Hands trembling and sweaty, I gripped the airplane controls so tight till my knuckles turned white. I was a new pilot and it was my first time flying an airplane!
I was lucky as I was privileged to have an experienced pilot ,Jay, guiding me through my maiden flight. However, I still felt uneasy. My stomach felt heavy. Then there came the announcement of my flight. After the flight stewardess had briefed the 136 passengers on safety measures, it was time to fly!
My hand pushed the lever on the dashboard, my eyes wide and alert.
"Take deep breaths, do not be scared. Everything is going to be all right," Jay reassured me.
As the plane lifted from the ground, anxiety turned into anticipation. I started to enjoy myself. Pressure started to build up in my ears. Finally, we were soaring in the sky. I smiled to myself, relieved. It was not so bad after all.
We experienced some turbulence. Other than that, everything was going well. My grip on the controls loosened. It was a breeze!
However, not everything went as planned. I started to smell something burning. This time, fear crept over me. I started to hear passengers muttering worriedly to each other.
"Something is not right! I can smell something burning!" one of the passengers said.
The chief flight stewardess started to make safety announcements on the use of parachutes and oxygen bags.
On the other hand, Jay was unperturbed my the situation. He calmly told me to wear my parachute and oxygen mask. How I wished I had the ability to stay calm like him!
"Bang! Bang!" Two sharp bangs went.
Immediately, the plane started shaking violently. I was so scared I froze. To make matters worse, the lights went out. Luckily, the controls were still working. I carefully refocused my mind and tried to navigate my way to Singapore.
At 2am, with the help of Jay, my plane safely touched down on the taxiway at Changi Airport. The tension and fear in the air dissipated. I heard shouts of disbelief. Everybody cheered.
Jay congratulated me and the whole crowd cheered for me. I heaved a huge sigh of relief. I managed to take everyone to Singapore unscathed.
The next day, I was reported as a hero on the papers. I had saved everyone on board. It so happened that engine 2 of our airplane caught sparks and went on fire.
Oh boy! We were sure lucky that the airplane did not explode.
Reading the news, I smiled to myself contentedly. I was lucky all right, real, real lucky!
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