Buried a friend today.

He was a great pilot but he was still human. His luck bucket just ran out.

Two years ago I saw him land a Mooney in a field in the foothills of Arkansas dropping in over high-tension lines, touching down while going downhill, then they went up the other side of the hill bunnyhopped a ditch, making a 60 degree right turn and stopping with only a bent gear door. The man could fly but he couldn't beat the clock.

So sorry to hear about that, especially a someone who you worked with so closely. You have a great attitude about it. (Trying not to judge harshly.) Even the best stick in the world can make a mistake when all the chips are down. Who knows? In the moment he may have deemed it the best option given his circumstances.
 
Sorry to hear about your friend... It's a tough loss to lose someone doing what we love to do..

I've lost a few and buried one 2 weeks to who died in a mid-air with another buddy of mine.. You fly that close you gotta have your head in the game, and through a combination of errors, one of them paid for it with his life...

Be careful up there..
 
I'm glad you got some good takeaway's from our conversation oh so long ago in the library. Was definitely a good time. It's cool too seeing the new, green beginning student you were then, and how your career has progressed from that time.

Man, how far we've both come since.......

I could use a talk like that right now. I am a GA pilot in training, no plans to make a career out of this, but was hoping to fulfill my childhood dream of learning how to fly.

Two weeks and 4 hours into my training, I experienced an engine failure (as a passenger), not during a lesson, but on a "100 dollar hamburger" trip with a friend who is a pilot.

Thanks to pilot skill and good fortune, we came out of it with just some minor bruises.

But the incident obviously has me shaken, and I can't seem to be able to decide whether I should continue doing this. Its neither yes nor no right now.

Phew!

PS - Sorry for jacking your thread, ESA17, I hope you don't mind.

I did read about Jimmy Gaston Phillips when this happened, and yes, the media sometimes, surprisingly does end up doing justice to deserving stories. May this great aviator Rest in Peace.
 
I could use a talk like that right now. I am a GA pilot in training, no plans to make a career out of this, but was hoping to fulfill my childhood dream of learning how to fly.

Two weeks and 4 hours into my training, I experienced an engine failure (as a passenger), not during a lesson, but on a "100 dollar hamburger" trip with a friend who is a pilot.

Thanks to pilot skill and good fortune, we came out of it with just some minor bruises.

But the incident obviously has me shaken, and I can't seem to be able to decide whether I should continue doing this. Its neither yes nor no right now.

Take away from the experience that an engine malfunction doesn't have to be the end and that day was not supposed to be your last. Life is meant to be lived. Heal your psyche. If flying was a childhood dream, don't let the dream die.
 
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