Had 11 rather uneventful (compared to some here) years as a servant of HM flying types previously mentioned, I attempted at various stages at a certain OCU to break myself and the aeroplane but through a combination of exceptionally good luck and ignorance I triumphantly managed to avoid both outcomes with little more than a sheepish grin and a sweaty forehead.....no PTSD for me, no thank you...or so I thought!
Fast forward another few years, civvy street flying now, first command B757 on our way to BGR mid pond (about 30W), just beginning to imagine that first tasty Canadian beer.
A slight whiff of burning plastic that rapidly turns into an over-powering eye watering fume filled coughing fit....mask midway to my face when suddenly blackness and a gritty feeling in my eyes....oh s**t.
15 seconds later....it's as if nothing happened, apart from a fine charcoal like layer in parts..and yours truly and his FO looking like we've just done an hour in a Sopwith Camel given our goggle marks.
A recirc fan bearing had let go at umpteen thousands of RPM...showering us with 10 years worth of detritus and plastic......good thing the seat cover was brown is all I'm gonna say.