MARCY'S FLIGHT NUN TRAVEL BLOG- THE DAY I ALMOST QUIT FLYING !

 

Have you ever heard the expression "Everything comes in threes"? Many of us airline people had a bit of superstition about that saying.  Well- let me start at the beginning!

It was a beautiful day!  The sun was shining, the sky was clear!  I anticipated a flight with no issues!  I was the Lead Flight Attendant heading from Detroit to Tucson with stops in Kansas City and Phoenix.

Shortly after takeoff I had turned the galley ovens on to warm some sandwiches, and Blam! Blam!! Sparks flew out of the grill of the oven. The circuit breakers popped!  I definitely smelled a "singed" smell!  I informed the cockpit that we had a problem with the ovens.  (We were suppose to be serving a hot meal out of Kansas City to Phoenix!) I explained in detail what happened. The pilots looked at each other with surprise, like this wasn't suppose to happen. (I will add that I was married to the First Officer at the time!)

Now the First Officer came back to the galley, pushed the circuit breakers back in and turned the ovens on! Bang! Bang!! Bang!!! More sparks flew out of the grill than the last time! I swear his mustache was singed! He walked back to the cockpit a bit dazed! Then they called the company about the problem. How were we going to feed the people out of Kansas City hot meals without ovens? And we were going to have a full airplane!

Once in Kansas City the caterers boarded the most beautiful fruit and cold cuts plates I had ever seen!  How they were able to switch menus and do this so quickly I'll never know!

So- off we went to towards Phoenix! Another half an hour or so and into the meal service I was humming a happy "Fruit plate for passengers" tune, glad the little catering emergency was behind us!

I had placed my left hand on the coffee maker, thinking the coffee wasn't as hot as it should be.  At the same moment a "Sharp Tingling Sting" ran through that hand, down my body, and out through my left ankle! Plus my hair felt like it was standing on end! At the very same moment a Big ball of fire flew past the right galley window!  This all happened all at once- along with a BANG sound!

Now what!! I couldn't help but think that the faulty ovens, the electric shock I had just received and the ball of fire out the galley window may all be related!

The Captain came on the P.A.- "Congratulations folks!" He continued "You've just joined the We've Been Hit By Lightening Club! You may have seen the ball of fire off the right side of the aircraft.  Let me assure you that all is well! No damage done!"

I actually had a little burn mark on my hand where the electricity had entered my body, and a burn mark on my ankle where it exited! I had just been "slightly" electrocuted! The cockpit crew later told me they saw the ball of fire coming from the left, rolled over the nose, and passed on the right. No instruments were damaged.

Now my mind started racing double time!  We had two small sons at home! What the heck were we doing flying together!?  What the heck was I doing flying at all!  Keeping in mind that everything happens in "3's"- when was the last shoe going to drop- and what would it be? I went to the cockpit and informed my First Officer husband and the Captain that if we made it to Phoenix I was getting off and going home! I was done!  Someone had to survive in order to raise the boys! These incidents seemed to be a warning!

The Captain said "Whoa!  We'll call you in sick! Don't quite yet!"  I took a moment to rethink the situation! My motherly impulse to go home to my sons and take no chances calmed down.  I let the cockpit  know- "Okay, I'll stay with the flight.  But one more incident on this trip and I'm outa here!"

The #3 shoe never dropped! The flight wasn't cursed after all!

Strange- I've been on more dangerous situations since then but never felt the urge to quit. Perhaps it was because my sons were so small.  Perhaps it was just one of those days when the emotions were a bit raw.  Perhaps flying with my husband gave me pause!  What would happen to the kids if we were both gone!?  I've always known that driving on the express way was far more dangerous than flying- so am not sure to this day why that urge to quit hit so hard!

Since that day I had so  many wonderful experiences!  I think of the people I have met, places I have been-  and the fun, crazy, and sometimes heartbreaking experiences I would've miss- had I quit.  I would have missed it all!

Of course, many times I had wished that I could be two people at once- one to be a full time Mother, Homemaker, and Wife- and one to fly the skies!  But that wasn't a choice I had.

I am grateful for each and every adventure, even the ones that scared me a bit! And isn't it those unusual circumstances that stay in our memories and perhaps become more humorous as the years pass?

Remember!  Life Is Indeed An Adventure, Even When It's A Bumpy Ride!

Dear Readers, May You All Savor And Enjoy Every Adventure Your Life Has To Offer!