About Economondo
About Me
Many moons ago, on a chilly, windswept and grey afternoon, a young boy stood beside his father watching in amazement as two turboprops whined into life no more than twenty metres away. The year was 2000, the aircraft was a British Airways Jetstream 41 and the airport was Sheffield City. Whilst the novelty of the millennium may have worn off, the Jetstream long gone from British Airways’ fleet and the airport is now a business park, one thing remains – my passion for aviation. Such experiences combined with hearing stories of my grandfather navigating Beaufighter aircraft during the Second World War as well as thundering props and early jets across the world for BOAC led me to develop an obsession with aviation, something I suspect to be a lifelong condition. Thankfully, my passion was shared or at least somewhat tolerated by my father who took me to various airfields, airports, airshows and museums. At the age of thirteen, I received my first DSLR, following which I frequently headed to my ‘local’ airports of East Midlands and Manchester, with the occasional jaunt down to London’s airports.
Some scanned snaps from Heathrow, taken in 2008…
…and from Southend
Aged eighteen, upon completion of my A-Levels, I was fortunate enough to study Korean in Seoul. My newfound freedom enabled me great opportunities to travel and I budgeted such that I lived frugally to sample as many airlines as possible without (too) much disapproval from my family. Armed with my first smartphone, it was around this time that I began to document my flights, posting my accounts on various forums. Upon returning to the UK, I commenced a degree in Korean. Whilst the choice of a language degree may not be too obvious to someone whose passion lies in aviation, my year spent studying at Sogang University in Seoul enabled me to fly a wide range of aircraft and airlines across Asia, from the ultra-rare Xian MA60 to more mundane Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.
After completing my undergraduate degree in 2019, seeking my first foray into the world of working in aviation, I moved to Paris where I undertook an internship with a flight-sharing company. Whilst I was scheduled to become a flight attendant with a major European carrier following this, the pandemic had other plans and I returned to my hometown where I worked in a supermarket before returning to London to undertake my master’s degree. During this time, I ended up self-publishing a book detailing rare and unusual aircraft in operation with airlines across Europe, and in 2021 I had an article published by industry magazine Airliner World.
Eventually, I found myself back in aviation, working in a commercial role for a major leisure carrier for almost two years, before moving to an aviation safety position. Today, my passion for aviation and travel is as strong as ever and I continue to document my experiences on aircraft and airlines across the world.
Finally, thank you very much for visiting my site, I wish you an enjoyable read and many happy flights!
About My Blog
Typical full-service airlines may make a significant portion of their revenue through their premium cabins. Those searching for flight reviews online will likely come across bloggers and vloggers whose travel for the most part is confined to the luxurious business and first class cabins of the world’s top airlines. Whilst I enjoy reading and watching such reviews, many seem oblivious to the fact that the majority of passengers experience life at the rear of an aircraft most times they take to the skies. Thus, I decided to create this blog in which I mainly review the flights I have taken in economy class, giving fair and honest accounts of my experiences.
Since this is what I live for, obscure airlines, rare types and inaugural flights enjoy their own ‘Special Flights’ section in which I give a more comprehensive review of my experience. Once in a while, I also post reviews of other forms of transport and accounts of my travels across the globe. Last but not least, I am also an avid aviation photographer and many of the photos that I have taken can be found on the Aviation Photography section of my site.
