My First Air Travel

It sounds amazing to remember the first travel by air, like your school days when your ask to write an essay on your first Rail Journey. It was year 1977 – 1978, I was just confirmed as Asst. Engineer in the company after completion of the training as Graduate Trainee Engineer, I became member of the group responsible for Nozzle Holder Planning termed as FVB2 in the German abbreviation of planning adopted by BOSCH. Our company head office and main factory was at Banglore and during the training period I could see the seniors visiting frequently to Banglore for various reasons, I also used to think of visiting Banglore for knowing about the head office and detailed operations being carried out there, once I was called by my boss the head of the planning department Mr. S.K. Maitra called me and declared, Dilip you are supposed to go to Banglore for some urgent work and have orientation programmed there for a week. It was almost two O’clock and then he started telling you just catch a taxi to Bombay, you have got a roomed booked at the Centour Hotel, Juhu your flight is at 7:15 tomorrow morning I was literally shocked with pleasure by this sudden advice of attending what I dreamed for a long time. I was bachelor that time, excusing myself from the boss I rushed to my work table, told my colleagues about the programme, and left for my residence, prepared my bag for a week, came to the Shalimar Bus Stand from where taxis ply from Nasik to Mumbai. I hired full taxi for Bombay, which I was entitled as asst. engineer and when I reached to Bombay at the hotel it was almost 7:30 in the evening. That was my first stay at a five star hotels, admitting in this blog frankly I was not at all a costumed  for such lavish hotel stay at all, so enjoyed the nice stay in that cosy  atmosphere. I was instructed by our PRO that to catch the flight you have to report one hour in advance for checking I had requested the hotel management for a wake - up call of 5 AM which they did, I was so eager to board the plane, in the plane not realizing that the flight would not take off before its scheduled time of 7:15 AM, getting ready I reached by quarter to six to the airport.

It was my first entrance to any air port terminal, my flight was an Air Bus so, it took me some time to locate the check in counter I was remembering that if you really want to enjoy the travel ask for a window seat which promptly did while checking in a got the seat immediately them, I sat down to relax with a cup of coffee as it was enough time for the flight and the security check had not started after a few minutes there was announcement for the security check once again with the eagerness I was the first to go for the security check then the lounge.

Enquiry revealed  that the aircraft would be arriving from Banglore in a few minutes and it does happen, by the time the lounge was full of the passengers we all were observing the passengers getting down from the air craft it might have taken another half are hour before we were asked to go ahead to board the aircraft and then came the moment as the craft was not far away we all walked down to it the ladder was already attached as here again I was first to reach the ladder top, found smiling beautiful air hostess, welcoming with folded hand, first entry to an operative aircraft   ( I am using word operative as I had a training of six weeks at HAL Kanpur where I had seen air craft assembly and an aircraft too).

I occupied the seat it was window seat in the fifth row, within 15 minutes time the aircraft was full of passengers and exactly at 7:14 AM the air hostess locked the door of the aircraft make the usual announcement to advice for fastening of seat belts, demonstrated how to take care when the pressure inside the aircraft is law and finally introducing the captain of the aircraft the flight take off was announced and the thrilling moment came, as the aircraft was running I did not feel anything but as it took off there was something I felt in the churn in the stomach but it was temporary and as the craft attained certain height the feeling of stomach went away.

I looked outside the window it was all water  of the Arabian Sea of Bombay harbor  and after a while the clouds I looked down from the window and the beautiful landscape, rivers, houses looking like toys the experience was so thrilling that it could not be put on papers today, meanwhile the air hostess brought some chocolates half an hour passed, the some hostess came helping open the tray attached to the front seat then the breakfast tray with some fruit-salad a piece of bakery item and small cup of juice by the time I finished the breakfast it was already forty five minutes past aboard, I was continuously watching the scenery art side and came the announcement that the harts that we will be reaching the Banglore airport in twenty minutes time and advice of fastening of our seatbelt, which I did The aircraft I could see the city of Banglore from the window and the aircraft started landing while landing again there was a little churn in the stomach bind some jock at touch down but finally the pleasure of our hour fifteen minutes journey  first journey by air I cannot forget even today, thrilling and sweet memory.