeli soldier with an Uzi (the Lod Airport massacre had occurred only a few months before.)

Eventually I got aboard the Caledonian flight and have to say they treated me well considering by now I bore a strong resemblance to a sack of manure. London airport was like discovering Shangri La and a bus ride to Euston followed by the train up to Stafford completed my journey. At this point my arms were about six inches longer due to carrying luggage.

As I staggered through the door, just like Odysseus being reunited with Penelope, I was immediately asked: "When are you going back ?"

:eek::angry:

Flew out to Aussie to join my first ship on a BOAC Argonaut which was a four engined piston plane. It took five days stopping over at nights.
The days when it was a pleasure to fly with good service and food and not being cramped like herring in a barrel are only a memory now. Last time I flew was a trans Atlantic flight of seven hours with poor food and leg room which would have been crampted for someone 5'00". Never again. I would fly first class if some one else were to foot the cost but otherwise its terra firma.

Aircraft types I have flown on : McDonell-Douglas DC-9-32,McDonell-Douglas MD-80,Avions De Transport Regional ATR-42/72,McDonell Douglas MD-11,Boeing 747-400,Boeing 737-800, Embraer E-170, Embraer 145, Airbus A319/320/321

Airlines: Lufthansa ,Austrian Airlines, SAS , Swiss, American Eagle,Air Canada,Alitalia,Alitalia Express,Lauda Air,Olympic Airways,Aegean.

Greetings cruise ships fan and welcome to SH. Bon voyage.

My longest trip was probably last year - Kuala Lumpur - Dubai - Luanda, 5 days in Luanda then Luanda - Dubai, Dubai - Amsterdam and finally Amsterdam - Kuala Lumpur. Luckily I was Business Class all the way!

Living in KL, I tend to fly a lot - even KL to Singapore is normally a flight -either back to Europe or up to Vietnam with Mrs McC. The worst part of it all is the journey back from KLIA into town. It is about an hours drive and the door-to-door journey from home in Fife to home in KL take about 24 hours and that last hour in a taxi or even the train/metro/taxi is definitely the worst part!

I don't mind the actual flying bit (and I have done my fair share of choppers as well) but the delays at airports for security, immigration etc. really get to me. No matter how hard I try and prepare I always seem to be struggling with shoes, belts, lap-tops, phones etc. at security checks! The best place for immigration/security I know of is Hanoi where the people are efficient but friendly and courteous - I almost asked one of the girls what time she finished work but thought better of it!


McC

To All Aviators.


Phuh Khen (pronounced Foo Keen) 1169-???? is considered by some to be the most under recognized military officer in history. Many have never heard of his contributions to modern military warfare. The mission of this secret society is to bring honor to the name of Phuh Khen. A `Khen' was a subordinate to a `Khan' (pronounced Konn) in the military structure of the Mongol Hoards. Khan is Turkish for Leader.
Most know of the great Genghis Khan, but little has been written of his chain of command. Khen is also of Turkish origin. Although there is not a word in English that adequately conveys the meaning. Roughly translated, it means, `One who will do the impossible, while appearing unprepared, and complaining constantly.' Phuh Khen was one of ten Khens that headed the divisions, or group of hoards, as they were known, of the Mongol Army serving under Genghis Khan.
His abilities came to light during the Mongol's raids on the Turkestan city of Turkestanis. Bohicans were fierce warriors and the city was well fortified. The entire city was protected by huge walls and the hoards were at a standoff with the Bohicans. Bohicaroo was well stocked and it would be difficult to wait them out. Genghis Khan assembled his Khens and ordered each of them to develop a plan for penetrating the defenses of Bohicaroo.
Operation Achieve Victory (AV) was born. All 10 divisions of Khens submitted their plan. After reviewing AV plans 1 thru 7 and finding them all unworkable or ridiculous, Genghis Khan was understandably upset. It was with much perspiration that Phuh Khen submitted his idea, which came to be known as AV 8. Upon seeing AV 8, Genghis was convinced this was the perfect plan and gave his immediate approval. The plan was beautifully simple. Phuh Khen would arm his hoards to the teeth, load them into cat apults, and hurl them over the wall. The losses were expected to be high, but hey, hoards were cheap.
Those that survived the flight would engage the enemy in combat. Those that did not? Well, surely their flailing bodies would cause some damage. The plan worked and the Bohicans were defeated. From that day on, whenever the Mongol Army encountered an surmountable enemy, Genghis Khan would give the order, "Send some of Phuh Khen's AV 8ers". This is believed, though not by anyone outside our secret society, to be the true origin of the term Aviator (AV 8er).
Phu Khen's AV 8ers were understandably an unruly mob, not likely to be socially acceptable. Many were heavy drinkers and insomniacs. But when nothing else would do, you could always count on an AV 8er . Phu Khen Aviator. Denied, perhaps rightfully so, his place in history, Phu Khen has been, none the less, immortalized in prose. As the great poet Norman Lear never once said : "There once was a man named Phuh Khen, whose breakfast was whiskey and gin, when e'er he'd fly, he'd give a mighty war cry, bend over, here it comes again."
Consider it an honor to be a Phu Khen Aviator. Wear the mantle proudly, but speak of it cautiously. It is not always popular to be one of us. You hear mystical references, often hushed whispers, to `those Phuh Khen Aviators'. Do not let these things bother you. As with any secret society, we go largely misunderstood, prohibited by our apathy, from explaining ourselves. You are expected to always live down to the reputation of the Phuh Khen Aviator. A reputation cultivated for centuries, undaunted by scorn or ridicule, unhindered by progress. So drink up, be crude, sleep late, urinate in public, and get the job done. When others are offended, you can revel in the knowledge that you are truly a PHUH KHEN AVIATOR.
end

Sailed all around the world but never got to fly in a plane until I was 24 years of age. I then got to fly in old C-119 (Flying Boxcars) and old C-47s,(Dakota) made 239 take offs (Flights) but never got to land in any of them. I then joined Army Aviation and got to fly almost every day in Otters, Bird-dogs, Beavers, Caribous, and Hueys. I then flew in Mohawks in Vietnam for a year getting many hours of flight time.
Flying to Germany, UK, Vietnam, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand I got to fly in the big passenger jets, too many to mention.
The wife and I have decided no more overseas flights to join a cruise, we only cruise in the rivers and waters in the USA, a three hour flight is our limit.

My first experience of flying was back in 1958, when aged 14. It was in a Dakota fitted out as a passenger plane and my school mate and I flew from Southampton to Jersey (and back!) for a weeks holiday. His dad worked for British Rail and got cheap travel for his family which included the ferries, so they went to Jersey every year. This particular year, Bruce wanted to go by plane as an adventure so asked me to go with him. It cost us £6 ea. return plus the trains from Chatham to S/Hampton. The take off and landing were quite bumpy as I remember, with the airports having just grass runways back then.
It was an experience but not as exciting as I thought it would be.


After having flown to holiday destinations for many years, Mrs JJ and I have decided never to fly again as it's too much hassle at the airports and uncomfortable at our age. Our last journey, with B.A. was to New Orleans on the so called "Dream Liner" which was a nightmare! Very uncomfortable seats and crammed in as usual but I did notice it was a quieter plane.......


JJ.

Flying is not for me. I prefer terra firma. The more firma, the less terra.

Flying is fun?
 

One of the most interesting flights I had was in 1984, as a passenger in an ASW Sea king we flew in fog / low cloud from Culdrose to Benbecula, aircraft full of spares and kit. As we made our way up the UK, various instruments & gadgets started to fail, to the point were we were dead reckoning somewhere around Cheshire. Through a break in the cloud an isolated farm was spotted, so down we went, now the sound of 11tons of angry dark blue helicopter circulating around the farm brought out the occupants, all waving and seemingly happy with the attention, however more was to come, the observer and pilots were lost, so we landed in the farm yard, with children jumping and waving the aircrewman was dispatched to the house with a map and some form of present! ten minutes later we were off with some nice local directions to Benbecula. Amazingly our week in Benbecula we were able to find the 'needle in the sea haystack' quite easily, unlike finding the Hebrides!

I recall a very memorable flight courtesy of 'Fleet Air Arm airlines', I was in HMS Liverpool in the Arabian Gulf, not long after the first gulf war. My mother was admitted to hospital with a return of her cancer and as it was life threatening, I was granted 1 weeks compassionate leave with instructions to rejoin the ship in Bahrain 7 days later. Our Pilot had agreed to take me ashore in the Lynx in order that I could catch the evening flight to Heathrow.
So at about 1500 we took off for the 20 minute flight for The UAE, however as we closed the land, there was a terrific sand storm ashore and we were forced to land on the deck of USS Fox who was operating close inshore off the UAE coast until the 'dust settled' (the other RN gulf ship being off station in the Gulf of Oman). After a hairy landing in gusty conditions we were given a really strong brew and offered food in Fox while we waited, eventually we got airborne about 2 hours later with the pilot redlining the Lynx - and as we came into the stack at Dubai, he asked ATC for permission to land at my departure terminal - in order that I didn't miss my the Heathrow flight by having to travel from the opposite side of the airfield. Sadly this was denied and we were told to land a fair distance away and then taxi to the terminal, our pilot turned the air blue at the belligerence of the the Dubai ATC and commenced a really fast hover taxi to the terminal (essentially flying but for the nose wheel tickling the Tarmac) - and more worrying - ignoring all of the calls to slowdown and use the correct taxiway......"I am entitled to get lost for f%cks sake" was his disgruntled mumble. I was terrified, but clearly the pilot and observer were having a whale of a time.
I got to the terminal (airside) and was met by an RAF 'mover' on the apron with an airport security chap - who after seeing my ID card, whisked me off to my departure gate and my waiting commercial air transport back to Blighty. They were just about to remove the air bridge as I arrived at the gate (sweating profusely), which they held and thankfully I was allowed to board.
There is no doubt in my mind that without our rapid and terrifying hover taxi antics, i would have missed the flight. Once I boarded the jet - my day was made when I was ask to turn left into the only available empty seat on the aircraft in first class! Result.......thanks to the ships flight!

Recall flying Dan Air DC3 Bristol to Liverpool. Oil from the starboard engine was squirting like rain drops across the Windows. We had a first time flier marine engineer with us who after awhile decided to hit the bell. The hostess asked what he rang for and he pointed to oil steaming along his window. "Don't worry sir it always does that." He replied. "Ye nae foolin me lassie, I'm an engineer. Away and tell the pilot." This she did, we landed safely, but those passenger continuing on to Newcastle had to change planes to a Dan Air Vanguard, which was not the original plan. Never saw our engineer again but often wondered if he took to flying,as he swore that was his last flight.

Yes I always enjoy to make trips by airplanes, I studied in the Chilean Air Force Academy, now I am the oldest lieutenant of the world, I suppose it, not 100 %, I could not begin my commercial pilot career because of my father early passing away, however I still love the airplanes and travels over all from Santiago de Chile to Europe.


Regards


Tomi.

Re.#51 I had a similar experience with a heli pilot requesting the tower to hold a flight as I flew in from a drillship. In this case the heli had to land a long way from the terminal and I had to lug my 20kg toolbag to the terminal. Ground staff had been advised and I was rushed through the terminal to discover the a/c commencing taxing from the apron. Fortunately it was an F28 and the door opened, steps deployed and I was on my way. The heli pilot was left with a large and heavy piece of drilling equipment which should have been on the same flight as myself.

Tomi living in Chile is bit like us in Australia, air travel is a necessity. Have flown to Santiago a couple of times from Sydney. Think LATAM Chile have it down to ten hours from Melbourne to Santiago on the Dream Liner. The flight being a composite great circle, direct and over the ice flows from the Antarctic. The flying bit does not bother me, just the actual airport bits no matter where you go is a pain. However I know it is a necessary pain in todays world of travel.
Steve

Do I enjoy flying? No I do not. After an hour I get the fidgets and my bum goes numb. Has any shipmate a solution to my problem? I would be ever so grateful.

A good book always works for me.:).....sorry

Do you sit on it?

Now that made me smile:)

Engine Serang, this could be a little help, try to always sit next to the window of the plane and enjoy watching the scenery, reading a good book is always a great help or an entertaining conversation is the best, if nothing of this is enough you could try to be relaxed by taking a low dosage relaxant.



Regards


Tomi.

#60
Then sit on the LOO!

On long flights, I used to take a sleeping pill left over after Mrs JJ's hip ops. The trouble was, being asleep for so long, when I woke up I had that stiffy problem and a long walk to the toilet!.......


JJ.

I think that some people don't like flying because when they reach the airport they see the sign 'Terminal'!


JJ.

I know what you mean, 'Ip 'Op, needs some kind of sedation to cope with it.