Dear Aviation, We Will Get Through This
A reflection on what makes air travel so magical
They say you never truly appreciate something until it’s taken away.
I think a lot of us are feeling that with the devastation that’s been caused in the aviation industry, whether you’re an employee or a passenger who wants to travel. All we hear about is airline/aircraft manufacturer layoffs, route cancellations, aircraft retirements, and border closures.
Among all this negativity though, I’d like to focus on something good, something we can all relate to, and so l am going to talk about the Zen of air travel.
Why, you ask? Because it deserves to be said out loud. The awe and the wonder of flying have been lost on us through the ages and this pandemic has helped me revive that in myself. I am here to (hopefully) revive that in you as well. So, take this journey with me!
Pre-departure
I remember back in the “good ol’ days”, there was a certain peace, a certain calmness to the air travel process.
Starting from the ride to the airport, full of excitement, and anxiousness for my next adventure!
I know I’ll sound crazy with what I‘m about to say, but bear with me on this — the very things I and, people complain about in general, I actually miss! I miss the dread of not knowing if my checked luggage is too heavy or not (it always is).
I miss the dread of going through the metal detector at Security, freaking out that they’ll find a firearm or match sticks in my bag even though I own neither of those.
I miss the walk through Duty-Free stores while basting myself in designer fragrances, pretending to be interested in purchasing it.
I miss the walk to the business class lounge, where I am almost always turned away because I made the fatal mistake of buying Economy.
The perpetual traveler
My absolute favorite part about this entire process though is flying at sunset or at night — red-eye flight is what it’s called. You know, that dark atmosphere, feeling like a perpetual traveler, “dust in the wind,” so to speak. It feels like you’re going through an endless journey through the world. It’s dark, it’s lonely, everything’s closed, it’s an introspective environment.
I’ll sound crazy again, but as I’m boarding my flight and I get a glimpse of the aircraft through the jet bridge, it feels as if it’s inviting me in for our journey over the Atlantic together. It’s as if the machine is a living, breathing being, with the engine’s fan blades circling around saying “Hi, come on in!”.
While the general populous is in bed sleeping, we (the airplane and I) are above the Atlantic, the only thing separating us from the ocean, is each other. If that’s not intimate, I don’t know what is.
Come fly with me
When we are finally airborne, everything about being up in the air is spiritual, almost zen-like. Life on the ground, 35000 feet under us ceases to exist — it doesn’t matter. All that matters is you, yourself, and the darkness outside the window.
It gives me a chance to stop my brain’s momentum, thinking about work, my bills, rent, social media, what Musk is doing at the moment — all that goes out the window. It also gives my mind momentary clarity to do some quiet introspection on myself, my family, where I am in life, and where I want to go in life.
And I almost always tend to take something away from every flight, whether I read an article on the inflight magazine (sorry Medium), whether I watch a movie, or listen to a song. Whenever I listen to that song next, it reminds me of my flight!
That memory brings back the cacophony of sensory signals I experienced on my journey — the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes (those omelets, always made to perfection…That was a joke. Airlines just can’t get their eggs right). Speaking of sounds, remember the terrifying scream of the lavatory? BLRAGHKHKHKHKHKHK. I miss that too! Also, a great place to stretch and stare at yourself in the mirror for a needlessly large amount of time.
The galley is a great place for conversation (if you didn’t already know), enough to satisfy your wanderlust. Talking to a flight attendant opens up a sea of knowledge and stories you never knew you needed to hear! Who else can tell you about being at the Louvre on Monday, The Colosseum on Tuesday, and at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday?
So whether you’re having fun filming the sunset on a 777, taking a nap on an A350, or playing around with the inflight entertainment on a 737, that experience always stays with you.
We may not remember everything on the vacation itself, but all of us remember our journey on the airplane. All of us tell people about the pockets of turbulence we went through. Oh, remember turbulence? When you’re descending through the clouds and the plane starts to dance? Yeah, love that! For some reason, my pants feel heavier though. Every. Single. Time.
Landing & arrival
When you and I land, the airplane makes a valiant effort to brake, the Thrust-Reversers and tires working in unison to come to a complete stop from a Mach 0.8 speed in a matter of minutes. The sheer amount of forces and vibrations acting on us exhilarates the soul as if the airplane is designed specifically to transfer that energy to the passengers’ core.
Finally arriving at my vacation destination or back home, I always get the warm fuzzies! I’m either excited to start my holiday or relieved to be back home. Not a moment goes by on my journey where I am not at peace or devoid of dopamine. The miracle of flight that we all take for granted, deserves a moment’s pause and reflection.
Dear aviation
So, how is the zen of air travel actually realized? Easy. By the people who make air travel happen. The check-in agents, airport security, business lounge reception, ramp agents, janitorial staff, the K9 units, the flight attendants, the pilots and aircraft maintenance, you the passenger, and your attitude towards air travel and its unpredictability (i.e. it is what you make of it).
This well-oiled machine you don’t think about until you miss a flight, or when a pandemic happens, is the secret to this zen. But there’s some good news here. This is only temporary.
Dear Aviation, we will get through this. We will come back stronger!
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