I Have No Fear of Flying, But ...

... it's just not much fun anymore.

My first flight was in 1985, when I flew from Little Rock, Arkansas to San Diego, California for boot camp.

Over the following decade, I flew on everything from helicopters (including one mild crash) to puddle-jumpers to C-130s to 747s, and mostly enjoyed it. The commercial flights had smoking sections until near the end of that period. The seats had reasonable leg room. On domestic flights that weren't really short, you got a meal. Not a great meal, usually, but not bad, either. Pretty enjoyable way to travel.

These days, flying is like riding on a very crowded/cramped Greyhound bus, after submitting to the indignity of the TSA gauntlet.

Yes, the flight attendants are usually cheerful, polite, and helpful, and sometimes there's a complimentary beverage/peanut deal. But instead of an enjoyable break from driving, it's just a faster way to get from Point A to Point B, and not a very convenient or enjoyable one.

I guess I need to get rich enough to buy myself one of them there Gulfstreams.