I found out today (from here) that the Boeing 747 celebrates its 40th birthday today! On a seemingly unrelated matter, i was watching National Geographic just now - a documentary entitled Carrier, regarding life on USS Nimitz - an American aircraft carrier. Brilliant!
Ask anyone around my age and they will tell you that Nimitz was the most prized Top Trump card for Warships. It was unbeatable in every aspect, except for its top speed, losing out obviously to a smaller ship.
These two incidents brought back childhood memories. Well, more like childhood dreams. There was a point of time when i wanted to be a pilot. Well, yes, it started off as wanting to be a pilot for an F-14 Tomcat (thanks to me dad who bought me a toy F-14 when i was really young)!!! Tomcats are navy aircrafts based usually on aircraft carriers. Yes, F-14s were on the Nimitz (altho now they use mainly the F-18s as the F-14s were retired in 2006).
But i still remember that one moment in time when i told meself that i will be a pilot! It was at Subang International Airport. I was looking at the planes on the runway - and i saw a 747. It may have been a familiar sight as it has been featured in many movies - but seeing it in 'real life' is so different. Larger than life! It astounded me. I watched it as it got ready and then taxied down the runway - and this ginourmous chunk of metal lifted off the ground gracefully and flew away. I was literally moved to tears!!!
The dream remained just that. I studied law, practiced for a bit and am now teaching. The closest i ever got to piloting a Jumbo Jet was driving my sis' old Daihatsu - the number plate was WAS 747 ;-P
I did think that i may have a chance to fly when i went to UoE to do my Masters. They had a Gliding Club. Members actually get to fly in a glider. But unsurprisingly, the fees to join that club was way above my budget.
Oh well... i may not be able to fly a 747 - but at least i can still fly in one! Which was wat i did last month.
It took only slightly a little over 12 hours to get from KLIA to Heathrow!
*This was their first hit, staying at the peak of Billboard Hot 100 for 6 weeks in a row in 1997.
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