[Blindtlk] The Unfriendly Skies -- What happened?

Thu Apr 4 03:04:36 UTC 2013

Dear Mark,

The airline crew will tell you just what to do in an emergency.  They 
always, by law, give you the basics right before takeoff with use of the 
seat belt, the placement of your life preserver or seat cushion and even the 
oxygen mask.
If you need to exit the plane, in a emergency, you need to know where the 
closest exit is to you and should know where the nearest one is both in 
front of you as well as behind you.
There are usually exits in the nose and the tail of the plane as well as in 
the middle over the wings.
If you need to exit down a slide, you jump out and land in a sitting 
position and then ride the slide down to the ground or to the end of the 
slide in a water landing.
You put on your life vest and fasten it before you exit the plane, but do 
not inflate it until you are outside the plane or in the water by pulling 
one of the red tabs.  You save the second red tab in case the first one 
leaks.  You can also blow up the vest with one of the air tubes if the tab 
does not work.
There is a light on the vest that can be water activated or turned on by you 
to aid those who are looking for you at night.
I have been in two plane crashes in my life.  The first was in a light plane 
landing on a grass strip after a Civil Air Patrol search mission.  The nose 
wheel went into a chuck hole and the plane flipped upside down.  The three 
of us all walked away, but were shook up.
The second time was just a few months later as I was returning from Orlando 
aboard a air force C-130 with my Milton Cadet SQ from the regional drill 
team competistion.
The aircraft could not get the main landing gear down and after about 3 
hours circling  the field at Egland AFB they foamed the runway and we made a 
wheels up belly landing and slid for about a mile before the plane stopped.
We all just jumped out the big cargo door and ran over to the grass and 
waited for the air force to bring a school bus to pick us up.
The toughest thing was for all of the girls that needed to use the restroom. 
There is none on most military planes.
I am sure there were a lot of dirty pants amongst the group when it was all 
over.
Remind me to tell you my Bermuda Triangle story sometime.  That was the 
closest to a fatal crash as I ever came and I was about 4 years old at the 
time.
I just know that I am not going to die on an airplane ever since that.

I have worked on both military and commercial aircraft in my lifetime and 
worked for companies that made the planes or the parts that go on them.
I took my first flying lesson at age 7 and logged about 260 hours at the 
controls of about 6 different aircraft flying with friends or as part of the 
CAP.
David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack
Retired Nuclear/Aerospace Materials Engineer
Builder of the Lunar Rovers and the F-117 Stealth Fighter.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Tardif" <markspark at roadrunner.com>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 9:14 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] The Unfriendly Skies -- What happened?

> David,
>
> I have flown many times and have never had the pleasure of having to 
> evacuate in an emergency.  But what is it like?  Do you simply jump onto 
> the slide and come down standing or sitting, or what?  I hope I never have 
> to do that, but I think it would be a good idea to know just how that 
> works, just in case.  Thank you.
>
>
>
> Mark Tardif
> Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: David Evans
> Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 7:58 PM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] The Unfriendly Skies -- What happened?
>
>
> Dear All,
>
> I totally agree.Also if you need to exit the aircraft out the emergency
> exit, you must not have your cane extended as it could put a hole in the
> slide or life raft.
> I use a "D-ring" clip on the handle of my cane so I can clip it to a belt
> loop on my side and leave my hands free and to make it easier to handle my
> guide dog.
> By the way, the policy for exiting the plane in an emergency with your 
> guide
> dog is to go to the exit, pick up your guide dog in your arms and then
> jumpand land in a sitting position, on to the slide, with your dog in your
> arms.
> I can tell you right now and that is not going to happen with my guide dog
> as he weights 120 pounds.
> I plan on distracting him and pushing him out ahead of me or have someone
> push him out right after I go and I pull on his leash and harness.
> You should think about this as you may not have time to figure it out in 
> an
> emergency.
>
> You have a right to keep your cane, but do not push it as the Air Carriers
> Safety Act gives the support to the airline crew and not you.
> You can be arrested and put on the " can not fly list."
> I use a guide dog now, but was a cane driver for some 25 years and flew 
> very
> often.
> I still carry my cane with me, dog and all, but I place it in the pocket 
> in
> front of me, clip it to my dog's harness, which I put between the seat and
> the side wall of the aircraft so it is not loose.
> I even worked on the design and development of the valve that inflates the
> 90 foot slides and am very famillur with the operation of the doors and
> window exits, but I am still not allowed to sit in an exit row.
> Those who do must be able to see and read the operation instructions and
> able to see out the window to ensure that there is no fire on that side of
> the aircraft or some other reason that the port should not be opened at 
> that
> exit.
>
> You can get someone from the airlines or TSA to come to your chapter or
> state meetings or convention to speak about this subject.
> David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.
> Retired Nuclear/Aerospace Materials Engineer
> Builder of the Lunar Rovers and the F-117 Stealth Fighter
> david.hyde at wcbvi.k12.wi.us>
> To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 10:44 AM
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] The Unfriendly Skies -- What happened?
>
>
>> It means along the side of the plane, against the wall. If you use a 
>> telescoping or folding cane, I have always put those in the seat pocket. 
>> I generally carry a spare in my carry-on luggage.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Daniel 
>> Garcia
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 9:33 AM
>> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] The Unfriendly Skies -- What happened?
>>
>> Well, I am sure a blind pilot could be instrument verified if the cokpit 
>> was accessible. I am sure there could even be a way to land the thing.
>>
>> When you say I can have my cane stored in fuselage, does that mean next 
>> to me in my seat? If these people are so concerned about safety, I feel 
>> safer with my cane at all times. My cane is like an American Express 
>> Card, I never leave home without it.
>>
>> Daniel
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Hyde, 
>> David W. (ESC)
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 10:24 AM
>> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] The Unfriendly Skies -- What happened?
>>
>> Your rights are the same as they were as a non-blind person. Airlines now 
>> have rules dealing with exit rows, and being able to see is one of those 
>> essential functions. You may not sit in an exit row. Those of us who were 
>> involved in the airline fight are happy that the airlines are no longer 
>> assigning us exit row seats. Some of us can tell stories.
>>
>> You may keep your cane with you, stored along the fuselage. You may 
>> refuse help, under the ADA. On the other hand, under air travel rules, 
>> you must comply with all crew instructions. I am not a lawyer, and have 
>> no opinion as to which law controls. Rule of thumb, if you look like you 
>> know what you're doing, they will probably believe you. Get help when you 
>> need it.
>>
>> They will take your cane for scanning at security. There is nothing you 
>> can do about it. Even though it is demeaning to hold someone's hand and 
>> be pulled through the detection device, you won't beat this one. One 
>> other thing that seems to get checked at security is your dignity.
>>
>> Don't worry about flying as a blind person, unless, of course, you plan 
>> to fly the plane. Then, please practice.
>>
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>
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