This is a little something that changed my life, I've told it to many of my friends who don't believe me, but I KNOW it happened:
About 6 months ago, a friend's father died. He was close to me, supported me, and offered me a home away from home at times. He was my mentor for life. And he died one day after mowing his lawn, the heat getting the best of him. The funeral was a few days after... the service was packed, due to his generous personality. After the service ended, I walked outside, sat in my truck, and checked my phone for messages as I was going to powered flight training later that day and it was possible that I might solo. As I checked my messages, a light drizzle began to fall around that baptist church, as if the heavens were also mourning the loss. It caused me to reflect on our times together, and all that he did for me.
Now, just a few months ago, in the heat of summer in Florida, I had planned a cross country flight down toward Titusville (same as the Kennedy Space Center area
) with my friend (the same one who's father died months ago). The flight down there was delightful, despite the light turbulence, common in the summer heat, even in the morning. So we spent the day at Kennedy Space Center, enjoying the sights, looking at the last space shuttle on the pad, riding the Launch Experience ride over and over again... It was fun. My friend and I then returned to the airport, about to leave to fly back to Jacksonville, and I took a look at the weather map. There were some small, scattered thunderstorms in the area, no biggie, and a large cold front sitting almost stationary a few miles north of the Florida-Georgia state line, it should be no factor. So we take off, for about another hour of flight.
Quite frankly, even the best of pilots have mistakes in judgement some times, especially when it comes to weather. Unbeknownst to me, that Cold Front and the massive, killer thunderstorms started moving very quickly. They were covering Jacksonville and stretched about 20 miles to the south of my intended landing point. Once I reached this line of storms, it was too late for me to turn back. The flying time before had taken more gas then I expected, leaving me in a situation that I'd barely make the airport. I had to press on into this huge, towering anvil, made of the finest ice that would kill a man. I dropped my altitude to a barely safe minimum, and I still could barely see the ground. I struggled against the controls to hold myself level as the currents and wind shear pushed my puny aircraft to its structural limits, threatening to tear it apart and leave me tumbling into the white abyss that surrounded me. It seemed almost impossible that I would get to the airport, so I started looking for a road or field to land in. But all I saw was trees, trees, and more trees. It seemed hopeless, either I would I'd crash into the trees and die or I'd crash into the trees and live, leaving myself with multiple wounds and a HUGE insurance bill to pay.
What happened next still confounds me. The heavens seemed to calm, allowing me to release my white knuckle grip on the control yoke, and visibility greatly improved, revealing my destination within ten miles of my location. The warm glow of the setting sun made the clouds look like fire. But with contrasting reds, oranges, and even blues, that made it look like heaven. I fire-walled the engine, listening to the power of 150 horses jerk my small plane toward my objective. I set up in the landing pattern and landed, and no sooner did my wheels touch ground, the sky unleashed its fury. Hail started to pelt my airplane as I taxied to the parking area, safe.
Again, I have no idea what happened that afternoon. And I'm not a very religious person, but I have a feeling that my old mentor was still with me, even after death.
So ya... that's my story/near death experience and I'm sticking to it.
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