Do you remember what it was like to fly first class in the early days of aviation? Some would even call it the ‘golden age', back when all passengers were served great meals, smoking was allowed onboard, and flying sometimes became a party in the air.
Perhaps, you are reading this, and you, like me, never experienced this side of air travel. I never experienced a flight with Pan American World Airways (PanAm), Trans World Airlines (TWA), or any of the other airlines that are mentioned along with these historic airlines. But a few weeks ago, I was able to get a little taste of what it was like to fly PanAm first class back in the day.
On April 8th, I flew onboard flight PA036 from Brasilia to Madrid, but the flight never left the ground. You are probably wondering why on earth I am writing a flight review about a flight that never left the ground. That is because the flight was at The Plane Experience in Brasilia, a sensory experience joining aviation and cuisine with a 4-course meal on a historic Fokker 100.
What is the plane experience? A quick overview
The Plane Experience is located in Brasilia, Brazil, and is onboard a Fokker 100 which was involved in an incident at the Brasilia airport (BSB) in 2014. The aircraft landed without its forward landing gear and remained parked at the airport for years. In September 2020, the aircraft, which used to fly for Avianca Brasil, was donated to what is now known as The Plane Experience. The Fokker was parked in the back of a church and completely remodeled so that it could begin ‘flying’ again.
Before the flight
Booking – The Plane Experience has two flights per week, one on Fridays and one on Saturdays. Booking is available on The Plane Experience website. The experience offers two classes, first and economy. The first-class ticket price is about $42 and the economy class is about $23 (prices are based on the current conversion rate).
Check-in - Check-in for the flight opens at 19:30 at the Clipper Golden Light Terminal. At the check-in counter, I was greeted by The Plane Experience crew, dressed in uniforms inspired by PanAm. There are two lines at check-in, one for first class and one for economy. I gave the check-in agent my first and last name and was then given my boarding pass.
Gate area – Once I was checked in, I was taken to the first-class lounge where passengers were served wine, champagne, and a few finger foods before boarding the aircraft. Economy class passengers waited at the gate area which contained a coffee shop named Dumont Coffee, inspired by the great aviation pioneer, Santos Dumont.
Boarding – At the time of boarding, an announcement was made on the terminal speakers informing passengers that it was time to board our flight, headed to Madrid. We walked to a staircase placed at the door of the aircraft and boarded, where we were immediately greeted by more crew. I quickly found my seat, 1B, and settled in for the two-hour flight to Madrid. The seats used in the first-class cabin of The Plane Experience belonged to an old Boeing 767 that flew for TransBrasil, a Brazilian airline that no longer exists.
We were served champagne and peanuts before pushback and the safety demonstration, and this was just a small taste of what was to come.
Safety Demonstration – As the flight pushed back from the gate (okay, I know the aircraft never left the ground, but the TV screens showed the aircraft pushing back, and it seemed so real), the crew performed a safety demonstration with real emergency equipment from aircraft that are no longer in service. Then the pilot made the announcement from the cockpit that many of us have heard countless times, “prepare for takeoff”.
In the air
WiFi – Once the aircraft reached 10,000 feet, WiFi was turned on and customers were able to log on free of charge. The WiFi came in handy because we were able to share our incredible experience in real-time.
Meal Service – Meal service began shortly after takeoff, and the crew began by passing out the menus for the flight. Every month, The Plane Experience changes destinations and the menu. April’s destination was Madrid, and the menu comprised Spanish food.
The menus in first class were titled The President’s Special, also inspired by PanAm. Along with the menus, we were given a safety card showing the Fokker’s safety procedures, a first class amenity kit, a blanket, and a hot towel to clean our hands. The towel belonged to Varig when the airline was in service.
This was quickly followed up with drink service. Options included champagne, wine, water, coffee, juice, and soda. I chose to drink grape juice because I do not drink alcohol. The glasses which the drinks were served in also belonged to Varig, which used to be one of Brazil's largest and most well-known airlines.
Right after the drinks came the amuse-bouche, appetizers meant to be consumed in one bite. The appetizers included, bruschetta, coliflor empanada (breaded cauliflower), and brochura de bacons y ciruela (plum and bacon skewers).
We were offered two starters in first-class, gazpacho (a soup traditionally made of raw, blended vegetables), which was served hot, and panzanella (tomato salad with breadcrumbs in olive oil, served in a Tuscan style). Up until this point, I had thoroughly enjoyed everything, with the panzanella being my favorite food item.
There were two different main courses, and we were asked to place our order at the time of booking the flight. The first main course option was paella marinera (Spanish seafood paella), and the second was tortilla Espanhola de enchidos y curados (Spanish tortilla with cured meat).
I chose the tortilla and it was absolutely incredible! As a matter of fact, I am getting hungry while writing this article and would love to have one of those plates right now.
For dessert, we were also given two choices, arroz con leche y churros con chocolate (rice pudding and churros with chocolate), or frutas (fruit). I opted for the arroz con leche y churros con chocolate, because I love both churros and arroz con leche. At this point, I had eaten so much food that it was hard to finish my dessert, even though it tasted delightful. We were also offered coffee that was served in little mugs made out of a waffle dough, just like waffle ice-cream cones.
Landing – As we approached Madrid, the pilot made an announcement that we were beginning our final descent and that the crew would be coming through the cabin to collect any remaining service items. We were asked to return our seats to the upright position, stow our tray tables, and fasten our seatbelts in preparation for landing. The pilots gave us a very smooth landing, and just like that, two hours had gone by, and we had arrived in Madrid.
Aircraft interior
The Fokker 100 is configured in a two-cabin layout, and the economy class has seats that are original to the Fokker 100. The aircraft also features two galleys, a forward galley, and a mid-cabin galley. In the back of the aircraft are two lavatories. Both lavatories are located next to two jumpseats and function just like lavatories on an aircraft still in service. There are signs outside the lavatories that light up to indicate when they are occupied.
The Plane Experience’s Fokker 100 aircraft is full of history. The aircraft itself flew for Avianca Brasil, and all the equipment used on the aircraft belonged to aircraft which were in service at some point in time. The glassware and silverware belonged to Varig, the first-class seats to a TransBrasil 767, the economy seats and overhead bins to the Fokker itself, and service carts from Avianca, TAM, Cathay Pacific, and VASP.
Final thoughts
The Plane Experience is not just an experience for AvGeeks, but an experience for anyone. I mean, who does not like to eat? I had an incredible time at The Plane Experience and wish that I could return every month as the destinations and menus change. The destination for the month of May is London, which is my favorite city. The food was incredible, the staff were extremely friendly, and perhaps the coolest part of all was knowing all the history which is contained inside the cabin of the Fokker 100.
I recommend that anyone traveling in Brazil to take a trip to Brasilia (which is the capital of Brazil) to visit The Plane Experience.