Your First Flight?

[petermcleland]

My first flight was in a Tiger Moth from Panshangar in about 1947...I do remember it had proper intercom using an oxygen mask microphone on a leather helmet. I was issued with a Sidcut flying suit and a parachute for the flight. My pilot was RAFVR and his name was Thorne. I flew in the back seat and it was a local flight of about 1 hour (ATC Air Experience). The pilot pointed out Welwyn Garden City and the Welgar Shredded Wheat factory...He recommended that I memorised that last as a landmark for finding Panshangar again. The overall experience was awe inspiring and I never forgot it :flying:

[DispatchDragon]

Ohhhh forgot the bigger stuff

First Airliner - GANBO - Luton Palma 1967 (Its a Britannia Brian) First Jet Airliner -- G-AVRL the following year Luton to Luton with a bunch of Britannia Kids
out to the Wash and back -- Roy McDougal and Don Tatum driving :):):)

and to me the most important first -- Mooney M20 G-ATOU PIC Delphine Isabell Gray-Fiske Luton to White Waltham and return -- late October 1966
(the first flight after my little altercation with the ground at Old Warden




This is fun

Leif

[Trev Clark]

Some of these I have mentioned before.....

First flight, Auster Autocrat from Goodwood in 1965, a 'five bob for five minutes special' at either an airshow or motor race meeting, cannot remember which!

First military, DHC Chipmunk AEF flight from Hamble in 1971.

First tubeliner, BCal BAC 1-11to ATC camp at Luqa, Malta in 1973.

First rotary, Westland Whirlwind HAR10 of D Flt. 22 Sqn Thorney Island 1974.

With the possible exception of the Chippy (Canadian?) all classic Brits.......if you include the Whirlwind that is

[Nigel H-J]

Coach from Beauvais to gay Pari'

David!!

My first flight was when I was at RAF Swinderby when going through my initial training, joined the Gliding Club and climbed into the front seat of a K13.......when launched it was not what I expected and felt sure that I had left my stomach on the ground, once level my stomach returned to its' proper location then the instructor went through the usual 'effects of controls' not too bad until he put the nose down a bit sharpish and my stomach once again parted company with me!! :o

Once I had become accustomed to it I can remember looking out of the persplex and feeling as though I could just reach out and pick up one of the houses....it all seemed so tranquil and surreal....no sound apart from the wind ...Ok, the first joker gets it!!

Nigel.

[Buggyman]

June 1966 Gatport Airwick to Aden in a BUA VC10. Magic, instantly wished I had become a pilot rather than a squaddie.

Within weeks I had sampled flights in; Blackburn Beverley, Twinpin, Sioux, Scout, Wessex, Beaver and - after a year in the sun - my return to UK in a Britannia again owned by BUA.

ATB

Allan

[DelP]

I don't remember my first flight...my old man was RN so we moved around

1959...to Malta but I was only 3 years old so I can't remember the aircraft, or the return to UK in 1962.

1963...long haul to the far east, British Eagle Britannia (I think :think: )to Singapore, then BOAC VC10 (or Comet )to Sydney.

1965...I remember the flight back from Aus to the UK, Quantas 707, Kangaroo tail soup and more Coca-cola than a kid needs

1976-1982...Hercs, Pumas and a few cabbies in a Gazelle...'nuff said

ATB,

Derek

[alemaobaiano]

The details of my first flight are very sketchy, and based mostly on "guesswork". My grandparents took me on holiday to Mallorca to celebrate passing the 11 plus exam, the flight was from Luton to Palma, and I remember that the aircraft had rear mounted engines.....so I think it would probably have been a Court Line BAC1-11. The main memory of that flight is being stuck on the ground for 4 hours at Palma during the return flight, damn it was HOT !!!!

First solo glider flight was in 1974, RAF Swanton Morley, in a Slingsby Cadet. That was a truly unforgettable experience, in the very real sense of the phrase. I can still remember every second of the flight 35 years later.

First solo powered flight was in Americana, SP, on the 20th of October 2003, in an Pelican ultralight, on the way to my sports pilot licence (local area only). Since then I have done my recreational pilots certificate, which allows me to fly anywhere in VFR, and bought my very own (well half of it, anyway ) Pelican 500BR.

TTFN

[Garry Russell]

HI Del

VC 10 not in service in 1963 so I guess it was a Comet.

Garry

[T6flyer]

My first flight was on Sunday 12 February 1983 from Bodmin Airfield in Cessna 150 G-BFLM. I had written a letter to the club saying 'how much I liked aeroplanes etc' when I was 14 and they gave me a weekend job as a hangar rat. That day was my first day down there and after 20 minutes in the 150, I was hooked. The afternoon saw me in the front of Reims Rocket G-BDOE for an hour and a half. That was it, after that day, it was flying and nothing else!!

(In the earlyt 1990s, someone re-arranged G-BFLM but flying it into the ground, whilst orbiting on a downwing leg (weather was very hazy) and so the remains were purchased by a local business where the airframe was positioned on the roof as an attraction. A few months later, after a very stormy night, it was blown down and scrapped. I have the left hand door through which I climbed into on my first flight, in my study at home. Weird I know and most people think its a bit of junk, but to me it means a lot. Sad I know.

Martin

First taildragger was Jodel D1050 G-AZAD, first Vintage aircraft was the Chrislea SkyJeep G-AKVF and my first warbird and my all time favourite aeroplane was Harvard Mk.IIB G-CTKL from Dunkeswell on the 11 July 1987.

[hobby]

1950
I had just passed the 11+ exam. I did not receive the usual Parker pen or bicycle or watch. A couple of weeks went by and my Dad said that since I was interested in aircraft we would go to Croydon airport to see the aircraft. Big adventure, for we went in my dad's sportscar (Lloyd 650 only 482 made) from Barking, Essex. We sat having tea in the restaurant overlooking the parking area and my Dad asked if I knew the name of the electric blue biplane parked outside. "DH Rapide" I answered.
"Right, your reward for passing the 11+ is a flight in that aircraft today."

Could not have been better! Croydon and a Rapide for my first flight.

1953
First flight as an ATC cadet. AEF Chipmunk from Hornchurch.

1956
First service flight: Varsity Weston Super Mare circular via N Wales, Cardiff, Taunton as an RAF Aircraft Apprentice.

1964
First commercial flight: Vanguard, possibly seated behind Peter, Heathrow - Glasgow

Just to complete the picture

Last flight

2008: BA B777, Boston Logan-Heathrow, night flight of 5hrs 25mins after celebrating Thanksgiving with our son's family in USA. We arrived so early 05:25hrs that they had to wait for someone to unlock T5 for us top enter the UK!!!