A funny story. I think. (a little long)

Shepherd

Shepherd

Final Approach
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Hopewell Jct, NY
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Shepherd
Had my physical today.
No problem, no sweat.
Except as I'm walking across the parking lot I run a cross a guy I've run into at various airports over the years.
He sees me coming, he stops short and the first words out of his mouth:
Him: "I thought you were dead!"
Me: "Say what?!!?"
Him: "I thought you were dead."
Me: "I don't think so, but I'm usually the last person to find out these things."
I go into the doctors office, walk up to the window, and the beautiful and talented Sari looks up at me and exclaims: "I thought you were dead!"
Now I'm starting to worry. Is this like a 'Twilight Zone' episode or something.
Sari comes bursting through the door and hugs me. Trust me, it's suddenly worth being dead.
Sari: "Seriously, I heard you were killed in a plane crash."
Me: "Didn't you think it was odd a dead guy was on the schedule for an FAA physical?"
Sari: (pointing around the room) "Have you seen some of these guys in here? Most of them could pass for dead most days of the week"
(I really love this girl. She really is beautiful, smart, funny, and if I was single and forty years younger....sigh)
Now this is getting a little bit funny.
One of the other guys sitting there, another acquaintance, one of the living dead that Sari pointed out chimes in: "Yeah, I heard you augered in back in August or September."
By this time Dr. Tom comes out and want's to know what all the commotion is.
Dr. Tom: "I heard you were dead."
Me: "Do I look dead?"
Dr. Tom: "Hard to tell. Can you pay me?"
Me: (digging out my credit card) "Sure."
Dr Tom: "You look alive enough, come on back"
I go through and Sari and four other guys waiting for physicals follow me in. This has now gone way beyond weird.
It occurs to me I should probably try to get to the bottom of this.
Me: "So how did I die, and how did you find out about it."
Sari chimes in: "Jack was in here last week and told us you were doing snap rolls in a J3 Cub, and the wing came off. He said by the time they got the fire out there was nothing left of the plane."
I think for a minute. It hurts and I think maybe what's left of my hair started burning from the strain.
Then I start to giggle.
Then I start to laugh.
Finally I'm laughing so hard the tears are running down my face. I can't breath. My fingers and lips are turning blue and even though I am in imminent danger of REALLY dying, I can't stop laughing.
It takes me a full ten minutes to stop, then I look at all the quizzical looks, and I start all over again.
Dr Tom: "Well you obviously failed the psychological portion of the exam. Want to just give up and go quietly?"
Jack is an old pilot friend from way back in the day. He is also a member of the Radio Control club I belong to.
And yes I did tear the wing off a Cub while doing rudder rolls and barrel rolls, etc, and yes the plane hit the ground and burned completely, including 'mini-Shep' in the cockpit. It was a 1/4 SCALE Cub.
So we all had a good laugh.
I got a second hug from Sari, and a stern warning not to kill myself for real. It was worth it.
And now I have my new medical, and I'm looking for a decent (even if it's cold) day to get out and fly the Cub again before rumors of my death reach Great Barrington.
They have a strict rule there, against letting dead guys fly their planes.
Oh, and I've developed this weird habit of looking at mirrors to make sure I still have a reflection. I'm sure it will pass.
 
Did anyone tell your neighbor you augured in after shedding a wing, and organized a self starter cremation? The one that worries about you riding a motorcycle to the airport? ;)
 
Anything to get a hug from Sari, huh Shep?
 
That's quite a story. I'm glad your augering in was not the real thing.
 
I can just see the first visit:

"I'm Sari!"

"Huh?"
 
Shepherd said:
Oh, and I've developed this weird habit of looking at mirrors to make sure I still have a reflection. I'm sure it will pass.
Click to expand...
09d87715a98ba578102621d1c4f5ce493e261aa5c7bcd9f3b12bb55e992e24a9.jpg
 
Kenny Phillips said:
Got any video of the Cub crash?
Click to expand...

No, unfortunately.
It was worth recording for sure.
I didn't even think to take a picture after the fire went out.


I have to say, there are some seriously clever people on this board.
Keep up the good work.
 
Back in my banner days one of the pilots was an RC guy. He decides he wants to modify his RC so he can pickup a banner with it. He made a tail hook with a release and he took a piece of a trashed banner and built a mini banner. Brings it out to our banner field one day and tries to fly it. Tries a dozen times but can't get the timing right to make the pickup. Ends up hooking up his banner and taking off with it. He's flying it around the field. Suddenly it gets a bit unstable, rolls over and noses right into the ground. Both of us go into 'we just seen a banner plane crash' mode and start running full speed across the field toward the crash site as though we had to get to the pilot ASAP in hopes of saving his life. We were halfway across the field before I realized I wasn't going to be able to save the life of the pilot because it was RC plane so there wasn't any pilot to save.
 
Shepherd said:
Even for me, this would be on the far end of creepy old man.
Maybe next time.
Click to expand...
I rather have you here on the board than in prison, so I’ll cut you some slack!

;)
 
For your next quarter scale Cub you need to install a mini-passenger to accompany mini-Shep. Got anyone you particularly like/dislike?
 
The headline would say something like:
"Plane crashes at local airport"

And the lede would say something like:
"A Cessna Cub was destroyed when the engine stalled and it crashed near a local airport. Witnesses say the airplane was doing flips before it broke apart in mid air and then crashed. The wreckage was then engulfed in flames. No survivors were reported and the accident is under investigation."
 
Matthew said:
The headline would say something like:
"Plane crashes at local airport"

And the lede would say something like:
"A Cessna Cub was destroyed when the engine stalled and it crashed near a local airport. Witnesses say the airplane was doing flips before it broke apart in mid air and then crashed. The wreckage was then engulfed in flames. No survivors were reported and the accident is under investigation."
Click to expand...

"Officials, who commented on condition of anonymity, revealed to this reporter that the pilot had not filed a flight plan, and that his last transmission to ATC was only the cryptic phrase, 'With you.'"
 
Pilawt said:
"Officials, who commented on condition of anonymity, revealed to this reporter that the pilot had not filed a flight plan, and that his last transmission to ATC was only the cryptic phrase, 'With you.'"
Click to expand...
"Another witness claims the pilot reported a defective flux capacitor." (Ooops, that one is real.)
 
Pilawt said:
"Officials, who commented on condition of anonymity, revealed to this reporter that the pilot had not filed a flight plan, and that his last transmission to ATC was only the cryptic phrase, ' atatipa.'"
Click to expand...

FTFY! :eek: :stirpot:
 
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