BOOK EXCERPTS
Chasing a Whirlwind
A wall plaque in my office reminds me that “Flying is the second greatest thrill known to man, but landing is the first.” That statement became a reality for me in 1970 during what was supposed to be a routine landing at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta, Georgia. I along with five other engineers from the Lockheed Martin Research Lab had flown to Dayton, Ohio on a Lockheed Beach 18. Our goal was to secure government research contracts for Lockheed from the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL). After our successful mission, we confidently boarded the plane for a smooth ride back to Marietta.
As we approached Dobbins, we saw a C-124 Globemaster and a C-5 cargo plane land safely on the runway. We were still twenty feet off the ground on the glide approach when we caught the lingering wake—which was like a horizontal tornado or vortex—from one of the planes. Our airplane pitched up and rolled 90° to the right. My aerobatic training in small aircraft did not prepare me for the fear in my gut as that airplane tossed around like a kite. Our experienced pilot hit that top rudder to regain control, straightened out the airplane, and set the Beach 18 down on its landing gear. Fortunately, the runway was 10,000 feet long which provided plenty of room to correct the flight and land safely. When we got to the ramp, we felt like getting down on our wobbly knees and kissing the ground. I thanked the Lord for saving our lives…
Born Three Time
They say your whole life flashes before you when you are facing death, but I couldn’t remember anything about the past—I was only praying for a future.
“This is Debbie, your transplant coordinator. We think we found a donor liver. We need you at the hospital in two hours.”
“What did you say? “I shouted into the phone. I had been led to believe by my team of doctors that it would be a long time before my name would rise to the top of the transplant list. I often doubted that this day would come and wondered if I had used up my allotment of second chances.
“We think we found a match,” Debbie calmly explained. “And remember, we need you to come in fasting so we can prep you for surgery.”
That phone call abruptly changed my routine Wednesday afternoon into a frantic race for time. An adrenaline rush kicked my sluggish mind and body into high gear. “Dear God, help me,” I said aloud. Since I was alone, no one else heard my plea.
