Truth Or Fiction? (It's Truth)

**xxmikexx** · 04-20-2008, 02:31 PM

I have 110 hours dating back to around 1967. I haven't flown as PIC since then, and after the incident in question I swore I would never again ride in anything smaller than a 737, and then only if it is a major carrier and not a regional. I have kept that vow.

When I say I was riding shotgun, it was simply that this was a regional carrier trip from Denver into the Springs in a Twin Otter, with Herkimer Jerkimer not having a copilot. So I rode up front with him.

I know Front Range weather in June. He did not. I asked that we turn back instead of flying near that big thunderhead with the blackish-greenish underside that was kicking up all that dust.

He insisted on pressing on (can't disappoint the management of the regional), and on base leg, as we were skirting the cell, we flew through the most violent turbulence I have ever experienced. I truly did think the wings were going to come off.

After we touched down it was a short taxi to the gate which, at the time, literally was a swinging gate in a chain link fence. On the other side of that fence was my parked car. So I was in the car and driving home within about five minutes of that incident.

As I was heading home the cell was still over the field though by now it had drifted off to the east side. I turned the radio on and caught the beginning of an announcement that three tornados had been reported on the ground at Peterson Field, the Air Force base with which Colorado Springs Municipal shares the runways.

There is usually a five or so minute lag in getting these reports phoned in and into the hands of an announcer.

**xxmikexx** · 04-20-2008, 03:56 PM

P.S. I promise that in this series I will not reply to any posts at all, so take your best shots, but it would be nice if you could make them funny.

**Flying Officer Jevans** · 04-20-2008, 04:11 PM

Truth. The tornado's were simply RAF jockeys on location, and the wake from the burners was causing all the turbulence.

Ok, maybe not in 1967, but back then you'd have got a Lightning maybe...

**Kurtvw** · 04-20-2008, 05:33 PM

I'm double confused...

Can't understand why another pilot's poor judgement made you stop flying small planes (I think that is what you said here..)

And can't understand why you think there aren't any boneheads flying 737's (or larger).

**PhilipsCDRW** · 04-20-2008, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by Kurtvw

I'm double confused...

Can't understand why another pilot's poor judgement made you stop flying small planes (I think that is what you said here..)

And can't understand why you think there aren't any boneheads flying 737's (or larger).

Reading, not between the lines, but along them, he said that this is the incident which made him decide to not fly IN anything smaller than a 737.

And it seems logical to assume that, as the aircraft get larger, the pilots are required to be more experienced, and less likely to suffer from pressonitis. That's not to say that you didn't get boneheads flying Concorde, but you'd be less likely to find the Concorde pilot is a bonehead compared to, to unfairly pick an example at random, the Shorts 360 pilot.

**Kurtvw** · 04-20-2008, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by PhilipsCDRW

Reading, not between the lines, but along them, he said that this is the incident which made him decide to not fly IN anything smaller than a 737.

And it seems logical to assume that, as the aircraft get larger, the pilots are required to be more experienced, and less likely to suffer from pressonitis. That's not to say that you didn't get boneheads flying Concorde, but you'd be less likely to find the Concorde pilot is a bonehead compared to, to unfairly pick an example at random, the Shorts 360 pilot.

Agreed! but not guaranteed...