My “Happy Place”

As cliché as it sounds, everyone should have at least one happy place.  I have two.  The first one I’ve had for several years, the Overlook, at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.  Just to the west of runway 18C at KCLT is a slightly elevated park that overlooks the runway and airport.  Here you can see everything from a Cessna 172, to the Lufthansa A340, to the Antonov 224 take off and land.  Commuting from home (an hour and a half away) won’t work when I’m on reserve, so I’m stuck in Charlotte when I’m not flying.  Often times, when I’m on regular reserve (I have an hour and a half to be ready for a flight,) I find myself here.  Sitting in the park, air traffic control radio tuned to 126.4, listening to tower clear plane after plane to “line up and wait,” “RNAV to GIRGY, runway 18 center, cleared for takeoff,” and “Air Shuttle 2632, runway one-eight center, winds one-eight-zero at 7, clear to land.”  You can probably tell that I’m a bit of an aviation nerd.

View from the Overlook.  A US Airways A330 lands from Europe.

View from the Overlook. A330 landing.

View from the Overlook. There are 5 companies represented in this photo.

View from the Overlook. A Dash-8 lands in front of the Charlotte skyline.

View from the Overlook. A Lufthansa A340 departs for Munich.

View from the Overlook. A FexEx cargo jet lands on 18C.

My other happy place is a little higher in elevation.  On one of our longer flights, the time after beverage service, but before gradual descent, where I have nothing to do is my other favorite time.  As much as I love the service and announcements part of my job (I’ve been told I’m too enthusiastic with my announcements for 10PM before,) the time I enjoy is the time to myself in a dark galley of an airplane.  Despite the weather on the ground, during the day, it’s always sunny above the clouds, and at night, the moon and stars are always bright.  Anything food or drink wise that’s flat that you can make with hot water is ideal for this job.  I like to pack gourmet teas in my flight bag, as I’ve always enjoyed a cup of tea.  During a flight, when I’m all alone in the galley, the passengers have been served, and are happy or asleep, there’s nothing left to do until descent.  I enjoy that time to myself with a nice cup of Earl Grey, green tea, etc., and look out the window, watching the towns go by, wondering if anyone I’m looking at down there is looking up in wonder as that small dot goes racing by.