I Love Flying...

I wrote this in 2008 after a quick TDT to Robins AFB, GA,

Just got back from a quick trio to Georgia. I was attending a one-day class at Robins AFB. Over two days, I added 4 flights to my Lifetime Air Travel Log, making a total of 164 flights since I boarded an Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 at Houston Intercontinental Airport in 1972.

The list of flights that I have taken run the gamut of jet airliner history. That same year, I boarded a Trans World Airlines Boeing 747-100, which had just entered service. Now, there is the 747-400 in service with the 747-8 on the drawing boards.
In 1972, the Boeing 707 was still in active passenger service, I flew in two of those in 1974. Now, not many are left. The 727 was the workhouse of the airline world in the 70s. The last trip I remember in one was 1994, a short hop from Mildenhall to Ramstein, and back. 727s still make up the backbone of cargo deliveries.
The 737 became the new workhorse in the 90s, I remember a flight from Frankfurt to London in a 737-100 in 1973. The model range now goes to -900. (There was a serious plan to cstart regular trans-Atlantic service (Newark to Shannon) in a -900, but I heard no further word of that.)
The 747 was considered the king of the long-haul world. My first trip in one was from New York (JFK) to Frakfurt in 1972. My most recent flight in that type was a 747-400 from Seoul to Los Angeles in 1997.
In the early 80s the 757 had enter service, but it was 1997 before I flew in one, from Los Angeles to Memphis.
A 767 was the equipment used the first time I flew on a twin-engined aircraft across the Atlantic, however, my first flight in one was 1987, from Atlanta to Philadelphia.
My first flight on a 777 was in 2000, from London Gatwick to Dallas-Fort Worth.
Hopefully, I will soon fly on the new 787 that will enter service soon.
I have also flown on aircraft built by McDonald Douglas:I remember a flight in a DC-9 from Frankfurt to Amsterdam in which the pilot had the throttles firewalled before the plane was on the runway.
Some of those DC-9s still fly on passenger service, I flew in a Northwest DC-9 in 2007 from San Antonio to Memphis.
From the DC-9 came a series of streched versions, the MD-80, 82, 90, and 95.
The MD-95 was remaned the Boeing 717 when Boeing took over Douglas.
I also flew on the DC-10, a three engined wide body, on several trans-Atlantic trips, the most recent being 1992.
On three occasions I had the chance to fly on the DC-10's derivitive, the MD-11. They did not last too long in passenger service. but have a second life as cargo carriers.
In 1972, the Europeans, happy that their cooperation resulted in the Concorde (sadly, I never got to fly in one before they were retired in 2003), followed that with the Airbus A300. I flew in one from Orlando to Houston in 1992. Not a bad ride.
The only other times I flew in a Airbus product was in the A319, in 2006 and 2007.Airbus is now fielding the largest passenger aircraft in the world, the A380.

Over the years, airlines that I have grown up with have eiter survived or gone by the wayside:
American still exists.
Braniff went out of business in the late 80s.
Continental still exists.
Delta still exists. As a matter of fact, while I was leaving Atlanta recently, I noticed that about 85% of the aircraft there were Delta jets.
Eastern went out of business in the late 80s.
National went out of business around 1980. there was an attempt to revive the brand a few years ago, but that did not last.
Pan American died in the early 90s, and two attempts to revive it did not succeed.Southwest is the most successful airling in the world.
Trans World Airlines got taken over by American.
United still exists.
Many regional airlines like Allegeny and Pacific Southwest got absorbed into larger airlines, with the result being US Airways.
I remember an airline called Texas International, which was bought by Continental.
Many new airlines, like JetBlue and Virgin America, have come on the scene in recent years.

The major difference between 1972 and now is that service has gone down in the name of cost cutting.In 1972, you were guaranteed a decent meal. Now, you are lucky if you get a bag of pretzels with your drink. As a matter of fact, American was selling snacks on flights that were running two or less hours.
$3 for a small bag of cookies, no way!
No wonder the consessions cost so much at the airport, it's usually the only way one can get something to eat while flying.
I remember flying on Asiana from Seoul to Los Angeles and the service was outstanding, and I was in the Main Cabin!
I had never been pampered on a flight before. Inagine trying that on a US airline.
Still, I live to fly and will put up with the extra security and bring my own snacks in order to enjoy it.
My goal is to have flown 200 times by 2010.
Yep, I love flying!