Launch of Skytrain

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laker_Airways

Lisa and I actually met Freddie Laker, who's later Laker Airways ran a Fort Lauderdale to Gatwick service in 1996/7/8.  Lisa was living in Naples, Florida, I was living in Wiltshire and had been over there for a holiday / to spend time together and she had driven me to across Alligator Alley to catch my flight home which boarded and then sat on the gate while a technical issue was being addressed. 

In those days, people seeing you off could go to the gate area, and Lisa was there and waited ... and when it was obvious the delay was not short, asked if the crew could get me off to spend a few minutes longer together.  Made out it was a special occasion / day.  And they did let me get off.  Freddie Laker, who was based in an office at the airport had come down to support his team and customers at the gate, was there and as I recall we exchanged a few friendly works.   One of the two most memorable partings around that time ... the other was at Reading station after our very first meeting, at a time we thought we would probably never meet again.  As the doors of a 165 (or was it a 166?) closed.  Funny how things happily transpire.

 
Flew myself with Laker Airways in 1979: London to Los Angeles for £99. Ate my own sandwiches on board before clearing US immigration at Bangor, Maine which was about the halfway point. Landed at LAX and unloaded miles away from the terminal - just some wheeled steps and the luggage unloaded onto the tarmac. I left through a back gate to the airport to meet my US hosts.