I thought this would be a nice little thing for people to do, so here goes. This is my most memberal …
When I was 8 or so, my dad took me for my first ever time to London Heathrow because his company were doing some big work at the airport. It was my birthday and I remember we were in the flat my dad rented whilst he worked in London, opposite the Canary Wharf, we used to go there quite alot. I got up and remember being told happy birthday etc, then my dad said ” I’m going to take you to a big suprise, just you and me”, so off we went. Then about an hour I asked ” where are we going? ” and he said ” heathrow, i’m gonna take you to see that plane you love so much take off “. So when we got there we pulled up at the place where his company had been working – The BA hangers being one of them – and infront of me was a British Airways 747, I remember standing there in awe. He then took me to the top of a flight of stairs on the outside of some sort of portakabin and we watched the planes in action, then he said, “come on son” and so we did. He drove me round to a petrol station where you could see the take off and landings really well and he said ” it’s about time, this should be it, it’s the one you want to be pilot of one day remember?” and I asked ” what should be it? ” and I remember him saying it because I went all excited when he said it – ” concorde ” – and then I saw it for the first time in my life – the take off of concorde and I actually had tears in my eyes and said ” wow “.
Truely the best memory of mine ever!
By: BSG-75 - 9th June 2009 at 16:53
Going on a day trip on a coach to Hendon then onto Heathrow when I was about 8, a glider landing in our school field when I was about 6 or 7 (infants school for sure), taking my son to his first airshow and several museums since and also taking him on his first flight which was in a Dragon Rapide at Legends.
Downside was I had no camera, a nice guy took some pictures of us but I never got an e-mail from him with them attached, that was a shame but I’ll never forget it.
By: BumbleBee - 9th June 2009 at 15:25
My Dad’s,showing that an interest in aviation lasts a lifetime … It was 1935,he was 12 and someone had given him half a crown ( 12p ).That was enough to buy a 5 minute flight in a DH84,a forerunner to the Dragon Rapide.He remembers that it was blue with silver wings,belonged to Surrey Flying Services,and even the registration G-ACIU.The aeroplane was requisitioned for the war,and left in France after Dunkirk.Just wish I could get my daughter interested in aeroplanes too .
By: PMN - 4th June 2009 at 19:46
As a relative newcomer I don’t have any older memories, but there are two things I will never forget as long as I have the power of thought. Firstly, my flight on the DC-3. Very much a different kind of flying to the Airbus and Boeing jets I’m more familiar with, and secondly, seeing the Vulcan fly at Waddington. That had significance for several reasons; the fact I was born too late to see them in real action, and also because it was the result of a lot of hard work by people who put their heart and soul into it. Seeing it in the air must have been a tremendous moment for them. Not only that, but the atmosphere was incredible. The entire crowd almost fell silent and there was a distinct feeling the several thousand people there were thinking the same thing; something along the lines of… WOOOOOW! It was the only event I’ve ever shot as an aviation photographer I can say was genuinely moving. In fact I’m surprised I actually managed to press the shutter release when she came in to land!
Paul
By: Flygirl - 4th June 2009 at 18:58
For me it’s the people I have known. Those who shared their experience and took them with me as they recalled the events of their past. And also the ones I was never destined to meet but have come to know through old photographs, diaries, ORB’s and newspaper cuttings. They are the aviation memories that I cherish.
Regards,
kev35
I can relate to that Kev.:)
By: kev35 - 4th June 2009 at 11:41
For me it’s the people I have known. Those who shared their experience and took them with me as they recalled the events of their past. And also the ones I was never destined to meet but have come to know through old photographs, diaries, ORB’s and newspaper cuttings. They are the aviation memories that I cherish.
Regards,
kev35
By: Merlin3945 - 4th June 2009 at 11:12
For me it has to be the flight in the Dragon Rapide at Duxford. My first time ever in a propellor driven plane.
Later found out that that very aircraft had went on fire after we had been on it. Soon after that it was restored to flight.
The other thing was seeing the BofB Memorial Flight Spitfire over Haddington as we were in the cemetary honouring a pilot in the presence of his now ageing girlfriend of the time.
truely wonderful memory.
By: mike currill - 4th June 2009 at 08:04
Maybe they’d be nothing special to some but my favourite aviation memories would have have to be my flights in a twin tub Lightning, a twin tub Harrier and my flight from Vancouver to Victoria and back in a Twin Otter floatplane. The twotter flight was fantastic. Coming into Coal Harbour on the return all I could see through the windscreen was trees and skyscrapers. It was supposed to have been a Vancouver sight seeing flight ($101.65) but they over booked the flight and offered me the chance to fly to Victoria and back ($189.50) for the sameprice. I’m glad I accepted as I wouldn’t have seen the pod of Orcas that we flew over on the approach into Victoria otherwise. Oh I’d have to include my Jet Ranger flight in the Rockies. Flying at 9000′ and feeling you could reach out and grab a handful of snow on the way past. May have been 9000’AMSL but was only about 500-1000’AGL
By: Flygirl - 3rd June 2009 at 17:59
Loads of memories for me but best ever! Got to fly in a T9 Spitfire 🙂 Got to fly in an Extra 300 with the lovely Greeners and also a trip with Nitro and Hicko.:) First gliding lesson “wow” fantastic.:)
By: BumbleBee - 3rd June 2009 at 17:49
My most memorable flight should be on the You did What? thread but it’s too awful …. Someone not a million miles away kindly gave us a tour of the flying boat bases of Auckland and I threw up in the back seat of his Cessna.Apart from that,Concorde from JFK to LHR.I don’t remember much of it,but there’s a photo somewhere of me in a Princess Di type dress beside the thing that says Mach 2.Lastly the flight in a BEA Sikorsky helicopter to the Isles of Scilly,which I absolutely loved.Best of all would have been a flight in a real live flying boat ,but with my tendency to travel sickness it’s probably just as well that never happened .
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June 3, 2009 at 4:37 pm