https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_Cerritos_mid-air_collision
Having seen what it actually looks like when an airliner hits the ground, I had a really hard time flying for many years. It doesn't look like what they show in the movies. I still prefer taking my time on the ground, but sometimes you just have to fly.
Wow. 30 years ago today.
According to the memorial, that was 30 years ago... Today!
The first time on an airplane as a child, not a huge one, it almost crashed, made emergency landing. I didn’t realize the import, but the event must have been some kind of imprint, as I’ve always hated and feared flying.
Once on a flight between Oahu and the Big Island, the turbulence was so bad the flight attendent was pouring sweat, walking up and down the aisle trying to assure passengers as he held on to keep from being thrown to the ground, while people screamed and prayed. It was very stormy and windy. When the plane landed, I was the last one out, and I heard the FL and pilot talking. The FA had been a helicopter pilot in the military (somehow I found that out, maybe he said during the flight, can’t remember, it was early 1980s) and told the pilot “I thought we weren’t going to make it” and the pilot replied “I didn’t think so, either.”
They didn’t realize I was still on the plane.
I wanted to fall on the ground and kiss it when I got off the plane. I don’t intend to fly ever again. Car, boat, little red wagon, walking.