Have you ever watched an A380 take off and wonder 'How'? (even though you obviously know how)

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_brake_flake@reddit

I think it makes sense to think of it as relative to size. The lift force acting on the a380 is relative to its wing size (it wouldn’t take off with CRJ-200 wings). So just increase the scale factor mentally lol

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ImaManCheetah@reddit

>I mean, I know the science behind it I have a degree in AE and I still don't *really* know the science behind it lol

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

I should've said 'there's science' and not 'the science'. I know -of- 'lift, weight, drag, thrust' but not the details behind it.

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chunkymonk3y@reddit

Same but with a c5

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TheodoreK2@reddit

I grew up in Topeka and would watch the C-5’s fly right over the house. Looked like they were going slow enough to fall out of the sky.

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DanTreview@reddit

I grew up near Travis AFB and they had tons of C-5s there. In the air, they looked like they were going so slow that it made you think they were a stationary balloon or something

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zevonyumaxray@reddit

As a kid, I saw a C-5 do a flyover in the middle of an airshow. After watching the jet fighters or even the Herc that dropped a small stick of paratroops, I couldn't wrap my head around how slooooww that C-5 looked. The announcer said something about it slowing to the speed it would drop cargo with chutes, but damn

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TacohTuesday@reddit

I think the larger the aircraft, the more distorted our perception of its speed is. They are going quite fast even when they look like they are going very slow.

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

Oh it's most definitely our perception on things. But then again, can you imagine just how fucking *terrifying* it would be if we perceived something like a C5 flying by at the same 'speed' as an F-22, even if they were going the same velocity?

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fireandlifeincarnate@reddit

doin Mach 4 down the runway

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

I'd be shitting enough bricks to build a mansion ten times over.

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Te_Luftwaffle@reddit

My thought behind that is as follows: Imagine two planes/ships/cars both going 100 m/s. One of them is 10 meters long and the other is 50 meters long. If they both start with their nose at x=0m, when their noses reach x=50m the short one will have 40 meters of empty space behind it, but the long one's back end will just be crossing the start line. Therefore it looks like the smaller vehicle traversed so much more space in the same amount of time, simply because the bigger one occupies the same space for longer due to its size.

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joesnopes@reddit

Partly. But, I think more importantly, the size of C-5s, A380s and 747s misleads us. We're used to the likes of 737s. Our mind sees the big ones as of comparable size so we think they are closer than they really are. This makes their speed look slower than it really is.

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basilect@reddit

Which is exaggerated on the A380 because it *is* actually fairly slow for how big it is - the Vapp is like 20 knots slower than, say, a 777. "Super" annoying to deal with between the wake turbulence and the slow approach speed.

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Cucker_-_Tarlson@reddit

Recently I found myself plane watching with some family. We saw a couple biz jets come in, a caravan, a dash-8, and lastly, an A330. My aunt legitimately thought the A330 was the slowest one. And I get it, it definitely looked the slowest which is kinda funny since you would think it would have to be the fastest due to how much it outweighed the other planes.

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malcifer11@reddit

for a while i lived on a ranch in the boons between vacaville and davis. my trailer was *right* underneath the landing pattern and i got beautiful views of C-5s, C-17s, KC-10s, and tons of other aircraft basically every day. my whole trailer would shake and vibrate when they flew over with gear and flaps hanging out. so cool, i miss it a lot

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gobears2616@reddit

Oh for sure. I used to live in Alameda and I could see the Oakland traffic departing rwy 30. One day an Emirates A380 diverted to KOAK and the airport staff didn’t know what to do with them since there was nowhere to park the Super (not to mention the international arrival and passport control area is tiny). A day or so later they lumbered around the airport, overshadowing all the SWA 737s on the way to the runway. Also, I used to work at SFO in the rental car building at the end of the 28s and the 747s and A380 would fly majestically overhead beginning their global adventures. It was quite a sight. Also, hi u/DanTreview! 👋🏼Good to see you here

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DanTreview@reddit

Hell yeah man. I've flown in and out of Oakland more times than I can count. Sacramento was nice too - the sort of "out of the way" airport that bay area folk often overlook. Worth the drive just to avoid all the people and lines and stuff. I love airports like that. Rockford, IL and Eugene, OR are other airports like that - worth the drive just to avoid the big airport hoopla. Travis, McClellan, Mather, possibly one or two others - the Sacramento Valley was chock full of AF goodies. One of those two - McClellan or Mather, can't remember which - had a lot of B-52s and they also looked like slow moving giant insects in the sky. Wish we had more fighters in my area growing up, but hey, I'll take all the transport/logistical stuff. I'm just glad I got to see it all at a young age before they got closed. Good stuff.

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osheareddit@reddit

You’ve got Beale too with the U2s every once in a while.

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DanTreview@reddit

That's right! Forgot about Beale.

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anxietywho@reddit

Driving on the 5(?) just in front of SFO as a big one arrives is fun, always feels like they’re this close to clipping a semi.

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Cheez_Mastah@reddit

To be fair, C-5s *really* want to fly. They produce so much lift that it can be a challenge to get them on the ground because of ground effect and such.

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HawkReasonable7169@reddit

The C-5s used to rattle all of the windows in my house when they were flying in and out of the base near us. I stood in the yard and watched them in awe.

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HurlingFruit@reddit

A C-5 puts some buildings to shame.

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89inerEcho@reddit

C-5 is a building

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AardQuenIgni@reddit

I was on the roof deck of the building I work in two days ago and a flying building did an incredible bank what felt like right in front of me. It was terrifying

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howdiedoodie66@reddit

Not a c5 but one day I ran outside to look up at a plane like the five year old in me commands. As the c17 banked around the roof of the house across the street for about a half second I thought it was falling out of the sky and I was about to die. It was definitely below accepted minimums

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tiny_tims_legs@reddit

Fun story - in college I lived down the road from a USAFB and they did training flights all the time. I woke up at 5 AM one day because I swore I heard the roar of the apocalypse coming. I can feel the walls shaking, hear pencils rattling on my desk - no exaggeration. I head outside because I need to see my impending death face to face, and a massive fucking plane flying low after takeoff appears over the treeline in our backyard. I actually felt better seeing 'USAF' on the wing, but jesus christ the *noise* was insane. C-5 is fucking awesome in the literal sense of 'awe-some'. Only saw it once 14 years ago but it left *that* kinf of impression.

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ancrm114d@reddit

Came here to say this. The AFRC base I worked at as a contractor, the airport built a huge runway for a cargo hub that never materialized. So other nearby bases would often do touch-n-go's or landings then taxi and take off because the airport had such low traffic. Mostly C-17, KC-135, and other bases C-130.

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

You see E-2's doing carrier practices (and a C17 the other day doing standard touch-n-go's) at Wallops all the time.

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Garlic_Bread_Forever@reddit

I saw An-225 take off and also wondered how

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

I'm pretty sure that if I saw the An-225 take off I would swear that I'm watching some fundamental law of physics being broken.

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Feeling_Cake3658@reddit

I watch my fat wife get of the chair and i wonder how.

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PicnicBasketPirate@reddit

I've not seen an A380 but I have watched an An-124 appear to squeeze onto a runway and wonder how the pilots managed to keep the wheels off the grass

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bcarey724@reddit

I live right outside of dulles airport. I watch the 380s and 747s take off all the time. One foggy morning, I was driving on the road to the west of the airport where the one departure runway ends and I heard what sounded like an earthquake. Like out of a movie, this massive 4 engine behemoth was what felt like 100 ft above me. I was in awe. Im pretty good at identifying airplanes and knew it wasn't a 380 or 747 and didn't think it was a US military plane but I'd never seen an AN-124 before. Flight tracker confirmed it was a 124 on the way to Toronto. It was massive. So cool. I could only imagine what the mirya must have been like.

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justafleecehoodie@reddit

that mustve been a great experience, and happy cake day

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jaxxxtraw@reddit

I hope the brought enough cake for everyone!

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mogaman28@reddit

Some years ago, in fact a very long time ago, me and my highschool friends went to SVQ to watch a AN-124 depart. It was carrying Spain's sail boat to the America Cup. It was something eerie and wonderful.

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Moose135A@reddit

I tell people it's FM...F\*\*\*ing Magic.

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richbiatches@reddit

I’ve seen the video of the 747 maiden flight a number of times and every time I hold my breath because it just doesn’t seem like it’s gonna make it.

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ComfortableTonight82@reddit

Watch them load some tanks in a C-130 then it just takes off. Bruhhhhh

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ElectricalChaos@reddit

Seen the C-5 take off more than a few times and every time I know it's going fast enough but that size is just mind boggling.

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ratonbox@reddit

Boarding one doesn't do it justice in the scale of it. I flew on them a few times and didn't quite grasp the size until I saw it taxiing at Frankfurt next to a regular 737.

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laza4us@reddit

Try Beluga. Against all odds

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jankertown@reddit

It's funny, I was thinking similar the other day. I live about 30 miles east of SFO and the sunday afternoon British Airways A380 flys over sometimes. It's noticeably louder and seems lower (probably just that's its huge) than anything else leave SFO this direction. https://imgur.com/a/Aw7ULrg

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WillowOk5878@reddit

Well sure, build powerful enough engines and a brick can fly. I flew an L 1011 at the beginning of my civilian career and always thought it was amazing that this brick, even gets off the ground.

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WildPhotons@reddit

This happens to me with the super guppy and f22s.

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CrystalQuetzal@reddit

It runs off of hopes and dreams obviously.

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dablegianguy@reddit

My first flight in a 380 was like: - it’s silent - holy fuck the nose is lifting? DUDE YOU’RE AT HALF SPEED!!!

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redvariation@reddit

Yes it is amazing that takeoff onboard doesn't seem like a super energetic event nearly as much as other airliners.

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the_silent_redditor@reddit

I’ve always thought the 380 was super quiet. The first time I was flying upstairs, we started pushing back. I was sitting waiting for the engines to start, wondering what was taking so long. Then, we started moving forward. Genuinely didn’t even know they were running.

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

If memory serves, pilots on long-haul A380 flights aren't that big a fan of that because they'll hear cabin voices/noises while trying to sleep.

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hitechpilot@reddit

Because the engines are very big of a fan

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airblizzard@reddit

I've read the same thing.

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moosehq@reddit

Totally this! It’s so quiet and you’re so isolated from what’s going on. Landing has been a different experience, suddenly you feel all that mass!

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AlfaLaw@reddit

This happens to me with the newer 737 (the MAXs). It’s so silent it catches me off guard when it ascends.

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hitechpilot@reddit

This is what fuels my lifelong admiration of all flying things.

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blind_squirrel62@reddit

IMHO the commercial aviation industry is mankind’s greatest engineering achievement. That upwards of 400 people can board a machine that safely transports them thousands of miles around the globe in a matter of hours is astonishing to me. I wonder what the Wright brothers would make of modern aviation. What would they think if they saw an A388 or B748 or B77W takeoff?

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a_scientific_force@reddit

No.

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SARS-covfefe@reddit

There were like 3 jetways to board the A380 I rode on. It's crazy to know this one flying tin can you're on is holding 500 some people.

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wurstbowle@reddit

Funfact: Emirates has some A380s in service that hold over 600 people and the exit limit is a whopping 853.

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rinse3x@reddit

Same but with max 9

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Bubbly-University-94@reddit

https://youtu.be/UZGXwbPfwQs?si=v353ydLNeZvD4iD2 /thread

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paolenz@reddit

The A380 was a project where Boeing and Airbus decided to partner with each other in creating the next Jumbo jet. Halfway to the planning and design, Boeing bailed out of the project because, with their prescient foresight, the 4 engine model cannot be sustained.

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WhyEveryoneAComedian@reddit

Boeing was only involved in a preliminary joint-study on the feasibility of a high capacity airplane (not the A380). The A380 wasn't a partnership (with them, anyway).

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BoringBob84@reddit

I am skeptical that Boeing and Airbus were partners on any program. Can you tell me where I can read more about this?

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vaevictuskr@reddit

When the 747 prototype was being built there were people in and out of Boeing who did not believe it could get airborne.

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Exatex@reddit

I worked on them in Hamburg back in 2006 or so and while I *understand* how everything works, I still could not *comprehend* how they manage to fly. Just as I know how electromagnetic waves work and everything, but still can't comprehend how we can transmit 20 billion bytes per second trough thin air.

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Jabumpa@reddit

I used to think the same about B 52s

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OxfordBlue2@reddit

You’ve reminded me of my first ever long haul flight, back in the early 90s - BA 747, LHR-NRT. BA used Terminal 4 at LHR back then, and there were huge picture windows at the boarding gate. I wandered up, looked at this gigantic beast (named *City of Leeds*, and nearly as big) and thought “nah, that’s not leaving the ground “. Of course it did and I had a great flight - even got to visit the flight deck as we were over the vast nothingness of Siberia (yes, that was a thing back then).

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akraut@reddit

I was practicing power off stalls in a C172. It's no flying building but it's trippy watching the airspeed indicator drop to 35kts before the thing stops flying and realizing that's about 40mph. I'm moving slower than highway speed and still flying.

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ScottOld@reddit

Seen the A380 take off, the c17 and beluga look like they shouldn’t take off

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xignaceh@reddit

I see those Beluga's fly over my house sometimes, quite cool

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Early-Accident-8770@reddit

One of the most comfortable planes I’ve flown on, I’ve been on most passenger planes but the 380 was always super quiet and stable. 787 was pretty comfy as well.

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AnOwlFlying@reddit

I've seen an A380 on approach to land, and was amazed that something that big could fly at that speed.

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Silent-Hornet-8606@reddit

The A380 has the opposite effect on me. The wing is so large that it looks like it belongs on an even bigger airframe. It looks like it could take off with very little effort.

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Blujeanstraveler@reddit

The first time I flew in a fully loaded 747, on the very long runway take off, I was wondering if it would ever lift off,

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BoringBob84@reddit

My first experience with a 747 was boarding an aircraft at the factory. It had no interior and we were on the main deck. The space was absolutely cavernous - maybe to the point that I could look down the fuselage and see the curvature of the earth (even thought is was about 70 meters). 😁✈️ I imagine that the A380 is similar, but on *both* decks.

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snappy033@reddit

I wonder if it would be possible to configure an A380 without an upper deck. Or if it’s structural.

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coolassdude1@reddit

It's structural. That's why there's no freighter configuration available for the a380

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BigBlueMountainStar@reddit

That’s not why there isn’t a freighter version. Even with the double deck, the freight potential was huge, but Airbus had to focus on sorting out issues with the passenger version during early production and so didn’t have resource to dedicate to conclude the freighter development. They had solid orders from FedEx and UPS (20 aircraft IIRC) but they had to cancel the program.

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BoringBob84@reddit

Bummer. That would be an *epic* flying ballroom!

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MKR25@reddit

I flew a flight from Rome not long ago on the 330 The takeoff felt quiet long. We get airborne, clean up and proceed on route. The captain turns to me and says "good thing we rotated, I was starting to think we were going to drive to the destination" Cracked me up so good

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grptrt@reddit

I’ve seen the Dreamlifter take off a few times and always amazed it can get off the ground

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draghelm@reddit

I went to the Avalon Airshow a while back and they had a Qantas A380 on display for the Saturday morning and you could walk around and under it. Late morning they blocked off access and it started up and taxied off. They announced it was taking off and heading for Tullamarine (\~50 km away) it looked like it used only about half of the 3 km runway and was eerily quiet compared to every other aircraft there.

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mark_stout@reddit

I exited a commuter and came down to the ground level next to a 747. Close up like that you can't believe they'll fly.

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JDdiah@reddit

As an aeronautical engineering i can confirm its MAGIC!

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Interesting_Mind_@reddit

I once sat at this rooftop bar place that’s just near the end of the runway of a major airport, you can watch all the planes departing. I would see all these planes taking off and be checking FL24 to see the type of aircraft, and when an A380 came up, it took about twice as long to become airborne and had a very low incline compared to all the other planes (sorry I don’t know the terms to describe it). It almost looked like it wasn’t going to get off the ground, and when it did, it stayed much lower than all the other planes and ascended at a less steep angle. Was very interesting to see.

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Confident_Respect455@reddit

I had that realization when I was on a bike trail that passed right at the end of the Anchorage airport runway. Right there a 767 took off and flew like 200 ft above our heads. Like, no f-ing way that Bernoulli’s principle could say that behemoth could overcome gravity. That day was cool as fuck.

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Kardinal@reddit

I feel this way about every commercial airliner. It's hundreds or thousands of tons of steel and it's **fucking flying**. It shouldn't happen. It's fucking magic. And I love it every time.

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Bennie16egg@reddit

I often watch jets landing at Luton airport, looking down the runway after they've gone over my head. It proves to me that planes can't fly!

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Measure76@reddit

It kind of blows my mind with any aircraft. The shape of the airplane doesn't change as it goes from rolling down a runway to flying. It's the same shape through the whole takeoff procedure, yet it flies. And yes, shortly after takeoff they change some parts of the shape, flaps, landing gear, etc., but that's after it's already flying.

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krtsgnr_7230@reddit

I haven't seen anything larger than an A321 yet :(

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Late-Mathematician55@reddit

Seeing a 777 parked amongst a squadron of 380s at Terminal 3 in Dubai. "Awww look at the teenie tiny baby!"

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krtsgnr_7230@reddit

777 was Piper Perri in that context

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

Which is scary because the 777's pretty big in its own right.

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PR05ECC0@reddit

Flying in one the first time was a weird experience. I felt like it was moving so slow down the runway. Eventually it gradually lifted off but didn’t feel like a plan taking off but more like a building taking off. The rest of the flight was so uneventful that it felt less like an airliner and more like a convention center meeting hall

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Matosinhoslover@reddit

An A380 experiencing Turbulence? It IS turbulence!

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SomeRedPanda@reddit

It certainly was for the CL-604.

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BoringBob84@reddit

I have heard pilots describe the 747 as a flying barn. Then the A380 must be a flying skyscraper!

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748aef305@reddit

Never fortunate enough to see a Takeoff yet, but the first time I saw one, right after takeoff, climbing from DFW, and my immediate thought was of the Douglas Adams quote "The ship hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't".

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whiskers0n@reddit

It’s my favorite thing to see! Blows my mind ever. Single. Time!! So graceful but so impossible

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photoengineer@reddit

Then I saw Stratolaunch fly and it broke my brain.

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La_Lanterne_Rouge@reddit

I often try to imagine the little guy in the very front controlling such a monster.

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Big_Significance_775@reddit

You at the embassy??

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Alauren2@reddit

What’s the hotel name? I stay in SFO area for giants games and I LOVE plane spotting

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

Hyatt Regency Burlingame.

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Alauren2@reddit

Thanks!

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

Yeah, if you grab a room make sure it's on the Regency club level (floor 9). More expensive but it gives you lounge access and that's where I always did my watching from.

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Alauren2@reddit

Gotcha. I’ll be sure to save for that. I am probably going to see the Braves in Anaheim this year but I may do both. I love San Francisco

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Adventurous-Ad8219@reddit

I've taxied out as an A380 was coming in to park at my airport, operated a quick turn with 50 passengers both ways, and pulled back in to the airport all before it departed back to Dubai. It was doing a standard turn. That was eye-opeing to me just how massive the 380 is

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

It's outright bizarre to see that monstrosity next to, say, an ERJ-145. I'd probably just stare in disbelief if I saw a 172 Skyhawk next to one.

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M3G4T40N@reddit

I get the physics and science... My biggest question is the mechanical and material stresses the wings/fuselage endure and the repeated flexing (ranging from negative to positive loads on both the wings and fuselage). I've seen the flex tests etc but is ndt part of the a-check process etc?. I guess just overall how do they ensure the lifespan they advertise.

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OneStrongGopher@reddit

It's harder to believe when your actually flying in one. It's so big and so quiet it feels like you're barely moving on takeoff and all of a sudden you're in the air.

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jack172sp@reddit

Ah, I’m an FA on the A380 and even I wonder how on most takeoffs!

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th3thrilld3m0n@reddit

Haven't seen an a380 take off up close, but have seen an a122.

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BoringBob84@reddit

Both would be awesome!

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-burnr-@reddit

Not an A380, but F-104 Starfighter

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Shadowrend01@reddit

The 104 is the prime example of “with enough thrust, anything will fly”

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Previous_Reserve340@reddit

I raise you one X-15

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-burnr-@reddit

F-4 too

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RedditBecameTheEvil@reddit

The triumph of thrust over aerodynamics.

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seattle747@reddit

Sure! Ditto with the 747, An-225, C-5 etc.

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chicknsnotavegetabl@reddit

Doing a walk around with the flaps up, then with the flaps extended is rather illuminating. It's amazing.

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Marklar0@reddit

Everyone seems to get this feeling with the 380...I still do and I see them all the time. I think its something about the shape of it...it looks like a giant blob and because its so big it doesnt even look like its going very fast on the takeoff roll. Then it gets airborne and you feel "wtf"?

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

"I bet I could outrun that thing."

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max-pickle@reddit

You can get the same view at Gatwick. Waiting for a flight to Croatia all the planes were motoring past and then taking off. Then I saw an A380 was coming (on the flight app) so excitedly told my wife this would be a big fast one. It was in the air before it got to us. As a sailor I understand the science and have felt it working. Still amazed. Side Note - Ex GF was involved in the leading edge design.

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micabobo@reddit

I surf at Rockaway Beach in Queens a lot during the summer and see the 380 quite literally lumbering across the beach on final. Even when it is my turn in the lineup, I will stop and miss a particular wave just to watch that fat SOB take up a non-insignificant amount of real estate in the sky.

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ProudlyWearingThe8@reddit

I have watched an A380 heave itself into the sky from 500 ft. from the center line multiple times. However, I've never wondered how they did it. Because the last time I watched there was a crazy sandstorm that followed about 20 seconds after rotation, and the power that hit me made it pretty clear that that's how they do it.

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Ok-Chance-5739@reddit

Yes, I fly myself (private) and have to stick around airports frequently, but every once in a while I watch the big birds as well. Same experience with all of those large aircrafts. On long distance flights I am usually not able to sleep, or get just this one hour "sleep" due to being exhausted. On the upper deck of an A380 I actually slept and did not even notice the touchdown. I flew on it quite a few times between Asia and Europe. Always found it to be the most silent commercial aircraft.

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JFH1111@reddit

If you’re ever staying in the area again, I recommend the runway view rooms at the SFO Grand Hyatt. You can take the tram from the airport right to the lobby of the hotel. It overlooks several of the international gates. Super cool to see those planes (including A380s) up close while drinking your morning coffee sitting in the hotel room. They even provide a (really crappy) pair of binoculars and a plane spotting guide.

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

I was over at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame, so a good distance away but still close enough to see [what was going on](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/920831553666428938/1201682038487531550/image0.jpg?ex=65cab49c&is=65b83f9c&hm=d0260580dc806430bad68622ed27c6da8e921daa3134353553485153af262429&)

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mekkanik@reddit

“They hung in the air like bricks don’t.”

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jaykayenn@reddit

Ah yes, the flying apartment block.

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zoqfotpik@reddit

Watching a C-17 take off is a trip, because nothing that shape should be able to fly, and especially not at that size. But it does, really rather gracefully.

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Metallic1de@reddit

Combat landings inside a c 17 are insane. We didn't know it was coming and we all thought we were gonna die lol. Def one of my fav planes.

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richiehill@reddit

The C-17 is an awesome aircraft, although it’s noticeabley smaller than something like a C-5 or A380.

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Stahi@reddit (OP)

A C-17 was doing touch-and-go's at Wallops the other day.

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uiucengineer@reddit

Once i got to overfly ORD in the middle of the night as one was taking off. It was so weird, it looked like it was just taxiing but then it kept going.

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idkblk@reddit

I watched so many of them spotting at FRA. It is really impressive... but also when they float in. Stunning!

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Galaxydriver82@reddit

I used to take off behind them every day in a caravan. Definitely a sight.

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mbleyle@reddit

all the usual magic that makes any airplane fly, only a lot more of it.

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ElectricPiha@reddit

I remember watching a documentary 20 years ago in which a quintessential British Airways captain, 50-something, square jaw, silver hair, posh English accent said: “As you roll down the runway and hit V2, rotate the flaps, the nose lifts off and you rise up into the air. I always think to myself, this can’t be happening!”

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Poison_Pancakes@reddit

I’ve had that though while sitting on one. “It’s really weird that this building I’m in is flying through the air and banking 15° to the left.”

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kt1982mt@reddit

Absolutely! I’m always amazed that it manages to lift off the ground!

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TacohTuesday@reddit

I was at a rental car facility at LAX which was located close to the landing threshold. Seeing a monstrous 380 glide a few hundred feet above my head for landing was quite a sight.

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Prof_Slappopotamus@reddit

Every time I see that hideous thing I can't help but be impressed by the sheer size of the vertical stabilizer. It's absolutely immense, even when compared to the plane itself.

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Conscious_Raisin_436@reddit

I feel that way about any size airplane. As familiar as I am with the science and how routine flying is in my life, my brain still watches those machines take off and fly and thinks “how on Earth…”

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re7swerb@reddit

Absolutely. I’ve always loved hanging out on the flight line and watching for the moment the wheels leave the ground. From a 152 to a AN124 and everything in between - I never get tired of seeing that sight.

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MoiraRose2021@reddit

That’s why it never gets old.

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zzy335@reddit

I often bike around Jamaica Bay just west of JFK. Seeing a A380 ascend is incredible. It's so massive it looks like it is much closer than it is. And it just seems to hang in the air at a distance.

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Fortunate-Clue5926@reddit

Our intuitions are honed by evolution for coconuts and spears, not steel sky dragons.

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153 Comments