Here are a few memorable moments.

Flying in a turboprop airfreighter in the early 1960s in a storm at night. Lightning strike, all lights and engines stop. Only the sound of air whistling as we glide, with the flight engineer illuminated by lightning flashes as he frantically popped every circuit breaker in the overhead panel until they got the engines and generators back online.

Somewhere over Texas in an AA jet (don't remember the type but a narrowbody) in the late nineties, stormy night and yes, another lightning problem. Lights go out in cabin, except for the emergency lighting. Pilot informs us we lost generators and were on battery power. Diverted to nearest airport (San Antonio) in rush to land while still powered. Some instructions on crash positions and so forth, but basically just an anxious thirty minutes or so until we landed safely.

The winner - flying SJC to NRT on a 777, about 4 hours out over the Pacific. Crew members walking back from cockpit to peer anxiously at right engine. I am one of only two in the F cabin, and can see lots of consultations with the FAs and pilots. Announcement tells us that we are turning to return to Seattle to land. Crew members keep peering at engine. Obviously fire alarm and some concern that there was still a fire active. Pilot asks passengers in main cabin to relocate to seats over the wing section, as it is the strongest area and safest if we have to ditch. Hmmm, not a good announcement, is it? Then we are asked to don life vests and sit with them for more than three hours. Not good at all. FAs bring me and other pax to front doors to walk us through how to open them "in case we are not available". FAs studying books intently. Very very not good. Most horrible three hours of my life, as the odds did not look good at all. Circle to sea near Seattle to dump fuel before landing -- another sign that fire was a significant worry still. Pilot informs us that crash vehicles will be driving alongside us as we land. Fortunately, landing was fine and we were even able to deplane through jetbridge, so they must have resolved their concerns about fire once we were at rest at the end of the runway.

I chose to take a flight back to SJC rather than get rebooked onward to Asia on another airline, nerves frazzled. Seems like many picked the same option that day.