Quote:
Originally Posted by Seahawk
Yeppers!
Both the pilot of Kobe's helicopter and JFK Jr were spacial disorientation, vertigo, whatever the term is today, accidents.
Speeder and I talked about this a few days ago. I told him the only time in over 4000 hours of fixed and helo time I have ever become spatially disoriented was on the route JFK Jr flew.
I had it bad. My co-pilot, another high time helo guy, XO at the Sikorsky Factory was surprised...we had flown a lot together. He almost trusted me too much since I had all the qualifications in the world of helos: Instrument Check pilot, NVG Instructor, Maintenance Test Pilot, NATOPS Instructor, Deck Landing Instructor...on and on.
He took the aircraft right as I was giving it to him. Thank god. I was so done I would have crashed the Blackhawk we were flying. Embarrassing, but there it is. It would have a first time, last time eulogy.
That section of the Long Island Sound is really difficult, tons of lights and reflections, rising terrain of the left with lights, dark ahead, lights and flat to your right.
As I said in the "Are You an Expert thread: |
After I graduated HS, in the 80's I became friends with this guy named Todd. He was very charismatic and a total lady killer. He was a great wingman. We had lots od adventures together, fun times.
He laid eyes on my childhood crush and wanted me to introduce them. I really didn't want to as I felt he was not right for her, he was a player and I did not want him to hurt her. He pursued her anyway and they have now been married 30+ years. I was wrong.
I keep in touch with him and contact him once in a blue moon. I would not say we are friends anymore but more old friends who keep in touch.
I tell you all that to tell you this.
After JFK died he told me a crazy story. Todd is a millionaire, he took daddys company, a parking lot sweeping company and turned it into a very big corporation on Long Island that expanded into asphalt resurfacing, joint replacement on highways etc.. he also started a diving equipment sales website in the infancy of the internets and made a fortune with it. My friend went to flight school with JFK and made friends with him, as I would expect. IIRC the flight school was in New Jersey.
Once day after class he asked John is he wanted to come to his house for a home cooked Italian dinner (his wife is Italian and can cook!!) John said yes, so he called his wife and said a classmate was coming over for dinner and to make an Italian dinner. He never told her who the classmate was.
They get to his house and his wife almost passes out.. They enjoy a great dinner together and the conversation turns towards his plane. Todd had stuck a deal for him to buy Johns plane when he upgraded based on his licensure.
Of course that never happened, just thought it was a cool story about John and his friendship with my friend.
I just heard my friend moved locally to me, I am hoping to meet up with him and grab a beer soon, he has his own 1-800 based on his name. He is not hard to find. LOL!!