I'm sure almost everyone can remember the first time they did something. The first time deserves a special mark among all the other things we do throughout our lives. Do you remember your first love, do you remember your first train ride, your first house, the first time you did something? Did you understand. Recently, in a moment of nostalgia, I was reminiscing about the four years I spent serving my country in the United States Navy and remembered my first airplane flight. For as long as I can remember, I was an airplane fanatic. Growing up, I built many model airplanes and imagined myself sitting in the cockpit flying the often unfinished model airplane. Military fighter planes have always been the most fascinating, and my all-time favorite was the North American P-51 Mustang. And as I write this story, there is a large-scale model of a Mustang in my little office and a smaller version on my desk. When I joined the Navy in 1956, I applied for Naval Air Cadet training. program and was rejected due to my lack of education. A bachelor's degree or equivalent was required and I had neither. The Navy offered many alternative training programs and I decided to forget about aviation for the time being and chose radio communications school. After studying for 6 weeks to become a Navy radio operator, I was ordered to board a ship supporting the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. Life on board the ship was routine and very boring and, fortunately, I met a special detachment of boys on my ship who fascinated me. They were Underwater Demolition Team 21. Aside from flying airplanes, they were exactly the kind of macho guys I wanted to be a part of, so I volunteered. There were a lot of documents, physical, psychological exams... half of paper... for convenience. It is necessary to wear the harness but it is not mandatory to attach it to the actual parachute/seat unless necessary. Inside it is dark and there are few windows. During the flight of the C-119, however, a lot of engine noise and vibrations can be heard. The shaking and vibration causes cargo pallets attached to the center of the cell to shift and dance all over the deck. One can simply and vividly imagine being crushed or pushed completely through the skin of the plane at any moment, even though the straps are supposed to prevent him from actually doing so. I guess because I was nervous, scared and very excited at the same time, the flight seemed to last several hours. My first plane ride lasted only 30 minutes, but it was one of the unforgettable experiences of my life and truly the original white knuckle flight.