Seance on a Wet Afternoon

[XBe02Drvr]

"Kennedy International Airport Information Tango, 1824 Zulu. Weather, ceiling indefinite, sky obscured, visibility one half mile in rain and fog, Temperature five one, dewpoint five zero. Wind variable two three zero, two six zero, at one five, gusts two five. Altimeter two nine eight eight. Landing runway two two left, departing two two right. Metering is in effect. RVR variable two zero zero, two six zero....."
"Tower, MetroAir thirty four twelve holding short two two right for takeoff."
"Metro three four one two, Tower, I have two inbounds for two two right, I'll get you out between them. Be ready for an immediate."
"Hullo Kennedy, Speedbird Concorde zero five on the ILS two two right, marker inbound."
"Speedbird zero five, cleared to land two two right, wind two four zero at one five, gusts to two two, altimeter two niner eight seven, RVR two one zero."
"Folks, if you look out the right side windows, you'll see a Concorde landing, up close and personal, any moment now."
At first it's a single dim light that quickly turns bright, then rapidly materializes into a twentieth century pterodactyl swooping out of the murk, shrouded in moisture and streaming outward expanding horizontal tornadoes from its wingtips and its trailing edges. As it gets lower, the expanding spiral streamers touch the ground and stir up eddies of mist from the standing water that is everywhere. From the hold short line it looks like it's going to pounce on us, but It misses and impacts the runway eight or nine hundred feet downrange, generating a huge outsplash of moisture and vanishing in the murk. A chorus of "Wow"s and "Omigod"s issues from the cabin.
"Metro three four one two, position and hold, two two right, be ready for an immediate."
"Thirty four twelve."
"Kendy tawr, Aeroflot tow sivn vun iss eyeless tow tow. Vee land now."
"Aeroflot two seven one, tower, IMMEDIATELY reduce to final approach speed. Traffic departing ahead of you. You are NOT YET cleared to land."
"Speedbird zero five, right turn at the end, ground point seven five clearing. G'day.
"G'day, tower. Zero five clear."
"Metro three four one two cleared for takeoff. EXPEDITE! Runway heading to three thousand."
"Thirty four twelve rolling."
"Aeroflot two seven one, I need that speed reduction NOW! Traffic on the runway departing."
"Vee goround."
"Roger, Aeroflot two seven one, execute missed approach, climb runway heading to four thousand, expedite your climb for traffic."
"Vee cunfigr, then climb."
"Metro three four one two, stop your climb, maintain one thousand, immediate right turn two five zero, Departure one two one three five. G'day!"
Just another beautiful day in the neighborhood.

 

[SaparotRob]

Cool.

 

[special ed]

The Concorde was scheduled to make two touch and goes at MSY, New Orleans, so my aviation nut buddy and I were there to see. As it got close, He climbed on the roof of my company car. He weighed appx 240-250 at the time. After the first T & G and pictures, he was jumping up & down with the obvious dents. After the final T & G as we left he says to my complaint, "I can just push it out." He begins punching the ceiling and destroys the vanity mirror in the sun visor. We remained friends, but I never let him forget.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

After the first T & G and pictures, he was jumping up & down with the obvious dents. After the final T & G as we left he says to my complaint, "I can just push it out." He begins punching the ceiling and destroys the vanity mirror in the sun visor. We remained friends, but I never let him forget.

His name wasn't John Belushi, was it?

 

[Gnomey]

Cool!

 

[special ed]

No, but he and I were the same age and met in Civil Air Patrol as 15 year old cadets. We had the same interests and as neither of us had brothers, we became brothers. I have posted some of his photos on the forum along with shots of him flying his aircraft. He continued with full size aviation where I did not, but we photoed planes, built models (plastic & balsa) and flew models.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

He continued with full size aviation where I did not, but we photoed planes, built models (plastic & balsa) and flew models.

He was always into getting high, any way possible.

 

[special ed]

Except drugs. He and I did not use them. While I preferred a beer, he did not like the taste and on occasion used something more expensive.

 

[special ed]

Here he is, first in his Grumman American and then he sold to get the French L-19. The markings were poorly scrubbed and because of his French ancestry, the markings were accurately restored with all the empty radio boxes, antennae and rocket rails reinstalled. The logs showed a bullet hit in the wing leading edge while used by the French in Algeria, which we found well repaired.

This pic of the L-19 does not yet have the bullet antennae on the stabiliser leading edges.