Gentleman, this is actually Mrs. Jimmie writing and I do apologising for gate crashing but I just had to tickle the keyboards and thank you all so much for this wonderful thread. You have made me laugh with all your fantastic and oh so funny politically incorrect stories (keep them coming!) your amazing OH&S less tales, (keep them coming!) baffled me with all your technical talk (okay, keep them coming too) and you have made me cry with your outpourings of love not only towards a wonderful time in aviation history but towards a machine that obviously set your hearts and adrenalin a flutter. There have been times when I have walked into our Ops room at home and found James4th either laughing hysterically from a story or silently crying over some wonderful memory that one of you had brought back to him and for that I thank you too.
I was not part of the airline industry, until a certain star shone on James4th and myself 5 years ago, and it was then that I first started to hear about all the wonderful times and adventures that went with flying the old girl, and all of your stories in this magnificent thread have added to my DC9 education. I was lucky to have had a stint at being an “air hostess” (albeit a short one due to James bringing me to this last outpost of Empire) but after hearing all these stories I so wish it had been in your time and flying the old girl (whom I am not one bit jealous off by the way!).
It is a pity that time marches on and things change, and sometimes not always for the better, but your stories and memories will live on and hopefully the younger ones gets to hear them and know of the wonderful times you all experienced and to learn what it was like in the “good old days”. Teresa Green I agree whole heartedly agree with you, you flew the REAL aeroplanes, but may I add to that, gentleman, YOU were the REAL pilots.(With no offence to the newer ones of course.)
I would give one of James’ testicles to be a fly on the wall at a DC9 gathering and if I am ever lucky to do so gents, the first round is on me. Pleeeeaaasseeee someone put these stories down on paper.
Gents, I dips me lid to you ..and as they say in the classics, Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.
Mrs Jimmie xx
