August 19, 1980. Eastern DC-9-50, RDU-DCA. I was 10 years old, and still have the Eastern UM button. I had literally begged my mother and father to let me fly to see my aunt for as long as I could remember, and this was the day. I was so scared that I didn't want to go, but my mother made me because I'd begged so much....and the rest is history.

My memories are that the flight was scheduled for 48 minutes, the flight # was 390, and the #1 F/A was the best looking woman I'd ever seen. I got to visit the cockpit. I took the same flight the following summer, and then the next summer, I flew Piedmont Airlines. At age 13, I determined that Piedmont was a better airline, and that I wanted to be a Piedmont pilot when I grew up. Ah, the memories.