Many moons ago I was on an Aeroflot press plane following Gorbachev around the world. We were fog-bound in Milan, but waiting on the runway for an opportunity to take off.

Everyone was standing in the aisle, leaning over seat backs, chatting, drinking, smoking when the captain announced, "Just to let you all know, I can now see one runway light. Be ready, because we'll be taking off as soon as I can see two." Three minutes later we raced down the runway with many of us still standing, drinks in hand...