Jet Engines Overhead

There are few feelings in life I love so much as getting on a plane. 

It doesn’t matter what plane or where it’s going. Preferably it’ll be safe but I’ve never had the experience my parents had flying on Aeroflot in the 70s so safety hasn’t been a concern so far. For me the sensation is based on the promise of something new. When I was young you had to get on a plane to go most places and this leant an extra significance to the act. It was a treat. Something special to be savored as an occurrence because it did not come around often.

As I grew older I was fortunate enough to have jobs that involved getting on a plane sometimes. Not as much as I would have liked, because I wanted to be getting on a plane all the time. But enough that I became adept at packing and preparing for flights. I knew my routine. I went through the steps. I arrived at the airport at the exact right time needed to get through security and be ready at the gate the moment the boarding call was made. I truly relished each and every one of the times I was lucky enough to get on a plane.

I’m reminded of this feeling throughout the day as I see planes arriving and departing from Burbank airport. Hollywood Burbank Airport, or Bob Hope Airport, is my favorite airport in the world. It’s the closest experience I’ve had in America to the tales of flying  pre-9/11. Like getting on a bus. It’s not quite so simple anymore. Everyone has to pass through security. But security at Burbank airport seems faster and more relaxed than most. Add to this equation the fact that I live close by and you can see why Burbank is my top choice for where I wish to depart.

I can always tell the Southwest planes in the sky because of their branding. A blue that contrasts itself to the lighter shade of the sky. The direction the planes are going bears little relevance to their destination because I’m so close to the airport that they’ll always take off into the wind and turn around somewhere outside my field of view. The destination isn’t important. It’s the fact they are going somewhere that I find so satisfying.

I don’t mind the plane noise. It is easily tuned out. The LAPD helicopters are much more prominent. I’m sure all the jet fuel leaking over the neighborhood isn’t great. Maybe that’s what makes the sunsets so incredible in this beautiful corner of the valley.