Modern-day Magic
It can be stressful showing up to the airport at six am, only to fight the hoards of people who beat you there as you meander your way up the security line. When you finally make it to the scanning station, you’ll inevitably end up doing something wrong or being pulled aside to be scrutinized again. When you finally make it through security, you grab a coffee and get to your gate.
At this point, you glance out the large terminal windows onto the tarmac and catch your first glimpse of the plane you will shortly be boarding. It will vary in size, but often will possess at least two turbo-fan jet engines. You can see the various machines, and people operating them in large reflective vests. What do all these machines do?
You fly quite often, but surmise that you still know very little about everything that comes together to prepare a plane for a successful flight. You wonder: What’s it like to work on the ground at an airport? At times working when everyone else is sleeping, with high precision as any mistake could be potentially fatal. You continue to watch the ground crews outside hustle and bustle in tight concert as the sun starts slowly peeking over the horizon.
Eventually the terminal begins to fill up with your fellow travelers. Most of them carry some version of a weary or haggled look on their faces. Except for the children. Almost without exception, they immediately run to the windows and press their faces to the glass upon arrival, absolutely giddy with excitement to see what’s happening outside. This is how you feel inside, only at your age it’s no longer socially acceptable to squish your face and hands against an airport terminal window, and remain there until boarding begins. Instead, you pick a seat which gives you a good view of the windows, and sip your coffee.
A little while later, you notice that the hoses and wires have been retracted from the plane. Almost at the same time, the gate crew from the airline make the crackly announcement that boarding will begin shortly. Immediately the majority of the people in the terminal jolt from their seats and form a raggedy line, almost pressing against each other towards the boarding pass scanner. You do not. You are, of course, not immune to the lure of forming a line in the hopes of somehow boarding the plane earlier than your boarding pass would allow. However, you resist the urge and remain in your seat, admiring the final preparations taking place outside.
The conversation volume in the terminal steadily increases, as the people waiting in line transform their nervous jitters into rapid-fire smalltalk. You listen a bit. There’s always a few similarities in these types of pre-boarding conversations. Inevitably there’s a man explaining to those around him how a plane works, as he’s taken two private flying lessons and, he assures his captive audience, that makes him almost as knowledgeable as the pilots that will be flying them today. Then there’s the mom of three, an American, who’s loudly talking about how wonderful their European vacation has been, but how glad she is to be on her way home. You get the sense she is proud of her trip, and wants everyone in the terminal to know. You can already see the instagram posts she’ll make for weeks to come in your mind.
The chatter dies down as the gate crew make the announcement: boarding has begun. The boarding pass scanner begins to beep repeatedly as people pass through. You slowly rise from your seat as the line of people diminishes. Then, finally, you too scan your boarding pass. The approving beep and green light appears, and the little glass doors in front of you swing open. The thick and heavy smell of jet engine exhaust greets you as you walk down the jet bridge. You enjoy this smell. With it comes adventure and excitement, the promise of new experiences and faraway places.
As you cross the threshold into the plane, you find your seat and get comfortable. Or at least as comfortable as you can. You are okay with the fact that your soon-to-be-airborne chair doesn’t bring with it the comforts of your couch at home. One flies, and one is stuck in your living room. You keep your eyes glued to the window as the plane is pushed back. You begin to feel the hum of the jet engines as they spool up, and soon the plane is taxiing out to the runway. As the plane lines up for takeoff, you take a deep breath. The engines’ hum transforms into a roar as maximum thrust is engaged, and you are pressed back into your seat. Within seconds, you are airborne. You watch in awe as the ground grows ever smaller below you, and with it, your cares and worries, if only temporarily.