Airplane diaries - Episode 2

Trip : Zurich to New York

Type of Plane : McDonald Douglas D-10/11 (the plane that has the engine on the tail)

Why I remember this flight :

While I should ideally remember this flight because it was the first trip to the US with my newly married wife, unfortunately I remember it for less exciting reasons. So, we board the plane and are greeted by the Captain who tells us that it is a beautiful day and we should have a nice and pleasant flight into New York. A little later he also introduces the passengers to a new pilot who is going to be his assistant for the flight. So far so good and after the usual safety instruction video is presented, we are all set to fly.

We taxi on to the main runway, the captain instructs the cabin crew to take their seats in preparation of take-off and the plane begins to accelerate. Quiet honestly, to me this has always been the most dreaded part of the flight journey - somehow the idea that a massive metal structure weighing a few tons has to defy gravity, lift off the ground and keep climbing to over 30,000 feet before it gets to the cruising altitude has always left me a bit nervous. I mean to be inside something that has so many moving parts all being held together by nuts and bolts is something to be concerned about. To be inside it at 30,000 feet as it battles the forces of nature is even more scary.

And I will tell you, what this 'new' pilot did, only reinforced my fears of an airplane take-off.

I remember my wife was by the window and I was in the aisle seat. As the wheels left the ground, we noticed that the plane was actually hurling itself towards the sky at a 90 degree angle, and I'am not kidding. The plane was literally vertical (almost like a rocket) and also moving at a real high speed. Through the window we could see the houses, streets and cars getting smaller and smaller which is normal, but the angle at which we could see them was really scary. My hands were all sweaty and I noticed that other passengers had turned white in their faces too.The plane did reach the safe cruising altitude a few tense moments later and I think I might have had a few extra shots of vodka just to calm my nerves.

As we approached our destination, it was a different experience. I think this was the first time the pilot was landing in the NY area. He simply couldn't hold the plane steady and it felt like he was doing a mid-air balancing act on an imaginary aerial rope.

The touchdown occurred after a little while (I have a strong feeling the main captain took over) and when it happened, there was an applause from the 300+ passengers on the plane !!!

So scary was the ride that, the pilot's team apologized to each and every passenger as they walked out (who were relieved to be alive)

:)