ABOARD THE AIRBUS A380 (AFP) — "I almost couldn't sleep because of the excitement," Canon Ling said, as flight attendants handed out glasses of champagne in the aisles. "I want to be a part of history."
Ling was one of 455 passengers on the maiden flight of the Airbus superjumbo -- a trip more about caviar than commuting, as giddy passengers turned a long-haul flight on the world's biggest airliner into an airborne party.
A huge round of applause broke out as the giant double-decker sped down the runway in Singapore and took off into aviation history.
Seven hours later, three rounds of ecstatic cheers marked its landing in Sydney.
The excitement was maintained throughout the flight, with passengers walking about until told to strap in for touch down. Even then they continued taking pictures -- of each other, the crew and the disembarkation process.
William Leong, whose 91-year-old father was the oldest person on board, said he had paid 55,000 US dollars in an online auction to take his family of eight on the historic flight.
"Every penny is worth it," he told AFP.
He and his father were travelling in one of the 12 suites that Singapore Airlines (SIA) has installed on the A380 -- a kind of super-class of private compartments that include full-length beds.
"It's a real bed and you really sink into it," said Julian Hayward, who got pride of place in Suite 1A for being the top bidder, paying more than 100,000 US dollars to be on the flight.
"It's like a party on board," he said, confessing to being "pampered and spoiled" in his super-premium seat and adding that the only luxury item he would like to see added to the list of onboard perks was romantic candles.
"It was a wild and crazy flight," one unnamed passenger told Australian television after arrival.
For those in the suites -- an ultra-luxury touch that SIA hopes will distinguish its version of the superjumbo -- it was as far away from the cramped and crowded experience of budget travel as they could get.
Flight attendants in figure-hugging uniforms poured endless glasses of wine and Dom Perignon champagne. When it was time to dine, seared yellow fin tuna and lobster tail appeared as starters.
Two chefs on board prepared sauteed foie gras, scampi and prawn ravioli, pan-roasted duck and steamed black cod for mains.
Despite the gourmet nosh and the sense of history, though, what seemed to dazzle most of all was how quiet the mammoth plane was.
"I was impressed," said Thomas Lee of California, who was invited by Singapore Airlines as a special guest because he was also on the maiden flight of the Boeing 747 nearly four decades ago. "The 747 was a lot louder."
"The engine is so quiet," said James O'Neill of England.
"It was smooth, the plane is much bigger than other planes -- even in economy there's more space," said Johann Albrechtr from Austria who paid 3,500 dollars for his one-way economy ticket.
Passengers received certificates to commemorate their journey. And on a day when the skies were clear, the enormous plane -- big enough to fit 72 cars on each wing -- glided through the air with hardly a bump.
But thought the pilot announced that he had got permission from air traffic control to overfly Sydney at low levels, the views of the beautiful harbourside city were obscured by uncustomary clouds.
Captain Robert Ting told the passengers before take-off: "We are indeed honoured to have you grace the first commercial flight today. Sit back, relax and enjoy."
On arrival, Ting told reporters: "It is a great honour. I feel very blessed to be on board this flight. I love it."
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