It was 3 am when I took a step out of my house early morning. I had called a cab which was waiting for me outside my house. It was -60*C the coldest temperature in the history of Edmonton. I was going back to India after a long time as I had finished my site assignment in Canada. 10th November 2010 was the day which came after one year one month and one day since I came to Canada. The day had come to see my love, my family, my friends and my country. I had never been so patient for anything before this. My Flights were from Edmonton to Toronto, then from Toronto to Frankfurt and finally from Frankfurt to Mumbai. Yes!!! I was very happy even though I had to start my day so early. Salvinder an Indian Punjabi guy who stayed in Edmonton for last seven years had become my good friend there. He really helped me in needs. He dropped me at Edmonton International airport at Air Canada entrance gate. Whole heartedly I wished him luck for his future.
My first flight was booked with Air Canada and remaining two with Lufthansa Airlines. The entire year I took flights to travel from one place to another within Canada. But I never heard or saw any Air Canada international flight. Well I would be the last person in the world to opt for Air Canada for flying anywhere. Air Canada uses propellers to fly the planes where as all other airlines use jet planes. Even though for domestic flights you won’t find planes with propellers, at least not in a country who calls itself a developed country. The problem I faced with Air Canada was whenever there was a bad cold weather these planes always terrified me. Consider, you are 20000 ft above the ground between the clouds the airhostess are serving snacks and drinks, suddenly this plane starts shaking. Shaking like shivering as if the plane is feeling too cold in negative temperature. I bet all the people start praying until they land safely. In comparison the jet planes like that of West Jet were extremely stable like if a glass of water is kept on the flap, it never shook even a bit.
Well my happiness to go home had overcome the Air Canada terror in me. I was waiting my turn for security check with my ticket in hand. It read Flight number – AC 8389, seat number 5A – confirmed, departure time: 0550 and arrival 0950. It was a long flight for domestic travel of about four hours. I smiled happily looking at it and went through the check easily. I boarded the plane and took my seat, a window seat. Since it was a domestic plane it was a smaller one with just 50 seas in it. My seat was just near the left wing and I could see the propellers right next to me. Everyone took their seats. The air hostess was demonstrating the safety features and bla, bla, bla, bla… I had known that so many times that I could demonstrate it without mistake. Anyways I was least interested to pay attention. I was looking out thinking about my wish which came true in the form of a nightmare last year in these winters. Few minutes later the air hostess came to me and the sweet old lady sitting next to me. The air hostess started, “Please pay attention to me sir and madam. As you are sitting next to the emergency exit door you need to know how to open it only in case of emergency.” The word “only” kept revolving in my head like I could imagine hundreds of O, N, L and Y flying around me. The air hostess said, “Is it ok sir? Did you understand?” She had finished explaining while I was imagining and hoping that there would be no emergency. I don’t know why I said “Yes, I did”. She went back and took her seat.
The lady next to me looked at me and smiled, I smiled back saying “I hope there is no emergency”. The old lady started laughing as if I had cracked funniest joke. I once again smiled at her with little bit of happiness, little bit of kindness and anger for her, lots of nervousness and most of Air Canada terror which was back in me. I thought she was laughing on me, as she had lived her life and was in her 70s. I was in the planning stage of mine. I was in mid twenties where people are earning as well as planning for rest of their life. The plane started moving towards runway and I started looking out. The take off was pretty scary but it did and we were in air. Another problem with these planes is that those propellers make a lot of noise. And suddenly when you are in air the noise stops or fades feeling as if the engine stopped. That is even worse. Also I don’t understand why these pilots have to take a steep turn. As soon as we went few hundred feet up the plane took a turn at very steep angle. I could see the houses exactly below the plane very clearly. Just to share it with friends I took a couple of snaps on my Sony Ericsson phone W700i. About fifteen minutes later the pilot announced “We are 25000 ft above the ground. Good weather, it is now safe to unlock the seat belts, but advised to keep it locked”. I kept it locked just to be safe. Then thought even is something happens, how this locked seat belt was going to save me. I just hoped for good flight nothing else.
Three hours had passed on the flight. The air hostess had finished serving snacks and drinks to everyone. I could see everyone’s face that they were waiting to land sooner. Suddenly the plane started shaking like I said before. There was an announcement by the pilot. “Passengers kindly fasten their seat belts. Use of lavatory avoided at this time.” The plane engine was making too much of noise and shaking a lot. Some women started shouting. I said, “Why the hell are these women shouting? Is it going to stop shaking this plane?” not too loud. The old lady next to me taped my hand and smiled. This time she smiled as if she was saying “Don’t worry everything will be fine”. Like she read my mind and knew even I too was terrified by it. Then I looked out of window and guess what? The fan propellers next to me stopped rotating.
Remaining part in next blog…
God bless you all!!!
JJJ
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