define "scary" ..
define " scary " ...
is it one's first flight as a Loadmaster on an African airline B707F operating LHR-FCO-NBO-NLA-LUN ..
when after landing FCO the F/O misread the chart and we exited the runway at the wrong intersection and found ourselves
facing an oncoming Alitalia B747 ..
the headset was almost ablaze with all the shouting - the x BOAC Captain shouting at the F/O .. the F/E shouting, the tower shouting ..
in my mind's eye I can still see the B747 trundling toward us ...and working out how whether if I opened the service door I could escape
before impact ...
Luckily we all stopped just in time and after the push back trucks came and rearranged us , departed for NBO ...
or being on a BA Trident 3 shuttle LHR-GLA departing 27L when shortly after wheels up there was a loud bang from the rear of the aircraft and
the engines noise diminished ... I remembered having worked at BEA when Papa India crashed at Staines ..so I knew being in a Trident in a nose up
attitude shortly after take off with little forward motion does not end well.
Immediately after the bang there was an overwhelming and incredible silence in the cabin.
There was a collective intake of breath and a lot of quiet prayers.
Mine weren't the only hands gripping the arm rests .
Then we banked and with some limited degree of power flew a quick circuit back to land.
Only after landing and pursued by Heathrow's finest was there a sense of panic and relief - and for those brave enough to continue a quick transfer to another aircraft.
Some were unfortunate - they literally were sh1t scared.
There was no announcement or explanation ...
or is it being extra Loadie on an A3F when the pressurisation failed and made an emergency descent to 12,000ft and then finding there
weren't enough oxygen masks ... the flight deck had masks .. so it was strange hearing their breathing but under control.. that was a headache ..
or
in a career of 50 years in aviation ( when it used to be fun ..) in many roles, in many places I could go on and on.
Best advice I was given was " flying is perfectly safe, crashing isn't "
safe aviating
Roger