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We asked for your favorite memories from an airplane to celebrate International Zero Eight Left Day this year. And with over 80 entries, you made it way too hard!! We've read these over and over and finally just had to go with our guts for our 8 $80 gift card winners. But, there are so many incredible other stories that should have won so we're sending $10 gift cards to a number of secondary winners too. Below are those that gave us permission to post. Read them and smile. And thank you for being such an amazing community!!!

THE WINNERS

July 5th, it was a normal day. Nothing too exciting. Flying passengers home from their Independence Day celebrations. Almost to my year mark as captain and just past my three year anniversary with the company. We landed in RDM, and the cutest passenger ever wanted to come see the flight deck. Of course my flight attendants let her come on up. She was so excited to see a female pilot. Kept talking about how one day she wanted to be just like me. Oh my, my heart exploded. Her name is Irie. She is even a talented artist and gifted me with a hand drawn airplane. ( which is now homed on my refrigerator) Her mom called for her to come back so they could get on their way. Irie gave me a hug and said thank you. This moment was a pivotal moment for me. I hadn't had an experience like this before. It showed me, no matter what we are doing, we are making impressions. Male, female, brown, white.. the littles are watching and looking up to us. That's all that matters. Helping the next generation. Showing them they can achieve whatever their heart desires. I hope Irie chases her dreams and crushes every one of them!!! - Emilee

My partner (Andrew) and I (Andy) met in college in 2010 at Kent State University. I was a business major and he was an air traffic control major while also pursuing his private and commercial pilot license. He always told me he would take me flying, but he let his currency lapse after college. He ended up getting picked up by the FAA as a controller in 2016 and (unbeknownst to me) in summer 2019 he started flying again to renew his currency. On August 24, 2019, he told me to meet him at work. I figured we were going to lunch...and I was wrong. I was whisked away to another local airport where he had a plane waiting for us. We hopped in and I had my first flight with him. As we came in to land at the facility where he worked, he pulled the plane around on the taxiway and at the top of the tower was a huge banner that said, "ANDY WILL YOU MARRY ME?" And of course I said yes! He hatched this plan to surprise me and all of our friends and all of his coworkers were in on the secret. After we took the banner down and got some pictures, we hopped back in the plane to fly north to one of our favorite places: Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. We did a loop around the park checking out the rides from the air before heading back to return the plane. It was, by far, my favorite experience in an airplane so far, and will be forever. - Andy

One of my most memorable moments on a plane is in 2018 when the captain of a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 invited me to the cockpit to sit in his seat. I had intentionally booked this flight LGW-LAS-LAX (home) with 5 hour layover because it was one of the only 747 aircraft remaining with economy seats on the upper deck. After I boarded the flight, the friendly FA asked me if I was returning home or going on holiday to Las Vegas, and I replied that I was going home to LA. She said, "we have direct flights to LAX, you know," and I told her my reasoning for choosing that specific route. She gasped, grabbed by hand, and led me straight to the cockpit to introduce me to the pilots. The captain let me sit in his chair with the first officer, and the FA snapped a pic. Even though I'm a grown adult, the inner child of this aviation geek felt pure excitement. Shortly after, the LGW to LAS route was ended, and Virgin Atlantic retired its 747s. I bought a VS 747 model aircraft to accompany my photo at home. - Michael

One of my best memories as a pilot was my first time flying my wife and first born son. I wanted to make it special and an enjoyable experience for them as my son was about to turn a year old and my wife was going to have her hands full. Being on the 757 based in LAX at the time my routes were limited to mostly Newark or Chicago. However when all the planets aligned I was able to get a Lihue trip that had 100 open seats and a long layover at the beautiful Marriott Beach Resort. I’d leave them there after the layover to fly the all-nighter back to the west coast and finish my trip before flying back to meet them in Kauai and spend a few days off before flying home. What an amazing opportunity to fly them both for my first time. The late afternoon departure from LAX was picture perfect for flying. I got to preboard them and show them the office of the Atari Ferrari (757). After a botched welcome aboard announcement due to nerves and distraction in the flight deck it was time to show them what I do best. We pushed back on time for the 5hr50 minute flight to Lihue. A short taxi later I find myself lined up full length on runway 25R pushing up the throttles to create the chaotic symphony of noise and fury that only the Rolls Royce RB211’s can deliver. A short and powerful take off run races by in the blink of an eye due to the light passenger load and before I know it, the wheels are in the well and we are speeding west bound chasing the sun across the pacific. Mid flight I got to go back and check up on the wife and my son. It was so satisfying to get to see their two smiling faces back there. Before I knew it, we were starting down into the islands during a dramatic sunset that only Hawaii can pull off. I picked up the airport on a long base to final approach, got the visual clearance and clicked the auto pilot and auto throttles off because I guess that was gonna show them how important this flight was?!? The captain made the 500 foot call out, to which I responded “stable”. He then ever so casually whispered, don’t forget your wife and son are in the back. Don’t mess it up”. To which I just had to laugh. Seconds later the 8 main wheels gently greeted Lihue’s runway 35. Unfortunately the nose gear didnt want to cooperate for the perfect landing. But it’s all good, they’re way in the back! I was met by a smiling wife and boy and off to the Marriott we went. One of the nice flight attendants told us she’s babysitting our boy and we were going to enjoy dinner out at Dukes. After getting to take my boy to the beach early the next morning and dipping his feet in the ocean for the first time, I knew this trip was one that I’d never forget. - Brian

When the COVID pandemic hit, my partner and I were 2 months into our planned year long sabbatical around the world. Fearing being locked down in the Philippines we boarded the first flight we can find to India due to some plans we’ve already had reserved. After hours of trying to adjust flights and avoid cancellation fees, we had a flight on Scoot to Amritsar, Punjab, India. Needless to say we had no clue where Amritsar was. On our transfer in Singapore we boarded a beautiful 787 and realized we were the only non Indians on the flight. It was then that we realized...where where we going? With no hotel/hostel booked or idea how to navigate India we landed and found our way around what we learned was the holy south of the Sikhs. It was one of the moments that I’ll remember for a lifetime. It was such an adventure and such a spur of the moment decision. Also my ability to deal with the challenges and pressures of travel. - Drew

THE REST OF THE AMAZING ENTRIES!
(in order received)

When I was a child, I flew first class on a Saudi Arabian 747 from New York to Riyadh with my family. I was very young, and I remember wondering in amazement about how we were flying over the moon. Everyone, including our flight attendants, got quite a laugh over it. This was in 87 or 88. - Nabi

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by airplanes, so, like any young aviation enthusiast, it’s a dream of mine to some day get a pilots’ license. Back in February, I got one step closer to this ultimate goal when I took a discovery flight at the local flight school. From takeoff to approach, I, with only basic simulator experience, was in control of an actual airplane. The thrill was undeniable, and I had the stupidest grin on my face the whole time. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The cloudless sky made for excellent flying conditions and the view of my hometown was incredible. It was truly an unforgettable experience. - Logan

When I was 6 I was flying Southwest into Orlando with my family. The sun was going down over the clouds as my favorite thing was to watch them from the window. Upon descent the clouds turned pink. Every single one of them. The song clocks by colplay was playing on the radio while I just admired the view with an amazing song for the time. After landing you could smell the jet fuel which just put everything into tone as we arrived into the gate. Ever since then ive dreamed of being a pilot to see that view one more time. And to this day that still remains my favorite memory and the most memorable. - Adam

I would say one of my favorite stories, and most exciting, was my first diversion as a private pilot. I spent the whole day in a new city acting touristy that I forgot to keep an eye on the forecast. I just knew that it was raining at 1 am and I'll be home by 9 pm max. But towards 6 pm I get an inkling that I should head home. I listen to my gut and fly back. And as I'm slowly getting to the city (at night) I'm noticing what looks like a cloud layer covering downtown. But it doesn't make sense because there was no forecast at all even when I departed. At 40 miles away, I listen to the arrival ATIS and hear RNAV 15L but I still can't fathom it. I decide maybe I can squeeze in a VFR arrival because the airport looks clear from the clouds, so I tune into the tower frequency and hear a pilot cleared to land - and then goes around. And then he's cleared to land a second time, and he goes around a second time. But this time he says he can't see the runway at 700 feet. That's where my training (fear then training) set in. At that point I knew my home base was out of the question, and I had work at 7am so the next nearest destination was our neighbouring airport - which I flew into once before only. I was parallel to it at this point, and quickly dialed the CTAF frequency because I wasn't sure if Tower was still on. No response. Another call, no response. I jump back to the home base airport frequency and ask them what's going on, and they gave me the tower frequency (I was calling the FBO lol) and the tower gave me a straight in for their runway. Mind you this was all happening while I'm turning away from the clouds. After landing, they suggest I go to the Maintenance hangars for tie down, but again I had no idea where to go and it's night time in a new airport. Fortunately I see the previously mentioned pilot there - a CFI at my base - and we share an an Uber home. He helps calm my nerves and gets my head back on the ground. Still made it to work at 7am the next day, with a heck of a story for my manager. - Osman

I was a fairly high-level gymnast in Spokane, WA in the 1980s. There was only one other club in Spokane at the time, and since our season was in the winter, this meant a lot of harrowing drives over the Cascades for meets (nearly every weekend) - My poor dad, who was our primary driver - I still remember how focused he'd be on the snowy roads while my teammates and I (we had a minivan and always brought one or two other gymnasts with us) were giggling in the back seat totally oblivious to how scary the drive was. One year the team decided to go to a meet in Bozeman, MT to break things up a bit. But this was a year with particularly high snowfall that no one wanted to drive in. So, the team chartered a plane. This was the first time flying for almost all of the gymnasts. There were about 15 of us on the team between the ages of 8 and 15, and we were so much more excited for the flight than the gymnastics meet the next morning. What we knew about flying came from movies or tv shows; so, we were all a little nervous that there was no door or curtain to the cockpit - we could see the pilots' every gesture, and every time they moved quickly or pointed toward something, the more nervous amongst us would jump (and usually squeal) - it was wild to be able to see through the pilots' windows, and a bit scary that the view was just darkness and snow. At one point during the pretty short flight, one of the gymnasts asked where the stewardess was, concerned that without her we would not get our peanuts - the parents did get us peanuts for the return flight. Since then, I've flown in a friend's biplane, stood on the wing of a plane the first time I went skydiving, and flown extensively (although never nearly enough), but it was that first chartered flight where every seat was a window seat, that first time I got to see city lights from above and then see the clouds from above, that sticks with me - no matter how long the lines are at the airport or how exhausted I feel, once we start taxiing, I'm immediately transported back to that first flight, that first experience of the possibility of air travel. - Adriane

The feeling of flying with an instructor is obviously comparable to driving with a driving instructor; even the slightest mistake would be supplemented by a resolution from her, and even if I couldn’t resolve the issue myself she had the ability to take control and wrangle the bird back into submission. As I walked into the hangar that day, I found myself reflecting upon that very idea. My confidence in the air had always been based on the fact that I had a safety net to catch me if I slipped, and now it was gone. Although we had warmed up beforehand, it still took a lot to build up the confidence needed to walk out to the plane and fly it alone. I was in control now, and I had to be completely accountable for my actions and decisions: I was the Pilot-in-Command. As I closed the door and scanned through the cockpit, I was still in denial that I was really about to fly alone. I let the nerves wash over me, and my training kicked in. Checklist after checklist, foot by foot, and soon enough I was sitting in N757ST (the trusty Cessna 152) on the runup pad. In what was probably an exclamation like, “..alright here we go...” I made the radio call and entered runway 17, lined up and pushed in the throttle. “Power set.” We (me and N757ST) lurched forward like some many times before, but this time there was a special level of concentration and excitement. “Airspeed alive.” The needle on the airspeed indicated 30, 40, 55 knots. “55, rotate!” I pulled up and I was up. ​I’m not doing this...I’m flying​. An uncontrollable cheek to cheek grin appeared on my face, a weight lifted off my shoulders and the first step towards my dream complete. I was still climbing out into the upwind leg of the pattern, but I was already beyond satisfied. The true moment in which I developed entirely new confidence was my approach. Every gust was reflexively countered, and I instinctively corrected altitude and airspeed to maintain a stable approach. As I crossed the runway threshold and flared for landing, something clicked in my mind and the plane became an extension of myself. I could hear Rebecca’s (my instructor) voice in my head saying “​Hold it, Hold it, Hold it,” ​and my I touched down. Aside from reaching one of the most important milestones in aviation training, I had a clear realization that day. Because I couldn’t rely on anyone to help, I was forced to grapple on my own, which increased my confidence ten-fold. If I had not soloed this early, I wouldn’t have the confidence I do now when flying. I not only understand how to work with others (with my instructor and ATC, as we are our own flight crew) but also myself in high-stress situations. I firmly believe that to work with others effectively, or even act as a leader, you need to understand how you work yourself. Even though this was an individual experience, I believe it allowed me to reflect upon how I problem-solve and lead myself daily. - Milo

My experience happened recently, April 18th, 2020. I am a nurse and I was headed to New York City to help with the CoViD19 Crisis that was affecting hard hit New York City. Alaska Airlines and AngelWingsWest helped me get out there and I was given a free ticket to get out there. Little did they know how much that helped ease some of my tension, and the stress of going out there. Alaska Airlines even upgraded me to First Class. The Flight was uneventful and only had about 30 people on board. Though it was a completely uneventful flight it meant the world to me. The staff was pleasant and professional. Normally I bring chocolates for the crew, however with CoViD I decided against it which caused me to feel a little guilty. I feel flight crews work hard and are under appreciated. I do try to fly as much as a can on a nursing salary thus every day I fly is a good day for me. I felt like a kid again at this time, but on April 18th I had to be brave even though I was shaking on the inside. I can't thank Alaska Airlines and AngelWingsWest for helping me. In the end my experience in New York City, and helping them, ended up being one of the best experiences my life. - Kyle

I was in boarding a plane in Vegas when I saw someone with a really colorful Cirque du Soleil bag. I complimented them on the bag and boarded the plane (it's so colorful it would be easy to spot - always a plus with bags for me). The person ended up sitting next to me so I asked them where they got the bag from. I've seen a lot of Cirque shows in Vegas, and always look around in gift shops after the shows, but I had never seen that bag. She told me she worked at the Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal. We talked off and on in the flight about Cirque shows, Vegas, and then Montreal. I told her I was planning a trip to Montreal for a half marathon, and she said to let me know when I was in town and she could give me a tour of Cirque headquarters. A year later I was in Montreal, texted her, and got the tour. It was the coolest thing I did all year. So that's it - complimenting someone on their luggage and making small talk on a plane led to a tour of the Cirque du Soleil headquarters. One of the coolest places I've ever been. - Bret

I was in the fifth grade and I was terrified of flying. We had just taken off from EWR and was headed to Miami. I was in the window seat (big mistake). I gripped the armrests as the plane rose up off the ground, now the we were off the ground I was a little anxious. But then it happened, the plane banked... I looked out of the window (another big mistake) and then passed out as I couldn’t overcome the fear that I was falling back towards the earth. Crazy story but I am better at flying now. 😅 - Samir

I started my amazing career as a flight attendant back in 2016. After finishing my 6 weeks of training, I was ready to take on the world. While I had a list of destinations I wanted to visit, the thing that was at the top of my bucket list was to fly on the 747. Being so new to the industry, I knew my chances of working on the 747 were slim since these aircraft were mainly used for international flights and those flights were usually staffed by senior flight attendants. Nonetheless, the day came where I was assigned a trip that had a flight segment from IAD to ORD and it was being operated on a 747! Before it was time for passengers to board, I gave myself a quick tour of the plane. I was awestruck at how big it was. For this particular segment I worked in the business galley and was geeking out when I saw the galley cart “elevator” that was used to send meals to the upper deck. To make the experience even sweeter, one of the passengers brought apple pies from their bakery for the crew to share.

Even though the flight was less than 2 hours, getting to work on the Queen of the Skies was something I’ll never forget. There is something regal and magnificent about the 747 that no other plane will be able to match. I have many fond memories from my flights, but this was definitely one of my favorites. - Andy

First flight lesson I took when I was 11. I was always obsessed with all things aviation, but actually getting into a Cessna and flying an aircraft for the first time is a magic experience I wish everyone had the opportunity to have. - Daniel

Growing up, we never had the money to travel via air, so I never really experienced flying on aircraft often. My most memorable experience was when I started to travel for work - it was my first time on a wide body 757 at the age of 30. The sound of the Roll Royce turbines spooling up brought be back to memories experienced only on simulator games. - Michael

One of the most memorable moments I had was when I moved to Los Angeles to transfer to another University. It was a hard decision: I have to move all by myself (my family lives in another country on the other side of the world), not knowing anyone in L.A. nor what to expect. The day of the move, I dragged three suitcases and my heavy backpack down the steps to a train station that took me to the Airport. As I sat down, catching my breath from hauling all my stuffs, I got a notification on my phone that my flight was canceled. I freaked out thinking about all the move-in appointments I'll miss and all that stressful jazz. I think to myself "this is not at all a good start to a new life in a new place." When I arrived at the airport, I immediately approached the check-in counter. Holding my tears, I told the lady behind the counter of how I need to somehow get on a flight by a certain time, and how it would mean the world to me if she could help me find a solution. She was very patient and listened to me, and by sheer luck, she was actually able to put me on an earlier flight that got delayed, and I would be able to arrive earlier than if my original flight wasn't delayed. The flight itself was also wonderful: the crew was very nice, the sky was clear, by all means a perfect weather to fly. And the landing was also one of the smoothest I've had. What started out as something I thought would be disastrous, turned into a story of kindness and wholesomeness that made me feel that I got a wonderful start into the next chapter of my life. I understand that this story is not exactly a story specifically about being on a plane, but I think for me it encapsulates the whole aspect and emotions that travel—and aviation—evokes within us: that moment that signified a start of something. Whether a it's the start of a vacation, a new job prospect, or in my case, a new life. And for aviation specifically, I personally always admire the fact that the experience doesn't only begin and end with a flight, but started all the way back when you stepped into the airport and ended when you stepped out of it. It was a journey in itself, and each part of it is always memorable. - Ben

Last weekend was one of my most memorable moments while flying my Airline Transport Pilot checkride! It was 3.1 hours long (plus the oral exam part) but it went so well, it was surreal. The weather was gorgeous - light/variable winds, smooth for the most part, but I was "under the hood" flying simulated IFR for most of the checkride due to the requirements.

The lead up to the checkride was 5 hours of waiting (for FAA paperwork issues) then a 3 hour oral exam, 1 hour of demonstrating preflight and getting weather, then the flight. While I was flying the flight, I kept thinking about how I just needed to do one thing, then the next thing, then the next. The 3.1 hours flew by as I went through 4 simulated engine failures, 4 instrument approaches (plus 2 missed approaches), 3 types of stalls, and other various items.

At the end of the checkride, it felt so amazing as I landed on my last simulated single engine landing and taxiied back to the ramp. After shutting down the airplane, the examiner told me I passed! It was an amazing feeling that had started with the first takeoff and continued through to the last landing. After several months of hard work, study, simulator and airplane flying, it felt amazing to be done with the checkride. I can now say that I am a Airline Transport Pilot - Multiengine. The first picture is right after I passed (it was too dark by then to take a picture) and the second is a few days later when I went out to thank the airplane and get some better photos! - Laura

Bakcountry camping at Johnson Creek in Idaho. I flew in with my partner, Jennifer, and met a couple of friends who'd arrived the prior day. It was Jennifer's first time into a backcountry strip and she was both thrilled and scared (her words). I'd done some backcountry before, and had taken training about eight years ago. Johnson Creek was on my bucket list, and it did not dissappoint. Camping was great and oh WOW the amenities: Six hot showers (no waiting), a charging pavalion with wifi, a small freezer for refreezing water bottles, free firewood, coffee served t 5 AM, a microwave, two courtesy vehicles to check out nearby Yellow Pine. Oh, and did I mentioned how much this cost - $0!!! The runway is 3400' x 120' and watered on a regular basis. But the best part was that it is so smooth, that the take-off was a dream. Everyone should add this location to their bucket list. And yes, I know it will be more crowded, but coffee each morning watching over two dozen planes take off was a lifetime memory. - Keith

My spouse and I were flying on a 777 back from Hawaii and it was our first big trip. It was also my first 777, we always film the take off and landings as he is obsessed with planes. What makes it so memorable was flying over the ocean and seeing all the colors of the sky. Seeing the shadow of the plane over the water and the engines just humming along. It really brought the beauty of flying to the fore front along with the vibrant colors you could only see from that high up. I developed a new passion for planes that day. :) - Yrral

I hadn’t been on a jet plane, or even set foot inside an international airport, since I was a little kid. All my memories of that first experience were fuzzy and skipped like an old movie. Now, it was 2014, I was 18 and a floundering freshman in college, and my dad and I were heading from Minneapolis to Pittsburgh to watch my brother’s last college swim meet. I’ll never forget that our seats were in the very last row. Dad let me take the window seat. I didn’t know the first thing about airplanes or how they fly, and I was pretty nervous about the takeoff. My blood pounded when takeoff thrust was set. But as soon as we left the ground I let out an involuntary squeal of joy and a huge smile spread over my face that I could not erase. On the way home I flew alone since my dad had to stop in Chicago on business. That day, navigating the airport by myself and anticipating that takeoff moment again, was the day I fell in love with aviation. I just didn’t know it yet. Leaving the ground in Pittsburgh, I was beaming uncontrollably and I looked at the faces around me, seeking someone else’s eyes who was enjoying the moment as much as I was. People were reading, sleeping, frowning. The man next to me didn’t stop doing crosswords for two whole hours. I couldn’t believe their lack of enthusiasm. Thus began my aviation journey. It would be a long time before I caught up with my calling, but I got my pilots license 6 years later, on May 3rd, 2020. - Charity

When I was five, I was already hooked on planes. Every weekend, my parents would bring me to an aeropark in suburban Chicago so I could watch the planes take off and land up close. One day, four WWII trainers painted in bright yellow landed. They were the aerobatic group known as Lima Lima, and they flew DCH-1 Chipmunks. As they rolled out to their parking spot and swung around all cool-like for the small crowd that had amassed, my tiny kid brain was exploding. The pilots got out and saw me gawking, and a younger pilot invited me and my mom in for a closer look. As I got close, he told me to sit in the cockpit and I scrambled in before he could finish the sentence. Sitting so low on the seat, all I could see were buttons, switches, and a wall of gauges in front of me that I had no idea what they meant. But somehow I knew that I’d be a pilot that second on. As I was absorbing all of what the pilot had to say, I saw a weird metal fabricated fixture on the cockpit. When the pilot saw what I was looking at he flipped it open, and it was literally a hand-made holder and dispenser for Juicy Fruit. So that exact moment, sitting awestruck in a plane that was easily ten times older than I was, with a Juicy Fruit. Although I Never flew in that plane, that was my best experience in one, ever. Now I’m a pilot with a seaplane rating, and a piece of Juicy Fruit had a pivotal role in it! - Benjamin

First time upfront on a plane!! Used award miles for Global First on United airlines to Brazil in 2012. Got hooked on miles and points and everything aviation related since. And now I work for an airline!! - Archit

So my story is not so much about being on a plane, but my love for commercial aircraft and the industry. It all started when I was young and my Dad took me to the airport to pick up my grandparents. We went to the observation deck and I just remember looking at the planes and how amazing they were/are. I was hooked.

My first flight was from Albuquerque to El Paso on Southwest. You would of thought I had just won the lottery. The 45 minute flight was one of the best memories I have ever had.

From then on my love of commercial aircraft, the industry, and even flight crew has been a big part of my life. My collection of commercial aircraft models grows, there is no more wall space for my vintage airplane advertising posters, and my collection of books on commercial aircraft is over 100. And my aircraft magazines that come every month!

I watch countless flight trip reports on YouTube and dream of flying Emirates first class!

I also love flight attendants. I love the style, flair, and how the career has evolved. It is a tough job now in days, but it is still a career I would one day aspire to do.

There are a few photos here that show just a bit of my love of airplanes: ~Me at the Delta flight museum inside a Boeing 767 on display ~Me serving Delta passengers on a flight from LIS to JFK in 2020. I got to be friends with the crew and they let me play the part ~Me in front of a green screen creating our wedding safety video. My husband and I created a wedding safety video that we showed during the cocktail reception. This included showing were the bar was, obeying the DJs do not play list and more! I can send you the link if you want to see the final product ~And finally photos from our wedding. You will see the touches that we added. The big table has a selection of my model planes, our cake had my husbands love of comics and airplanes mixed in. Our photos were taken at Gravely Point near DCA There were so many details about the wedding that made it unique. The cake filling was Biscoff cookies. The welcome card was inspired by a safety card. And our programs were created by an artist that meshed our love of planes and comics ~And my trip to the fabulous TWA Hotel at JFK. What an amazing trip and time I had.

So this story does not have one memory, but my love for commercial aircraft and the industry. I love flying, I love the science of flying, and I love all that encompasses flight.

I cant wait be to back on a plane again. Sitting by the wing. Listening to the engines. Marveling at the force of turbulence. Being in Airports. And finally, just travelling and enjoying everything that comes with it. **I thought I could send multiple pictures so I sent our wedding cake picture and more more. Let me know if I can send more - Dominic

“Jacket 47 gooooooood evening. Taxi Alpha, Alpha 1, Bravo, Bravo 1, wind 160 at 14 altimeter 29.97,” said the all too familiar ground controller. As I released the brakes and pulled out of the tie down spot to taxi, the only thing on my mind was that this was just another ordinary flight. You see, as pilots, it’s very easy to take flying for granted. We hear the same ATIS followed by the same taxi instructions to the same runway headed in the same general direction. It’s often times all too same and this time was, quite frankly, just the same. However, in the back of the plane today was my brother. A young soul, fresh into the world of aviation, tagging along for a night flight across the Dallas, TX skyline. Tonight’s goal was to hop over to a nearby airport, do a few night landings, and then head home. I sat in the left seat of the glass-panel Piper Seminole, a plane that I had grown to enjoy flying as I learned the beauty of the multi-engine airplane. My instructor occupied the right seat and the 3 of us made our way to the run up area. Shortly after the runup, I approached the hold short line and made my call. “Tower, Jacket 47, runway 18, ready for departure.” Tower replied, “Jacket 47 runway 18 cleared for take off fly runway heading.” As I advanced the throttle to bring the airplane across the hold short line, I began my usual routine of sarcastically talking to myself. “LIGHTS, PITOT HEAT, TAKE OFF TIME. Alrighty folks I see 18, the compass says 18 and we were cleared for…you guessed it…18. We’re gonna hold the brakes, mixture, props, throttle, power comes to 20 inches. Green, green, green, everything is in the green. The grinch is also green. Full throttle. Release the brakes.” The plane threw me back into my seat as it jolted forward to begin tearing down the runway. The two engines of the Seminole are no GE 90s, but big enough to get the adrenaline going. “There’s 30, 40, 53, 65 nose starts to get light, 75 annnndddd rotate. Positive rate and through 88 below 109 gear coming up.” As the plane continued to climb like it did every other day I flew it, I began to look in the direction I would eventually turn to. I could see the yellow halo of the thousands of lights that illuminated the dark sky over Dallas. I could see the familiar buildings and colors of the Dallas skyline. 500 feet AGL and I was already excited for the night flight as the plane climbed like a homesick angel. As I looked to engage the autopilot, I did one final glance outside and in that moment all I saw was the beautiful yellow glow disappear from my front windshield. “Oh shit. That’s an engine failure.” The nose of the aircraft violently jerked left as the loss of an engine eliminated our climb and coordination. I pushed hard on the yoke to bring the nose down, lifting everyone out of their seats like the initial drop of a roller coaster. I could feel the blood rushing into my body as I said “think, think, think. What comes next?” You spend countless hours practicing stalls, engine failures, engine fires, all for it to lead up to this moment. However, nobody accounts for the “oh shit” factor. Realizing, that I wasn’t going to think my way out of this, I let my mind lose and my body take control. My hands moved swiftly through the cockpit like a pianist playing Beethoven’s last symphony. “Control, power, drag, identify verify,” I said, as I cleaned up the aircraft with seamless flows. “Tower, jacket 47 we’re coming back around.” A quick glance at my airspeed and the rest was left for intuition. There was no time to think. There was no time to square my turns. This landing was going to strictly be experience. Whether or not my brother or instructor said anything will always be a mystery as my mind was locked in and all the external distractions locked out. This was my airplane, and I was going to land it. I made my doglegged turn to final and did my final check “gear, flaps, gear.” As I held the plane in a steady descent, I could hear Hans Zimmer’s No Time for Caution playing through my Bose A20’s. Through the music, my instructor’s next few words echoed through the headset. “Both engines are yours for landing. Take it on the roll.” In disbelief, I slowly took both throttles and nudged them forward to verify what I had heard. Through the distraction of a passenger and his silence during the engine failure, that sly sucker got me. It was just a simulated engine failure. - Tahir

When my grandparents took me to London for the first time as my HS graduation present, my grandfather had spent years traveling BA for business. He knew EVERYONE. They upgraded us to first class. My first experience traveling internationally was BA first class when it was absolutely amazing. I will forever treasure that trip as my grandfather recently passed away and is the reason I love planes. My love of planes has also shown up in my relationship as my partner and I can spend HOURS debating which passenger jet is better. We plan trips around what airline museums we can go to. We try to book flights on aircraft we’ve never been on even if it’s super out of the way - Samantha

I’ve spent the last two and a half years working to hold a professional pilot degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I was always focused on my schoolwork during high school so I never had any time to work on starting my flight training until flight training became my school. The last two and a half years of blood, sweat, and tears (and a whole lot of money), was finally rewarded when I had the opportunity to fly back up to my home town while working on my Commercial Multi-Engine Addon. With some special help from one of the assistant chief flight instructors I was cleared to make the 400 mile journey back home with my flight instructor. I’ve never been able to share what I do with my family being far away, it was so rewarding to really be able to show them what I do and show them what they’ve been supporting since day one. It was an absolute blast full of sight seeing, great life conversations with my instructor, and running into a familiar face or two stopping for dinner and making new friends with ERAU alumni working the sector in South Carolina at the time as we returned back to Florida. As I continue through flight training to now become a CFI, I use that trip as my motivation and my drive to keep working hard and to eventually share those aviation moments with other people who will be my students one day. - Matt

My first time on a plane when I was 4 years old. I am now 18. I remember my first time vividly because I am from Los Angeles and when I was flying out of LAX for the first time ever, I remember watching all those planes around me through the window seat as we were taxing to take off from the runway. The flight was smooth but my favorite memory was seeing all those aircrafts and airlines that are no longer in service and still remembering to this day what they look like. From that day on is how I fell in love with Aviation and why I’ve always wanted my career to be related to it. I’ve chosen the pathway of being an Aerospace Engineer. - Jason

I was in college in Nashville TN and was at the airport waiting to fly home for the Christmas break. When I arrived at the airport, I saw the dreaded line of death and saw a classmate. He informed me there was a snowstorm in the Midwest and all the flights were being cancelled. He was going to rapid City south dakota and had been rerouted to denver I believe and had to stay the night. I was going to sioux falls south dakota and had already decided that I wasn't going to spend a night in some random airport when I stepped up to the counter. When I told the check-in agent where I was going he immediately chuckled and said to his mate "hey we actually got one!" If this wasn't confusing enough he didn't waste anytime and said "hurry and take your bags (even my checked one... This was pre 9/11!) And go to gate such and such. Hurry!" I hustled through and arrived at the gate and was immediately ushered into... A completely empty plane (except for the 2 pilots and 2 flight attendants). One of the flight attendants explained the plane had to be rerouted to sioux falls directly to start the day there tomorrow and instead of needing to go to st Louis annd connect I would be going directly to sioux falls. She added I could have any seat I wanted. Only time in my life I used the paid earphone... To call my parents to say I would be 2.5 hrs early! - Jayme

When I was 8 years old, my grandpa took me up in his small kit-fox airplane. I remember it so well because it was a life changing experience. Looking out the window and seeing a totally different view of earth. 8 years later that same kid is now flying Cessnas on his own, but still looking out the window in awe. - Ethan

Frustration and burnout. Two things you never expect to feel when you begin the journey to becoming a pilot. As I practiced landing after landing, my frustrations grew, and after a particularly rough day of touch and goes, my instructor, seeing the tell-tale signs of student pilot burnout decided it was time to “leave the nest” and do a cross country. That day I was sent home with the task of planning a night cross country from KCMA to KLGB using the Coastal Route over LAX.

When the night for the flight came, I pulled out my headlamp, red light at the ready and breezed through the preflight, excited to hop into the C172 and get cleared for a right downwind departure. Once en route and provided the blessing that is flight following, it was time to request clearance into the Bravo. I was walked through the radio calls by my instructor and with his help managed to keep the frequency clear of any stutters.

When cleared through the Bravo via the Coastal Route, I settled in to navigating and found my eyes beginning to truly grasp the sight right outside my window. The sea of lights beneath me pierced through the black of the night, giving the darkness of the sky a hazy glow. Then my instructor pointed out the window, identifying the lights of LAX and all I could think was that my two eyes were not truly seeing this. I didn’t want to blink, I didn’t want a second of the moment to be wasted on darkness when the lights below had been so successful in penetrating it.

In that moment, I was amidst everything I aspired to be, everything that had drawn me to aviation. I was sharing the sky with seasoned airline pilots, flying over the airport I had travelled out of a plethora of times, and watching the distant flashing lights of fellow aircraft. I once again felt like a child, legs swinging off the edge of a window seat, gazing out at the city lights. Thinking of my younger self, I felt I had completed a childhood dream. No longer was I sitting idle in a passenger seat, wishing on passing planes to be able to fly one one day. I was there, flying a plane over Los Angeles.

I was giddy, reminded why I had started to fly in the first place and my love for it reignited. I felt reinvigorated, ready for any struggle. After all, who would want to give up on a view like the one in front of me? - Raquel

I was on a flight to Paris with a connection in NYC when I was “sleeping” because of the aadmirals pre flight drinks. I was suddenly woken up with the flight attendants preparing the cabin for which I thought for a landing. I look to a stranger seat mate and ask what’s going on? He said “emergency landing, we are going down!” I looked to him and said without thinking “STFU” he said, no you “STFU and buckle up and brace” Turns out there was smoke coming from one of the engines and we landed in STL! Landed with first responders surrounding us! I get rerouted and wanted to rent a car to drive home. Called my parents and my non emotion showing father told me to continue living my dream of traveling! He talked sense into me and that was one of the most memorable flights ever. Made me much closer to my father. (February 2006) - Efren

My experience comes from the beginning of my career as an FA at Horizon. We were working a quick flight from SEA-YVR as one of many PNW turns that day. An elderly woman connecting from an Emirates flight was brought down as a pre-board. When she arrived at the front steps of the plane it was clear she was scared (a Q400 is a significantly smaller plane than the 777 she had come in on) and she did not speak any English. I did my best to calm her nerves as I helped her to her seat and offered her some water. The flight was short so there was no service but I walked through the cabin to check on her before landing. She was the last passenger to deplane in YVR so I again took her by the hands and led her down the stairs to her waiting wheelchair. As I turned to head back to the plane she reached up, put both hands on my face and with tears in her eyes said something to me in a language I didn’t recognize. I don’t know the specifics of what she said to me on that day, but the meaning was crystal clear. She taught me that acts of kindness can radically impact the world around me. I’ve taken that moment to heart and continue to carry that experience with me every time I step on a plane. - Justin

One of the most memorable moments on a plane, I was 15 or 16 at the time and I was in a Cessna 172, Flying out of SYR, I was riding in the copilot seat, once we got up to cruising altitude, the pilot said go ahead and take the controls, he let me fly around a little and then shortly after he show me what positive and negative G-Forces felt like, we flew around a little longer. Landed at Oswego County Airport (FZY) took a little break and flew back into Syracuse. - James