I am so fortunate as to live near an airport - about a 15 minute drive. And on quiet - cool mornings like this morning, with a luminous cloud cover and a light breeze, you can hear the planes on the runway.
I love the sound of the roar as the engines fire up for takeoff - love the sound as the behemoths rumble down the tarmac gathering speed and I love that final release as the sound changes from a rumble to the drone of lift off.
Everything is quiet then for a few moments as if nothing had ever happened until slowly in the distance a small black bullet appears above the rooftoops climbing slowly up into the heavens and disappearing into the clouds.
Sometimes the planes bank, other times not. I prefer it when they do so they can fly in my direction and I can imagine the passengers in their seats looking out and down at me. They never come close enough for me to see them and as the plane climbs the windows become less distinct. But each and every time I soar with them on their great adventure.
I surprise people all the time when I tell them my favourite part of a flight is the takeoff and landing. If I could sit in a plane all day and have it takeoff and land in an endless circuit I would be the happiest being alive. It is a constant marvel to me how we can defy gravity this way and live to tell the tale, how we can traverse this globe of ours and go to places we never dreamed we would see or even that existed.
We are an incredible species - genius species - I wish we could all remember that all the time and strive to go higher instead of stepping into the muck of our baser selves.
*****
Hey Marlia, I still get a little thrill from a steep take off. My jumpseat faces aft and even though my port hole is small, I get a great view of the earth falling away as we soar higher.
ReplyDeleteHappiness.
Gosh I am so jealous Diva - What a perk to have on the job! I wonder how many of your peers appreciate it. Enjoy it every time and think of me.
ReplyDelete*sigh*
M