It was just another flight for me. Or so I thought. I flew from Tel Aviv to Beijing a couple of days ago. As I boarded the Boeing 767 I expected the usual bore, the occasional shuteye, the discomfort. But at the other end, Dorit and the kids were waiting for me, and for that I was ready to experience infinite amounts of inconvenience…
A few years back I had a very strange observation about myself. I was a Pavlovian Dog. The thought of an airplane would put me to sleep right away. As soon as I get myself seated, my seatbelt fastened, and the airplane leaves the gate – I fall asleep. It’s truly amazing, but I doubt I experienced takeoff while being awake in quite a few years.
But this flight was different. As the purser introduced herself, I realized that she must be the mother of a former employee of mine. A pretty as well as clever employee. I went over to the purser and introduced myself. I told her that her daughter and I worked together, that I could see her daughter in her. I then went back to my seat. Being the traveler that I am, I quickly went to sleep, forfeiting an airline dinner for for a dream one. The purser stopped by a few times, but I really didn’t need anything, plus I don’t like to be given preferential treatment, and the flight was progressing nicely.
But then she came over and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Not in a million years. She offered me to spend some time at the cockpit. I enthusiastically accepted. Mind you, it isn’t very easy to get into the cockpit. There are two doors between the cabin and the cockpit, and they can’t be both open at the same time. But the space between them is too small for the two of us to stand, so one of us had to go to the bathroom. Needless to say, it was me. But a short minute after that, I was in the cockpit, where the sun was shining, and the captain and the first officer were all smiles.
I must have been too excited to say anything of significance, and I believe I mumbled something. The two men, obviously comfortable with the monster they were in control of, showed no surprise. They were nice and welcoming, and shortly after I came in, a conversation developed. We spoke about flying airplanes (I took flying lessons a decade ago, but were too scared to pursue the hobby), developing software, the computing power of the airplane and the automation. Indeed, they informed me, an untrained person can land the aircraft with instructions from the ground. I was relieved.
During my stay at the cockpit, we changed altitude from 37,100 ft to 39,100 ft. We also changed course (was part of the original flight plan), were alerted of nearby aircraft, which we later saw, and had some conversations with several control towers somewhere in China. I have no idea how long I spent in the cockpit, but I’m pretty sure it was well over an hour. It was an outstanding, exhilarating experience. I would like to use this opportunity to thank Captain Avi, and his First Office for an unforgettable experience. Also, I would like to thank the purser for giving me this opportunity.
Flying in the cockpit of a Boeing 767 from Tel Aviv to Beijing – Outstanding!
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