Hi Grandpa! I didn't know you learned so much from experience. Much less survived it. LOL.

Hope you're comfortable. It's going to hit 20 below by morning and that's not wind chill either. We' should have headed south yesterday instead of a month ago.

*chuckles... you be sure to stay inside... experience tells me you'd better or else...

*hugs...

V.

I figured this had to be autobiographical as soon as the kids asked for stories about airplanes.
Nice job, V.

*chuckles... we are what we are, right?

V.

I figured a good deal of this wasn't fiction, much of those scenarios seemed too authentic to have been made up on the spot.

I do agree that in some way, fear can be very beneficial - what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger and even a second spent face to face with the stark possibility of death only makes one appreciate being alive.

Couldn't help but smile when I recognized some of the photos on the header as well.

Hope the grandkids aren't being too rambunctious, bless them.

Kinda like a certain hurricane, right?

The kids are fine... I just wish I had that kind of energy again...

V.

Like more than a few hurricanes.

And ain't that the truth...

Of course, ONE of those kits has bunny ears, even if you won't admit to it.

And yes, "been there, done that." More times than I'd care to admit.
Of course, if you survive, it gives you great stories to tell.

Bunners

*laughs... yeah she does (occasionally)...

Your stories are the best Buns...

V.

Oh boy that was fun reading. When you and I look back over our lives you wonder how in the name of the God and Goddess are we still here and in one piece...

When I was in my 20s I set up mobile homes and had a couple of them topple off the jacks while I was under them setting blocking.

I know there were a few near misses when I was working around the airplanes...

Around the boats? Oh yeah had a couple of them spit the jack stands out and fall over while I was working under them.

I was working on a 36 foot NOAA survey launch, had it's 3208 Cat and marine trans come crashing down from about 12 feet into the space I had been in 30 sec before. What saved me was I was at the back bulkhead under the deck. The fall of the engine broke the keel of the boat. The engine and trans was about two tons with all the stuff hung on the engine. I was trapped there till they lifted the engine out. Why was I in there? To guide the engine and trans onto the new aft mounts.

The crane guy blamed me for what happened. After all he used my rigging chain that was in my tool box. The tag on the chain said 500 pounds max working load.

Now those stories just make me cringe Fem... I really hate working under things...

V.

The danger comes with the jobs... The best you can do it make it as safe as you can and plan for the what ifs. What broke the chain was Ken shock loading it when he stomped on the drum brake as he was lowering it. It came down to poor planing on Ken's part he had parked a sail boat that he had to lift over... What pissed me was being blamed for his rigging... I told Jim the owner I was not the one that rigged the lift, Ken had.

*smiles... Sum things are... to be sure... One of the guys at work tells me I have a story for everything...

V.

Fear is what keeps you alert for Murphy showing up...

Good old Murphy...

V.

Thanks for sharing, Grand-fox!
Fear is one of those skills that is learned from survival of those 'close calls'. You have plenty of those related to aircraft.
I've learned a few of them myself from motorcycles. You have to learn to take fear with you as a passenger, because as soon as you take off without them Murphy will be sure to set you up another life lesson so you don't forget.

and that is a fact... I rode a motorcycle down here or some seven years before it got stolen (hand of God) and then I saw what a nightmare I was driving in all those years.

V.

i never got to ride any of my birds. just dinked with certain specialized of their avionics, most of which had to be n.r.t.s.'d out.
but they sure gave (lent) me one hell of an expensive set of tools to play with.

only times i've ever been in the air was as a commercial passenger, flying last class standby, and that was decades ago.

so true that thing about fear though. i grew up on and around the railroad, and there's plenty of stupid human tricks to get yourself killed there too.

never trust a switch next to someone else's paw a gazillion miles away, if it controls power to something you're responsible for and trying to fix.
this is why rule books and check lists exist.

most places I've worked Nax, they throw the rule book out until after the accident...

V.

Another fun read from you. Its funny when you start thinking about things that happen in your respective profession. My grandpa is an electrician. He's been electrocuted more than once by people "forgetting" to keep the power turned off while he works.

Thank you for sharing this.

I can attest to the fact that you never realize how many 'accidents' you've had until you teach a class on safety...

you're very welcome, and thank you back for the read...

V.

the story.

ty ty ty and a hug...

V.

(giggles) I read this and kept thinking of Londo, from B5.

Yours had a much better ending however. I really pity Londo, he was such a tragic figure. I can remember one of the first appearances

"EVERYBODY'S CUTE!" (collapsed in a drunken stooper. )

to

"I'm tired of this life..."

well thank you Kantuck... very much...

V.

You know, I don't know much about writing.
But I like a story that manages to make me picture the scene and feel the feelings of the protagonists. And your story just did that in ... what ... a bit over 3 pages?
A very nice read! Thanks for sharing it.

and thank you for your comments, they have given me a big smile...

V.