RightPedal
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2002
- Posts
- 841
The guy is many years passed on now so I guess it safe to tell.
This was my private ride, on my birthday in 1976, terminal clear, all patterns were full, everywhere. DE hands me the hood right after takeoff and says take it to your first check point, which was an airport at about 20 miles out. Most of us in the group knew this guy had a drinking problem and it was easy to tell he had worked on it hard the night before. He tells me to let him know when I'm over the airport that we'll do some landings and then back out for airwork. Enroute I ask a few questions and didn't get any response, yep you guessed it, when I thought I was over the check point I took off the hood to find this prick dead asleep with his head against the side glass. Now I'm usually a meek person but this pissed me right off. I shouted out "HEY" and he didn't budge, so I back handed him right across the left breast. He jumps, looks at me and says; I fell asleep didn't I, man this is not good he says. Without another word, He looks out for the runway which is below and just behind us , pulls the power and says you have an engine failure, give me a short soft field full stop landing and then take it to the house. We get back to base, he writes me my ticket and says, you know, we all make mistakes, I made mine today, yours will be if this ever gets back to me. I never told anyone and he soon after lost his medical. I did fly with him a few more times and he taught me some things about flying an airplane that I'd never have learned from any 500 hour CFI.
Sorry Bill, I told.
Rest in peace.
This was my private ride, on my birthday in 1976, terminal clear, all patterns were full, everywhere. DE hands me the hood right after takeoff and says take it to your first check point, which was an airport at about 20 miles out. Most of us in the group knew this guy had a drinking problem and it was easy to tell he had worked on it hard the night before. He tells me to let him know when I'm over the airport that we'll do some landings and then back out for airwork. Enroute I ask a few questions and didn't get any response, yep you guessed it, when I thought I was over the check point I took off the hood to find this prick dead asleep with his head against the side glass. Now I'm usually a meek person but this pissed me right off. I shouted out "HEY" and he didn't budge, so I back handed him right across the left breast. He jumps, looks at me and says; I fell asleep didn't I, man this is not good he says. Without another word, He looks out for the runway which is below and just behind us , pulls the power and says you have an engine failure, give me a short soft field full stop landing and then take it to the house. We get back to base, he writes me my ticket and says, you know, we all make mistakes, I made mine today, yours will be if this ever gets back to me. I never told anyone and he soon after lost his medical. I did fly with him a few more times and he taught me some things about flying an airplane that I'd never have learned from any 500 hour CFI.
Sorry Bill, I told.
Rest in peace.
