by: Roel Sibayan
 |
| Illustration by: Roel Sibayan |
If you are a frequent traveller or a travel enthusiast, and had gone through many different places across the seven continents, around the world, I could say you’ve accomplished big percentage of your life’s achievements, which many of us dreamed of travelling and see different countries in the world. I believe you’ve already seen different cultures, and perhaps even learned from the vernacular of different nations. Of course, before you reached your desired places outside your home country, you need to take a transportation, the fastest mode of transportation,-an airplane. The commercial airplane in particular which most of the frequent travellers are dealing with, from the time of seat reservations all- the- way to the airplane boarding at the airport terminal ramp on the day of the departure flight. A couple of minutes after, here comes the cabin-crew announcements on the aircraft’s safety compliance; flight- attendants are checking every passenger’s seat-belts, hand-carried luggage, and other prohibited electronic devices or items. One of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) practices of the passenger cabin-crew is to perform the safety features of the aircraft, particularly the procedures on how to wear life-vest, oxygen mask, and proper evacuation during emergencies leading to the exit doors, and so on. All standard inflight services will be perform on the entire duration of the flight, until such time that the destination will be reach in a few minutes, and here comes an announcement again from the cabin-crew or pilots for landing preparation if the plane is already approaching the destination. These inflight scenarios are already common to travellers, and some were almost memorized the pilot and flight-steward’s spiels. According to news recently, a Singaporean family has already paid a booking reservation that cost $1Million for their flight for a commercial passenger airline, marking them as the first Asian family to fly with the said new airline, but it’s not just a usual commercial airline. One of the most amazing and innovative creation in the industrial and aviation sector will now give the world an opportunity to experience the place that we’ve never been before even in our dreams, the Space. Virgin Galactic now offers commercial flight to space, the venture is space tourism as they call it, but wait! Before you thought about having a ticket and seat reservation, think again. You cannot go to check-in counters of Chanqi airport in Singapore, Hong Kong International airport, Frankfurt airport in Germany, JFK airport in New York, or LAX. Virgin Galactic Spaceport America is located in the southern part dessert of New Mexico. Ticket cost starts at USD $200, 000.00 and a 10% refundable in-case you decided to cancel. With a million dollar costs, you get a chance to personally experience 50km to 90km above the Earth’s surface, it’s the 3rd atmosphere level Mesosphere, and if you are one of the passengers seating inside the cabin of the 60feet long and 8 seater capacity (6pax, 2 pilots) state of the art Space-Ship-Two, don’t be terrified if you heard the aircraft engine turned-off and every pax including you began to float from the seats, instead look outside your glass window and see for yourself, the planet Earth and the black, quiet surroundings are right next to your eyes. Don’t look for inflight meals, beverages, magazines, newspapers, and dancing flight-attendants, because those things will just going to float inside the cabin! (But what if somebody wants to use the lavatory and needs to pee?…)
But seriously, Virgin Galactic is incredible, it’s amazing! The aircraft vehicle Space-Ship-Two and its mother ship White-Knight–Two is one of the most awesome airplanes that I have seen in my life. I Congratulate Mr. George T. Whitesides – President and CEO and founder Sir Richard Branson and the entire team. More power! I wish them all the best and success in all their endeavors. I hope to find an opportunity to inquire if the company is open for Free-of-Charge (FOC) ticket for sponsorship in the future?:))
source: www.virgingalactic.com
