#BlogFormation: #Aviation History!
To make matters worse, I work in a very testosterone-fueled, male-dominated industry, where your “manhood” is always in question; I am a broker in the city of cialis without prescription London. Fibrosis is in fact the thickening of the connective tissue which can result in bending of the erect penis. buy online viagra There are three secretworldchronicle.com viagra in italy things that you really have to be a member or the company and then you will be provided best to best pills as well as also you can read about the drugs, precautions with the medicines for long duration of time. Do write an email wholesale cialis price to us .Our Website: www.powerkhan.co.ukFollow Us: Twitter | Facebook | Google+ .
 |
| Cap’n Mark and I met up recently on his KPHX overnight! |
Airline pilots. Consumate professionals who train rigorously to meet every emergency imaginable. Goal-oriented problems solvers, they learn to think fast, accomplish the checklists, and save the day. But, for airline pilot and author Mark L. Berry, this personal tragedy came without a manual, without a checklist, and without warning. . .
Today I am proud to present the lead post in this month’s “Blogging in Formation,” wherein six noted aviation bloggers team up to bring you their personal take on an aviation topic.
In addition, November includes many special days, such as: King Tut Day, Guy Fawkes Day, Dunce Day, Chaos Never Dies Day (no, really!), Have a Party with Your Bear Day (no, really really!), Sadie Hawkins Day, Absurdity Day and Stay at Home Because You are Well Day (Which, personally, I think should be called, “National Ferris Bueller Day.”)
 |
| North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco |
Note: The following is a “Historical narrative.” This is a true story, as close as the facts will allow. But where there are blanks in the data, I speculate on what exactly happened in the cockpit, and what could have been going through our heroine’s head at the moment.*
…
This story is also printed in my book,
There I Wuz! Adventures From 3 Decades in the Sky, Volume II
available on Amazon at
https://www.amazon.com/There-Wuz-II-Adventures-Decades-ebook/dp/B00YHFPM7U
Volume II is also on AudioBook at: http://www.audible.com/pd/Bios-Memoirs/There-I-Wuz-Volume-II-Audiobook/B0186GDTAC
“Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace,
The soul that knows it not, knows no release
from little things.“
—Amelia Earhart
Indeed, Grace was awarded—posthumously—Philippine’s highest military award – The Medal of Valor. She is only one of four recipients, and the only female to receive it.
 |
| Clark Air Base, Philippines |
Little did she know how literally she would follow in his footsteps.
The distinct combination of senses took her back to her earlier training days and combat missions.
Having aced all the required military courses and rigid training regimens, she later became one of only six female combat-qualified pilots of the PAF.
As she watched a U.S. F-18 taxi by her, Grace reflected on her active military life.
She’d seen combat action as an attack and bomber pilot in the many military operations against the Moro Islamic LIberation Front and communist insurgencies in Mindanao, the Visayas and Luzon.
But being the most decorated female pilot in the PAF didn’t go to her head. To be sure, she knew, the 8 Gold & 1 Bronze Crosses, 2 Distinguished Aviation Crosses, and 4 Military Merit Medals for heroism and gallantry in action had been an honor to receive.
But not even the Golden Eagle Merit Medallion given to me by President Gloria Arroyo herself can beat the pungent smell of hydraulic fluid and burnt oil on a hot, rainy day in the Philippines, she thought.
To Lt. Grace, the sounds, sights, and odors tasted of . . . adventure.
She completed the aircraft inspection and hopped in.
The anniversary of their dating was only four days away . . .
 |
| OV-10 Bronco Simulated cockpit |
Lt. Grace heard a loud thunk! followed by violent shaking. A glance outside: her left engine had disintegrated in a ball of fire. Kicking the autopilot off, she fought the suddenly sluggish stick.
“Power lever—idle!”
“Idle!”
“Engine kill switch—off!”
“Off!”
“Fire bottle—Discharged!”
“Discharged!”
But the engine still burned.
“Mayday, mayday,” Lt. Grace called over the radio, “Bronco Six-Seven declaring an emergency! Number one engine fire. Request vectors to Clark International Airport.”
As much as she dared, Lt. Grace banked the now violently-shaking plane toward the runway. Suddenly, she felt her guts lift.
They were dropping—fast.
“That’s a negative, Lieutenant . . . EJECT, EJECT, EJECT!” ordered Captain Nasayao.
Lt. Grace disobeyed the order, the last one ever given to her by a superior officer of the PAF.
She banked hard right, fighting the protesting airplane.
The wild bucking Bronco screamed, cried, fought its lone rider with all its might.
But Lt. Grace remained in the saddle.
She used every muscle, every fiber, every precious moment and skill of her stellar Air Force training and combat experience to force the crippled machine to bend to her will.
Even so, she could not will it back into the air.
She firewalled the good engine, racing against time to escape the population center.
Forgive me, Nestor. I won’t be there tonight to celebrate with you. Nor will I make our wedding. I love you. Fare well.
Let go, I’ve got you now, a new Voice spoke in her head.
This time, Lt. Grace obeyed her Superior Officer.
Suddenly filled with peace, Mary Grace Balayo let go of the burning craft and closed her eyes.
Miraculously, the inert ordnance remained intact.
Lt. Grace alone perished, and in so doing, saved countless lives on the ground.
Nov. 1: Adventures of Cap’n Aux – Eric Auxier
Nov. 2: iFLYblog – Brent Owens
Nov. 3: Airplanista – Dan Pimentel
Nov. 4: Smart Flight Training – Andrew Hartley
Nov. 5: Flight to Success – Karlene Petitt
- JOIN THIS SITE…………………VERIFY………………………..JOINED
- COMMENT……………………….VERIFY………………………..MADE
- FACEBOOK………………………VERIFY………………………..LIKED
- TWITTER………………………….VERIFY………………………..TWEETED
- EMAIL………………………………VERIFY………………………..MAILED
- OTHER NETWORKS………..VERIFY………………………..SHARED
Previous Blogging in Formation Posts
- My Best Instructional Moments: http://capnaux.com/2013/10/blogging-in-formationthere-i-wuz-my.html
- Blog Formation 1: How I was Brought to Flying: http://capnaux.com/2013/05/blogging-in-formation.html
- The Future of U.S. Aviation: http://capnaux.com/2013/07/happy-4th-future-of-us-aviation.html
- My Most Memorable Flight: http://capnaux.com/2013/06/blogformation-my-most-memorable-flight.html
- Great Intro by Brent at iFlyblog: http://iflyblog.com/2013/05/06/blogging-in-formation-six-aviation-bloggers-six-posts-six-days/
Related Cap’n Aux Posts
- Flying a Fallen Hero: http://capnaux.com/2012/07/interlude-flying-fallen-hero.html
- There I Wuz! The Sky Fell: http://capnaux.com/2013/06/blogformation-my-most-memorable-flight.html
- There I Wuz! Grand Crisis Over Grand Canyon: http://capnaux.com/2012/09/there-i-wuz-grand-crisis-over-grand.html
- There I Wuz! Case of the Missing Notam: http://capnaux.com/2013/08/there-i-wuzcase-of-missing-notam.html
Related Links
- GRACE: http://www.angelfire.com/ga/batwentyone/valor.html
- Philippine Star—The Heroine Comes Home: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/90237/heroine-comes-home
- http://dbpedia.org/page/Mary_Grace_Baloyo
- AVIATION HISTORY: http://nationalaviation.org
- http://todaysdocument.tumblr.com/post/12300278778/november-is-national-aviation-history-month-are
- Nat’l Av. Day (Aug. 19): http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/national-aviation-day
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Aviation_Day
- DETAILS OF STORY—Bronco, Air Bases, etc: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Rockwell_OV-10_Bronco
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Air_Base
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pampanga
- http://www.boeing.com/boeing/history/bna/ov10.page
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danilo_Atienza_Air_Base
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Station_Sangley_Point
— — — — — — — — — —
Launching November 13 at 11:00 am PHX
Top 10 Downers of an Airline Pilot Career
HOLDING SHORT
Departing November 20: A mystery post!
— — — — — —
TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF
Departing November 27
“Role Models Month” continues!
