AirLine Panic?
I afraid of flying. Paradoxical for a head in the air, certainly, but true. Oh it's not panic and paralyzing fear that prevents some from getting into a flying machine whatsoever, but still. Before and during each flight is always the same. Intestines who rebel, runaway heartbeat, sweating, thoughts of fatal air disasters. My senses are magnified, so I probed the very slight movement of the wings (yes!), listen to the slightest changes in the system of reactors. In short, I freak out silently, trying to look good hosts, because anyway, we're not queer! At the same time the dreamer that I am amazed at the spectacle through the window. It's fascinating as scary, because at no time during the flight I can to take this decision of entrusting his life to a guy I do not know, in a machine maintained by an army of mechanics that I don ' have not seen the graduation!
For all these reasons I will never understand those guys who just installed on their head, open a newspaper and did not leave the flight.
The nightly snapshot of Manhattan (below) reminds me the memory of the flight from Amsterdam / New York. Epic Flight, given my little phobia of air travel. I remember a gag and I wonder how I'm not dead from a heart attack over Canada. Let me explain. Departure from Toulouse
a 1st May 2000 with my girlfriend, the epitome of serene cabins. First step towards Amsterdam. Small plane, petty theft, calm weather. So good warm. I arrive in another country of cheese and very proud of me rather cool.J 'I almost enjoyed the flight.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport: correspondence to New York. Here it goes bad, as usual there is the delay in boarding. Normal. We are in the Hall. Huge, large windows overlooking the fleet, the tracks. Our unit is parked right there. Is pending. I occasionally throw a curious eye on the cuckoo that will carry us across the Atlantic, a DC-10. Time passes and a guy comes in from the airport the plane with some sort of lifting device. He pushed through a small order to reactor height. And here is this little man who opens a huge sign, exposing the belly of the plane's left engine. It is a mechanical ! And he is now leaning in cattle, hood open! I live on blocks where this show! I say this is an inspection, it is normal, we must reassure these Dutch guys are unscrupulous, they monitor their gear before takeoff. Gulp ...
Still, the supposed inspection begins at last. Finally the hostess in charge of the boarding arrives and takes the microphone. Message to passengers in English with an accent ...... you drip Dutch Gouda. I'm trying to understand and pick up a "Sorry, (...) broken engine. (...)" The
ass landed on my head pierced sheet, so I understand the little game that is played. "The engine is broken, fix it, but ... do not worry eh! "
The hostess left us like that marinate for a good quarter of an hour. In my mind it's hell, I do not know how I will able to manage eight hours with this idea of DIY reactor. Fifteen minutes of mental torture, scarcely relieved by a royally miserable dry cake offered by the company. Maybe my last biscuit ... argh!
Return of hostess and liberating message: We replaced the air! I almost kiss the blonde! whew!
The result is a memory so my stomach is reeling, even ten years later. Nothing than to rethink, I have the shower.
off and early hours of uneventful flight. The aircraft is a cattle. Filled block. We Gave a regular American food. I am attached, the motors are good, the wings also thank you! Atlantic Crossing peaceful. Passing over Greenland, I love, I see the ice, the pack, I almost forget that my buttocks are a getaway to 9000 meters.
The coasts are in sight (I know, I follow the aircraft on the map ME instead of sleeping like some!) It's time to break away and run to the bathroom, which after five hours of flight are in a state means. Just before closing the toilet door, I saw a small light signal which requires concentrate fissa. Damn! I have to pee that rushes to my throat, I have to relieve myself.
I immediately realized my mistake. Full pee, immersed in my thoughts, come the first stirrings of the aircraft. Turbulence. The penalty is immediate and as a firefighter who has not kept his fire hose, now I redo the decoration of the toilets! I interrupt, sorry to the carnage and I returned to my seat a little ashamed.
The rest is horror. We had just won the North American continent, the weather on Canada seemed stormy and the plane zigzagged between the cumulonimbus, where the disturbances. I thought passing it durerons almost two hours continuously, without respite. Two hours of roller coaster, carnival, rodeo. Here's coffers cabin above our heads, open violently. Bags fall. A Hostess to think of it between two shocks, the truck leaves containing food and drink. A big thing in aluminum anyway, I see three good inches off of yet another hole in the air! She packed up the truck as dry.
I take the glass of orange juice on my girlfriend's pants. She is pale .... very pale. I I'm green.
Two hours of riding .... and even then not be afraid, no time, I too want to puke. The only memory I have of my time over Canada is this horrible urge to dégobiller, interrupted by a terrible sensation of falling like a stone five or six times per minute! My neighbor from the front, a nice old lady reassured me ... "I saw the turmoil, but like that, never!". I cling to my seat belt tight, tense as it is impossible that this Chinese torture .... flight did finally over. Damn there I fear. in my head are no longer analyzed as changes in engine speed. I do not treat it and the impression of falling. It's as if I had his hand on the throttle.
Next to me a Russian impassively as expressive as in the Parisian subway at rush hour. I cursed. We will be shaken as
plums until the landing gear finally reached American soil. Ground 40 ° C, 80% humidity and thunderstorms ....
We have the evening to give us. And yet the flight was normal he seems.