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I don't get to fly as much as I would like . . . travelling commercially that is. With my Private certificate I can fly as much as I want so long as a plane is available and the weather is cooperating. I have actually considered getting a ticket to fly somewhere just for the sake of flying somewhere when airlines offer $99-round trip specials--just so I can get in the air.
Back in the fall of '99, I started college at a small school about 90 minutes NW of Wash D.C., and on nice days would drive to the closest Metro Station and go in to DC to enjoy the ambiance. What I loved was/is that the metro goes right to DCA with a stop there, so I would go there and walk the halls, take pictures of parked aircraft, taxiing aircraft, and just enjoy the overall atmosphere.
One afternoon, I travelled to DCA by way of Metro to get some research for a speech I was doing for the Debate & Forensics (Speech n Debate). I was really nervous about approaching pilots, but found a group of American pilots waiting around for a flight, so I approached them, and one volunteered to answer any questions I had, and he was very enthusiastic about it. We actually chit-chatted for quite some time and he was very helpful.
This was, however, the glory days of pre-Sept 11, 2001, when one could go up to the gate w/o a boarding pass.
Also, on a flight aboard Czech Airlines from EWR to Prague, enroute to a debate tournament, I asked a flight attendant if I could go up to the cockpit (still pre-9-11). I think she 'conveniently' forgot about me, so I asked again, and about a half hour later, what seemed to be the head flight attendant came and got me to take me up to the cabin--had a facial expression of 'okay, let's get you up there so you're happy and leave us alone.' I sit down, and what I thought was going to be a peep show ended up being me sitting alone with the pilots for a good 15 minutes, although they ignored me continuing their conversation in Czech. I didn't want to be rude, so I just sat there content jumpseating temporarily in a glass cockpit of a A320.
I look forward to the possibility of making some kids day by having the chance to answer his/her questions or show 'em a cockpit--as that would mean I am a commercial pilot.
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I remember those days to....my Dad and I would drive over to Charlotte and walk around the terminal. Had 9/11 not happened I would probably be going and having lunch in the terminal every couple of weeks or so (not Chili's though
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I just love the atmosphere of an airport!
A quick question....on your Czech flight, are you sure it was an A320? Or did you mean to write A330 or A340?
And yes, I, like you look forward to the day when the FA comes up and asks me if this little kid can see the cockpit, and I gladly give him or her a quick little tour!