On Sat, 22 May 2004 at 12:49:50 in message
, Viperdoc
wrote:
After about fifteen minutes of this, we all heard a plane do a low approach
over the airport, and we ran to the window to take a look. At this point it
was clearly lower than the published minimums for the lowest approach, and
we were all concerned about a pilot flying around in such terrible weather.
We got a glimpse of a Bonanza, which then disappeared. I tuned 121.5 on my
radios as well as the CTAF, and heard the FBO call the pilot and ask if they
needed assistance. There were no calls or answers from the Bonanza, and we
feared the worst, waiting for an ELT signal. However, after a few minutes
the plane noises returned and the Bonanza landed and taxied to the FBO.
This reminded me of a story of my Father's. Not an active service pilot,
but he was nevertheless flying as an RAF test pilot and an RAF
Maintenance Unit in England in the early part of World War 2. Most of
his flying was very short flights and with rapid changes of type of
aircraft.
One day the weather closed in and the pilots decided that it was two bad
for flying. They were sitting in the control tower when they heard a
Spitfire near the field. They could not see it but it appeared to have
landed and soon they saw it taxing out of the murk. It stopped near the
control tower and the canopy came back. The pilot removed his flying
helmet and they were amazed to see long blonde hair. It was a young
woman of the A.T.A. (Air Transport Auxiliary) and my father and his
colleagues felt embarrassed by the amazing performance of this young
woman.
How times have changed. These men and women of the A.T.A. Delivered
aircraft from the factories to squadrons and to maintenance units. Not
quite a fair comparison as there was no suggestion of thunderstorms -
just poor visibility.
At this stage of an aircraft's service life they usually had no radios
fitted and navigational aids were minimal.
--
David CL Francis
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