Summer Flight

DS Connection 5-20-07 (see Dick Summer link)


"No delay, immediate right turn to three six zero degrees!"
When you’re flying a small plane, and Air Traffic Control says words like "no delay," and "immediate"...that gets your attention. So I flicked the autopilot off... and that control wheel went over hard... and I watched the compass spin up till we were at about 345 degrees...then I eased her the rest of the way till it said 360...just like the man said.
A moment later a big jet flashed by pretty close to where I would have been if the controller hadn’t called the turn. I flicked the mike and said "thanks." And believe me, I meant it. Pilots around here call that a "Linda Rondstadt" because Linda had a big hit called "Blue Bayou"...as in "that jet just blew by you."
I flicked the auto pilot back on to catch my breath for a moment, and I realized... I was looking at an "N Word." There’s no 360 degrees on an airplane compass. Just the letter N. It means North...

(Click Dick Summer's link at left for the rest of his Summer Flight or go to: http://dicksummer.net/dsblog/)

...Maybe there are some lessons here. So... what have we learned ? I’d say it’s time to get real. Say what you mean. Get a grip. Laugh a little. Say "thanks" when it’s due. Take at least one flight in a small plane on a lovely day.
Enjoy living a little before you die.