Worst , Funniest Or Frightening

[lampard10]

We've had ' What is your favourite Airline' but there must be a wealth of stories out there from all our travelling members. What are your worst,funniest or most frightening travelling by air experiences?

One thing I remember well, happened back in the sixties. It was travelling back to Cyprus from LHR to Nicosia on an Olympic Airlines Comet. As we boarded the aircraft in London, I remarked that the nose wheel was a little low on tread ( I was a freshly passed out Aircraft mechanic going to my second posting,and was showing off. Nothing wrong with the wheel really,but I gave the impression I knew it all) On touchdown at Athens (short stop) the nose wheel I had pointed out exploded. When we were safely off the aircraft, the word went round that this kid( I only looked about 14 then) had predicted this accident. Of course I loved it and strutted around like a peacock for our duration there.

[doctormann]

A few years ago I was in China and, on several occasions, had to use one of the internal Chinese airlines. This was the time when they had all got rid of the old Tupolev aircraft and had just taken delivery of shiny new airbuses so the planes were all very smart. But ...

We had live chickens and other livestock on board (every flight) and a vast assortment of hand luggage, most of which was never intended to leave the ground. On landing, as soon as the wheels touched the tarmac, the Chinese were out of their seats, emptying the lockers - it was chaos. Never mind 'passengers please remain seated until the aircraft has come to a complete halt and the captain has switched off the seat belt sign' !!

This extraordinary behaviour was explained to me later by an English-speaking Chinese lady - apparently the Chinese have a great distrust of aircraft toilets 'because there is a snorting dragon in there' so, on anything but a very short flight, they are bursting for a pee. Hence the need for a speedy exit.

Sure enough, you could see them dashing en-masse to the toilets in the terminal building, livestock and all. Really very funny to see.

Nice thing about Chinese airlines - they always give you a little present. I have several A320 model planes now.

My most frightening experience on an aircraft was when the pilot of an Air Inter French plane was trying to land at Charles-de-Gaulle in a thunderstorm (with me on board). It took three attempts and he eventually landed it sideways (or so it seemed). Incidently, Air Inter is the only company that I have come across where the 'overhead lockers' are not lockers at all but just string mesh bag type things - a bit like those we used to get on British Rail when they had proper trains.

[tutsiwarrior]

on the approach to the airport at Santa Cruz, Bolivia one day in 1984 there was heavy cloud cover and I noticed that the descent was in a circular fashion. The woman next to me had a nun's garb on and was simultaneously biting her knuckles and praying. We burst through the clouds to find the runway about 100 meters below us...sheesh...

On the trip back to Miami as soon as the plane left the ground passengers raided the galley of all the liquor, some one produced a boom box and it was non stop party until landing...

crazy fcukin' bolivians...

[Darknight]

This is a nice one

[PvtDick]

United Airlines plane I was on lost one of its two engines shortly after take-off. We heard an explosion, and smoke started coming out. Pilot asked us to "brace" (i.e., assume crash position) until we were safely back on the ground. Fire trucks and rescue vehicles were all lining the runway. All we got for that little adrenaline rush was a free meal and a ticket on the next flight.

[ExNewMex]

Funniest: OLYMPIA AIRLINES, 1990

Waiting for take-off out of Athens to Corfu and there's a passenger that gets sick while waiting. All the Greeks are yellign and screaming advice. People are lighting up cigarettes and it seems like chaos. WE wait through this for about 30 minutes or so and then the pilot comes into the intercom and in Englsh gives the best pre-flight announcement I have ever hear to date; 'Shut up and sit down. We're taking off.'

I will never forget that.

SCARIEST:

An aborted takeoff by NWA out of Seattle. Followed by a check that assured we were okay and a long wait for th brakes to cool we were back up in the air.

Moments laters the flight attendant whispers to me anf my neighbor to look out the window. HUGE SMOKING ENGINE. Real drag. We circled Puget Sound dumoping fuel and went in for an emergency landing. It was an interesting experience

[doctormann]

Here's one for those that remember Biggles.

I used to fly from Carlisle (UK) to London, fairly regularly, in a variety of very small planes, usually carrying the mail as well as a few passengers. Now, Carlisle airport is a bit of a non-event and in those days was little more than a hut in a field. There was (probably still is) a waiting area for passengers and a tea bar (which served tea and biscuits) but nothing so sophisticated as a flight announcement system.

On one occasion, which I shall never forget, a few of us were cooling our heels in the tea bar, waiting for a flight to LHR, when a character in a leather flying jacket and helmet poked his head round the door and said, 'Everybody ready? OK we'll go then.' And we all trooped after him and boarded the plane because he was, indeed, the pilot. Nice personal touch - visions of someone shouting 'squadron scramble!'

BA, eat your heart out!

[PvtDick]

Funniest/scariest: flying on CAAC back in China back in the early 80's, I discovered that my seatbelt was missing the buckle. When I called this to the attention of the flight attendant, she calmly tied both ends around my waist in a big knot. Problem solved!

[Jack Jones]

Flying Sydney to Tokyo. We were delayed when we boarded the plane as they relised that we were arriving in Narita before the airport was open. They had to put extra fuel in so we could circle for half an hour prior to landing. Glad they remembered.

[lampard10]

These stories sure bring back memories,and release things I'd forgotten about. Like the El-Al contractors xmas special Tel-Aviv--LHR.By the time we'd leveled off at cruising altitude the galley had run out of booze. Or another El-Al flight, left Tel-Aviv just before sun down. Just about reached cruising height,when all the orthadox jews rushed to the back of the plane to kneel down looking east. We could just imagine the pilot fighting to trim. No glass cockpits or fly-by-wire in those days. The pilots had to work. Take off and land themselves.

I think the worst flight I ever had was from Gothenburg to Linkoping in a Fairchild Metro. The cabin crew issued us with ear defenders. Talk about bloody loud.

[Nignoy]

These stories sure bring back memories,and release things I'd forgotten about. Like the El-Al contractors xmas special Tel-Aviv--LHR.By the time we'd leveled off at cruising altitude the galley had run out of booze. Or another El-Al flight, left Tel-Aviv just before sun down. Just about reached cruising height,when all the orthadox jews rushed to the back of the plane to kneel down looking east. We could just imagine the pilot fighting to trim. No glass cockpits or fly-by-wire in those days. The pilots had to work. Take off and land themselves.

  I think the worst flight I ever had was from Gothenburg to Linkoping in a Fairchild Metro. The cabin crew issued us with ear defenders. Talk about bloody loud.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

2 little anecdotes, while landing in bombay in 1962 in a Constellation the landing gear collapsed!! the panic among the troops on board was horrific , not as you would think to get out of the aircraft ,but to save all their dutyfree grog, nobody was injured ,just a few stewards with bootprints up their backs

2nd funny incident, was in Leong Nok Tha,70kms north of Ubon , british and australian engineers had spent 4 years building a strategic runway ,1 week before official opening the first plane an RAF Beverly landed full of military Top Brass , they taxied to the parking area turned off the engines and to the joy of all concerned , the Beverly proceeded in an orderly fashion to sink up to the tops of the wheels in the tarmac, the holes we made when we dug it out are still there today Nignoy

[Totster]

Only story I have about flying is from a couple of years ago....

It happened flying from UK to BKK but I can't remember the airline ( Either RJ or EVA ), anyway I was dozing quite peacefully when I was startled by shouting and screaming, well you can imagine I was a little worried, so I sat up and looked over to see what all the commotion was,...

What I could see was two men slugging it out in the isles, not much really couple of fists and a wrestle, the one guy ( who was pretty plastered ) eventually being pinned to the ground by some other of the passengers.

After they managed to calm him down and get him in his seat everything returned to normal, turns out this guy was really drunk and just started on the other guy ( the "victim" sustaining a cut on the head ).

Anyway about 5 hours later we landed at BKK and everyone had forgotton about what had happened, so everyone was a bit miffed when it was announced everyone had to remain seated even when the plane had docked with the ramp, then the boys in brown arrived, led by a stewardess who proceeded to point out drunk fighting man who was looking rather worried now....

Anyway he was frogmarched off... but I remember feeling extremely sorry for his TGF or wife who was looking very scared.... I really did feel for her...

totster

[buadhai]

A few years ago I was in China and, on several occasions, had to use one of the internal Chinese airlines.  This was the time when they had all got rid of the old Tupolev aircraft and had just taken delivery of shiny new airbuses  so the planes were all very smart.  But ...

We had live chickens and other livestock on board (every flight) and a vast assortment of hand luggage, most of which was never intended to leave the ground.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was on several of the livestock-filled Tupolev's back in the early 80's. One flight, from Xian to Shanghai (?) was overbooked. No problem. The flight attendants simply put a half a dozen folding chairs down the center aisle. A seat for everyone!

[Kan Win]

Jokes posted on this subject before. Enjoy these:-

From Francois

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3671

From George

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3649

From Cathyy

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6128

From yours truly

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6703

[dutch]

funniest;traveling with 3 goats (free walking) in the aisle of the plane

(flight from mombassa to nairobi in around 1973)

scaring;4-5 seconds in an airsack dropping in semi free fall.It looked like 5 minutes!(Alitalia 1974)

Edited April 26, 2005 by dutch

[jayenram]

Flying a local airline from Port Harcourt to Lagos. Before take-off we noticed that the wing of our plane was overlapping (behind) the wing of another aircraft. We were obviously hoping that the other aircraft would move first; but no. Ours was the first to taxi. There were about 1/2 dozen ground crew gesticulating to the pilot as he reversed, went forward, reversed, went forward, etc. until he was clear of the offending wing. Reminded me of old Reginald Molehusband!

[lampard10]

   

Jokes posted on this subject before. Enjoy these:-

From Francois

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3671

From George

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3649

From Cathyy

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6128

From yours truly

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6703

   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tears streaming down my face. That was some of the funniest stuff I've read for a long time

[Jai Dee]

Jokes posted on this subject before. Enjoy these:-

From Francois

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3671

From George

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3649

From Cathyy

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6128

From yours truly

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6703

Tears streaming down my face. That was some of the funniest stuff I've read for a long time

Great stuff Kan Win (and others)!!!