How would you react in an emergency and would you all be cool calm and collective in an air accident scenario.
Or would you lose full control of muscle and spincter whilst squealing like the proverbial pig.
Maybe you would come over religiously and start reciting the stages of the cross whilst spiraling through nonsupporting cumulus to a death most certain ? I already knew the answer because lifes rich tapistery had strapped me firmly into the jump seat of an air crash investigation episode all of my very own.
The fog had started to lift from Ringway and our aircraft's two CFM56 engines breathed once more into life.
My unconscious mind fired into action and pondered upon statistic after staticic like how many planes fly at one time.
And how dangerous cars can really be. And there are more chances of dying on our roads.
in the immortal words of yul Brinner etc etc etc.
We lined up on right 2 Zulu left awaiting clearance and safe in the knowledge that all checks by Captain Larson and flight lieutenant Smegson were now at full fruition.Our takeoff speed had been re calibrated owing to fog density and Larson had our aircraft weight flap and slat configuration sealed to into aviation mememory .
Norwegian air norwegian air 3-46-niner ready to roll,said Larson and brakes were promptly released.
We had only got through the second chorus of hail Mary full of grace when an aura of panic surrounded my psyche.
Being in combat situations in the past I had mastered an uncanny resinance to approaching danger.
A sort of seventh sense if you will and rarely had it ever let me down.
V1 had not yet been achieved and I estimated our current ground speed to have been around the 100-110 notts mark.
Larson pushed that thrust lever hard north as we approached the point of no return and commital into that mist laden air.
V1 was never to be realised as Larson smashed his feet to the metal causing Nowegian Air to kick vilentl left to right as he fought controls to abort his takeoff.The sickening stench of cordite and rubber and the shrieking squeeling noise that invaded our cabin was one I will never forget.
I had already unstrapped myself and stood up at this point involuntarily shouting jesus jesus pease please no no and whats happening whats happening eh.
Bjorg Aslaug the senior cabin crew fella shouted at me to retake my seat but I was in a perpetual state of hyperventilation and could not comprehend the spoken word.It was like everything was running at slow motion and a bright tunnel of light had invaded my corneas.
Fear had left me stranded and a peaceful calm decended throughout as my brain deposited bucketfuls of endorfines to minimise the inevitable calamity about to happen.
The human mind is a remarkable tool and when your time does come it will spring to your rescue to ease pain and angst and worry.
I do not lie when I say that I could not speak for minutes afterwards and my whole body had gone into uncontrollable tremor.
Norwegian air had had to abort just before it's V1 mass attainment owing to warning lights on the dashboard.
Larson had issued out apologies as we trundled back to the hanger for engineers to board and assess our current predicament.
Even though I had fought in many campaigns whilst in the service of my country and steadfastly stood standing at my post in front of enemy fire this episode had somehow made me crack with absolute strain and flying was never to be the same again.
So how would you react in any given emergency situation ?
I have to go to work now
Adios.
Edited for syntax and spelling:
