DC-3 story
This one concerns an East-West Airlines "Three", operating the regular run out to Lake Cargellico in central western New South Wales. The skipper was the late Toby Alleyne, and the F/O the late Dick Creak, ("Creaky Dick"). The hostie was Penny Sullivan, and years later I heard Dick's story and I heard Penny's story, and even though I flew with Toby and shared overnights with him, he would not be drawn on the subject.
"The Lake" had grass strips back then, (probably still has), and as Toby swung the old girl into the circuit, Dick, who'd not long before joined the company and was still learning the ropes, asked Tobe if he would demonstrate a short field landing. Now Tobe, if he was anything, was the most laconic man you'd ever be likely to meet. Without a word he drags her back till she's hanging on the props over the fence, pegs her on and with his backside riding up the seat back an inch or two, stands on the brakes and hauls the wheel hard back into his stomach.
The ground was probably a fair bit softer than he thought, but whatever the case, up came the tail and down went the nose, and as Dick said, the earth that was thrown up beat loudly against the cockpit sides. The tail fell back, heavily of course, whereupon Tobe opened the taps and taxied to the shed that passed as a terminal, the props making that curious swishing noise that tells of bent blades.
Penny, on "touchdown", was standing down the back close to the door and right behind the last row of seats on the left side, giving her nose or her lips a little service. The severity of the landing threw her over the seat back and on top of the startled passenger sitting there. Penny extricated herself and doing her best to gather her composure, waited at the door till they pulled up. From up front a glowering Toby emerged, and when Penny asked him all wide-eyed "Wh-what happened Toby?" his only reply, in a hissed whisper was "Shut your face!"
It took them quite a while to get home that day.
Last edited by Fantome; 31st Jan 2009 at 04:35.