Vintage AVRO Giving a Pass to A-320

I am reminded of my first ever exciting Air Travel way back in 1976. At that time we had very much limited flying resources of Indian Airlines for domestic and India's official carrier Air India for international flights. Exciting! Because being first, I was to experience totally a mixed bag of fresh know-how's of flying, watching vast sky all around. I just wanted to see the earth from above it as a bird views it and get to know it personally as to how beautiful or horrific it looks. Anyway that was my one of the childhood ambitions. This desire was fulfilled in the month of June; however the exact date is not clear in this vintage model mind but I certainly do remember boarding and destination towns i.e. Trivandrum of that time; now Thiruvantapuram and Cochin and can you believe the fare? Just Rs.80/-!! May be new generation can not believe me now. It used to be almost double than 1st Class fare by train of around Rs.47/-. Well, today, just enough to buy a pack of cigarettes. The first real airplane which I could see from very close range, climb on, sit on it was AVRO or ATR with more or less same capacity of say about 35 passengers and with twin engines with big propellers. After, I got into the cabin and unto my allotted seat, seat belt duly buckled and in position, ready to meet that dream of mine face to face. Child like exhilaration and anticipation could be seen and felt all over my body like red-hot and reddened ears, hairs of the arms standing on ends giving me a tingling sensation all over the body etc.; I could now feel the sound and vibration of the twin engines of AVRO of Indian Airlines. Slowly the sound became louder and vibrations were giving way to almost shaking as the throttle of the engines increased, the plane started inching forward slowly and jamming me against the back-rest with the pull of powerful twin engines and eventually gaining speed which I had never experienced in my life before that. Slowly all the occupants tilting towards sky in nose-up position as the AVRO took off and along with it a sensation of all the guts coming out of the mouth. The on gaining enough altitude, plane leveled off and we had the liberty to remove the seat-belt, on announcement from the sari clad Indian air hostess; also the greatest liberty of a walk to restroom and even greater being an opportunity to smoke away a cigarette to glory. On being airborne for another 10 minutes, it was time for a nose-dive tilt towards the ground. Another schedule of extinguishing lighted cigarette and tightening the seat-belts. Slowly, could view things coming closer and bigger and ultimate touch-down of landing wheels, a bump and slowly break-neck speed coming to a standstill and more energized wishes replacing to have more such experiences in AVRO or ATR or AIRBUS A-320.

As the time changes so does aircrafts and new avatars being Boeing's Jumbos and Air Bus's 'A' series. Here the plane under scrutiny is no other than Airbus A-320. My latest tryst with Airbus A-320 among many during last 31 years was hardly a month old between Pune - Coimbatore. In fact, I had enough of those exciting experiences of past to brim but unless this experience is included, the 'comparison' article would not be complete, thus this concluding personal experience. Here on the backdrop of AVRO Airbus A-320 is like a Giant in front of a normal size Ass. Passengers and Cargo hold wise again a Giant; as against 31 years old passenger capacity of 35 or so it is 360 and more now. No more propellers and they have been replaced by equally giant jet engines which rockets us into sky not at speeds of 100 or 120 kms/hr speed but 150-200 kms taking off speeds, may be more too. On being airborne A-320 attains an average speed of 900 kms/hr speed. For being airborne for 1 minute, modern A320 and such planes burns up Rs.2000/- worth of aviation fuel. Now bigger monster named A-380 (being largest passenger craft as on date) by Airbus Industries is on the Indian aviation scene. In spite of its huge structure, maneuverability is easy as commented by the test pilot, on its acquisition by Kingfisher Airlines. The ride no more costs just Rs.80/- but anywhere between 1500 to Rs.2500 which may or may not include hefty Rs.1200 (Min.) airport charges or levies. No more only Indian Airlines, a sole player but numerous other players too whose cumulative efforts will benefit the consumer or air-traveler and remove this undesirable monopoly...