g0five
Joined: Nov 03, 2001
Posts: 870
From: the depths of insanity
Posted: 2003-05-19 13:38
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Bomber Moon that was one of my fav. chapters.
Please keep writing.
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Duke Elegant
Joined: Nov 28, 2002
Posts: 261 Posted: 2003-05-20 11:21
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Cat Driver
G'Day mate.....your'e right.... we used to always say that with skill, you could use the curvature of the earth to get off with a load.
Chemo not so good last time around... for the first time I got bummed out ... decided that's OK.... got a lot to be bummed out about.
BUT....
gOfive .... you folks make me feel good.. Thank you.
I will write a short one before the full book chapter about "The Golden Triangle". Cat Driver... this one is for you. It's about Jim.
It proves that Aviation has a soul.
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Duke Elegant
Joined: Nov 28, 2002
Posts: 261 Posted: 2003-05-20 12:08
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Jim was a great pilot and an even better friend. It was fun to see Jim get mad. His face would get as red as a baboon's arse but usually broke into a smile when he realized we were torquing him up.
I had hired him once when I imported an F27 upon which he had lots of experience. He professionally massaged the program to success. I respected him. Jim was a Convair Captain when he died.
I happened to be in Nanaimo at the time of his funeral but I was on a deadline to fly a C117 Super Three to Ontario FULLY laden with eight hours of fuel and tons of spares. The new owner was with us so I told him I had to go to a funeral that was important to me but a better idea invaded my mind, one that seemed to be more appropriate.
I phoned the preacher and learned that the chapel was by the waterfront in Nanaimo and suggested to him that I do a flypast over the chapel. How does one get the timing right on this one? The preacher thought it was a great idea and we hatched a rough plan. I had told him I needed to do a thorough run-up and I hoped I could get it right ... by guessing.
There were Kelowna Flightcraft people down from Kelowna, lots of his local friends and relatives and staff from the airport.
We tried to determine the appropriate time for start and warm-up....which could take a while. So start we did... and run-up. We told Flight Service our intentions and rolled for take off ... and yes!.. we needed the curvature of the earth to get off. We retracted the wheels to save the perimeter fence and lumbered down the inlet....HEAVY. I stayed low at about six hundred feet over the water, around the point and onwards to the chapel by the sea. Timing? Who knows.
Only the preacher and his wife knew we were coming.
The preacher spoke in a comforting tone in the strange silence of the chapel . The minister's wife went to the rear by the big doors that she left cracked slightly open. He
revisited Jim's career and related Jim's favourite times and aeroplanes, one of wich was the DC3.
Only the preacher's wife heard us coming and signalled her husband. He talked of journeys, especially the one Jim was on now.... some people claimed later that they heard a far off recognizable throaty rumble.
He nodded to his wife who threw open the doors .. "and his life involved many journeys..none so important as his jouney now..." The rumble was very loud now ... six hundred feet (legal over the water)...people were taken aback ... I roared overhead ... and peeled up and on my way to Winnipeg. There wasn't a dry eye in the place. " And Jim," said the preacher," that was Captain Duke Elegant... for you, my friend."
They left the doors open for a while till I faded off into the Eastern sky.
I had pulled it off. There was at least ten messages on my cell mailbox when I landed in Medicine Hat with a catostrophic engine failure. At least the engine didn't grenade till I got through the Rockies. Life goes on.
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Nark
Joined: Oct 27, 2002
Posts: 97
From: Canada.
Posted: 2003-05-20 13:58
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These are truely touching stories. I hope that you get better soon.
I'd love to buy you a round. These stories are simply fantastic.
Cheers.
_________________
"But I didn't do it!" -Big Josh.
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Cat Driver
Joined: Feb 15, 2003
Posts: 1177 Posted: 2003-05-20 14:10
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Thanks Duke for a truly honest and touching story.
I was at the airport when you took off and knowing the load you had on board I thought I would be going to another friends funeral.
How do you get through the security screeners when you travel airlines with all those horseshoes up your ass?
I think about your health often and wish we could go back to earlier and more carefree days Duke.
At least Jim never knew what hit him.....
When my time comes I hope it is some jealous husband shooting me out of the saddle..
Cat Driver:
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