You Know You Are Old When

[Oaktree]

Survivor guilt.
I was supposed to be going up to a cottage with a couple close friends but got called in for an extra shift at work.
We thought nothing of having a few travellers along the way.
Getting close to the destination they went off the road and hit some trees.
Post mortem showed high alcohol levels.
I know I would have been one of them.
Every year I visit their graves have a shot and leave one for them.
For 46 years now there hasn't been a day I don't think of them.

Not me personally, but in the early 1960s 2 planes collided over NYC. My father was supposed to have been on one of them. He was on a business trip, and last minute something happened at his worksite and he had to stay an extra day.

 

[WinterDeere]

Two small planes collided over my house in 1998, and fell into a field next door. Wild stuff. The occupants of one bailed out half way down.

I was outside pressure washing the deck and painting a garden trellis, and heard it, but did not see as a neighbor's roof line blocked my view. Hearing the sudden stop of the louder of the two plane engines should have been a clue, but busy with my own work, it didn't really register that anything had gone wrong until emergency vehicles started showing up.

 

[orezok]

Back in the early 70’s, I lived about a mile from Montgomery Field in San Diego’s small aircraft airport. My house was just about where small planes entered the downwind.

It was a Saturday and I was outside doing something when I heard one plane go to full throttle and then a bang. I did not see them fall but both landed about a 1/4 mile from my house.

 

[scootr]

A day at the beach turned deadly when a small plane that diving down close to the water in the cove touched a wingtip to the water. The engine went full throttle when it entered the water and rescuers pulled 2 bodies from the water strapped to their seats.

 

[masscity]

Back in the 70's I was working construction, the foreman and I were talking at the end of the street. We were near a small airport, there was an opening in the trees and we heard and saw an airplane landing too quickly. We were wondering what that was about.

The next day in the local paper, they said a bunch of hunters and their dogs were headed to Canada and one of the dogs got loose and jumped on the pilot's lap. Nobody was seriously hurt and the plane was banged up some.

Another time a buddy and I were sitting at a table on a lake beach drinking some cold ones. There was a small float plane doing touch and go's. It did many over and over, then behind some trees we heard something from the plane. We walked over to see and the plane was upside down in the water, but the pilot was alright.

The next day in the local paper we found out the pilot was drunk and lost his pilot's license.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My Grandfather had a Cessna and he took me flying when I was little. In 1956 he was flying over a farm in Brookneal, Va waving to friends he knew by flying low using plane's wings, then flew up into 10kV power lines and crashed. The current went through his left shoulder and out his right foot.
When he crashed the plane caught fire. A young boy, Charles, jumped a 6 ft fence, snapped Grandfather's safety harness dragging him to safety.
My Grandad was in traction in the hospital when two guys from the power company handed him a bill for $75 the next day!
Years later Charles asked my Grandfather for land to build a house on which he gave him.
Charles wanted the land so he could live near the airport since he was a pilot for Piedmont!
When Charles retired he and his wife lived back at the Brookneal family farm where they raised Angus cattle and his hobby was collecting restored John Deere tractors.
Charles passed a few years ago, his wife shortly after of a broken heart.

 

[MoKelly]

Lots of plane stories. Reminds me back when I was working I had our company’s flight operations as one of my areas of responsibility. 6 jets, 2 helicopters and an FBO to house them all.

This was before anyone ever heard of ZOOM calls. Business was done face-to-face.

The CEO was a very astute pilot. His mandate was the head pilot in the plane - and only the head pilot in the plane - made the decision to fly. If the pilot said it was unsafe, the plane did not take off.

One afternoon I get a call from a high level executive. All mad. Tells me to tell the ?x!?xx pilot to take off - he MUST get home this evening!!! He takes full responsibility!!

I say OK, let me speak to the pilot. I did. Pilot says there is lightning in the area, gusty winds up to 50mph and in his opinion is high on the possible danger scale. 7 of 10.

But, the commercial flights are taking off. Few, if any, private aircraft is moving.

I tell him to stay put and when he thinks it’s safe to leave, go ahead and fly. It’s 100% his call and the company has his back.

Executive there was furious.

They ended up spending the night.

I heard nothing about the situation for about 2 weeks. The pilot told me it went fine on the flight home the next day —- no grief.

Then, it was announced that this high level executive was leaving “to pursue another opportunity”.

Either you just talk about safety or you walk the talk.

 

[WinterDeere]

Lots of plane stories.

Reminds me of things I read about Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, and how he used to fly himself around the country in a Cessna to meet with his various store managers before they computerized everything.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My curiosity is, and hopefully others can relate, I was 3-4 years old and yet walking through the airport hangers every time Grandad had to drag me away from watching mechanics working on engines. I was mesmerized and always loved wrenching on anything mechanical or electrical. That must be something you're born with (?).
My brother is the exact opposite.

 

[seville009]