First airplane ride

[adambar]

My first plane ride was in 1961 on a TWA Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation from Pittsburgh to Chicago Midway. The return flight was on a Boeing 720 from Chicago O'Hare. I think terminals 2&3 were under construction at the time.

[Doc_Z]

First flight was 1947, Newark to Boston.  I think American on a DC-4?

[teecee]

1954 in a Dragon Rapide.. I was in the  air cadets aged 16. Teecee.

[caleb1]

Mine was probably some A320 flight from Fort Lauderdale to Pittsburgh.  First small plane ride was probably a Socata TB-9 Tampico

[purt]

Early '60's from what was then called RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland as an Air Cadet in the RAF's last Dakota, we were told it was Field Marshall Montgomery's personal transport during WW2 don't know if that was true or not.

[VH-KDK]

July 11/12th 1958 on BOAC DC-7C G-AOIH from Heathrow to New York Idlewild (now JFK) but diverted to Montreal for refuelling due to fog and then back to New York.

We missed our train to Binghamton so unfortunately BOAC re arranged our travel plans.

We flew from Idlewild to La Guardia on a New York Airlines Vertol 44 and then to Broome County(now Greater Binghamton) on a Mohawk Cv 240.

Much better than the train!

[Ken Q]

Not sure of the year, probably was 1953.  First flight was from LaGuardia to Omaha to visit my grandfather in a United DC 3.  Drank way too much chocolate milk and got dreadfully airsick.  Returned home on a DC 6.  A couple of years later Grandfather had moved to Chicago, and we flew out and returned in a DC 6. Next time I flew was nearly 20 years later to boot camp in Great Lakes in a DC 9.

Ken

[BradB]

My first flight was on a Hughes Airwest DC-3 from Spokane to Moses Lake about the year 1964 .

 

Cheers

 

John

[Patrick Cox]

My first aeroplane ride was in 1950 in a Klemm Swallow at Gunnedah (YGDH) airport. The aircraft VH-UUR is still flying today.

[Rodger Pettichord]

Mine was in a small Piper owned by a family friend. Felt like the biggest plane in the world and the greatest adventure.

[olderndirt]

My first ride was in '57 - a chartered DC3 hauling USAF recruits from Denver to San Antonio.

[Guest]

My Sheila's first aeroplane ride was sitting on the floor of a crowded American (B47?) bomber taking off from a temporary runway to bring them from the prison camp to Shanghai.  What an experience that was for her.  Put her off for life!

 

Mine was much more mundane.  In the days when BA ran shuttle walk on walk off flights from Heathrow to Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow, much against my wishes my bosses persuaded me to fly to Glasgow to save driving.  When I got there, I found I had forgotten to put my driving licence in my wallet so had to call a company rep to take me to the warehouse in Cumbernauld I was visiting.  He was not best pleased with me interrupting his selling day to ferry me!!  I got one of the warehouse lads to drive me back to the airport.  From then on, I only flew when I had to go to the Channel Isles.

 

 I persuaded Sheila to accompany me once.  Fog on the way out delayed us, so that wasn't the best start.  I did my business with the Island Rep' and we stayed for a couple of very enjoyable days for a visit. On the way back, we were losing height on approach when the 'plane swooped up again and the pilot came on the tannoy laughing and announced;  'Oops, sorry about this folks,  I've just been told I was coming down on the wrong runway!'

 

Sheila nearly had a fit, and when we were finally on the ground my hands were bleeding from the wounds she had inflicted.  She said;  'That's it, I don't care what happens you're never going to get me in one of those things again.

 

All our holidays since have been in Europe and we've travelled by coach!!

 

John

[paulb]

Boeing 707 for me. A long time ago 

[teecee]

You could read a thousand "first flight" stories JohnY, but few could come close to your wife's. Simply to have survived Shanghai is a miracle in itself.. Terry.

[Rodger Pettichord]

8 hours ago, teecee said:

You could read a thousand "first flight" stories JohnY, but few could come close to your wife's. Simply to have survived Shanghai is a miracle in itself.. Terry.

Can't imagine. teecee says it for me too, John.

[Guest]

Yes, the wonder of it was that although Sheila lost two (very young) siblings in the camp, her Mother (Chinese), Dad(English) and younger brother all survived and they came back to England together.

 

Sheila's Mum and Dad have both gone now but her brother still telephones her every day.  He's got a large family and they're all doing well and its now a large happy family.

 

The only thing we miss is playing Mahjong intil the early hours and squabbling over the scores for the pennies we played for.

 

Now you lot, youve heard a lot of my and mine lives let's hear about yours.

 

John

 

 

[Bassman]

In 1961 at age of 9, I was a passenger in an Ansett Airlines DC3 from Hamilton, Vic, Australia to Essendon (Melbourne's original airport). I was an unescorted minor but looked after by the Air Hostess (as they were called then). Our local state government minister was on the flight and took me under his wing and we travelled into the city on a tram for free using his Government minister Gold Pass. I then travelled by train out to my Grandparents who picked me up at the Darebin railway station. Would that happen today? I think not.

JohnY, how do you play Mahjong? The Chinese say that foreignors have been playing Mahjong 1,000 different ways for one year whilst the Chinese have been playing one way for 1,000 years I have a beautifukl silk emproidered box with bone and bamboo backed pieces. I hate playing with my daughter Leanne because she does not play to win, she plays to stop you from winning; as a Mahjong player I am sure you will appreciate the difference.

[VH-KDK]

Holy geez, most of us are showing our age with the planes mentioned.

Great stuff and some fascinating reading here.

[Bassman]

PS: If it is not too personal; stupid statement , of course it is highly personal, but I would be most interested if you were able to expand a bit on Sheila's story? Sounds like it would make for a most interesting book. Was this during the Japanese invasion? If it is too personal or painful then please accept my apologies for enquiring. 

[TerribleT]

1946 in my acting Wing Commander (RAAF) Uncle's newly purchased surplus Tiger Moth at the then Rockhampton Qld RAAF base - crashed on takeoff much to his embarrassment (he was acting base commander) owing to severe wind shear - neither of us were injured.  I found it very exciting and didn't put me off aviation one bit.

[Guest]

Hi bassman

 

Well its not too painful for me obvously.  I wasn't there.

 

Not Sheila's story but the book has already been written.  It's called Scilla's Feast and she was in the same camp and obviously at the same time as my wife.  It's her life story really.

 

If you're interested, I can tell you a little more of Sheila and her family's story.

 

Before the war, Sheila's Dad still a young man, having fulfilled his service with the Royal Navy decided to take his retirement while his Battleship was in Hong Kong.  He had secured a good job with the Chinese Imperial Customs so they had no qualms at letting him go.  He met Sheila's mum on a trip to Canton.  Her family had a cafe there and they married.  His job took him to Xewen, very close to Vietnam.  When Sheila's Mum was pregnant, he didn't trust the Chinese Doctors but just across the water was Hainan Island where there was  the American Prebyterian Hospital.  He took Sheila's Mum there in a junk and while on it she took to her bunk sea sick and didn't get out of it until they docked!

 

Sheila was born on Hainan Island and we still have the piece of rice paper her birth certificate was written on.  It was kept very safely because surprisingly, it was the only piece of paper we've had to prove where she was born and who she is.  We've since used it when we were getting married and to secure her jobs and, of course, to get her, her passport so we could go to Europe for holidays.

 

The Japanese invaded while the family were living in Shanghai.  There was no chance for them to escape and that's where they were taken prisoner.  Sheila was six years old, her brother four.  There were two younger children but they didn't survive.  The Japanese guards were very strict but as long as the prisoners caused no problems, they were safe.  Unfortunately, food was always in short supply, but as the war turned against the Japanese both the guards and the prisoners became close to starvation. 

 

Towards the end, they had no food at all and Sheila, always an enterprising child, stole her mothers clothing that she wasn't wearing and traded them through the wire with the local villager for a chicken.  She and with her brother holding it down, chopped the chicken's head off, and when the blood spouted they let it go and had to chase it all over the place to capture the headless chicken again.There were thousands of people in the camp.  It was the biggest they had and was situated in the north a long way inland.   It is now kept as a historic landmark.

 

After the war, as you probably know, the  family and hundreds of others were flown to Shanhai by the American airforce.  Luckily, Sheila's Dad got his old job back with the Chines Imperial Customs.  Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Mao Tse Tung and his communist brothers started taking over China and the nationalist governmen took refuge on (and I'm not sure about this) Cheju Island?

 

The family had no alternative but to travel down to Hong Kong and managed to catch the last 'free' passage on a ship coming back to the UK.  They docked in Southampton, lived with Sheila's Grandad for a while, moved up to live in a large house with her Dad's sister in Catford, South East London.  Sheila was most put out that she couldn't go to school and at fourteen was expected to get a job and help to earn their living.  Firstly, and how she got it with virtually no education is a mystery to me,  but she managed to secure a job with a business detective company called then; 'Bradstreets British.'  She worked there for a while but then came to a Company in Fenchurch Street, in the city of London and that's where we met.  I was seventeen and she sixteen.  As they say; that was that. I hooked and we started our courtship.  We've been togther ever since (well apart from the two years I spent in the  army, mostly in Malaya during the communist uprising called by the British; 'The Emergency'.  Charles Guerney the Governor General was killed and General Gerald Templer became the youngest General  in the British Army.  I went out to Malaya at the same time as him (I hasten to add, not with him!).  Did my job, got promoted a little, came home in one piece but with a duodenal ulcer and malnutrition.

 

We saved up like mad.  Sheila's Dad made us wait until she was 21 to get married .  But we stuck with it and we've now been married for 63 years.

 

It's interesting but some years after the hostilities, the Japanese did a little to compensate their surviving civilian victims and both Sheila and her brother received some reperation.  Unfortunately both her father and mother had died by then.  It wasn't much but at least it was an acknowledgement of what they put their prisoners through.

 

Someone contacted Sheila's brother some years ago no with a view to writing a book but it was decided in the end that there was insufficient information to do it.

 

I hope I haven't bored you.

 

John

[Guest]

Hi bassman.  Marjong is a gambling game played with small tiles with which walls are built in a square.  Each tile is placed two high and 13 double tiles long.  From then its very similar to rummy.

 

When we were yonger we used to visit a road calle Pennyfields in East London.  It was their 'Chinatown'.  Sheila's Mum bought ingediants for Food there and on good days the old Chinese used to sit out on the pavements playing the game.

 

John

[F737MAX]

@JohnY  That is an amazing story, thanks for sharing!

My grandmother escaped Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia as a teenager with her younger sister and Mother when hostilities broke out. All of her brothers and half-brothers, except one were killed - he became a priest in a remote village in Austria. The only flight she ever took was for his funeral back in 2002.

Which all goes to show how spoiled I was to have my first flight as a 9yo child on a Caledonian Airways L-1011 Tristar.

[Bassman]

Not boring at all JohnY, absolutely enthralling. Thanks you so much for sharing that.  Am now going to look for "Scilla's Feast".

Cheers  Dan

[Guest]

They were certainly terrible times F737NG.

 

John

[Rodger Pettichord]

On 9/10/2018 at 8:47 AM, JohnY said:

Hi bassman

 

Well its not too painful for me obvously.  I wasn't there.

 

Not Sheila's story but the book has already been written.  It's called Scilla's Feast and she was in the same camp and obviously at the same time as my wife.  It's her life story really.

 

If you're interested, I can tell you a little more of Sheila and her family's story.

 

Before the war, Sheila's Dad still a young man, having fulfilled his service with the Royal Navy decided to take his retirement while his Battleship was in Hong Kong.  He had secured a good job with the Chinese Imperial Customs so they had no qualms at letting him go.  He met Sheila's mum on a trip to Canton.  Her family had a cafe there and they married.  His job took him to Xewen, very close to Vietnam.  When Sheila's Mum was pregnant, he didn't trust the Chinese Doctors but just across the water was Hainan Island where there was  the American Prebyterian Hospital.  He took Sheila's Mum there in a junk and while on it she took to her bunk sea sick and didn't get out of it until they docked!

 

Sheila was born on Hainan Island and we still have the piece of rice paper her birth certificate was written on.  It was kept very safely because surprisingly, it was the only piece of paper we've had to prove where she was born and who she is.  We've since used it when we were getting married and to secure her jobs and, of course, to get her, her passport so we could go to Europe for holidays.

 

The Japanese invaded while the family were living in Shanghai.  There was no chance for them to escape and that's where they were taken prisoner.  Sheila was six years old, her brother four.  There were two younger children but they didn't survive.  The Japanese guards were very strict but as long as the prisoners caused no problems, they were safe.  Unfortunately, food was always in short supply, but as the war turned against the Japanese both the guards and the prisoners became close to starvation. 

 

Towards the end, they had no food at all and Sheila, always an enterprising child, stole her mothers clothing that she wasn't wearing and traded them through the wire with the local villager for a chicken.  She and with her brother holding it down, chopped the chicken's head off, and when the blood spouted they let it go and had to chase it all over the place to capture the headless chicken again.There were thousands of people in the camp.  It was the biggest they had and was situated in the north a long way inland.   It is now kept as a historic landmark.

 

After the war, as you probably know, the  family and hundreds of others were flown to Shanhai by the American airforce.  Luckily, Sheila's Dad got his old job back with the Chines Imperial Customs.  Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Mao Tse Tung and his communist brothers started taking over China and the nationalist governmen took refuge on (and I'm not sure about this) Cheju Island?

 

The family had no alternative but to travel down to Hong Kong and managed to catch the last 'free' passage on a ship coming back to the UK.  They docked in Southampton, lived with Sheila's Grandad for a while, moved up to live in a large house with her Dad's sister in Catford, South East London.  Sheila was most put out that she couldn't go to school and at fourteen was expected to get a job and help to earn their living.  Firstly, and how she got it with virtually no education is a mystery to me,  but she managed to secure a job with a business detective company called then; 'Bradstreets British.'  She worked there for a while but then came to a Company in Fenchurch Street, in the city of London and that's where we met.  I was seventeen and she sixteen.  As they say; that was that. I hooked and we started our courtship.  We've been togther ever since (well apart from the two years I spent in the  army, mostly in Malaya during the communist uprising called by the British; 'The Emergency'.  Charles Guerney the Governor General was killed and General Gerald Templer became the youngest General  in the British Army.  I went out to Malaya at the same time as him (I hasten to add, not with him!).  Did my job, got promoted a little, came home in one piece but with a duodenal ulcer and malnutrition.

 

We saved up like mad.  Sheila's Dad made us wait until she was 21 to get married .  But we stuck with it and we've now been married for 63 years.

 

It's interesting but some years after the hostilities, the Japanese did a little to compensate their surviving civilian victims and both Sheila and her brother received some reperation.  Unfortunately both her father and mother had died by then.  It wasn't much but at least it was an acknowledgement of what they put their prisoners through.

 

Someone contacted Sheila's brother some years ago no with a view to writing a book but it was decided in the end that there was insufficient information to do it.

 

I hope I haven't bored you.

 

John

John. what a story. It is a moving reminder that history is made up of thousands of stories. Your wife's story touches the heart. Thanks for sharing it.

[Jack Sawyer]

Eastern, 727, 1981, from KBOS to KDAL (or Houston?), delayed due to pressurization problems.  I loved it and will never forget it.

 

[Guest]

Yes, Rodger.  It has been some life for her.  Then having to put up with me all this time!!

 

By the way, sorry about the typos in it.  I was rushing so I could remember as much as possible and that made me remember more and bfore I knew where I was I had posted it!

 

Don't get old.  It makes you do silly things!!

 

John

[Rodger Pettichord]

6 hours ago, JohnY said:

Yes, Rodger.  It has been some life for her.  Then having to put up with me all this time!!

 

By the way, sorry about the typos in it.  I was rushing so I could remember as much as possible and that made me remember more and bfore I knew where I was I had posted it!

 

Don't get old.  It makes you do silly things!!

 

John

 Too late, my friend. I've already established a reputation for old guy jokes and weird sartorial choices. 

[adambar]

Wow! thank you fellas for sharing your first ride adventures, very interesting indeed!

 

JohnY, what a story, thank you for sharing with everyone.

[macca22au]

DH Heron, Nelson to Rongatai, back then before they built Wellington Airport.  1954 I believe.  A clumsy four engine (must have had 2 cylinders each) airliner.  Bought by NZ Airways Corporation under a Commonwealth preference scheme.

Loved it, but my real love was the sea as I was on my way, (by train) to faraway Auckland for an interview for the NZ version of Annapolis or Greenwich.  After five days of tests of all sorts, they said that I would be wearing glasses by the time I was 20.  They were right.   It seemed a huge knock-back at 15,  but later I realised it just opened up other pathways to a life I have enjoyed living.

[boetie]

A South African Airways Boeing 727 - Salisbury Rhodesia to Johanesburg South Africa. Early '70's. I remember entering up the exit under the tail. I was about 5 years old. What a thrill!

Cheers Graeme

[Rob Abernathy]

Fascinating stories all!  Being from all parts of the world I'm constantly amazed at the depth of knowledge and experiences here.

JohnY, thanks for the great story.  You and your family have lived an extraordinary life.

 

My first flight was in a C172 from Bishop, CA into the back country into a small grass strip called Tunnel Meadows.  I was on a 2 week hike to climb Mt. Whitney (highest peak in continental US).  I asked about the horn I kept hearing and the pilot said not to worry, it was only the stall horn. Had no idea until later what he was talking about! 

[Dadtom65]

Fantastic stories and aircraft, mine was in either a RAF Valetta or a Varsity at RAF Tangmere while in the Air Cadets. This must have been in the middle 50’s. Happy days. Derek.

[adambar]

Thank you once again fellas for some great reading, enjoyed them.

[wblackret]

Sorry Adam for the late reply, but I do remember my grandfather taking me to the Pittsburgh airport where you could stand on an observation type deck near one of the parking lots. Saw quite a few Connie’s take off and land there. Wow, that was a long time ago! (We are practically neighbors)

[Chunk]

Mid-80’s in a PSA DC-9. Went from Oakland to LA (I do not remember which airport). Sorry for just seeing this now. 

[adambar]

On 11/12/2018 at 8:20 PM, wblackret said:

Sorry Adam for the late reply, but I do remember my grandfather taking me to the Pittsburgh airport where you could stand on an observation type deck near one of the parking lots. Saw quite a few Connie’s take off and land there. Wow, that was a long time ago! (We are practically neighbors)

Hi neighbor.   I did the exact same thing when growing up. Little did I know my first plane ride would be on a TWA Connie.

 

[adambar]

On 11/12/2018 at 8:42 PM, Chunk said:

Mid-80’s in a PSA DC-9. Went from Oakland to LA (I do not remember which airport). Sorry for just seeing this now. 

Loved the old DC-9s as well Chunk.

[Gypsy Pilot]

Mine was in 1944 at age 7.

It was in a Blue Taylorcraft with side by side seating.

We were in San Antonio, Texas and in an effort to shut me up, my Dad took me to the airport to watch the airplanes.  While there he bought me a 10 dollar short ride.  Can you imagine the thrill of a 7 year old being able to take the wheel and make a turn in an actual airplane?

It is a memory that has stuck with me for 74 years and in many ways shaped my life.

 

Dale