2010 is coming to an end, 2011 is close (as we see eg. with the thread on Where will you fly in 2011?)... time is to look back at the past 11,5 months: was it an interesting year for you, aviation-wise? Have you some remorse? Regrets? Did you manage to fulfill your (flight) plans foreseen beginning of the year? What was your best / worst flight of the year? Where they some unexpected events, flights? So, in summary: was 2010 a "grand millésime" for you?
From my side, I can say I cannot complain, even though it was not as great as 2009 (the best year so far).
fulfilled plans: discover at least one:
- new airport: CDG, LIS, PMI, OPO, ZAZ
- new airline: Air France, TAP
- new type: A-380
plans opened and reported to 2011
- a new transcontinental flight (hopefully CDG-JFK or FRA-JFK with the A-380)
- a "props" trip including: Fokker 50, Dash-8, ATR-72, BN-Trislander (should be around Easter)
remorse
- having reported a flight in Ultralight to the next day: weather turned bad during the night
regret
- not having dared to visit the A-380 cockpit on my LHR-CDG flight in July.
unexpected events / flights
- my flights in A-380: saw it totally unexpectedly while looking an info on airfrance.com. Flight was booked ten minutes after.
- two citytrips with FR, on a voluntary basis... people knowing me and my principles had trouble believing me (see also below) I booked with them...
- the visit of LH A-380 in BRU: heard about it 2 hours before its landing, fortunately, I had my camera in the car at the job, for once!
- a flight in DR-400 over the Baie de Somme in November: a surprise from my sisters (at the breakfast: "Fabien, we booked a plane for a sightseeing tour, you come with us, take-off in one hour!").
worst flight of the year
- LIS-BRU on SN's B737-300: OO-LTM. I usually enyoy flying old metal... but I was so much expecting an A319, I was really p***** off when I saw it was not the type expected. I was tired, cramped in seat 4F, and not in a good mood... this plane had at that time all the defaults of the world for me. So, any little quirk was exaggerated in my mind, and I just wanted one thing: be off that plane as soon as possible... add to that a 45 minutes waiting time at the baggage claim (after the long walk under BRU airport) and a piece of luggage damaged (fortunately, my Porto bottles were all intact
best flight of the year
I was going to say CDG-LHR on AF's A-380... but this one has been put to position number 2 after my last flight which was... ZAZ-CRL with FR! People knowing me thought I was nut when I was telling them that... But it was really the most enjoyable flight I had this year (and in Top-3 of my whole life). Was it due to the Emergency exit seat? The 5 min chat with the very nice F-A, only passenger in the B737 before other passengers came in? The general very good mood amongst the crew and passengers during the whole flight? The captain joking around? The smooth landing? I think that it was everything combined!
So, as I said, 2010 a good year! I hope 2011 will be too
Thanks for the reading... I'd be curious to read your feedback on your 2010!