…Flying Isn’t As Fun As It Used To Be
1. The proliferation of flying machines that can take you basically anywhere in the world has all but eliminated the mysteries of travel. Yes, adventure stills exists in any place where you find yourself. But the exploration has been accomplished. There are not too many places in the world where a tourist, intrepid or otherwise, has not been before you. This, by no means, should stop anyone from traveling. In fact, it should be encouraged! But the days of putting down “Explorer” as your occupation have long since past.
2. When travel was considered special, people used to dress up and behave as if they were doing something truly civilized. Boarding a plane demanded fine threads, an air of sophistication, and an appreciation for the innovation in getting a giant tin can off the ground. Now that air travel has essentially become a commodity, we travel in sweat pants, fight for the arm rest at the drop of a hat and compete for the attention of overworked flight attendants. The flip side of this is that air travel is relatively cheap and it can take you anywhere you want to go. But the veneer of glamour has faded and we are left with just another way to quickly get from A to B.
3. Without a doubt, airplanes are amazing contraptions. And the people that get them into the air and keep them there do a great job of doing so. However, as the throngs of people filling up the skies continues to grow, travelers are treated more and more like cattle being herded and move across the plains. From the time you enter an airport, you are asked to line up - first for your ticket, then for security, then you are rounded up near your departure gate and coraled down the gangway onto the plane. When you finally get on the plane, unless you happen to be the Kobe Beef of passengers who travel at the front of the plane, you are crammed in and get very little to help pass the time.
4. Before terror in the sky became a common preoccupation for global travelers and governments, pilots were like doctors. You would see them in action behind the dials and blinking lights, and you can’t help but look up to them like they were heroes, especially if you were a kid that was given a personal tour of the cockpit. Unfortunately, cockpits are now built like Fort Knox. Access is restricted to only those with the highest clearance. Kids these days will never know that feeling of amazement when standing in the heart of a great flying machine like the 747.
5. Remember the plastic pilot wing pins they used to give you when you were a kid? I miss those pilot wings.
