I always had this image of the Concorde jets – they seemed huge in the pictures available at the time. But then I saw one when I was changing planes at De Gaulle airport…
And the subject came up at my kitchen table for some reason, some time later. I said to my wife, “You know, they’re surprisingly small.” And she asked, “Where did you see one?” And I stupidly answered, “At De Gaulle.”
And she rose up from her chair in righteous wrath and angrily demanded, “You’ve been to Paris?” As if I had somehow slighted her by not sneaking her aboard with my luggage.
And I said, “No, I’ve been to De Gaulle. On my way to yet another godforsaken desert hellhole to keep a roof over our heads. I’ve never actually seen Paris.”
And it barely got me through breakfast alive.
We were in Paris for a few days back in 2018 having flown out of de Gaulle, which was where I saw the Concord. Paris is a cool city with excellent food/wine and some rather interesting sites. The only thing I didn’t like was the ever present security checks. Joel, you would hate it there because if you want to visit any of the tourist sites you have to undergo a body search with a magnetic wand just like at the airport.
I committed a greater faux pas when my wife’s visa had expired the day before we left Vietnam.
She was in a flap, panicking, and I told her, “Shut up, calm down, and let me sort it out.”
It cost me AUD50, plus 800,000 Viet dong (<AUD50), which I told the immigration agent was all the cash I had on me – and it bought us a heap of smiles and a personal escort to the plane.
She didn't speak to me on the almost seven hour flight home, and I don't think she has forgiven me yet, and that was 8 months ago.
I watched two of them land together at Orlando International Airport. They didn’t seem terribly large.
🙂 Yeah, I was reflecting just the other day that I’m spoiled for almost any travel scenario at all. I carry a gun to the trash cans, I’m unlikely to be able to force myself to go unarmed in a strange city.
To give you an idea about how bad the security checks are in Paris, after standing in line for around twenty minutes to get into the Louvre (Amazing place highly recommended BTW) I went through the security screening, and they found the Swiss army knife I had forgotten I had on me. Rather than go back to the hotel (half hour metro ride) then stand in line for another twenty plus minutes, I just smiled at the guy and dropped the SAK into their collection bin.
These days, when I travel, I carry a cheap Screw pop knife with a removable blade. Now, if there is an issue, I simply take the blade out and hand it over to the young gentleman who has been tasked with this tedious job.
Well sounds like wife was a bit over the top. I did most of my traveling through airports as well. Yes, I have been to some 49 states, or at least major airports in each. Rough life and glad it is done with.
Would like to carry more but I live in a civilized part of the world. At least semi civilized.
My last commercial flight was pre 9/11. Will never fly again. The only place I’ll go, unarmed. is the VA or a court house. I don’t give a shit about “no guns” signs, unless there is a metal detector. Gun free zones equal free kill zones. No thanks. Living in Tennessee means rarely seeing one of those signs.
I once went with friends to see it at LAX (SD?) during some sort of promotional tour sometime in the last century. Watched it fly out, as you say, not huge.
Then we drove around for a bit down by the waterfront, and there were some ships up on the hard: Perry’s maybe, or Burkes.
Someone in the group said that once we had airplanes and rockets that big Aerospace would finally have arrived.
With Starship heavy I guess we are finally there.
our local hospital has sign posted that they do not allow concealed carry on their premises, I always say if the gun is properly concealed, how will they know it’s there?