I was flown into Washington DC to meet a number of people who I'd yet to meet as well as to join the team for a launching product for our new Branding. The flight was at 6:15am EST at the Manchester Airport. I was super excited because I've always dreamed of eventually piloting a plane recreationally, so this is the most obvious first step to see if I'm even okay with flying. I would always say that I visualized it enough that I know that won't be an issue once I actually do fly. But, my visualization was slightly different than reality.
Just kidding, it wasn't. I LOVED IT!
First of all, the entire crew was wonderful. This was on American Airlines. I was bumped up to first class when I told them it was my first flight, which was great because I'm 6'4" and there was a little more leg room. Additionally, there were free drinks and cookies (obviously can't complain there haha). The flight was an hour and a half about from Manchester to DC so it was a great first flight because the time spent there wasn't too overwhelming.
I really made sure that I experienced and enjoyed the way the plane moved (I focused inward on the way my balance changed and felt the fact that the way it shifted was necessary and, in fact, safer, something I learned when I skateboarded as a kid). I enjoyed the tilting and looked at the spectacular clouds below us (sometimes we saw land below, but the majority was clouds in between ascent and descent). The only thing that caught me off guard was my ears readjusting as we descended, but that was mostly because I hadn't realized we were descending for the 10 minutes I was really enjoying an article in Spanish on the flight as practice. The landing was awesome, as right when we pierced below the clouds, the Washington Monument, the White House, and a few other landmarks were in clear view, which was super cool!
I'm definitely excited for my flight home tonight and I've confirmed my belief, desire, and goal to one day fly recreationally. It will be a blast! I thought I'd share it with you, especially those who don't like flying; maybe my method of feeling and realizing that the movements that may seem scary are necessary to make the plane effectively turn, fly, and stay balanced on the air.