One of the great joys of my job is that I get to meet interesting people. Some make a difference in the world. Others should not be allowed to roam around society. All have some story to tell.
However, it is not often that I get to stand across someone who has looked “Death” in the eyes then slammed the door right in its face.
That brings me to one Ed Brock. No, not the guy who put on the Black Suit after Peter Parker ditched it.
This Ed Brock is a veteran of Nam who has thousands of hours in flying experience, namely in choppers and small planes. I first met him after the Raggedy charted a flight, via Acadian Air Med, to survey a ferry accident near the State Prison last year. It was too dark to see anything so the mission was scrubbed but the flight did not end there. On the way, back a call came over the radio involving a bad accident near Livonia. With Ed at the controls, we headed to the scene. I was able to see a different view of the first responders in action. Usually it is behind a sectioned off area with the threat of Schumcks causing a scene. Not the case here. An all access pass with a couple of flight paramedics, how cool was this. Too bad my video was deleted by some unknown entity. I would have made some good television.
Anyway, this time I got to see Ed not as a pilot. Not as a first responder. However, as a crash survivor. Last night, while teaching one of his students, his plane experienced some mechanical troubles. With some quick thinking, along with a ton of experience, Ed managed to get the plane down in a sugar cane field. The truly amazing part is that both guys were not seriously hurt. Thank goodness. Planes can be replaced lives cannot. So after a check by the doctors both men will make full recoveries from the scratches and bruises that got from impact. I guess the old saying is true, "Any landing you can walk away from is a good one".
However, it is not often that I get to stand across someone who has looked “Death” in the eyes then slammed the door right in its face.
That brings me to one Ed Brock. No, not the guy who put on the Black Suit after Peter Parker ditched it.
This Ed Brock is a veteran of Nam who has thousands of hours in flying experience, namely in choppers and small planes. I first met him after the Raggedy charted a flight, via Acadian Air Med, to survey a ferry accident near the State Prison last year. It was too dark to see anything so the mission was scrubbed but the flight did not end there. On the way, back a call came over the radio involving a bad accident near Livonia. With Ed at the controls, we headed to the scene. I was able to see a different view of the first responders in action. Usually it is behind a sectioned off area with the threat of Schumcks causing a scene. Not the case here. An all access pass with a couple of flight paramedics, how cool was this. Too bad my video was deleted by some unknown entity. I would have made some good television.
Anyway, this time I got to see Ed not as a pilot. Not as a first responder. However, as a crash survivor. Last night, while teaching one of his students, his plane experienced some mechanical troubles. With some quick thinking, along with a ton of experience, Ed managed to get the plane down in a sugar cane field. The truly amazing part is that both guys were not seriously hurt. Thank goodness. Planes can be replaced lives cannot. So after a check by the doctors both men will make full recoveries from the scratches and bruises that got from impact. I guess the old saying is true, "Any landing you can walk away from is a good one".
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