I used to flight a lot back on the day on DC 9 and 737 classic, but it wasn’t until the day that I flown in a 747 200 that I considered myself a proper flier.
Two things that always come back to mind of that first time: how quiet was the upper desk with the engines on full during take off and the sensation that we were running out of runway.
Of course years later I flown similar planes like the airbus 340 600 but is not the same, the 747 is the queen of long haul.