Ship 30 for 30
How I got to see the A380’s first flight
Ask any aeronautical engineer. They’ll tell you.
We don’t care much for politics, or the limelight. We don’t care for rollout ceremonies, or visiting bigwig VIPs. We just wanna get the job done.
But there is one event that does matter. Hugely.
First flight
They wanna see Baby Bird fly the nest. First-hand. They will sacrifice many things, but not that. Because she’s a living thing, see?
So you can imagine my disappointment come April 25th, 2005. Not only was the company NOT flying us to Toulouse for the Big Day, but some numpty had booked ME on a bloody MEETING in Bremen. When my Baby was due to fly, I would be in a small {EXPLETIVE} plane, going the wrong direction.
Get David Kimbell’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
And all the Bigwigs …. suddenly invented reasons to be in Toulouse. THEY would not suffer themselves to be so robbed.
Seething.
And Then She Smiled.
Morning of the Big Day, I deplane in Bremen, and walk through the terminal, watch telling me Baby was probably already in the air …. Turning left out the terminal, I nearly collide with my opposite number Marcus, who was practically running in the wrong direction.
“C’MON! She’s due up any minute!”
Hee, hee, hee. So much for the meeting then. Pell mell to a warehouse, where hundreds of engineers were standing, faces glued to a huge VideoTron.
And There She Was.
All spooled up, lights blazing, at the end of the runway.
The long hours, the adrenalyn, the arguing …. suddenly paid off.
