Age must have a major bearing on all this. I remember being thrown around in the back of a herc over the Great Yorkshire showground in Harrogate and numerous trips in Chinooks and Puma's over the Yorkshire Dales back in the '80's.....and loving every single second! My faith in the aircrew was absolute....after all, their training would save us, right? My incident with the hydraulic platform, whilst only being at about 60 0r 70 feet at the time, changed everything for me. Added to the fact I was getting older meant my appetite for risk was diminishing rapidly. It really hit me though when I was running towards the rear of a burning plumbers van on the A1 near the Linton on Ouse exit.....and I was imagining exploding cylinders coming through the back doors! It was vivid and I'd never felt like that before. I was overdue retirement and I knew I'd had a good run. My finger was hovering over the eject button from that day on.
Apologies for making a lame comparison but I'm shocked, humbled and hugely respect the candour here.
MD