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I was on a flight last month and was seated next to a pilot. I broke the ice by asking him about the flight sims because I've played a few. Yea, turns out he's just a huge airplane geek and was super excited to talk about how fast the plane we're on could actually go.
As we start our descent he started taking pictures out the window and I'm just thinking "don't you usually have a better view than this". I was wrong, he was also a cloud geek and started explaining how those fluffy ones meant we were about to hit turbulence.
Super nice guy, I regret not starting the conversation earlier so we could chat more.
I work as a pilot, flying seaplanes, which means I’ll often have the seat next to me available for folks to sit in if they ask for it (barring any weight and balance issues or really shitty weather.) Having an aviation geek up in the cockpit with me is always fun because hey, I’m a big airplane geek too. I like talking about airplanes! It’s always fun nerding out about one of my favourite things.
A few years ago I was in Vancouver and booked a sightseeing flight with Harbour Air. When the pilot asked during the briefing if anyone wanted to ride shotgun my hand has never shot up faster. I was already ducking through the door as all the other passengers were still trying to work out what he'd just asked. My pilot that day was great and seemed happy to indulge my Avgeekery
My dad was similar - my mum, sister, and I went on a whale watching tour, my dad didnt feel he would enjoy it enough to justify paying to come too, but because it was a special, once in a lifetime, holiday, we convinced him to spend the money he'd saved not going whale watching on himself on a seaplane ride which he'd wanted to do. After being allowed to sit in the front seat for the flight, my normally stoical and serious dad was grinning like a schoolboy for hours, it was lovely to see!
My dad would love that, he is SUPER MECHANICALLY minded. You could give him a car made up of 3 different brands and missing 2 parts and he would still get that fucker from Florida to Portland Oregon np, he would love to talk about planes mechanics and shit for a 10 hour flight
I actually had a biology geek up with me once! She was vacationing in the area and was so excited to be on the coast seeing all the ocean marine life (like the seals in the harbour.) She lucked out hugely on her flight because we flew over a pair of grey whales in the middle of the straits, and I did a couple of circles over them so passengers could take some cool pics. She was so thrilled, and we ended up talking about whales for the rest of the flight.
I don’t know, as a private pilot, we’re all cloud geeks
I think my neighbor thought I was a little crazy when I ran outside with my family to look at some mammatus clouds that were forming while I was mowing.
I also work in aviation and am a nut for all things aerospace generally. Yeah, even though it's my job I always stare and marvel out the window whenever I'm a passenger on a plane. They're a technological miracle and would be considered actual magic to anyone from just a couple hundred years ago.
I had the privilege of sitting next to a Space Shuttle commander once and oh boy did I annoy the shit out of him lol but he was super nice. An hour or so into our flight and me asking him questions he mentioned that he also ran an aerospace magazine publication and gave me a few of the recent issues. I think that was his very polite way of giving me anything else to do lol.
I have slowly assembled pieces for my own over the years. I have a viper throttle from winwing and a gunfighter mk3 from VKB, both are steady upgrades from my original X52Pro as I've built interest in it over the last decade.
That was kind of my guess. I've seen it. I suppose easier to just get dressed and go.
Me.. I find I'm always sweaty and gross after a flight. Then again I am usually crossing one of the ponds. Then again.. I'm making liberal use of the in flight beverage service. Might as well start bringing me two at a time.
Yea, as others said, he was in uniform. He said they were moving him to the other airport so he could be on standby or reserve, but he had a specific term for it and said it was going to be a very chill week.
I would imagine if he got caught taking photos during a transition period, like descent, he would get in a ton of trouble. Like if he was taking photos and some part went bad, even if it wasn't his fault and he managed to help land the plane, the NTSB would roast him for not keeping a sterile cockpit.
I hate takeoffs and landings; some primal instinct tells me something terrible is happening each time. Best flight I ever had, I fell asleep as the plane was going to the runway and I woke up on touchdown; 10/10, perfect flight.
I was flying back to the East Coast from Vegas after staying up for 24+ hours in hopes of passing out the whole fight. Could barely keep my eyes open. Passed out instantly, woke up refreshed ready to gather my stuff in preps for landing. Checked my phone and realized I only slept for maybe 20 minutes. It was an incredible textbook power nap but miserable long flight.
I have flown USA to Asia over 20 times. Flight is usually 23 hrs westward, 19 eastward.
This has happened to me like 5 times. It is the WORST. Wake up, and VERY unwillingly check the flightmap on the little shitty economy class screen '18 hrs remaining'. I am also 6'1" and economy seats just keep getting smaller.
The one time I was given ambien by a friend I apparently was falling over onto people trying to get to the bathroom. 0 recollection. Lucky I didnt end up duct taped to a chair or something.
I worked as a traveling merchandiser for about a year (one of the guys that sets up the aisles and fixtures and shit in newly built big box retail stores)...that was always my plan, try and sleep through the majority of the flight. The best was when it was like having surgery and I'd just board, close my eyes, then next thing you know we're landing lol.
I don't know how you can do that. The last flight I was on got delayed and then cancelled and then rescheduled and then another delay.
I can't sleep on planes, and I can't sleep in airports. So it was around 72 hours of no sleep and I was walking up and down the airport terminals just to not go insane. It was horrible.
you gotta figure out how to fall asleep in public places/planes, move to a country where airlines are regulated and must pay for your hotel if there are stacked delays, or get a Xanax prescription.
Everybody who can deal with that stuff has done at least one out of those three.
One time I fell asleep before everyone was even on board and when I woke up everyone was getting off the plane and I was real excited about already being where I needed to be until I got off the jetbridge and realized we were still at the original airport. Apparently the shitter was frozen and so they needed a new plane.
I've flown many dozens of times and every time we take off, and I mean every time, I've made peace with the fact that we're going to crash. Morbid? Maybe. But at least I'm not nervous.
It only happens to me when I fly over water, like some kind of ancient vampire.
Once I'm over the water, I cannot stop my brain from a cycle of "we're going for a water landing, god, I hope I'm buoyant enough to not drown immediately" and then start crying and hyperventilating.
I always try to tuck myself into either my traveling partner or the window just so that no one sees me freaking out because that shit is infectious and I don't want to scare anyone else.
I hope I never get tired of seeing new views of earth. I hope I always remember how amazing it is that we can fly up into the sky like birds and land safely 15 hours later in the antipodes. I have to imagine that for people who find things like this boring, it is much harder to find joy.
I have to imagine that for people who find things like this boring, it is much harder to find joy.
Too many of those walking around. Who will look at a person staring out of the window of a plane and think "ugh it's just a plane"
Do not let the misery of these people affect you. The world is full of wonders, and our ancestors would have their brains exploded at the mundane view out of a commercial airliner.
Especially landing in a new place. It's like.. my first glimpse of the city! Landing in Tokyo for the first time was neat even though there really isn't anything interesting close to the airport. I was more like.. huh.. no snow in January... As a Canadian.. WTF!
yeah it was absolutely implied. the peasants are not as worldly as the young rich, obviously better person. it's kinda cute to watch them in awe for what, to me, is just another Tuesday
I travel a decent amount, I’m also an avgeek who is in training to fly for the airlines so I get pretty giddy when I’m on planes. Naturally I take pictures especially of other planes.
Mankind has had powered flight for just over one hundred years although we’ve been on this planet for thousands of years.
I truly feel sorry for anyone who has no inner child with a sense of awe for the special time we live in. Billions and billions of men and women throughout history have looked skyward and wondered what it would be like to fly alongside the birds and touch the clouds.
After all those billions dreamt, wished, and wondered, we finally know.
I went to Key West two years ago, and on the way down, I was next to a couple in the aisle and the man next to the window kept the shade down as long as he legally could. I was like WHY?! Especially Key West. You're seeing random islands and reefs and boats and cool shit.
Yep got Mt. Fuji, the Japanese flag on the wing, and Sky Tree to line up departing Haneda. You get to see a lot of cool views from the windows why not take a pic?
I went for a small trip to Japan last December, but didn’t get to take some cool pictures of Mount Fuji or Tokyo Tower because my flights were either at night or I didn’t get a seat near the window. Took this one while flying over Japan though. Still got plenty of warm memories!
This always sends me and my gf. I grew up poor so I'm pretty thrifty and don't have an appetite for fancy things. But I landed a pretty cushy job in IT about 15 years ago and she also grew up in a poor family and has a solid income. In terms of net worth, I'm well into a millionaire now. She owns the house (we met after she bought it) so she is probably close as well.
And the number of people who treat us like we're poor is comical. We're not poor, we're just content with our life and not obsessing over showing off our wealth to other people.
Or he may have just seen one of his buildings out the window and thought he’d get a cool view of it.
My husband who travels constantly will take photos as we are descending when he sees landmarks that remind him of places we’ve traveled to or lived. He knows our approach and exactly where we are
Yeah if bro was at the Trevi fountain I bet they'd be recording and taking pictures for like 45 minutes and I just find that funny for some reason.
Edited to add my Trevi fountain experience. As a jaded and cynical person who is kinda interested in history and married I found it interesting and snapped a quick pic with my wife. But more than anything I felt like I was at an open air zoo where normal people get to watch wannabe tiktokers in their natural habitat and was pretty amused by how many takes all these nicely dressed people were taking to post. It's pretty funny.
I flew 16 times in the last two years, but every time I have windowseat, my nose is pressed against the window like a child. And every time I see a chance, I try to get a cool picture or video. I love it! This is over Vienna by night.
God forbid someone be amazed about modern tech being able to lift so many people into the sky and transport them hundreds to thousands of miles across the planet.
Also some people still have wonder. Like it’s incredible we can board a metal tube and it flies through the sky fast and we can see the natural beauty around us. Not far fetched to want to document it.
heaven forbid someone thinks the titanium tube that can reach the speed of sound and the edge of space by creating a continuous, spinning explosion of liquefied dinosaur to transport hundreds of people at a time across the world in the span of a day for a few days worth of wages is kinda neat
Not to mention we don’t know what’s actually outside the window. Last time we were leaving Las Vegas there were a couple F-35s taking off right next to us.
Also, flight is impressive and I’ve been obsessed with it and space travel my entire life. I’m still also in awe at the logistics of large airports.
First class is a scam in most scenarios. I refuse to pay for business/first class regionally but will pay for an extra leg room if the price is right. Back to the point, seat choice does not indicate wealth status. I believe Tyrese Halliburton just came out and said he flies coach and we all know what his contract is worth.
As someone of a similar size, flying is pretty miserable.
1st class gets you:
2 person row vs a 3 person row — no rubbing arms with the sweaty stranger next to you
extra legroom,
better treatment from the staff,
guaranteed overhead bin space,
first off the plane saving you 20 30 min
The cost difference is a rounding error to him.
I respect knowing where you came from and fiscal responsibility — but it’s kind of silly for him not to do it.
He flies first class. The situation he discussed in a recent podcast was more nuanced than that. Basically Indianapolis doesn’t have the greatest flight selection and Southwest had the flight he was looking for and coach was available. That dude is flying first class though. It’d be bad for his massive body to not do so.
It is definitely overpriced as hell. But if you can afford it shit is fucking cash money. Only for long flights tho like overseas full day flights. Takes it from being slow dull semi agony to easy as fuck to sit through. But yeah 90% of the time it’s just so expensive. I just save up airline points on credit card so if I do I can get one and it’s easy peasy. Travel in general isn’t realistic for Americans
It's over rated for the price. It's a great benefit, but it isn't worthn paying 3+ times as much as economy. If it were 50% more, I'd prob pull the trigger, but for 500% more? It's just not a reasonable use of the money unless spending thousands of dollars is a rounding error for you.
Yes depending on the airline and aircraft configuration definitely worth it.
My favourite has been Virgin Atlantic & KLM and probably Qatar although the seating on Qatar has been insane at times price wise. Better food, more comfort, etc
Maybe you are a shorter person and fit into the seats better, but there's a big difference in space available. Even just being able to not have your knees against the seat in front of you is worth it on long flights.
It's actually just silly how expensive it is. Economy is $1200 and business is $5000+. There are no comforts available on s plane that can make that worth it.
Is sitting in the same section of the plane,
Also has their phone out,
Cared what other people are doing that doesn't effect them,
I don't know about income, but Milo Smith is definitely a lower CLASS person than everyone else
Commercial air travel has existed for just 0.037% of modern human history.
In other words, for approximately 99.963% of our existence, humans had no ability to even see this vantage point, let alone to have a pocket camera to record it with.
So to me, the real question is why are people like "Milo" (wtf kind of name is that) so simple minded that they can't appreciate something as incredible as air travel?
I fly twice a week- I always record landing in DCA or LAX or SEA or SFO. The world is beautiful. There’s billions of humans who have never flown or will never- it’s magic. Aviation is one of humanities greatest accomplishments,
I fly all the time and for the life of me I have no idea why everyone on the plane is not amazed to look out the window. It kills me when people close the blinds instead of looking out in wonder as they sail above the clouds
“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
Flying is a fucking wonder lol, I understand you might get accustomed to it if you fly often, but in general, in the contrast of all human history - it’s an awesome experience (sometimes more exciting than others).
Seriously. I'm hardy low income, but I always shell out for the window seat because I like seeing outside (though if I end up flying on a cloudy day it kid of ruins it).
I fly frequently, mostly business class, and I still catch myself hesitating to take photos of the clouds because I worry some asshole will judge me for it. This post was a good reminder to stop caring. Imagine thinking being unimpressed by something beautiful is a flex.
God forbid someone have a novel experience and record it to remember later. Not every flies often, if at all. I've been on a plane four times in my life, for two separate round trips. It's fucking neat.
When I was a student pilot I liked to (still do occasionally) sit at the row right next to the wings and look at the flaps being dropped as the plane made the turns for landing, feel the vibrations of the landing gear being lowered, and right after the plane was on the ground, watch the spoilers deployed to ground and further slow down the plane. Some ppl just have different hobbies.
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