Big scare story

On 16 Nov 2005 21:06:19 -0800, "cjcampbell"
wrote:

I take that back. I was once terrified while still in the cockpit.
Flying into Las Vegas once, Las Vegas Approach said, "McCarran Tower
would like you to give them a call when you land. Are you ready to
write down their number?" It was innocuous, but it scared the living
daylights out of me.

I've had low flying traffic cross under me when on final so close the
vertical stab went between the nose gear and mains. It was so sudden
that he was gone before either the instructor or I jumped. I landed
on 24 into the wind and discovered a Comanche landing down wind. I
just pointed the old Colt out between the lights. I've had a complete
engine failure on take off, but never once have I gone back with the
"what if" I had been 5mph faster, or lower, or sooner, or later.
Nothing happened and I put the incidents behind me.

When a GMC Jimmy shot out in front of me, I only left about 12 feet of
skid marks. As his roof line disappeared over the top of my windshield
I had a sad feeling and asked if this is all there was going to be,
followed by, Oh, ****, I'll bet this is gonna hurt!. There was a loud
bang (the air bags) then nothing. The next thing was the feeling of
the car spinning and coming to a stop. I couldn't see a thing due to
the dust from the air bags. I wasn't hurt, but I don't think a 6-pack
on an empty stomach could make me that punchy.
I wasn't even sore the next day.

I won't even touch on the things from my "younger days".

I've been there and done that in many of the things that have been
posted with no more than a heightened sense of awareness, but this
would have scared me. :-))

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com