Remembering your first flight

eddie_brunette · 01-09-2008, 03:58 AM

Last night memories took me back to the first time I boarded a plane and took to the skies. I think I was about 12/13 years old(1987) and my dad took us to a airshow in a town call Welkom. Now the cool thing about all this...it was a Ju52!!!! Appearently at that time there were only 3 flying in the world(that is my memory 20 years ago, so i might be wrong)

I have asked my mom to borrow me the photo album, so ill scan the pics. Ive Attached some other pics from web for the time

Now the plane:
SAA - The Junkes Era - 1934 - 1939
Tante Ju or Iron Annie
Junkers JU-52 - Jan Van Riebeeck
The Mainstay of the SAA Fleet in the mid 1930's

This early airliner formed the mainstay of the SAA fleet in the mid to late 1930's. In the 1930's SAA and its predecessor, Union Airways used mainly Junkers aircraft.

Nicknamed "Tante Ju" (Auntie Ju) and "Iron Annie" by Axis and Allied troops, the Junkers Ju-52 was the most famous German transport of the war. Over 4800 examples were built. It served as an airliner, troop transport, light bomber, flying ambulance and VIP aircraft. A Ju-52 served as the personal transport for Adolf Hitler.It was built of corrugated metal skin and paid little attention to beauty, features of a typical Junkers design. Parts and pieces stick out of the airframe, and the corrugated skin, though much stronger than fabric and metal tubes, creates stronger air resistance.

Its most commom work, however, was done with the German Lufthansa. Equipped with luxuaries like a typewriter and oxygen masks, the Ju-52 could fly from Berlin to Rome in eight hours over the Alps, an impressive feat for contemporary aircraft, let alone an airliner. The airliner served on may of the internal routes we know today in South Africa, such as Johannesburg to Durban and Cape Town.

Below are photographs of ZS-AFA, the original aeroplane of the South African Airways Historic flight, faithfully recreated to look like the ones that flew the African skies in the 1930's.

JU52main1.jpg

JU52SCEINIC2.jpg

JU52CPit1.jpg

JU52ZSAFAPLATE1.jpg

ju52side1.jpg

Wurger · 01-09-2008, 07:51 AM

It was long long time ago...

Much more accurate in late 70's.My father took me at nearby Flying Club's airfield where his friend was a glider pilot and a trainer.There were some new and older gliders for training.I was invited into SZD 10 Czapla cockpit where my father's mate helped me belt up.The cockpit conopy was closed and....
My first memories from my first flight are very short.A tug-plane took off with our glider like a flash.Then 200 m altitude,on right a forest,on left a piece of an airfield, in front of me ,some fields with a railway line.The first round,second,third and fourth one and then airbrakers a field with potatoes,grass of the airfield,the silence and me almost stifled by seat-belts that I fastened tighter and tighter ,round by round.

I haven't had any pic from that time but I've found these pic with these links:

SZD-10 Czapla (PL)
Lotnictwo.net - zdjêcia

Les'Bride · 01-09-2008, 08:05 AM

I remember, it was 1978, I was 8 yrs old. My father and his best friend shared a Cessna. I LOVED IT..even after loading myself FULL of Bit O' Honey candies and with the smell of pipe smoke and turbulence ended up blowing chunks in his flight bag. Been in love with flying ever since.

ONE DAY I will hopefully have the Time/Money to get my own license...I LOVE to fly! CAN'T wait to go skydiving!!! HOPEFULLY it won't be from the plane I'm flying...

Wurger · 01-09-2008, 08:38 AM

To be honest I hate skydiving.I would do it only when my plane were destroyed totally.It means there wouldn't be any floor."lol"

plan_D · 01-09-2008, 08:51 AM

My first flight was in 1989 in a B-737 to Spain - apparently. I've flown in a Boeing B-737, B-757, B-767, Fokker F-50, F-70, F-100, Dominie T.1 and Cessna 152 ! All but the Dominie T.1 and Cessna 152 were holiday flights - obviously. I've got nothing exciting to say about my aviation life 'cept I did fly the Cessna for 30 minutes.

Les'Bride · 01-09-2008, 08:54 AM

Yeah, I loved it, dad let me fly, too. LAND, not so much

Les'Bride · 01-09-2008, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wurger

To be honest I hate skydiving.I would do it only when my plane were destroyed totally.It means there wouldn't be any floor."lol"

YEAH, why jump out of a perfectly good aircraft, huh??

Bucksnort101 · 01-09-2008, 08:57 AM

My story goes very much like Eddie's. Was about 10 years old and went to the yearly Confederate Air Force (I refuse to call it the Commemorative Air Force) airshow and they were giving rides in an old C-47 transport for $15/seat. Dad bought two tickets and away we went. I remember the feeling my stomach went through as we made that first turn. Just like riding a roller coaster I though. There were also giving rides in a P-51 on that day, but at $400 it was way out of reach.

Les'Bride · 01-09-2008, 09:03 AM

I want to ride in a F16, one day....I'd LOVE to see what that felt like.

ccheese · 01-09-2008, 09:08 AM

My first flight was in a PBM, courtesy of the US Navy. I was not an air-
crewman, just along for the ride. I was 17/18 at NAS Jax, Fla. The plane
took off from the St. John's River, flew around for about an hour and set back
down. Altho I had been an aviation buff since the '40's, this flight got me really hooked.
I still love to fly, but don't get to do it too much anymore.

Charles

Wurger · 01-09-2008, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les'Bride

YEAH, why jump out of a perfectly good aircraft, huh??

Exactly.

DBII · 01-09-2008, 09:31 AM

My first flight was in the late 70's on a little jump from Dallas to Houston, nothing special. My fist real flight was about 10 years later in a Sterman. Lufthansa brought their Ju-52 to Houston back in the 90's They were giving rides to company VIPs and also had a drawing for free rides. I tried for three days but no luck. I was able to go inside and take pictures. I posted a photo on another thread. Eddie you had a special first flight.

FLYBOYJ · 01-09-2008, 09:45 AM

1969 On a 727 from NY to St. Louis.

ToughOmbre · 01-09-2008, 09:47 AM

1st flight ever - August 1971, McGuire AFB to Fort Knox, KY. Me and 155 other BCT soldiers from Fort Dix on our way to AIT aboard a chartered 707 ("Modern Air"). Had to turn around 30 minutes into the flight and make an emergency landing at Kennedy in NY (engine trouble).

2nd flight ever - about three or four hours later, same plane (problem fixed?). About 20 minutes in we turned around (more engine trouble). Some guys were a little agitated to say the least. Landed without incident. Needless to say we didn't get on that plane again. Government had to put us up for a night in an NYC hotel. What a zoo!

Finally got to Fort Knox the next day on a United Airlines 707.

TO

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 01-09-2008, 10:07 AM

I can not remember my first flight, it was back in 1983 from Germany to the United States.

My first flight in a war bird was in a T-6 and it was back in 1994.

My first flight where I was actually behind the controls was in a Cessna 152 back in 1997.

My first flight in a helicopter was in 1991 and it was a UH-1H Huey, now I have over 1500 flight hours in a Blackhawk.