There are many things I wanted to write about, but this is the one I can't miss. Its my First Flight Experience. It has been a few days now, a week and a day to be precise since I landed to Jakarta were I am currently. So, I'll go back to the day I traveled, spinning earth in reverse to reach the day... zap zap zap! - and its August 24, 2014 early morning.
I reached airport at about 0720 Hrs IST although I was suppose to be there as early by 0845 IST, however the flight SQ-421was scheduled take off at 1145 IST. so I was pretty early in to the Airport. The Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal-2. For the first time in my life! Yeah, everything happens for the first time, some time and this was the time, but all I was thinking was how am I going to get through all the procedures before I get to the place where I was going to see the Air Plane - the wonder of Science, that too, closely for the first time. Hah!. I'd only watched it on Discovery channel and movies. Being a naive I walked across the check-in area 2-3 time, even though my cab driver had dropped me right in front of the place where check-in for Singapore/Singapore Airlines takes place. I was asking security people and other officials that where do I go to check-in for SQ-421, but I could hardly get what they were telling. Then I came to know that there are boards displaying flight number and that the check-in for SQ-421 is yet to begin. Back to the place where I started! As my turn came for the check-in process, I was quite nervous, and the officials started asking why you are traveling, show your passport, visa, and keep your big back on the conveyor belt. Then suddenly I was asked - are you a sea man. I said What? Surprised! I asked again what do you mean? I didn't get that. Pardon. He repeated are you a SEA MAN? I said No. Never got why he asked that. Then they added tags on my bag and guided me to go to the security checks, and told it will follow migration and then I need to walk down to Gate number 73. I moved to the security check area and joined a queue which was meant for the navy officials and was about the get my bag checked when a security guy said hey! where are you going? Move out! This isn't the queue meant for you. And I zipped my bag walked away quickly and discovered the correct queue. Then the migrations form filling and submission was done within a few minutes.
I was in the region before the Gate from where we board the flight and that place was more amazing than the finest of malls I had ever seen so far. All sorts of expensive shopping and eating stuff. I had my breakfast, took a lot of selfies saying Yo! I am at the Airport! and went straight to the Gate walking over the horizontal escalators.
Finally the time came when I reached the Gate 73 and saw pretty closely the Air Plane SQ-421 parked, getting ready, loading luggage.
Time went by quickly and boarding started. I was getting in the plane with other passengers. Pretty air hostess and stewards welcomed everyone with a big smile. The first announcement was made by the Captain! We are going to move shortly, we'll slowly move towards the runway and then quickly we'll be... in the Air! The air hostess gave everyone a warm wet white towel. Initially I thought it was some welcome dish, some kind of roll... and later discovered it was a towel. An uncle in the seat close by was reading. Almost all the people I could see in my row were reading trying to keep themselves engaged. We were asked to switch off the mobile phones and I was like - Hey! how am I going to listen to songs while take off, I can't hear that sound. But I simply switched off my mobile and fastened the seat belt as tightly as I could even before it was announced.
The moment had come about which I was scared. I kept thinking that it is just going to be like being on a swing. The fight was moving slowly towards the runway and I was anxious. No one seated around to talk and I was on a window seat. No I'll not look outside the window when it takes off. though I couldn't resist peeping out. I could clearly see a huge right wing of the Plane. Finally a place which looked like runway and the Plane turned and stopped! Pause. I was thinking, now are we going to........ take off...! Again thinking its going to be like a swing going up. Quickly the plane moved and within seconds we were off the ground. I could feel the take off gravity change and was overwhelmed, we are off the ground, we are off the ground! And the plane was tilted going up and up in the air. For about 5-10 minutes I didn't move a muscle, and slowly the Plane became horizontal. People around me loosened their seat belts but I was busy realizing that the Aircraft was off the ground. Then in some time the Plane went higher and higher and over the clouds. An announcement came that we are about 10,000 something meters above the ground, and speed on earth is about 800 miles an hour.
There was small TV in front of my seat which displayed all the information and where was the flight heading. Soon drinks were served, headphones were distributed to watch the small TV, and soon after came delicious lunch. They knew as per reservation that my preference for food was veg. After I had lunch, I started to play with the small TV, but somehow it's sound system wasn't working. So I told a pretty air hostess who came asking for another round of drink. Apple juice. She said that she'll be getting it checked. Later a steward came and told me that I could move to another place for some time and watch the TV at another vacant seat as mine wasn't working well. He guided me to a vacant seat with working TV set. Later the same steward came and gave me and the guy seated beside me a pack of cards asking to keep it as a souvenir. I started scrolling through movies available selected a random one and went off to sleep. It was very cold. When I woke up there was an announcement that we'll be landing at Singapore shortly so passengers should get back to their original places and tighten their seat belts. I quickly went to my seat and started the small TV in informative mode which showed the altitude of plane, its speed on air and ground. Whenever I read the altitude of plane, say 10K meters, I was visualizing the distance in Km on ground in Pune. Oh we are so high that I will have to travel from Vishal Nagar to Shivaji Nagar to get to the ground. The Plane came down and down 5K meters above the ground... and Oh we are so high about vishal nagar to Aundh, and the Plane came down and down the altitude and I was staring at the altitude value coming down. From the window I could see beautiful bits lights from the buildings and streets etc. Then suddenly I felt the plane speeding up, and slowly the altitude displaying down to zero!! Bravo!
We were on ground, and I could feel the high-speed wondering when is it going to slow down. Then gradually the speed decreased and the Plane came to a halt. I was about to enter another beautifully designed International Airport - The Singapore Changi International. The amazing aircraft crew bade us out with a warm smile and I walked to the Singapore terminal. Then like a geek I searched for a free WiFi. Well, you gotta update such awesome things online, at least for the sake of remembering that moment. Soon after I went on to board the connecting flight from Singapore to Jakarta. And again, I was excited what's going to happen. How will this big bird like machine fly !?! This one tilted sideways to change directions. I was glued to the seat! Dinner was served. Within couple of hours the Aircraft had landed in Jakarta.
I reached airport at about 0720 Hrs IST although I was suppose to be there as early by 0845 IST, however the flight SQ-421was scheduled take off at 1145 IST. so I was pretty early in to the Airport. The Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal-2. For the first time in my life! Yeah, everything happens for the first time, some time and this was the time, but all I was thinking was how am I going to get through all the procedures before I get to the place where I was going to see the Air Plane - the wonder of Science, that too, closely for the first time. Hah!. I'd only watched it on Discovery channel and movies. Being a naive I walked across the check-in area 2-3 time, even though my cab driver had dropped me right in front of the place where check-in for Singapore/Singapore Airlines takes place. I was asking security people and other officials that where do I go to check-in for SQ-421, but I could hardly get what they were telling. Then I came to know that there are boards displaying flight number and that the check-in for SQ-421 is yet to begin. Back to the place where I started! As my turn came for the check-in process, I was quite nervous, and the officials started asking why you are traveling, show your passport, visa, and keep your big back on the conveyor belt. Then suddenly I was asked - are you a sea man. I said What? Surprised! I asked again what do you mean? I didn't get that. Pardon. He repeated are you a SEA MAN? I said No. Never got why he asked that. Then they added tags on my bag and guided me to go to the security checks, and told it will follow migration and then I need to walk down to Gate number 73. I moved to the security check area and joined a queue which was meant for the navy officials and was about the get my bag checked when a security guy said hey! where are you going? Move out! This isn't the queue meant for you. And I zipped my bag walked away quickly and discovered the correct queue. Then the migrations form filling and submission was done within a few minutes.
I was in the region before the Gate from where we board the flight and that place was more amazing than the finest of malls I had ever seen so far. All sorts of expensive shopping and eating stuff. I had my breakfast, took a lot of selfies saying Yo! I am at the Airport! and went straight to the Gate walking over the horizontal escalators.Finally the time came when I reached the Gate 73 and saw pretty closely the Air Plane SQ-421 parked, getting ready, loading luggage.
Time went by quickly and boarding started. I was getting in the plane with other passengers. Pretty air hostess and stewards welcomed everyone with a big smile. The first announcement was made by the Captain! We are going to move shortly, we'll slowly move towards the runway and then quickly we'll be... in the Air! The air hostess gave everyone a warm wet white towel. Initially I thought it was some welcome dish, some kind of roll... and later discovered it was a towel. An uncle in the seat close by was reading. Almost all the people I could see in my row were reading trying to keep themselves engaged. We were asked to switch off the mobile phones and I was like - Hey! how am I going to listen to songs while take off, I can't hear that sound. But I simply switched off my mobile and fastened the seat belt as tightly as I could even before it was announced.The moment had come about which I was scared. I kept thinking that it is just going to be like being on a swing. The fight was moving slowly towards the runway and I was anxious. No one seated around to talk and I was on a window seat. No I'll not look outside the window when it takes off. though I couldn't resist peeping out. I could clearly see a huge right wing of the Plane. Finally a place which looked like runway and the Plane turned and stopped! Pause. I was thinking, now are we going to........ take off...! Again thinking its going to be like a swing going up. Quickly the plane moved and within seconds we were off the ground. I could feel the take off gravity change and was overwhelmed, we are off the ground, we are off the ground! And the plane was tilted going up and up in the air. For about 5-10 minutes I didn't move a muscle, and slowly the Plane became horizontal. People around me loosened their seat belts but I was busy realizing that the Aircraft was off the ground. Then in some time the Plane went higher and higher and over the clouds. An announcement came that we are about 10,000 something meters above the ground, and speed on earth is about 800 miles an hour.
We were on ground, and I could feel the high-speed wondering when is it going to slow down. Then gradually the speed decreased and the Plane came to a halt. I was about to enter another beautifully designed International Airport - The Singapore Changi International. The amazing aircraft crew bade us out with a warm smile and I walked to the Singapore terminal. Then like a geek I searched for a free WiFi. Well, you gotta update such awesome things online, at least for the sake of remembering that moment. Soon after I went on to board the connecting flight from Singapore to Jakarta. And again, I was excited what's going to happen. How will this big bird like machine fly !?! This one tilted sideways to change directions. I was glued to the seat! Dinner was served. Within couple of hours the Aircraft had landed in Jakarta.
