My First Flight

We arrived at the new Freetown International Airport around 12:05 am. After all our hand luggage, passports, and other travel documents were checked, we were asked to settle in the airport waiting room. The flight was scheduled to take off at 6:00 am. It was going to be an eight-hour flight on Ethiopian Airlines ET8913 from Freetown Airport to Madina in Saudi Arabia. I was one of the 367 passengers going for the 2024 pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

When we entered the airport waiting room, I couldn’t sleep. The anxiety, enthusiasm, and excitement of my first flight kept me awake. I feared being forgotten and left behind at the airport. The beauty of the new airport, coupled with the air conditioning and kindness of the staff, was awe-inspiring.

At 5:00 am, I saw the crew members—very young men and women. Among them were ladies aged about 18 to 25. The oldest among them seemed to be about 25, and the men were similarly young. I saw a man in his mid-30s, believed to be the first captain. These were healthy and energetic individuals who walked past us sluggishly. When I inquired about them, Uncle Rahim told me they were going to the plane in which we were to fly. They were going to be in charge of flying us to Madina. I was shocked. “But these are young folks,” I grumbled to Uncle Rahim. “What qualifications or technical skills do they have to fly such a huge plane?” Uncle Rahim firmly reiterated, “These guys will be flying us to Madina.” I continued with my doubts. “Do you think they are going to carry us all on their heads?” Uncle Rahim responded sarcastically with a big smile. Uncle Rahim, an elderly man in his early seventies, became my friend on the first day we met at Kingtom during our medical screening for the 2024 Hajj. He became my adviser and father figure throughout our journey to Saudi Arabia and back to Sierra Leone.

At 5:15 am, I heard the sound of musical instruments. “These must be trumpets,” I thought, referring to the familiar sounds from the Bo School band team. I assumed it was some farewell entertainment for us pilgrims. Little did I know it was a parade for the crew members. Again, I turned to Uncle Rahim, who had years of travel experience. “What are they doing, Uncle Rahim?” I asked impatiently. “That’s a parade and a warm-up for the crew members. This is an early-hour flight, Alusine,” he responded patiently.

At 5:30 am, we were all asked to form two queues, one for males and one for females, to inspect our passports and issue boarding passes. Everyone impatiently ran to the queue except for Uncle Rahim, who was calm and unworried. This made me curious and a little ashamed, but I asked him anyway, “Why aren’t you bothered, Uncle Rahim?” He responded, “Why should I be when this flight won’t leave until every pilgrim here is onboard? Besides, what difference will it make if I am the last person to be attended to?” Hearing this, I returned to my position beside him. Gradually, we arrived at the doorway where our passports were checked, and our boarding passes issued.

On my way to the plane, I thought to myself, “Finally, the village boy from Tuba would be flying for the first time in his life.” I smiled and said, “Alhamdulillah!” But because I had some doubts about the crew, I texted my wife, “Darling, if I don’t come back, please take care of yourself and the children. I’ll be flying in a plane piloted by very young men and women.” I entered the flight with “Bismillah.” I comforted myself with the thought that if a man dies while performing Hajj or on his way to perform Hajj, paradise shall be written for him. With this in mind, I said, “Alhamdulillah,” even though I was still a little nervous.

A large majority of my fellow pilgrims were first-timers. Since the flight was chartered, there were no specific seats assigned, except that the business class was reserved for the executives of the Presidential Hajj Taskforce and Support team as well as the medical staff. By the time Uncle Rahim and I entered the plane, all passenger seats were already full. I became worried, thinking I might be asked to leave the plane and go back to the waiting room. Uncle Rahim held my hand and led me to the business class, which was almost empty and had much more comfortable seats with stretchers, bed sheets, headsets, and cushions. As I settled into my seat beside Uncle Rahim, I pulled out my phone to text my friend Madanie that for my first flight, I was in business class, although I didn’t mention it was by default.

At 5:55 am, I heard the plane’s engine start, and the captain announced that everyone should be seated with their seatbelts on. He called on the cabin crew to take their seats, announcing that the flight would take off in five minutes. Immediately after his announcement, a safety video appeared on the screen in front of me, explaining how to use the safety exit doors and parachutes in case of an emergency. The video showed the locations of the safety exit doors and parachutes and how to access them in case of danger. Another announcement followed, informing us about the take-off. Hearing this, the whole plane fell into absolute silence. I had never witnessed such silence among Sierra Leoneans. I was curious, anxious, and nervous. I had heard from a friend that the takeoff process could be very scary. Now I was going to experience it myself. As the plane galloped and struggled to leave the ground, I kept thinking about Maulana Sillah while making lots of Duas. My ears felt disturbed by a “waynnnnn…” sound.

When the plane reached its cruising altitude—about 38,000+ feet above sea level—I saw the cabin crew, including the second captain, walking around the plane, comforting us. I had performed ablution in the airport’s bathroom, so I asked Uncle Rahim to join me in Fajr Salah, which he did. After we finished praying, I took out my phone and opened the “Life with Allah” app to read my morning Azkar. Upon completion, I continued reciting the Holy Quran from my phone. After an hour, the flight attendants served us breakfast. I slept immediately after eating.

When I woke up, I found Uncle Rahim asleep as well. I checked the time and realized we were still three hours away from Madina. At this point, we were 42,100 feet above sea level, and the plane was moving at a speed of 598 mph. I became curious and frightened by the altitude and speed. My worry was interrupted by the sound of the attendants dragging their service carts for the second service. These professional and friendly youngsters ensured we all felt warm, relaxed, and comfortable. After eating, I decided to use the restroom and then strolled around, checking on my family members and friends. Surprisingly, none of the aged pilgrims were asleep; everyone was fully awake and looking forward to landing.

I returned to my seat and focused on the aircraft’s route. In the Egyptian airspace, I could see Mount Sinai, Alexandria, and other landmarks. I knew from the passenger’s screen when the plane was flying over the Red Sea and the vast deserts. I felt relieved when we entered Saudi Arabian airspace, realizing for the first time that Egypt and Saudi Arabia are separated only by the Red Sea.

After a comfortable flight, I was about to conclude that air travel is the safest means of transportation, especially with Ethiopian Airlines. As I was about to make this conclusion, the captain announced that we were nearing our destination and asked everyone to fasten their seatbelts in preparation for landing.

The landing process was more complicated and scarier than the takeoff. Everyone fell into complete silence again. The “waynnnnn…” sound was more intense this time. My heart sank, my mind was shattered, my eyes were wide open, and my brain couldn’t process anything. The fear increased, and my body became numb. I was shivering like a child in extreme cold. Despite the airplane’s AC, I was sweating profusely. Uncle Rahim could see the sweat running down my head, and my body was shaking like an old man with a stroke. I returned to my senses when I heard the noise of the wind blowing above me and felt Uncle Rahim’s comforting touch. Finally, the plane’s wheels touched the ground in an instant rush that shook everyone in their seats. I felt the plane moving around, and after a while, the engine stopped. There was another announcement from the crew, informing us that we were now in Madina and announcing our arrival time. They wished us good luck and bid us farewell, thanking us for using Ethiopian Airlines and hoping we had a happy stay in Saudi Arabia.

By: Alusine Mansaray

?