First time on an aeroplane

For the inspiration behind this blog click here.

My local radio station Forth One (97.3 FM) were discussing aeroplanes the other day. Just the presenters chatting about plane trips and who gets the window seat when you go on holiday. That made me smile. David always takes the window seat when we go on holiday. I've gotten so used to being the one that sits in the middle of a row - stranger on one side, David on the other - that its become second nature now. We even swap tickets if I've been allocated the window seat.

Remember the film "The Wedding Singer"? . Its now a broadway musical by the way. Anyway, there's a scene on the plane where Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) says he would give up the window seat for Julia (Drew Barrymore), unlike her horrible boyfriend. Well David has given up the window seat for me twice in the last 10 years - unfortunately it was either dark or cloudy so there wasn't much to see anyway. Nice gesture though.

Do you remember the first time you were on an aeroplane? It seems to me that children under three years old are a much more common sight on planes that they used to be. We must have more disposable income and flights have become cheaper since I was a child.

I was really excited about going on a plane for the first time. I think I was about 10 or so. My parents were taking us abroad for the first time on holiday. When we got to the check-in the woman must have been asking about the seat allocation – you know how there is only 3 on each side of the plane? I must have been allocated the seat across the aisle from the rest of my family because I was put in that seat when we boarded. Fair enough, their decision.

Not having been on a plane before and coupled with the excitement I think, my tummy was doing somersaults. I remember was looking over the aisle at my Dad shortly after take off, feeling green, let alone looking green. Then I turned (for what reason I really couldn’t say) to the old lady who was sitting next to me and threw up all over her!

My Mum gave me such a row. I was mortified anyway about what I’d done. I knew I would get a telling off in public too whicch didn't help. When she took me to the toilet to clean me up I got a smack on the bottom too! I remember protesting that I just couldn’t help it, that I had nowhere to go, it just happened so fast. Fell on deaf ears though - I think she was more embarrassed that anything else.


Tell me about your first memory of being on an aeroplane. How excited were you? Where were you going? Were you sick?