The Flight

Posting has been kind of light this week. Not because nothing funny has happened in the tech support world, though. I had to catch a flight to attend a funeral. Depressing, yes. However, I do want to relay this story.

So I'm one of the last passengers to board the plane and I sit in the aisle seat next to this young kid. He couldn't have been 18 or 19, but I notice he is chatting with the guy behind us. I quickly learn that there are four friends traveling together, all in the window seats around us.

As the plane is pushed away from the gate, one of the guys starts moaning about this not being a good idea. His friends laugh and blow off his concerns. All the way out to the runway he is getting more and more agitated, complaining that he's going to get sick. Still, his friends laugh at him and tease him. The kid next to me tells me it's their first time flying. Now it all makes sense.

The plane pauses for just a minute at the end of the runway and I look over at the guy complaining. He is white as a sheet and he is gripping the seat tight. The brakes are released and we speed down the runway fast approaching take-off speed. Here we go again! The guy is all "I'm gonna be sick!" "This is crazy!" "We shouldn't be doing this!" His friends just keep razzing him.

Across the aisle from me, a lady leans over and says, "You know what's really funny?"
"What's that..." I reply.
"These guys joined the Air Force and they're flying out for training to be fighter pilots."

The plane lifted off and as everything smooths out the guy calmed down and eventually fell asleep during the flight. He didn't like landing much either.