[Travel] First and last flights

[Sorrel]

First time was 1986, to Crete on a package holiday. I did a lot of business travel between 2014 and 2016 with all that endless lounge tediousness: the last time I've been on a plane was in January 2017, London to Dublin and back for a conference.

Happy to not fly again until I next have a holiday that needs a plane some point, probably in the next three years or so. Hoping to avoid having to fly for work, but I might have to.

 

[BN9 BHA]

First flight 1988 - Gatwick to Jersey.
Last flight 2017 - Some dull airport in Spain to somewhere duller called Luton.

My passport runs out soon, I may not bother renewing it.

 

[jakarta]

First on a Comet! 1970 to Spain
Last one an Airbus last year, did a hell of lot of helicopters on & off North Sea back in the day!

 

[golddene]

First time from Shoreham in a single engined three seater, mates boss had a ppl and needed to get his hours up so three of us clubbed together to hire the craft and flew as far as Eastbourne over Beachy head back in 73/74
Last one Gatwick to San torini for holiday and sons wedding 2018

 

[arewethereyet?]

First: 1987. Gatwick to Algarve with Cal-Air on a DC-10
Last: 2019. Gatwick to Budapest with Easyjet on an A330

Easyjet do not operate any A330’s, biggest they have are A321 or A320/319.

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

First

Gatwick-Girona 1982

Last

Gatwick-Toulouse about 18 months ago

 

[Gabbafella]

Easyjet do not operate any A330’s, biggest they have are A321 or A320/319.

Sorry, fat fingers on small phone keyboard, A320.

 

[Withdean and I]

First was in Jan 1981 from Gatwick to Atlanta with British Caledonian
Last was Nov 2019 from Pisa to Gatwick with Easy Jet

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Sadly it was a Boeing 727 that crashed in Tenerife, caused by Pilot and ATC error. it happened in April 1980.

Quite right, you spotted my deliberate mistake! the Comet l mentioned actually came down in northern Spain, enroute to Barcelona in 1970. 112 fatalities tragically.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

First: British Airways, Heathrow to Larnaca in 1983 on a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar. I couldn't believe just how big a thing it was, and was quite surprised that they used it on what was, to all intents and purposes, a European flight. However, I did some research after reading a magazine article about the aircraft, and found that BA often used them on European flights, and sometimes used Larnaca as a stopover for flights to/from Nairobi (a rather odd one I would have thought). It was also quite a popular route for expats going to/from the Gulf. Perhaps there weren't as many direct flights in those days. I think BA now uses the Airbus A321 on LHR-LCA flights, having used the Boeing 767 for a number of years.

Last: British Airways, Amsterdam to Gatwick in September 2015 on an Airbus A319 (the day Jeremy Corbyn was elected; the result came up on the TV screens at Gatwick). It was only a 45-minute flight, but we then waited almost an hour to get to the baggage carousel at Gatwick. I think we tailed back over that huge bridge at the North Terminal, and I remember waiting on the stairs going down, hoping no-one would trip. I vowed then never to fly on a short trip one could easily do by train; it seems ridiculous to wait for far longer in the terminal than the actual flight takes.

Since then, largely owing to family circumstances, but also the lack of desire to fly I referred to in the last paragraph, I have not flown since, and I'm not sure I ever will again.

Missed flight: February 2020, Gatwick to Glasgow, EasyJet, probably A319/A320, scheduled return to Heathrow by BA. I am a big athletics fan and decided to go to Glasgow to see the indoor Diamond League meeting. As I couldn't have an overnight stay, flying up and back the same day was the only option. However, on the Monday beforehand, I went for a swim at my local gym. On finishing, I thought to myself, "hey, I don't feel too clever". By the morning, I felt terrible, and over the next couple of days went down with a very strange, flu-like illness, with shivering, dry throat, etc. I felt better by the Friday, but I didn't think it was a good idea to go. Hmm, I know it was only February, but I wonder.....Annoying, as it was a cracking meeting, especially the pole vault competition.

 

[Lindfield by the Pond]

Can't remember first flight - 1985 ish Malta
Last flight - London eye 2018

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Man to Corfu then boat to Paxos and Rtn 2000,Man/Doha/Auckland Rtn in 2018.

 

[BN9 BHA]

First: British Airways, Heathrow to Larnaca in 1983 on a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar. I couldn't believe just how big a thing it was, and was quite surprised that they used it on what was, to all intents and purposes, a European flight. However, I did some research after reading a magazine article about the aircraft, and found that BA often used them on European flights, and sometimes used Larnaca as a stopover for flights to/from Nairobi (a rather odd one I would have thought). It was also quite a popular route for expats going to/from the Gulf. Perhaps there weren't as many direct flights in those days. I think BA now uses the Airbus A321 on LHR-LCA flights, having used the Boeing 767 for a number of years.

Last: British Airways, Amsterdam to Gatwick in September 2015 on an Airbus A319 (the day Jeremy Corbyn was elected; the result came up on the TV screens at Gatwick). It was only a 45-minute flight, but we then waited almost an hour to get to the baggage carousel at Gatwick. I think we tailed back over that huge bridge at the North Terminal, and I remember waiting on the stairs going down, hoping no-one would trip. I vowed then never to fly on a short trip one could easily do by train; it seems ridiculous to wait for far longer in the terminal than the actual flight takes.

Since then, largely owing to family circumstances, but also the lack of desire to fly I referred to in the last paragraph, I have not flown since, and I'm not sure I ever will again.

Missed flight: February 2020, Gatwick to Glasgow, EasyJet, probably A319/A320, scheduled return to Heathrow by BA. I am a big athletics fan and decided to go to Glasgow to see the indoor Diamond League meeting. As I couldn't have an overnight stay, flying up and back the same day was the only option. However, on the Monday beforehand, I went for a swim at my local gym. On finishing, I thought to myself, "hey, I don't feel too clever". By the morning, I felt terrible, and over the next couple of days went down with a very strange, flu-like illness, with shivering, dry throat, etc. I felt better by the Friday, but I didn't think it was a good idea to go. Hmm, I know it was only February, but I wonder.....Annoying, as it was a cracking meeting, especially the pole vault competition.

WOW!! Impressive
I couldn’t even remember the name of the airport where I left Spain for my last flight.

 

[WildWood]

Last flight - Reggae City

https://youtu.be/nsNKDMsBjdU

 

[Baker lite]

First flight, Crab Air to RAF Widenwrath,I was Two.
Not sure where and when my last flight will be..


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Invicta]

1985 LGW to Venice return, Dan Air I think.
2020 LGW to Venice return, EasyJet.

This thread just made me realise this, hope to fly anywhere else soon now !

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

WOW!! Impressive
I couldn’t even remember the name of the airport where I left Spain for my last flight.

Don't worry: I've forgotten most of the flights I've taken in between, but my first one does stand out for me, probably because it was a wide body aircraft we flew on. And having recently read an article about the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, it got me researching British Airways' use of them.

On another point, in years to come I think plane spotters will find things quite boring. The Queen of the Skies has gone, Boeing 777s will be retired soon (I think the 777X programme has been cancelled or curtailed, and the Airbus A380 is just too big for today's market; even Emirates cut back their most recent order). In future, I think you will mainly see Airbus A319s and A320s, plus Boeing 737s on short haul, and A350s and B787s on long haul, with A330s on lower density routes, plus 321s and possibly the 737MAX on medium haul routes.

 

[Icy Gull]

Don't worry: I've forgotten most of the flights I've taken in between, but my first one does stand out for me, probably because it was a wide body aircraft we flew on. And from having recently read an article about the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar. It got me researching British Airways' use of them.

On another point, in years to come I think plane spotters will find things quite boring. The Queen of the Skies has gone, Boeing 777s will be retired soon (I think the 777X programme has been cancelled or curtailed, and the Airbus A380 is just too big for today's market; even Emirates cut back their most recent order). In future, I think you will mainly see Airbus A319s and A320s, plus Boeing 737s on short haul, and A350s and B787s on long haul, with A330s on lower density routes, plus 321s and possibly the 737MAX on medium haul routes.

Indeed, my father was in the army and we lived in Africa, Malaya and Germany. This is the aircraft type we flew to Malaya on, a double decker Stratocruiser with a bar (which I wasn’t allowed into!). Also flown on Dakotas. Planes were so much more interesting back then imo