Posted: Oct 01, 2017 7:49 am
Back at the end of 2013 I finally decided to take the missus on the holiday she deserved after 30 years of marriage, raising three great kids, and me working like a dog and missing out on a lot for years. We decided to go to Las Vegas for 8 days for our wedding anniversary and to "dip our toe in the water" of going overseas on holiday.
We were both 48 years old at the time, and while I had been on a trip to New Zealand when I was 10, and been on plenty of small and mid-sized passenger planes, the wife had never, ever been on a plane before. So this was kind of a "thrown in the deep end" moment for her.
We drove to Brisbane, where we were to hop on an A300 airbus to go to Sydney, then onto a 747 to fly to San Francisco and then onto another A300 to go to Vegas. I was quietly a little worried, and she was nervous.
We'd made sure to book a window seat on all flights, as I thought it might help. We stood looking out the boarding area window at the A300 and I think the size and modernity of the plane reassured her. We got on and she was still a little nervous, and wanted me to take the window seat. The engines wound up and we taxied out to the runway. She was holding my hand and I honestly thought I may be in danger of having a few broken bones by the time we took off. She kept glancing out the window at the back of the wing and the engine which we could see if we looked forwards, and when the thrust came it turned out she was more thrilled than scared. As we took off, she looked out the window and was enthralled by the view as the city fell away and we headed south along the coast.
She loved it.
At Sydney, the 747 was waiting, and she was interested in all the little details. This time she was reassured by the sheer size of the thing and all the little details of the plane. Once again, all the way on the 13 hour flight she was interested in looking out the window (even though at 11,000 meters there wasn't much to see) and checking out the wings and the engines again, especially the sights as we came in to land at San Francisco. She can't wait to go again...most likely next year when we are planning a three week trip to the USA She's got the flying bug now.
We were both 48 years old at the time, and while I had been on a trip to New Zealand when I was 10, and been on plenty of small and mid-sized passenger planes, the wife had never, ever been on a plane before. So this was kind of a "thrown in the deep end" moment for her.
We drove to Brisbane, where we were to hop on an A300 airbus to go to Sydney, then onto a 747 to fly to San Francisco and then onto another A300 to go to Vegas. I was quietly a little worried, and she was nervous.
We'd made sure to book a window seat on all flights, as I thought it might help. We stood looking out the boarding area window at the A300 and I think the size and modernity of the plane reassured her. We got on and she was still a little nervous, and wanted me to take the window seat. The engines wound up and we taxied out to the runway. She was holding my hand and I honestly thought I may be in danger of having a few broken bones by the time we took off. She kept glancing out the window at the back of the wing and the engine which we could see if we looked forwards, and when the thrust came it turned out she was more thrilled than scared. As we took off, she looked out the window and was enthralled by the view as the city fell away and we headed south along the coast.
She loved it.
At Sydney, the 747 was waiting, and she was interested in all the little details. This time she was reassured by the sheer size of the thing and all the little details of the plane. Once again, all the way on the 13 hour flight she was interested in looking out the window (even though at 11,000 meters there wasn't much to see) and checking out the wings and the engines again, especially the sights as we came in to land at San Francisco. She can't wait to go again...most likely next year when we are planning a three week trip to the USA She's got the flying bug now.