Phillipe Domogala
More than just an ATCO
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Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Up someone's nose
Age: 75
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Phillipe Domogala
Just heard that this well known and very knowledgeable Ppruner is in hospital after a serious gliding accident in the Alps last week.
Not sure of all the facts but seems he got into a downdraft and purpously stalled the glider onto the only suitable site. The radio was undamaged and he managed to put out a Mayday, giving his GPS position and his mobile phone number. Hew exited the glider but almost directly was in serious pain and had to lie down. The Rescue services were able to contact him quickly and he was airlifted out within an hour
He was discovered to have broken his spine in several places but, fortunately, no damage to his spinal cord.
He is now in a special unit in Koblenz (?) in traction where he will remain for some time.
Maybe someone from Maastricht knows more and has a correspondence address for get well messages
Not sure of all the facts but seems he got into a downdraft and purpously stalled the glider onto the only suitable site. The radio was undamaged and he managed to put out a Mayday, giving his GPS position and his mobile phone number. Hew exited the glider but almost directly was in serious pain and had to lie down. The Rescue services were able to contact him quickly and he was airlifted out within an hour
He was discovered to have broken his spine in several places but, fortunately, no damage to his spinal cord.
He is now in a special unit in Koblenz (?) in traction where he will remain for some time.
Maybe someone from Maastricht knows more and has a correspondence address for get well messages
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Surrey, Uk
Age: 72
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A few years ago Philippe visited LATCC, West Drayton. He sat with me for a couple of hours on the Dover (DVR) sector watching the radar. An absolutely charming man.
Philippe, I wish you well and a speedy recovery.
Clint.
Philippe, I wish you well and a speedy recovery.
Clint.
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Fort Worth ARTCC ZFW
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Lon;
Thanks for posting. I don't have Phillipe's address, but please pass on my best wishes for a fast recovery for him. If you find out the hospital that he is in and address, please pass it on.
regards
Scott
Thanks for posting. I don't have Phillipe's address, but please pass on my best wishes for a fast recovery for him. If you find out the hospital that he is in and address, please pass it on.
regards
Scott
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Karlsruhe, Germany
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Koblenz is a relatively small city where the river Mosel runs into Rhein River and is well known for the German Armed Forces Hospital. Try here:
Kontakt
Anschrift und Erreichbarkeit
Postanschrift
Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz
Rübenacher Straße 170
D-56072 Koblenz
Hotline - E-Mail
Telefon: (0261) 281-0
Telefax: (0261) 281-4502
[email protected]
www.bundeswehrkrankenhaus-koblenz.de
Kontakt
Anschrift und Erreichbarkeit
Postanschrift
Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz
Rübenacher Straße 170
D-56072 Koblenz
Hotline - E-Mail
Telefon: (0261) 281-0
Telefax: (0261) 281-4502
[email protected]
www.bundeswehrkrankenhaus-koblenz.de
Pegase Driver
Just discoverd this post today. . Thanks for worrying about me guys !
I´m getting much better, out of hospital since a week, and still having to do rehab exercises for the next few weeks , but as they are all done by nice young ladies, I do not complain.
I am expected to function normally again in a month or so.
I crashed at 2400m ( 7500 ft ) altitude in nasty looking rocks. I consider myself extremely lucky to have survived this crash , and if the body recovered fast and so far quite well, the mind takes however a bit longer to forget.
I of course lost my medical ( temporarily I hope !) but as I was to surrender my ATC headset in May next year , it is therefore farewell to the frequency.
I will miss some old voices, but overall I am not sad. We had the best years of ATC.
I however hope to be able to fly again next year, but I do not think I will go gliding in the Alps again. ( Gliding is not dangerous, the mountains are.)
As we used to say : chug a lug !
Now, I go back to my glass of red wine….
Philippe
I´m getting much better, out of hospital since a week, and still having to do rehab exercises for the next few weeks , but as they are all done by nice young ladies, I do not complain.
I am expected to function normally again in a month or so.
I crashed at 2400m ( 7500 ft ) altitude in nasty looking rocks. I consider myself extremely lucky to have survived this crash , and if the body recovered fast and so far quite well, the mind takes however a bit longer to forget.
I of course lost my medical ( temporarily I hope !) but as I was to surrender my ATC headset in May next year , it is therefore farewell to the frequency.
I will miss some old voices, but overall I am not sad. We had the best years of ATC.
I however hope to be able to fly again next year, but I do not think I will go gliding in the Alps again. ( Gliding is not dangerous, the mountains are.)
As we used to say : chug a lug !
Now, I go back to my glass of red wine….
Philippe
Good to hear you're on the mend Philippe. As you say, the best years of ATC - and indeed aviation - are behind us. Take it easy and don't rush back to you-know-where. It would be a case of, "out of a crashing glider into a sinking ship!" 
