"Stu Gotts" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 11:01:02 +0100, Thomas Borchert
wrote:

Stu,

Wow, remember the old days when airplanes didn't have chutes and
pilots knew how to fly?


Oh, yeah, and they didn't have autopilots. And real men flew by just
flapping their arms. Jeeze, how stupidly macho do you want to get?

Hardly a difference between recognizing an imminent spin then being
able to maneuver (fly) out of it and being unable to get out due to
design and pulling a chute, don't you think?

My arms still hurt when I think about those old days, sonny!

Honestly, Ive heard this so many times before that I used to ignore it....
Then it happend
3000 feet in the clouds, just finishing the departure, setting up for my
approach into seatac, im in
a single engine 172XP, and the engine starts running VERY rough.

Net result, I broke out at 700 feet above the ground, luckily a road was
there, I landed fine, but
a car pulled out infront of me and I rear ended her. Every one was ok (me 2
passengers and the car on the ground)
but I still thank god I learned to fly IFR the hard way..... No auto pilot,
and my unusual attitudes were real.

Would I have pulled the parachute? Maybe, but im glad I had the skills to
FLY the plane first.

Scott
N1909V (the plane is totaled, but the report is in the NTSB database if you
want to read the prelim)