[Closed] so, ive never been on a plane before . . . . .

my wife and two kids had never flown before we went to Barcelona last Easter. My son hated taking off, my daughter hated landing and my wife hated all of it. Such fun!

no advice other than make sure you have something to read and something to listen to when at the airport and on the plane.

43 years on these shores, thats impressive. I once worked with a bloke who had never left the town he was born in (Colne Lanc)

A mate's mum was in her sixties I think, before she ever went abroad.

Agree with taking a book(s). Your ears will pop as you change pressures, keep swallowing to help them.

I always found flying fun, specially if you can see out the windows. I flew back in November and could see fireworks* as I landed.

*Nope, not a voyeur 😉

ive been up and down the country (bus driver)but never had the real desire to go abroad until recently. (or, tbh the money either)
however, i now feel i want to go and see places while im still young enough to enjoy them.
got an ipod for the plane journey, and its 2 flights, so if i really dont enjoy the 1st bit down to heathrow i can have a wee drink and i will probly fall asleep on the 7h 45m bit to ottawa.

I could see how a takeoff might be a bit unsettling for someone who's never been on a plane before. I love that bit though - try and enjoy it 🙂

My first ever flight (aged 18) was Manchester to JFK.

It was horrible. I was on board a really old and scruffy tri-star run by the now defunct American Trans Air. And I got to sit next to the most nervous / crying person in the world. It was a long 8 hours I can tell you!

I still don't like flying. I need a bottle of wine to take the edge off it. I often carry a drowsiness causing anti-histamine in case I get in a sweaty / panicky state. I'd recommend something to listen to just to drown out the engine noise and other mechanical noises.

what's the worst that could happen...

lol @idave.
well, i can get my head right down between my knees no problem . . . .

[i]what's the worst that could happen... [/i]

this bloke in the next seat 😉

[img] [/img]

take ear plugs for all the family - to drownout the noise of the plane if not to drown out the noise of the crying babies

Save drinking until you land!!

Enjoy and have a good hols.

I work for a company with a presence in Ottawa - been about 20 times. It's a really manageable city on foot if you're staying in the centre.

Byward Market is the place to go for restaurants - something ridiculous like >100 in a small area, so lots of choice. Went here when I was last in Ottawa in August, and if you like a small plates type of restaurant, this could be ideal.
[url= http://www.playfood.ca/ ]Small Plates Restaurant[/url]

The Rideau Canal skating is great - stop for hot chocolate and beavertails (pastry, not real beavers) at the booths on the ice. Hopefully it will be open by then.

Let me know if you need anything else - e-mail in profile.

Paul

I also hate flying and get close to panic attacks especially take off and landing. Take books and magazines, ipods/ipads etc. As your going international get pissed!

nothing really to worry about they are designed to be in the air, my mums friend who works for airbus has some impressive stats about their planes!

Just remember that when they give the advice of what you can and can't carry in hand luggage, it's to be obeyed. Also get to the airport early.

I hate flying. To be honest it scares the shit out of me. Turbulence is the worst bit for me. It makes me literally sweat and shake with terror.

That said, I've flown so much that I'm used to it. I prepare myself. I stay totally sober. I have sweets to suck for takeoff and landing and I prefer to be able to see out of the window, as I have no fear of heights and I like to see where I am (like reading a map) and where I'm going. Banking and turning is no bother at all oddly. It has to be said I felt a lot better when I found out what these planes are capable of: Basically passenger airliners spend their entire time ticking over gently.

I want to go to places. So I have to put up with it! 🙂

Remember to pedal hard for take-off and cover the brakes during landing just in case.

Lift your feet off the floor during take off and landing to reduce the vibrations and unplesentness. Works for nervous flyers that I know.

take in an NHL game

Dull, IMHO.

try a snowmobile,

[img] [/img]

Less dull 😉

Have a great time you old romantic!

I like flying though the novelty has worn off slightly now. It is for the most part quite boring and pretty pedestrian but I always like getting a window seat and find that I am craning my neck to look out more than the 5 and 6 year olds sat near me.

Canada is quite a long one of course so just make sure you've got plenty to occupy yourself. Sounds like it'll be ace fun though, would love to go over sometime.

yeah, fancy the snowmobile thing quite a bit tbh,
both of us used to play ice hockey, so its not dull for us, but i see where your coming from if its not your thing.
when i say im excited, i actually mean im super excited!!!!
@cheshirecat, thanks for the offer of help, we are staying downtown, 1 block from the canal, so thats just the type of thing we are looking for.

i find the more i do it the more i get comfortable with it i started my with my first flight as going to new zealand as part of a prize - didnt even have a passport at the time

im not scared or nervous at thought of flying - what gets me is the shear uncomfortableness of it all and crap food giving me a dodgy stomach - im a tall chap and in cattle class it just isnt comfy.

over the last 5 years or so ive taken about 40 odd flights mostly for work and im now able to fall asleep quite comfortably on them as ive worked out what to take - where to put stuff to access it easy and what i can eat and drink without feeling sick.

choppers still scare the shit out of me and i use them quite a bit recently !

For a number of years, I'd flown in planes but never landed in one.

very sensible cougar - it's returning to earth that's fraught with problems.

My advice for newbie flyers would be: don't be tempted to take loads of hand luggage to save on hold luggage, it's a real PITA. Keep it minimal. The only stuff I take that I won't need on a plane is spare contact lenses and pants in case my luggage gets lost.

Flying long distance is dull, dull, dull. A window seat helps, especially if it's a nice day when you pass Greenland
If you haven't booked/been allocated seats yet, get on [url= http://www.seatguru.com/ ]seatguru [/url] and see what you can find

It's fine as long as the treadmill is working on takeoff.

Flying long distance is dull, dull, dull. A window seat helps, especially if it's a nice day when you pass Greenland
If you haven't booked/been allocated seats yet, get on seatguru and see what you can find

+1 for SeatGuru. Indispensable.

Also, a flat bed really helps on long haul flights! 😉

Just remember that when they give the advice of what you can and can't carry in hand luggage, it's to be obeyed. Also get to the airport early.

+1 on this - don't even think about making a joke about bombs or something stupid!

And +1000 on the good book / tablet, once you're up in the air flying is about as exciting as a long distance bus ride. But with less to look at!

Yeah flying, especially over 4 hours is tedious.

Noise cancelling headphones are great, they really do work well at removing the insessant background roar.

Don't drink alcohol, or if you do, alternate with the same amount of water.

Get a really good nights sleep before (don't stay up all night drinking then get on a plane back from New York, easily the worst 7 hours of my life)

Used to do border security for Canada working for their government so spent a lot of time in Ottawa.

Do a tour of their parliament - http://www.parl.gc.ca/Default.aspx?Language=E (well worth it)

The Canadian Museum of Civilization is very interesting - http://www.civilization.ca/home - it's just across the bridge. Learn how the country came into being.

As above Byward market is fantastic for restaurants there are loads. I like "The Keg" which is a really nice steak house (amazing steak). I always used to eat there before flying home. (There is also a strip bar and a Hooters in Ottawa as well - I went to the strip bar and the govt agency picked up the tab which technically means Canadian taxpayers paid for me to look at nudey ladies)

I used to stay in The Westin near parliament which is an ace hotel.

This was my crappy attempt at tilt-shift from the room window.

[img] [/img]

No way window seat for long flight - tourists !

Anything more that a couple of hours and aisle seat is key, you can get up and walk about as much as you want without annoying people, and have way more leg room, not that I need it mind.

Drink loads of water and the aisle seat becomes even more important.

If you really want to see the view buy a book called Earth From Space. You only get to see it at landing and take off anyway after that you will ba above the clouds.

Actually this reminds me of an unresolvable argument with old bf, he always wanted window and I like aisle. Fine, in the end we just sat separately. Says it all really...

Noise cancelling headphones are great, they really do work well at removing the insessant background roar.

Don't drink alcohol, or if you do, alternate with the same amount of water.

^^This^^. In fact, lots of this.

However, noise cancellers are an expensive way of doing it. Seeing as the OP will have only flowon once in 3,245 years or something, I don't think that's the best approach. Earplugs are great, as are decent in-ear noise isolating headphones.

I nearly missed a plane in San Francisco staying up all might clubbing the night before in Vancouver. Had a 6 hour lay-over at SF on the way back to NZ. Fell asleep on some seats. That was some weird-arse jet lag by the time I got back.

It's absolutely normal for planes to make strange noises / rattle / vibrate etc.

You're all doing it wrong. Window seat is required so you have somewhere to rest your mid-flight-hungover head and get the toilet-seat-refreshment effect. Aisle seat unnecessary as you will just pee yourself due to the volume of free wine and beer you have snaffled from the trolley.
Also, you need the moonlight to sparkle in your eyes as you charm the stewardess who has never heard any of the lines before.

Hate flying too.

Just sleep the journey off unless you are sitting next to a yoga instructor who invites you for a shower. God she was hot.

Anyway just sleep the trip off.

An old lady told me not to worry, its the taking off and landing we should be afraid off- boy did I fart.

@SkillWill - Hooters now closed (or at least the one opposite the Marriott Courtyard is) - now a Dennys.

Ottawa is a great cycling city - they close some of the roads on Sunday mornings - the one by the canal, and some over the river in the Gatineau Park. Pity it'll be too cold when the OP goes.

Can recommend places to rent bikes as well ($3500 full carbon road bike for $60 per 24 hours). Some reasonable MTB in the Gatineau Park as well, though had a bit of a moment last time we went when we saw a black bear on the trail we were just about to use.

We flew Gatwick to Vancouver with a touchdown in Edmonton. We prebooked seats in the tail as they were in pairs with window and aisle, the aisle was slightly wider here which meant you could stretch a leg out, but the downside was there was a constant roar from the engines, which you didn't get further forwards. It was a 12hr flight with an economy/short haul seating plan (Canadian Affair) and further forwards in the main part it was extremely cramped, felt relieved to be near the back where it was narrower and they couldn't cram so many seats in. The other downside, was my ears don't equalise very well, I discovered (both ways) that the take off was fine, first landing a bit of discomfort, then the second take off pretty uncomfortable, and the final landing bloody painful, 80% deaf on landing and it took 24hrs for the earache to go and hearing to come back. Was exactly the same coming back.

hels - Member

No way window seat for long flight - tourists !

@SkillWill - Hooters now closed (or at least the one opposite the Marriott Courtyard is) - now a Dennys.

Noooooo! Shame...

Take one of big religious books, Bible, Koran etc.
Read it aloud, then rip out each page after you've finished it whilst exclaming 'Won't need that anymore!'.

Always inform the stranger next to you that you love flying, but it gives you terrible wind.

If you don't like the food, ask to see the chef. They will usually be able to rustle you up a tasty alternative.

A serious one: Get a dental checkup before you fly.

Seriously - enjoy the trip - spent a couple of days in Ottowa waaaaay back in 1988...!

Not so seriously (old ones are the best....)
ask for a seat near the flight recorder - they always find that...
or
ask for a seat at the back of the plane - never yet has a plane reversed into a mountain...

A serious one: Get a dental checkup before you fly.

Oh, yes, don't go mad on the booze but my one 'rule' when travelling - once checked in and through security, it is never, ever, too early to have a G & T 🙂

Edit...

weve been married 4 and a half years, but this is our honeymoon.

Get the window seat if you want to doze/ignore everyone who attempts to bother you, there's nothing much to see so pull the thing down so you can lean,put your pillow against it don't talk to anyone avoid eye contact or they might want to bore you, transatlantic flights attract mercans and canucks who talk incessantly, tell your wife not to talk either unless she needs to speak to you then suggest she makes an appointment preferably for when the agony is over.

Noise cancelling headphones a must.

Best thing to do if funds permit, is to arrange to turn left when you get on, all that lot down the back smell, er it might cost a bit more but what the hell you can't take it with you and you could end up not surviving anyway then what would have been the point of the saving?

Drink plenty of water and avoid alchol.
I always sit near a window, as I'm like a small excited child and love looking at interesting places.
Walk up and down the aisle a few times, even if you don't want to.
And no chatting up the stewardess in front of the missus 😉

Window seat, beanie hat to pull over eyes to help you sleep. Drink alcohol every time they offer it
Neck travel cushion. In ear headphones with airseat adaptor.
This week I have 9 flights in 7 days. About half way through now.

Brant, with that sort of schedule, noise cancellers make sense!

As does trying to stick to one airline alliance to rack up those airmiles! Harder to do in China, I know, but always worth a try.

Oh, and derekrides, either turning left or going upstairs really is the only way to go on long haul, I agree.

Old tip but, dress 'smart', be nice and mention this when you check in - seriously,

Wine was nice in First though. 8)

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/aero-engine-bird-strike-how-scary

Don't ever read this thread!

can anyone recommend a nice restaurant

Lol.. Canada's a big ole place there..!

Window seat for me too. Watching endless glacier scoured rocks give way to tundra then great plains... looking out for human habitation.. farmsteads, small town America/Canada rolling underneath.. following pipelines across the great Taiga forest.. the St Lawrence river.. Great Lakes.. it's all amazing. And Greenland - omfg, is all I can say about that. One of the most incredible things I have ever seen, seriously.

Noise cancellers can be had for £50 or less, you don't need those bose ones (although they are much better of course, the cheaper ones work).

Go for seats near the back. It's actually quieter and there's more room. Esp the bit right at the back where they have to remove one seat cos the plane's narrowing, but it's not narrowing a whole seat's worth.

Rattles and squeaks are normal; the wings are meant to flex; it can be quite bumpy but that's just like driving over a rough road surface too fast - perfectly normal; it's also normal sometimes after take off to level out and slow right down to the point where you think you've stopped. You are still doing like 350mph, don't worry 🙂

Go for seats near the back. It's actually quieter and there's more room. Esp the bit right at the back where they have to remove one seat cos the plane's narrowing, but it's not narrowing a whole seat's worth.

Nope. Sorry. Seats at the back are by the galley (noise) and the bogs (noise) and other people loitering around both of these.

Up the front is much, much quieter...! 🙂

You won't get 'up the front' unless it's business class, of course. If you try and get as far forward as you can you will end up over the wings and able to see cock all. I meant that the plane noise is less at the back, further from the engines. Galley wasn't noisey the two times I've flown at the back, neither was bog noise. Two of my best flights, in fact. Which is why I am recommending it 🙂

Go for seats near the back.

Everything's a pay-off. On a long haul this often means you're near the toilets and have a few folks (and smells) hanging around all the time. as above, you don't generally get much noise from it. It's just the milling around and 2 people passing each other in the isle right where I'm sitting that annoys me.

NEAR the back but not AT the back.

Seats at the back as they never reverse into mountains....

I always made sure I was last on board, then head for an empty row or pair of seats no matter what seat you should be on.

When I did stupid amounts of longhaul (NZ for 5 days, Oz for 3 days, UK for 5, then Japan) I used a hoodie called the redeye by Burton - extended hood over the eyes, built in inflatable neck cushion, loads of extra detail for flight comfort. Noise canceling head phones, often worn over ear plugs, plenty of water, and be nice to the flight crew.

this is all good stuff,
lol @ the plane reversing into a mountain.
was gonna use a combo of big headphones(totally cover my ears)whilst wearing ear plugs.

only sit at the window on shorthauls or if your wanting to sleep unless you want to be the cock thats constantantly waking people when you get incontinant from your alcohol intake !

brant
Drink alcohol every time they offer it

+1
What's with all this advice to turn down free booze?!

It's absolutely normal for planes to make strange noises / rattle / vibrate etc.

Yes, and the wings do flap around a lot. It's by design. if it makes you feel any better if they were completely rigid they'd be ripped off. 😉

[i]the wings do flap around a lot[/i]

although if the tips touch either above or below the fuselage you are allowed to have a bit of a whimper and tighten your seatbelt.

wings are meant to flex

Speaking of which, has anyone seen the wing flex on the 787?

😯

If your'e there on Friday 3rd Feb the Senators are playing the Islanders.
Wish I was going!

Speaking of which, has anyone seen the wing flex on the 787?

Saw a destruction test of one a few years back in Everett. WOW!

I fly a lot for work, mostly short-haul but can be 20-30 flights a year if i'm really unlucky.
I'm not a big fan of flying, my top tips for you is stay away from the booze if you've not flown before, take a book and and couple of other bits to entertain yourself, as time doesn't exactly fly by...
I'd also try to sit near the back, its usually quieter.
Have fun and treat it as part of your holiday... and spare a thought for those of us who waste dozens of hours a year sat on their suitcase all alone in a strange airport, cursing because their 'bargain' low-cost flight has just been delayed, and I won't get to see the kids tonight... again. ;o)

Go to Maplin, and ask for the aircraft 2 jack converter. Airline headphones are crappy, and you cant use yours in their place unless you have the "special" jack. Noise cancelling headphones are a deffo, as is the desire to enjoy the view. Greenland is fab - look at it this way, most folk i'll never get to go there so might as well take in the view an brag that you've seen it!!

Get up and move around if you can - it's good to keep the circulation in your legs lively.

I like a couple of drinks when flying, but don't overdo it. If only because it's a long old day after you've landed!

Go to Maplin, and ask for the aircraft 2 jack converter. Airline headphones are crappy, and you cant use yours in their place unless you have the "special" jack.

Take a flying lesson before you go on the big silver bird.

It's brilliant fun and will make the big plane seem dull and unexciting.

Oh and if the captain is taken ill you can be hero for the day !!

Marty, your going to be stuck in a tin tube with loads of other peoples farts for a few hours. Its not that glamorous... Take off and landing are ace, its good fun and pretty enjoyable ...you're not going to die... don't get too excited about the food either... unless you turn left on boarding....

Airports:
Loads of signs to help. Get there early enough to avoid stress, take a note of packing stuff to take through security and help the x ray folk do their job and they will help you too. I try to work to arrive early, waste time at the airport as opposed to drive like a maniac and will I make it through security in time.... stress free

Comfy clothes, books, water, etc all help. Have a great trip and enjoy it..!

Cant help when your there but its better than meeting Merkins...

Just watch out for those A380 hairline fractures on the wings ... that was the news yesterday.

Or if you feel like fainting after 30 mins take off time make sure the oxygen mask is available ...

I love being at airports. It really is limbo. You can't do anything, nothing can get to you.. it's a parallel reality where all you have to do is be at your gate in three hours.

Don't forget to watch channel 5 tomorrow night at 8pm. Should get a few pointers 😉

During extreme turbulence, it is best not to put one's arms in the air and go weeeeeeeee! 😳

Seriously:
1) Arrive in good time, those security checks take some time. Slip on shoes mark a seasoned traveler.
2) Register as a vegetarian - food is always better than "beef or chicken".
3) Aisle out, window back, means you can get up when you want on the way out, and sleep undisturbed on the way home.
4) Remove your shoes for long-haul as your feet will swell
5) Take a book to read
6) Foam earplugs are normally enough to deaden the sound
7) Be sure to REST on the way out to minimise jet-lag. It's not 8 hrs of entertainment, get at least four hours of rest (sleep if possible)
8) Eat before flying on the way home, you'll sleep better

To those afraid of flying:

You have a 1 in 40,000 chance of having a car accident on your way home tonight.

You have a 1 in 30,000,000 chance of having a 'plane crash and even then you have a 50:50 chance of surviving because many happen on the ground.

The most dangerous part of your journey is the drive from the airport to your hotel on dodgy roads with ill-maintained vehicles.

Never request a special meal. It is a guarantee that you will NEVER get upgraded. Airlines only carry 'special' meals that have been pre-ordered so if you were suitable for upgrade then they would pick someone less fussy.

one of the biggest disappoints is the lack of access to go and see the pilots on plane these days..

Went on a flight to malta just before 911 and my friend had never been on a plane and was freaking, but after a trip to the cockpit to see the pilots and look out of the front he was fine...

deadslow, +1.

On the upgrade point - Upgrades are very, very, very rare. Regardless of what people tell you about dressing nicely and being polite and all that. I've flown way too much this last year, mostly in business. I was upgraded once. As mentioned earlier, I was rather scruffy at the time!

Make the most of whatever seat/class you are in. Use SeatGuru!

Also take photos of your luggage before you check it in, both the contents and outside. Having lost a luggage before an accurate description of the case, proof of what was in it helps when you get to the insurance stage (hopefully never).