For those of us who are or were pilots, I think everyone remembers their first solo flight. For me it was at LGB in 1975. Aircraft was a Cessna 150.

1971 SFO-IAD on TWA. To visit my uncle and family over the Christmas Holidays.

I remember they had some sort of concierge on the flight and there was an announcement that he would come around to help anyone who needed to purchase a ticket for a return flight or rental car etc. I was freaking out in my head, wondering how I was going to get home. I had no money to buy a return ticket. Why would my parents do this to me? I think I almost broke into tears when he came by. He asked me for my ticket, told me not to worry and showed me the return portion of my ticket.

March, 1969. I was 15. Executive Yankee Airlines. Dehaviland Dove. LGA to PSF.

Roughest flight of my life, if memory serves me. We were blown around pretty badly. I wasn't travelling with him, but the rector from my school was in the next row. He appeared to be praying pretty hard. I held on to the bottom of my seat. Longest hour of my life up to that point.

My first flight truly alone was DFW-LBB in 1991 and I was 19 and on my way to transfer orientation at Texas Tech. I had a friend who had just started working in special services for AA and I got upgraded by him. (Same friend still works for AA today and I still bump into him at DFW.) I also made several new friends on the flight who remained friends at Tech and some of whom I still talk to today.

I had flown sans parents many times prior to this - but I was always with a friend or someone else I knew, including a flight on Aeroflot. So getting on a plane totally alone was not a big deal at all to me when I finally did take a flight where I didn't have a companion. (I won't go so far as to say "didn't know anyone... as even when I was taking "solo" flights in college and after, I almost always ran into someone I knew on the plane.)

The best memory I can conjour is of flying on Delta to John Wayne Airport in the 80's (1985) alone, accompanying a close friend of mine as he was still one year younger than the requirement to go UM. I still remember being seated in a private room in SLC and given something to drink. Ah those were the days when you could get off the plane and walk down on the tarmac to the gate to meet your host family!

Sanosuke!

I was 29 the first time I flew alone. up until then I had always flown with family or friends. It was BA Y LHR-BKK-MEL.

The first time I flew alone was when I was 8 about 7 years ago. I flew as a UM on DL to visit my grandma in Florida and I remember I got those plastic wings and the FA gave me an extra desert. I also remember that in those days, whoever was greeting you or sending you away could actually get onto the plane.

Yes, remember it well.....1965, CHC-AKL on NAC (now Air New Zealand) Viscount. Not only first time alone, but first flight ever. Sixteen years old and scared out of my wits. Happy to report I now love flying.

I was in my early to mid teens. I was flying MCI-ATL-MIA on DL; my parents were flying CVG-MIA and I was going to meet them at the airport upon landing.

As it turned out, weather problems delayed my MCI-ATL flight so I missed my connection, the last flight to MIA for the day. It was also opening night of the '96 Olympics in ATL, so hotels were completely booked. My step-dad (who was a Gold member on DL) was able to keep contact with airport officials, so upon landing at ATL, I was put up for the night in one of the employee lounges. I remember sleeping in a cot, and having to wake up early for the next ATL-MIA flight.

My first flight was in 1989 when I was 8 years old, on a JAL flight LAX-NRT to visit my grandparents.

It was an interesting because back in those days, it was rare for a unaccompanied minor to be on a Japanese plane. All of the stewardesses (the days when they took the name as a pride) were very kind, in which they gave me a die-cast metal toy of the Boeing 747 that I was on, a destination map of the Silk-Road routes that JAL flew, and an "honorary pilot's hat." At landing in NRT, they even allowed me into the cockpit in which the pilot, the co-pilot, and the flight controller all greeted me with a warm welcome. One of the stewardesses brought a camera and took a picture of me in the pilot's seat, in which she later sent it to my grandparent's address in Japan.

It was a great time to be a child.

I agree with the previous posts that trips to the cockpit were definitely highlights of flying as a kid....i know i've been up inflight on a CX tristar, Pan Am 747, AI A310 and a an AA DC10...

Mind you, if it were still allowed, i'd love to go up to cockpits to have a chat with the pilots even now!

My first time flying by myself was in December of 1982, LAX to GEG (Spokane, WA) for a recruiting trip to Washington State University. I don't remember too much of the flight, or what airline I was on, but I do remember going home I flew GEG - SEA - LAX and getting lost in the SEA terminal. I made my flight, though.

My first time flying without my parents was when I was in the 6th grade and the entire class sold candy to take at trip on PSA, LAX -SAN, to go to Sea World. That was a fun trip.

I was 15 and flew MCO-???-MKE. I remember it was on NW, and I remember I connected but I don't remember where.

My folks went to Florida for a working vacation, and I didn't think I could join them - High School sports conflicted. Later, I was able to come along, but by the time they booked my flight, the return leg was sold out, so they flew out first and I followed about 4-5 hours later. They left my around $20 to eat and I had ravioli in a restaurant (might have been the first time I had eaten at a restaurant alone too!)

I was 7 when I took my first flight alone, from DCA - MOB. My dad was a military officer who was being transferred, so I was sent to visit my grandparents while my parents moved the household. Since my dad was a pilot, I'd spent lots of time on aircraft, but always with one or both parents.

My mom was emotional and quite teary at the thought of her "baby" flying alone, so my dad took me onto the plane. (Did they really allow the parent on the plane in those days?) I wasn't emotional myself; according to the family lore, I asked my dad to help me fasten my seatbelt, then told him not to forget to kiss me goodbye.

I was 5 or 6. Sea-Disneyland (don't remember which airport). Uneventful but I remember my parents not being there to pick me up at the gate...they were late