Flight Preparation Quotes

As always, we prepare for all sorts of contingencies. And the first few days of the flight up until docking on Day 3 are all spent really in the rendezvous because we launch at a time that puts us in an optimal position to catch up to station.

This was 1978, when flying was still an occasion, a special grand event that took planning and care. I worked as a TWA flight attendant then. I stood in my Ralph Lauren uniform at the boarding door and smiled at the passengers through lips coated with lipstick that perfectly matched the stripe on my jacket. Mostly, the passengers smiled back.

When I was a child, and I was at our school, everybody's parents were involved in space program. In every class, we have several kids whose fathers were flown cosmonauts or who prepared for the flight.

When the weight of the paper equals the weight of the airplane, only then you can go flying.

Poised for flight, Wings spread bright, Spring from night into the Sun.

When I fly, I never check my bags. I bring a carry-on, an eye pillow, noise-canceling headphones, a big pillow and a blanket.

But then I never had to worry about a crash landing because I never even took off.

We're doing a lot of inspection on the leading edge of our wing on 114 and 121, the first two flights.

When to arrive at the airport?: You should be at the airport already.

Once you are assigned to a flight, the whole crew is assigned at the same time, and then that crew trains together for a whole year to prepare for that flight.

In any aircraft you fly, you always think about what can go wrong, and you plan for it in advance. You always have back-up plans.

Drink a lot of water, wear big sunglasses, and don't wear make-up on the flight.

And so, I will be probably, since I am not involved in all the activity, I will have some spare time to devote to document all this busy part of the flight.

Pack an outfit to change into on the plane.

Every flight begins with a fall.

I always think it's kind of fun to get to the airport early, check in, and then go and have a meal before getting on the plane.

If you are someone's guest on a corporate jet, the most important thing to remember is not just to be on time, but to be early. If you hold up the departure of the jet by as much as 10 minutes, you may cause the plane to wait in line for another hour or two before obtaining new clearance.

If it's an international flight, I always like to wear a sheet mask.

You've done it in the simulator so many times, you don't have a real sense of being excited when the flight is going on. You're excited before, but as soon as the liftoff occurs, you are busy doing what you have to do.

On a very practical level, I've learned the importance of circulation socks for planes. I had this awful experience of getting off a flight to go to an event and my feet had swelled. Try getting into heels then! So you put on the socks for the flight, then you can wear whatever heels you want.

I don't know of any issues associated with alcohol before flight.

I put everything into my hand luggage! Really, I do!

You see, it's essential that one of us stays awake during the flight [ballon]. So, rather than using the comfortable Virgin seats which we used to cross the Atlantic, we've asked British Airways for two of theirs.

It's, I mean, for me, it's the same as training with my crewmembers. We share the same first part of the flight. We all go together. It's the most critical part of the flight, the ascent.

Before a long-haul flight, buy yourself a cheap, big, comfortable pillow. It makes a huge difference.