AMAZING INCIDENTS FROM MY CAREER AS A PILOT

By Franklyn Comissiong

This book offers a light-hearted yet insightful glimpse into the aviation world, sharing true stories to entertain and educate readers. It underscores the importance of vigilance and precision in cockpit duties, advocating for the "correct way" as the only way, given the stakes. Emphasizing the value of admitting and learning from mistakes, it e

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Native Publishers
• Release date: Mar 13, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869263223

Book preview

AMAZING

INCIDENTS FROM MY CAREER AS A PILOT

By: Franklyn Comissiong

Copyright © 2024 Franklyn Comissiong

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form  without written permission from the publisher or author except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Table of Contents

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

INCIDENT ONE

INCIDENT TWO

INCIDENT THREE

INCIDENT FOUR

INCIDENT FIVE

INCIDENT SIX

INCIDENT SEVEN

INCIDENT EIGHT

INCIDENT NINE

INCIDENT TEN

INCIDENT ELEVEN

INCIDENT TWELVE

INCIDENT THIRTEEN

INCIDENT FOURTEEN

INCIDENT FIFTEEN

INCIDENT SIXTEEN

INCIDENT SEVENTEEN

INCIDENT EIGHTEEN

I SURVIVED

DEDICATION

Dedicated to my two daughters :

Rochelle Comissiong

Ava Comissiong

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

To my dear wife Danielle Comissiong

Who has sacrificed her career to take care of our two wonderful daughters and to allow me to fulfill my career dreams. You will never be able to fathom the extent to which I’am indebted to you.

Thank you from the depths of my heart.

INTRODUCTION

I was born on a tiny island in the southern Caribbean called Grenada.

As a kid, I lived in a little village called La Digue in the parish of St. Andrew. Our home was located under an extended right base for runway 08 at Pearls airport. Pearls was a five thousand feet paved runway nestled at the base of one of the country's mountain ranges at its western end and terminating a few hundred yards from the Atlantic Ocean at its eastern end.

Access to the airport from the west was via a perimeter road which ran parallel to the runway and was separated by no more than twenty-five feet of grass.

My first exposure to aviation was as a very young boy, looking up in wonder as the Caribbean Airlines DC 3 roared over my home on its way to Pearls airport. One of the things I enjoyed most as a kid was sitting in my father's car, as he tried to keep up with that old DC 3 as we raced along the perimeter road just feet from the aircraft.

After graduating from high school, I worked at a local bank for about three years before falling prey to my burning desire to learn to fly. There was absolutely no opportunity for learning to fly in Grenada. I was literally laughed at whenever I talked about my interest in learning to fly with my friends.

In July 1969 I took the plunge. Resigned from my job at the bank, packed my bags, and migrated to Canada to explore the wild blue yonder.

My flight training in Canada was uneventful, with the exception that my commercial pilot's check ride was done on the day of my mother's death. Could not have asked for a better copilot than my mother's spirit flying along with me. Needless to say, I passed with flying colors. Thank you, Mom.

CARIB WEST DC3

INCIDENT ONE

After completing my flight training in Canada, I returned to my home country of Grenada to try to obtain some type of flying position with any company,