First A380 sighting

[cappy42 37]

Sunday morning, November 20th, 2022 I made my very first A380 sighting while taxing at CYYZ (I only fly 2 or 3 times a year predominantly in the US).  It was an Emirates parked at the gates.  Unfortunately,  I couldn't get a picture since I was in an aisle seat.  Still pretty darn exciting.  Now, for fun, reply to the thread and describe your first A380 sighting (real life of course).  I look forward to reading these from all over the world.

[Stavros 295]

I think my first sighting must have been some time around 2013, on a trip to London. However, I can say with certainty that my first flight on an A380 was on F-HPJC on May 21, 2015. Even have some mediocre photos from the flight 😄

[FBW737 512]

Driving up the 427 in the GTA spotted one on short final 33R I guess about 15 years ago.

[phmcr 93]

It must have been August 2007 when my business partner took me back to Toulouse airport for my return flight to Amsterdam when an A380 took off for a testflight. He stopped and opened the window and said; 'Listen, how quiet it is'. And indeed, despite its size and the fact that it was flying away from us, we could just continue our conversation. (Still remembering a BAC 1-11 taking off...)

[jonesrob 97]

About ten years ago, took my kids to the Farnborough Air Air Show. Stood next to the threshold when the GE-powered demonstrator performed. So impressive.

[SierraHotel 982]

We flew back from Singapore on the A380 in 2008 shortly after SQ took delivery of the first one, incredibly large and incredibly luxurious with a staircase at either end of the cabin. My wife's memory, however, always returns to overhearing one of the beautiful and immaculately dressed air hostess dropping an F bomb about one of the passengers 😁 whilst waiting for the toilet.

[Antipodeslonghaul 79]

Circa 2008, Berlin Airshow. Gross weight probably very low, it seemed to be performing stunts, multiple short takeoffs and landings, extremely tight turns etc. Not elegant looking but still very impressive. Remember around that time gas prices got very high, discussions about whether Japan or other Asian countries might max out its exit limit for all economy short hauls.

First and so far only flight around 2016, Lufthansa LAX-FRA lower deck economy, but of course went upstairs once to take a peek. Seemed a comfortable and smooth flight.

Then, not getting into a pandemic discussion, but I remember seeing a lot of them still flying early to mid 2020 on Flightradar. I was surprised. Maybe repatriation flights. After that they did actually disappear off the radar for quite some time and was happy to see them back again since maybe some time last year.

Also, not getting into any political/economic territory, but just in theory, if for example a busy corridor like Greater London to Greater NYC with I have no idea how many daily flights, let's say 20, were reduced to like only 5 A380 trips, all economy max exit limit seating. Discomfort and inconvenience for sure. But environmental footprint possibly reduced. Again not making a statement, more just fantasizing, for example going even bigger than the 380, say massively bigger, 10 times the size. Again having to redesign terminals and gates. Just impressive to contemplate.

In the meantime though I'm excited about the 777X as a clean and efficient workhorse for the coming era, and can't wait to see one.

[F737MAX 5,608]

Here's my first sighting at Farnborough Air Show 2008.

[shamrockflyer 647]

Farnborough Airshow 2006. She was BIG sitting next the the A340-600. For an aircraft of her size they did an impressive display.

[fluffyflops 1,858]

many moons ago I was on the flightdeck observers seat into LAX on the Virgin Atlantic VS7 (I was operating as cabin crew at the time) on the 340-600 and had asked to sit in for the landing as I was supernumary that day.

The 380 had just come out and was doing a tour of the USA.  we were 2 behind it going into LAX on the ils to 24R,  there were TV Choppers everywhere filming it, and the TCAS was going nuts,  "traffic traffic"  the skipper was advising ATC of the warnings and asking them to keep the choppers away.  I rememeber of one the3 pilots muttering under his breath "any second now lads, stupid bloody idiots"

about 5 seconds the tcas kicked in "climb climb" and the 340-600 was thrown up 1000 feet very quickly, and my stomach went over,  after a bit of heated discussion with atc we re-established on the glide and landed.

another ASR raised about the standard of ATC in the USA.....  

Edited November 21, 2022 by fluffyflops