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| About to take my seat 7D on the 787L |
This one time, in Houston, Mom flew a helicopter. She didn’t mean to fly a helicopter; it was an accident. Mom worked for a millionaire in the early 70s who was in the market to buy one and had arranged for a test flight. As often happens with eccentric millionaires, his plans changed at the last minute. Instead of canceling his test flight, he invited Mom to take his place and gave her the afternoon off. She picked me up from day care and we drove towards downtown on Allen Parkway along Buffalo Bayou.
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| Bell Helicopter |
Living in Houston, it was easy to fall in love with helicopters. They seemed to be everywhere. And there on the grass sat one. A Bell- beautiful and sleek. Mom parked and the pilot greeted us. We strapped in and took flight. I marveled at all the swimming pools in the backyards in River Oaks, there were so many. We got to see our house off Kirby, and eventually my day care. My favorite was when turning, how the whirlybird felt like it was about to go sideways. And the next day I kid hit me in the face with a tin can when I told him I had flown overhead. It was worth the eight stitches.
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| Houston's Buffalo Bayou |
When we landed next to Buffalo Bayou near our car, he instructed Mom to open the door. Instead of pulling the door lever, she pulled the collective lever, the one that tells the chopper to lift from the ground. We rose about 5 feet, performed what felt like a curtsy, and lowered again. As we drove away, Mom’s tail between her legs, the pilot was walking around his bird looking for any damage. But that’s how Mom got to fly a whirlybird.
A few years later, Dad and his wife lived in Chicago and I would visit during summer break. We sat in the back yard and watched the planes on approach to O’Hare. My favorite were the Braniff airplanes and their colorful liveries. I’ve had airplane disease as long as I can remember, always looking to the skies to see what’s flying overhead.
It took much longer than it should have, but eventually I found my way to working in the aviation industry. I love being on planes, feeling the power of the engines thrusting me down the runway and into the air, the bumps and rolls of turbulence, the jolt of landing. Working for a world-class airline there are exciting times when they introduce a new aircraft, new routes, new liveries. I live for it.
As a crew member, I’ve always been envious of the flight attendants chosen to partake in the photo ops, fly the new routes for the first time, be in the hanger when they roll out new aircraft. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to be on the ground next to our aircraft, photo in the engines, all that. I was at the airport for the final 737 in San Francisco, and in Honolulu for the final flight of our 747, with the big celebration in the hangar afterwards. But I have always wanted to be on the ground for a beginning not an end.
We boarded the 787 at Houston Intercontinental’s terminal C north early in the day. Everyone was excited to be a part of this exciting opportunity, so I didn’t feel out of place with showing my exuberance. I sat in 7D and was promptly offered a mimosa. I manipulated the buttons and nobs to test out the lighting options, changing the mood with hues of red and blue, moving the seat back and forward, lowering the center partition to say hello to the woman in 7E. She worked on the team responsible for the app technology used to record our experience notes on our smart phones.
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| I even dressed up, penguin tie and all |
The pilots announced that it was time to push. The doors closed, safety checks completed by the competent yet nervous crew selected to work this elevated first class experience—the rest of the airplane was empty. At the sound of the double chime the captain turned off the seatbelt sign and the crew were up and on stage as they prepared for the service. The purser presented hot towels and then placed white linen on tray tops.
After 25 years I can finally hold the flights I most enjoy—working first class galley on flights to South America. I know all too well what it’s like in the galley and the hard work to support the aisle flight attendants. Something was taking them longer than expected. Hopefully a valuable learning tool for future crews. When the purser reached my seat, I was starving and more than ready for a glass of champagne—the real stuff from France, not just sparkling wine—and a ramekin of nuts that should have been hotter than they were, one of the first notes critical of my experience. Better to me than someone who paid thousands of dollars to be sitting in 7D.
The menu was the same I was used to serving on my flights south. I ordered the fish in white cream sauce with asparagus and polenta. The bread, like the nuts, was similarly lacking in the heat division. The salad was nothing special and I didn’t get the tuna appetizer, because the kitchen shorted them on appetizers. I seriously doubted that, honestly. Knowing my way around the galley as I do, I know that trays of food can easily hide. If you don’t take the cart out and open the aft side, you can easily miss them. A test as important as this, they would not have forgotten to board appetizers. At least there were plenty of desserts on the queen cart. I passed on the ice cream sundae for a slice of hot-chocolate cheesecake. And of course, a glass of port wine. Deluxe all the way, thank you.
When the service concluded we were invited to explore the rest of the airplane, observing the improvements in the crew rest area and the economy seats, which seemed firmer than what is currently offered. The snack bar was opened up and we we were invited to grab a few for later.
For the most part, there wasn’t anything elevated in the service. Where the improvements lie were in the seats themselves. The larger screens for blockbuster movies were nice. The seat was comfy and there were numerous places to store things, but with all the pillows and blankets left in the seat, there were not enough to stash them all.
Of course, as a flight attendant, I was sure to give the crew flying colors for the exemplary service. They were under a lot of pressure after all, working a cabin they were not used to, being observed, filmed, timed, and judged.
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| A view of the airport on the big screen at 7D |
The airline just took possession of a second such aircraft, and the first elevated experience for customers was on a flight from SFO to Singapore. In the weeks since, however, they have been plagued by mechanical issues. The studio suites that are up to 25% larger have had issues with seats and privacy doors. The birds are now back with Boeing while they figure out a fix. But once they return to friendly skies, they will be a delight enjoyed by the first class society. And hopefully us crew when flying hither and yon on our travel passes.
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| Penguin in the flight deck |
My lust for aviation began when I was very young. I’ve been in a hot air balloon and planes of all sizes. I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy numerous helicopters, a but I’ve yet to actually fly one. I might do less damage than Mom. Since beginning my career with the airline I’ve always hoped to take part in a big event for a new aircraft. Hopefully it won’t take another 25 years before another opportunity comes to fore.
If you enjoy poetry, you can purchase signed copies of my 3 books at www.penguinscott.com
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