Gents

next time when you get to the field, take a few minutes to just chit chat with the guy next to you after you put the jet together. I was so hell bent in burning up that blue sky that i didn't try very hard to make idle conversation, and i'm not real proud right now. know what i mean.

if you find yourself in similar circumstances, no matter what, keep talking to them, reassure the next of kin, friends etc. that help is on the way, they're gonna make it and don't stop doing CPR until the ambulance arrives.

lastly, talk it over with your buddies, organize a CPR class for your club but most importantly (like DF mentioned) step back for a moment and think about where you are and ponder your chances of success. the CPR, hell even basic First Aid you perform may make a difference.


the only upside ( and moderately comical ) was at the end of the day a dude took off his .60 sized P51 mustang (hadn't flown in a while btw) and flew over two dudes in the pit marshall area, hooked a hard left no right then back to the left, missed the club frequency board (where i had managed to duck behind) missed the low rise safety fence and flew into the pits. after hitting a 55 gallon trash can, disintegrated the airplane, shed the nose section with motor (still running full speed btw) bounced off a parked car and launched itself 50' into the parking area. you had to be there. you'd think the keystone cops were flying.

moral of the second story? well beside being somewhat funny....what are your emergency procedures for the airplane? dump it? kill motor? or keep flying like chuck yeager? we've all been there. i honestly think the old boy, jerked it off the runway after letting the torque of the motor get the best of him, nearly stalled it, then recovered it and if the pits hadn't been in the way......might have made a great save.

best part was watching a guy in the pits trying to figure out which way to go...(ever see a squirrel on the road trying to figure out which way to run?)

sorry for the soap box fellas. it was a helluva day.