Mark, thanks for reading this. The flight doc said he couldn't find anything to explain it, so he had no choice but to ground me. I understood that. I saw maybe every doctor in Hawaii for whatever test they could offer. Nothing. And it never returned. I've concluded that it was time for me to go back home to Ohio to care for my dying dad. Spending a final three months with him was, to me, proof that there are more important things than career. Thanks again for responding, good to hear from you.
A dear friend of mine - my flight instructor in grad school & co-pilot on many a flight - had experienced TIA's (transient eschemic attacks). The old doc he used to see for flight physicals would give him a pass as they talked about the good old days flying. And then 1 day - 30 years to the day his dad had a fatal heart attack - he sat down after stacking firewood & never got up again.
As I understand it he had a fear of giving up something he had loved since he began flying as a very very young man; he didn't want to miss it.
To this day I miss him.
As always, Byron, your work evokes memories & experiences in your readers. You have captured the universal story.
Toughest choice I ever had to make, and the easiest as well. I was born to fly. It was my dream and my identity. I was fortunate to fly for a living for 43 wonderful years, and didn't want it to end, not until I decided it was time. But I knew as well that a crash would instantly erase 12,500 hours of safe flying, a legacy I treasured. When I was grounded it felt like someone had ripped my arms off. I struggled for quite a while to find a replacement, finally understanding there wasn't one. Looking back, I'm glad I quit when I did, with so many amazing memories and stories, meeting so many wonderful people along the way, and giving them safe passage. Thanks for writing.
I absolutely hear you, Byron! Your choice speaks to integrity, dignity, compassion, thoughtfulness - these are not values that are taught in flight school. These are values you brought with you making you a much better pilot & human being.
As my mom used to say, "If not this, then something better."
I'm enjoying the discipline of it. I thought prose was demanding of word choice, flow, and precision, but poetry is beyond that. If I understand it correctly — a big IF — writing a poem so it makes sense is the first mistake. The second might be to bend over backward to make it rhyme. Maybe the third mistake is agonizing over whether it's good or not? Hey, thanks for reading the piece.
Trying to rhyme makes my work sound forced and artificial. I rarely have external rhymes. You cannot agonize over good or not--for others. Readers will bring all kinds of things into your poems that do not exist for you. Satisfy yourself. I always read your pieces though rarely comment. I'm such a lurker.
After you helped me portray helicopter flying in my own writing, I had the opportunity to experience 20 minutes of controlling just the cyclic on a 2-person bird. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I cannot fathom the end of that 43-year lifetime of flying, but your poem captured how it must have felt. You clearly made the right choice in doing so, but it obviously wasn't an easy decision. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading/responding. It wasn't an easy decision at all, except that it was. I flew for 43 years, 12,500 hours in the cockpit, 3200 patient flights, and 2500 laps around the island of Kauai. But the figure I'm most proud of is that my number of takeoffs & landings were equal. I couldn't jeopardize that. It was a great gig, and extremely rewarding, but moving on has been as well. Thanks again for reading.
Jeff, thanks for reading & responding, as always. I have to say, though it took a while to find those 'other plans' I have discovered them, and they're very rewarding. We all have a way to fly if we look for it, and open our minds and hearts to it. Thanks again for the response, I appreciate it.
Your talent is touching, Byron. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Thank you for your service and sacrifices to protect my freedom. I’m grateful. And I’m also grateful that you made what was obviously a difficult decision.
Wow...just wow. Beautiful, heartfelt writing. The Universe had other plans for you beginning on that day. I love how you tie past and present together in the last line. Well done, Byron.
Mark, thanks for reading this. The flight doc said he couldn't find anything to explain it, so he had no choice but to ground me. I understood that. I saw maybe every doctor in Hawaii for whatever test they could offer. Nothing. And it never returned. I've concluded that it was time for me to go back home to Ohio to care for my dying dad. Spending a final three months with him was, to me, proof that there are more important things than career. Thanks again for responding, good to hear from you.
A dear friend of mine - my flight instructor in grad school & co-pilot on many a flight - had experienced TIA's (transient eschemic attacks). The old doc he used to see for flight physicals would give him a pass as they talked about the good old days flying. And then 1 day - 30 years to the day his dad had a fatal heart attack - he sat down after stacking firewood & never got up again.
As I understand it he had a fear of giving up something he had loved since he began flying as a very very young man; he didn't want to miss it.
To this day I miss him.
As always, Byron, your work evokes memories & experiences in your readers. You have captured the universal story.
Toughest choice I ever had to make, and the easiest as well. I was born to fly. It was my dream and my identity. I was fortunate to fly for a living for 43 wonderful years, and didn't want it to end, not until I decided it was time. But I knew as well that a crash would instantly erase 12,500 hours of safe flying, a legacy I treasured. When I was grounded it felt like someone had ripped my arms off. I struggled for quite a while to find a replacement, finally understanding there wasn't one. Looking back, I'm glad I quit when I did, with so many amazing memories and stories, meeting so many wonderful people along the way, and giving them safe passage. Thanks for writing.
I absolutely hear you, Byron! Your choice speaks to integrity, dignity, compassion, thoughtfulness - these are not values that are taught in flight school. These are values you brought with you making you a much better pilot & human being.
As my mom used to say, "If not this, then something better."
You always enjoyed reading poetry. How do you like being on the other side of the pen?
I'm enjoying the discipline of it. I thought prose was demanding of word choice, flow, and precision, but poetry is beyond that. If I understand it correctly — a big IF — writing a poem so it makes sense is the first mistake. The second might be to bend over backward to make it rhyme. Maybe the third mistake is agonizing over whether it's good or not? Hey, thanks for reading the piece.
Trying to rhyme makes my work sound forced and artificial. I rarely have external rhymes. You cannot agonize over good or not--for others. Readers will bring all kinds of things into your poems that do not exist for you. Satisfy yourself. I always read your pieces though rarely comment. I'm such a lurker.
Lurk away, my friend. I need all the help I can get.
"The physician I saw that afternoon had bad news. My aviation career was over."
Byron, if you don't mind my asking, what did the physician tell you was the cause? Have you experienced any recurrences?
By,
After you helped me portray helicopter flying in my own writing, I had the opportunity to experience 20 minutes of controlling just the cyclic on a 2-person bird. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I cannot fathom the end of that 43-year lifetime of flying, but your poem captured how it must have felt. You clearly made the right choice in doing so, but it obviously wasn't an easy decision. Thanks for sharing.
Tony
Thanks for reading/responding. It wasn't an easy decision at all, except that it was. I flew for 43 years, 12,500 hours in the cockpit, 3200 patient flights, and 2500 laps around the island of Kauai. But the figure I'm most proud of is that my number of takeoffs & landings were equal. I couldn't jeopardize that. It was a great gig, and extremely rewarding, but moving on has been as well. Thanks again for reading.
Jeff, thanks for reading & responding, as always. I have to say, though it took a while to find those 'other plans' I have discovered them, and they're very rewarding. We all have a way to fly if we look for it, and open our minds and hearts to it. Thanks again for the response, I appreciate it.
Your talent is touching, Byron. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Thank you for your service and sacrifices to protect my freedom. I’m grateful. And I’m also grateful that you made what was obviously a difficult decision.
Wow...just wow. Beautiful, heartfelt writing. The Universe had other plans for you beginning on that day. I love how you tie past and present together in the last line. Well done, Byron.