Flying to and from Stockholm in mid-winter, two particular memories come to mind.
On a flight from London to Stockholm, it was very dark and as we approached Scandinavia, one of the cabin crew asked me if I would like to go into the captain’s cabin. In those days, after 9/11, cabin doors were closed and locked. Necessary but rather sad.
I entered the cabin and the captain asked me if I would like to see the Northern Lights, pointing in their direction.
Such an experience was unique. It is difficult to describe the scene, but it was unforgettable. The darkness of the cabin and much of the sky a contrast to the magnificence of the Northern Lights. So strange standing in the cockpit of a British Airways airliner witnessing such a phenomenon. Unforgettable.
The flight back to London Heathrow was less dramatic but also colourful.
I remember sitting in my seat looking out of the window watching ice being removed from the aircraft’s wings.
Another sight caught my eye. There was a Concorde near the runway. I looked twice because it was not like a Concorde. It was in Pepsi Cola blue! That’s quite a publicity stunt. It looked rather splendid and glistened. I had heard that the Pepsi Cola blue hue would peel off in some sections due to combined heat and speed.
The Concorde took off; the sound and sight of amazing Rolls Royce engines glowing as this iconic airliner reached for the sky, ready to enter supersonic levels.
I have never been a passenger on Concorde, but one thing I have heard is that passengers’ cabin windows actually move back a little because of the temperature created while flying through the sound barrier into supersonic speed. Concorde was designed to accommodate such a phenomenon.
Has anyone flown in Concorde, or seen a Pepsi Cola Concord? I would very much like to hear of such experiences.
