Fate is the Hunter

[ATRCAPT]

save your breath!

Save your breath everyone! Don't try to confuse this guy with facts when is mind is already made up. I agree with BDKing, he is a pilot, but will never be an aviator. I also agree with Fokkers&beer, this HAS to be flame bait! I would hope no one is really this ignorant!

 

[jester33]

If your looking for a great aviation book you should find:

Moondogs Academy of the Air and Other Disasters

 

[AZ Typed]

He didn't have mom and dad paying 35k a year to x flying college so he could learn to talk on the radio, graduate, and fly around (badly) in an airborne video game.

Bitter? Jealous? Relax...

 

[cl65capt]

If your looking for a great aviation book you should find:

Moondogs Academy of the Air and Other Disasters

I'll second that. I met the author on a layover in GSO a few years ago(when they had a free keg in the crewroom). A great book, very funny.

 

[psycho]

97 fine air was my roomate from college. Ernie said it better than I ever could.

 

[AvJunke]

[QUOTE Still a good book, especially his day-to-day life descriptions, but ugh, he spends a lot of time as the hero, let me tell you.[/QUOTE]

Fate is the Hunter is a great book. The tone of the book is consistent with the style of the day; very Hemingway. There is a lot of bravado and embellishment in there but that makes for a great story. You know he had to have had some adventures flying during the burgeoning stages of the airline industry.
I was amazed at the consistencey of the industry in his day and ours. Nothing has changed. The one lesson that stood out to me was be careful of thinking the grass is greener on the other side because it is usually a mirage. Leaving his airline for the allure of being number 3 at a new airline put him in the unemployment line pretty quickly if I recall correctly. Nice read for anyone who hasn't checked it out.
This is one of the first threads I've seen in 4 years worth commenting on. I usually just enjoy watching you kids whine and bicker like a bunch of old women. It keeps me up to speed on our spectacular industry, so thanks for the melodrama.

Cheers!

 

[Crzipilot]

97 fine air was my roomate from college. Ernie said it better than I ever could.

Psycho, who are ya??? I was there to (f/o college), and had some dealings in the crash....

 

[Huck]

You guys correct me if wrong but the Fine Air crew checked all the uplocks they could see - but the ones in back were not up. Nothing you can do about that and a freight guy's worst nightmare. I used to ride bikes around cargo city right where they hit.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The air mail pilots were getting killed or fired for not flying in unsafe wx. Business managers were making the go (there was no no go). Finally the air mail pilots got together and said the next guy that gets fired we all quit. And they did.

The Army pilots took over and started dying.

Fast fwd to today. Trans States pilots are getting fired for being effective ALPA volunteers.

The problems of yesteryear are the problems of today. Same food different flavor.

The pioneers deserve our appreciation and repsect. We deserve our own self repsect.

 

[radarlove]

Its hard to ensure your cargo is secure when its been loaded by a bunch of Army soldiers and you are a civilian under military orders to make this flight and make it now. Could you have survived under such duress? There is a reason so many pilots died back in those days, and not all by what you would characterize as "stupid mistakes".

Ummm...yeah? I would have made sure my cargo was tied down? Mmmmhmmm? See, if you don't, that's suicidal, and as much as I love my country, military orders to makes this flight now aren't quite enough to cause me to commit suicide--which wouldn't help the army or me. I've stood up, stopped the process and required it be done correctly. Have you?

I can't believe you are actually defending Gann's taking off without secure cargo. That was a phck-up and he knew it and I knew it and you should know it, unless you're used to the rest of the world telling you how to load and fly an airplane where you are PIC.

And Publisher, you're right, I don't get your point about being an "aviator". Does that mean I have to worship at the altar of those who came before? You sound like one of those guys who dreams of "glory days" that never really existed. Again, I've flown with my share of cowl flaps, NDBs and ice on the wings and I personally believe only a fool would long for those days again. I ask again, if Gann was a hero for flying through the ice and landing below minimums, am I more or less of a hero for flying through the ice and not busting minimums? Am I really that far off thinking he was kind of a dumb puppy for not being more concientious in his weight and balance responsibilities? Every student pilot in the world has made the mistake of too hot and heavy, why do we cut Gann slack when he kept making the mistake? Three at my count, anyway. "Our fuel gauges were unreliable". Ok, go stick it, like you're supposed to. "I clambored over the parts of the tower to get to the cockpit" And didn't notice that there wasn't a single tie-down?

A common thread has been that things haven't really changed much from then 'till now, and that's true. Navigation has gotten better and backup systems and engines are more reliable, but judgement hasn't changed. The same things that would kill you back then will kill you today unless you do stuff right.