I am thrilled/stunned/amused/shocked to find that following my most recent flight from Manila to Melbourne, I have now flown 1,500 times!!!! This milestone feels like a significant achievement! 86 times, almost 87 times around this earth and nine times the distance to the moon!
In 1968 I stepped onto my first plane and I was hooked! When I was a kid, I had flown so often that I begged my parents to take us by train from Nigeria to Australia instead of flying!!
I have decided that for me, there are so many highlights of flying. The first is the noise and sensation of a multi-tonne machine effortlessly lifting off the ground. I have been able to do this 1,500 times! The second is the speed at which one is connected to destinations, friends, family and events across the globe. Third is enjoying the views and sights of cities, oceans, skies and countryside. I d get grumpy when aircrew are too quick to demand windows be shut. I know people like to sleep but that’s the Swiss Alps out there!
Over two million miles, (3.5 million km) with 118 airlines to 66 countries has meant a lot of sights, and a lot of connections.
I have now been to 84 countries/territories in total. For two of those places, I walked across its borders (guess which tiny places they were?!). For one, I arrived and departed by car. Two, I arrived by ship, the others, I arrived or departed by bus, train or ferry.
My most liked airlines are:
✈️ Qatar
✈️ ANA
✈️ Emirates
✈️ Cathay Pacific
✈️ Singapore Airlines
✈️ Air New Zealand
✈️ Qantas Airways who have been my go-to airline, with about three in every ten flights being with them
I miss Ansett, BOAC, Continental, Virgin America and Malev
I am not a fan of
✈️ Air Asia
✈️ American Air
✈️ Jetstar
✈️ United
I have been to, through or out of 262 #airports. My favourites (in order):
1. Singapore
2. Hong Kong
3. Seoul
4. Doha
5. Istanbul
Best avoided are Lagos, London Heathrow, LAX and Manila
Flown on 60 different types of aircraft. When it comes to aircraft, the Boeing 737 has been my most frequent ride, with 3 in 10 of my flights being on this plane. It is not my favourite plane. To that honour go the 747, 757 and 767.
✈️ every Airbus model 300, 310, 319, 320, 321, 330, 340, 350, 380)
✈️ Boeing 7## model (707, 727, 737, 474, 757, 767, 777, 787) but NOT Boeing 737 Max.
✈️ #DC9 #DC10 #MD11 #MD95
✈️ every Embraer model
plus
✈️ Fokkers #ATRs, Q400, #Saab
✈️ Viscount #vc10 and #800
and more
(I have been #carbon offsetting my flights since #2005)
All in all, I have had an incredible journey filled with unforgettable experiences. From exploring new cultures to meeting new people, every flight has been an adventure in itself. I look forward to many more flights in the future, and I cannot wait to see where they take me.
Thank you to all the airlines, flight crews, and airport staff who have made each of my flights safe, comfortable, and enjoyable. And of course, a big thank you to all of you, my readers, for sharing in my passion for travel.
How about you? Where are you in your travel journey?
Here’s to the next 1500 flights!
Sincerely,
Martin J
It’s people like you that are not helping our planet.
Turn conscious on.
As this is a travel blog, this is about travel. A pot shot from an anonymous self-righteous misery guts doesn’t help anybody. At least get the spelling of conscience correct!
A quick FYI, I double offset all of my flights, had an almost zero emissions house in 2007 and I don’t own a motor vehicle choosing to walk and public transit everywhere I can. I also use an electric taxi service in my city when I ca. That 12 tonnes of emissions that would be emitted from my house and car every year if I was average, gives me some space to dedicate to flying. Have you totalled up your emissions and made plans or just attack others?
Staggeringly, over half of global industrial emissions since human- induced climate change was officially recognised can be traced to just 25 corporate and state-producing entities. I am not one of them and I am not an investor in any of them. Have you messaged them instead of targeting
The highest emitting companies since 1988 that are investor-owned are:
➡ ExxonMobil
➡Shell,
➡ BP
➡ Chevron
➡ Peabody
➡ Total
➡ BHP Billiton.
Key state-owned companies include
➡ Saudi Aramco
➡ Gazprom
➡ National Iranian Oil
➡ Coal India, Pemex, and
➡ CNPC (PetroChina).
Most coal emissions from China are represented by these state-owned
producers include:
➡ Shenhua Group
➡ Datong Coal Mine Group
➡ China National Coal Group
Every MINUTE, BHP (which pumps out 0.5% of the global emissions) creates MORE carbon emissions than I have created since I was born. I could eliminate all flying driving, and train travel, eat only home grown celery, brocolli and lettuce, be 100% solar and wind, only buy second hand locally made clothes from my neighbours and only walk or ride to places 10km from my house which would reduces my emissions by 90%. BHP would still pump out more emissions every SIX SECONDS than I would create in the next 25 years. How about you tackle the real problem?