Seated in 1C, I had a front-row perspective of the flight deck environment. Even though I could not see the cockpit for obvious reasons, I was close enough to sense what is happening up front, even if only subtly.

During the approach into Lisbon, something genuinely caught me off guard. I heard the autopilot disengage sound.

It’s a sound I know very well from flight simulation and one I’ve heard countless times through speakers and headphones while flying virtual A320s. But hearing it in real life, from my seat, was something else entirely.

I’ve flown many other times, but never close enough to hear it, nor even particularly interested in due to many other reasons, like chatting with my friends and family or just relaxing with my music on. It may sound like a small detail, even a dull one to most passengers, but for me, it was honestly a moment of pure joy.