During yesterday’s flight, a thought crossed my mind again.
I wonder how many times I’ve flown in my life? How many kilometers have I spent in the air?
I looked into it.
Data Collection
I like consistently maintained spreadsheets because it is very easy to find answers to any question—such as those mentioned above.
I didn’t enjoy yesterday’s task: having to reconstruct a specific spreadsheet after the fact, drawing on my photo collection, calendar entries, emails, and memories. Yet, I did it. This was something that had been missing from my nomadic life.
The result is this spreadsheet.
You can see when, where from, and where to I have flown. I included the IATA airport codes in the table so that I could use AI to perform calculations—to get at least an approximate idea of the total distance traveled in kilometers. It’s not an exact reflection of reality, but it’s close.
I Love Flying
I love the feeling when the plane accelerates down the runway. Even more, I love the sensation of the force as we lift off the ground.
I enjoy looking out the window—whether above or below the clouds, by day or by night. It doesn’t matter which seat I’m in, nor does it matter who is sitting next to me. I simply enjoy every moment of the flight.
I’ve wondered: is there anything about flying that I don’t like? At the moment, I can’t think of a thing. From the moment I enter an airport until I leave the one at my destination, I exist in another world—a special world, one with which I am on friendly terms.
What do these cherished numbers reveal?
I have now flown nearly the entire circumference of the Earth along the Equator—close to 38,000 kilometers in the air.
With two exceptions, all my flights have been on commercial passenger aircraft. On two occasions, I flew in a light aircraft here in Hungary.
29 takeoffs. 28 landings.
These two figures require a brief explanation: one of those light-aircraft flights culminated in a tandem skydive from an altitude of 4,000 meters. Based on this experience, I can say that I enjoy flying even when there is no aircraft beneath my feet. I am certain that, given the chance, I will jump out of a plane again.
What do these numbers signify?
First and foremost, countless happy moments. Secondly, they reflect my good fortune in having accumulated such a tally in this aspect of my life.
I am flying again this Saturday—an entry already recorded in my log.
I am not specifically waiting for the 30th entry, nor am I waiting for the total distance to exceed the length of the Equator—but both will surely come to pass.
Buy me a coffee?
If you enjoyed this story, you can buy me a coffee. You don’t have to – but it means a lot and I always turn it into a new adventure.
Buy a coffee for Steve
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