Margy Natalie writes:

Not always, there have been cases of planes landing together after a
mid-air and many accidents happen on the ground also. I know a gentleman
who flew in WWII and tells a great story of his first mid-air where the
opponent removed half his wing. Listeners often ask how he managed to
get back to the field and he explains it was going just fine when he was
jumped again and had to dogfight with half a wing. He managed to get
back to base and flew for many, many years after.

In the old days, when planes were simple, slow, and relatively sturdy,
things were very different. When I read Lindbergh's account of his
New York-Paris flight and related stories, I was struck by how simple
aviation was in those days. No licenses, no navaids beyond a compass
or maybe a simple radio homing device, land anywhere it's flat, etc.
He used to fly by just looking down out the window, even in bad
weather. And his most famous flight was accomplished with a maritime
chart he found in a San Diego shop, a compass, and a watch.

Unfortunately, aviation is much more complicated, restrictive, and
expensive now, even for private pilots. Never mind about flying
something bigger than a tiny private plane.

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