Then the giant was upon me. Not five hundred yards away were row after row of eager spectators. The crew in the cockpit were waving with the steady, reassuring tempo you would expect of experienced aviators. Predictably, the quality of the greeting on offer degenerated as one looked along the body of the aircraft. To the front, First Class affected a nonchalant, anonymous few fingers. Behind them Business Class were succinct and to the point; a strong, affirmative wave, a simple smile; a breezy, upbeat endorsement. Distressingly, after but a few rows of corporate reliability, Economy Class was the sad pandemonium one would have expected but hoped against. Miniature flashes popped as faces, hands and bodies crammed and pushed against the windows for the full length of the cabin. Towards the rear I was sure that actual fights were breaking out over viewing space.