1 00:00:05,881 --> 00:00:07,281 Speaker 1: Apote production. 2 00:00:15,041 --> 00:00:17,121 Speaker 2: So all together. By that stage, I'd been on an 3 00:00:17,201 --> 00:00:21,201 Speaker 2: eight year military journey with the two units that I described, 4 00:00:21,561 --> 00:00:23,841 Speaker 2: and I had a personal ambition to learn to fly 5 00:00:24,601 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 2: a light aircraft. And for the record, this wasn't a 6 00:00:26,561 --> 00:00:29,881 Speaker 2: military duty. This was a personal endeavor. And I took 7 00:00:29,881 --> 00:00:32,681 Speaker 2: myself off to Florida, and I was interested to learn 8 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,281 Speaker 2: to fly a light aircraft. Was that just to be 9 00:00:35,321 --> 00:00:35,761 Speaker 2: a hobby? 10 00:00:35,961 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 1: Was it just to be a hobby that you want 11 00:00:37,241 --> 00:00:37,361 Speaker 1: to know? 12 00:00:37,521 --> 00:00:40,041 Speaker 2: It kind of was, But I was considering, you know, 13 00:00:40,081 --> 00:00:43,681 Speaker 2: the process of becoming a pilot, not just a private pilot, 14 00:00:43,681 --> 00:00:45,961 Speaker 2: but a commercial pilot as well. I'd also considered that, 15 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:48,281 Speaker 2: and that was in as part of the game plan. 16 00:00:48,561 --> 00:00:54,081 Speaker 2: Obviously there are steps to take accordingly. So again i'd 17 00:00:54,081 --> 00:00:55,881 Speaker 2: sort of mapped out that journey in my mind and 18 00:00:55,921 --> 00:00:59,321 Speaker 2: what the ambition was and how that might present. You know, 19 00:00:59,401 --> 00:01:01,121 Speaker 2: you probably picked up on the fact that I wasn't 20 00:01:01,121 --> 00:01:03,801 Speaker 2: a guy that was just going to talk the talk. 21 00:01:03,881 --> 00:01:05,361 Speaker 2: I was a guy that liked to sort of walk 22 00:01:05,401 --> 00:01:08,241 Speaker 2: the walk in my own mindset, and everything I did 23 00:01:08,281 --> 00:01:10,961 Speaker 2: exactly that. I took myself off to Florida. I got 24 00:01:10,961 --> 00:01:13,681 Speaker 2: the visa from the US Embassy and off I went. 25 00:01:13,961 --> 00:01:17,121 Speaker 2: And I chose Florida because of great weather system, good 26 00:01:17,321 --> 00:01:22,161 Speaker 2: meteorological weather conditions, obviously the warmth of the chances that 27 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,881 Speaker 2: I was going to fulfill the flying training within a 28 00:01:24,961 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 2: relatively limited time frame that I had. Whereas I considered 29 00:01:28,801 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: doing the training in Europe, obviously the weather was a 30 00:01:31,081 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 2: bit more hit and miss, especially in the UK. And 31 00:01:34,761 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 2: it worked out and I went to Florida. I was 32 00:01:36,601 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: like one month into a full time flying training program. 33 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:43,441 Speaker 2: Everything was going very well, and I was now pilot 34 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,241 Speaker 2: in command, so flying solo without the instructors. Now I've 35 00:01:48,241 --> 00:01:51,521 Speaker 2: been solo for a round about eight days and this 36 00:01:51,601 --> 00:01:54,601 Speaker 2: one particular day had an engine fire at altitude and 37 00:01:54,681 --> 00:01:57,801 Speaker 2: the fire that I noticed externally flared up from the 38 00:01:57,801 --> 00:02:01,121 Speaker 2: engine sort of compartment. It was billowing out. It then 39 00:02:01,521 --> 00:02:06,121 Speaker 2: entered the cockpit internally over one thousand feet indicated, and 40 00:02:06,161 --> 00:02:08,641 Speaker 2: it started to build up within the lower regions of 41 00:02:08,681 --> 00:02:09,201 Speaker 2: the cockpit. 42 00:02:09,241 --> 00:02:10,201 Speaker 1: Do you know how it started? 43 00:02:11,241 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 2: My suspicion that it was it was oil, something within 44 00:02:14,761 --> 00:02:17,361 Speaker 2: the engine manifold system, but I can't be sure, but 45 00:02:17,441 --> 00:02:19,761 Speaker 2: I suspect that it was oil, and it was a 46 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:24,001 Speaker 2: slow progressive build up within the cockpit now, and it 47 00:02:24,081 --> 00:02:25,881 Speaker 2: was building up from where my feet were operating on 48 00:02:25,881 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: the rudder pedals. It was building up around me. And 49 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,761 Speaker 2: as I was gliding in, I was thinking to myself initially, 50 00:02:32,761 --> 00:02:34,841 Speaker 2: am I going to go for a runway and land 51 00:02:34,841 --> 00:02:38,361 Speaker 2: it in the conventional sense or what are my alternatives? 52 00:02:38,921 --> 00:02:42,361 Speaker 2: And I actually came up with a decision to veer 53 00:02:42,401 --> 00:02:46,601 Speaker 2: away from the concrete runway in the distance below, because 54 00:02:46,881 --> 00:02:49,161 Speaker 2: the fire was building up so rapidly. It was around 55 00:02:49,201 --> 00:02:51,721 Speaker 2: about mid chest height. As I dropped half the height 56 00:02:52,161 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 2: I'm now about five hundred feet, the fire was about 57 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,521 Speaker 2: belly height within the chamber of the cockpit, and I 58 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 2: had to make a decision. So I actually chose to 59 00:03:01,001 --> 00:03:04,121 Speaker 2: steer the aircraft a few degrees to my left, aiming 60 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:08,281 Speaker 2: towards a stretch of grass in the near distance. And 61 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,001 Speaker 2: the reason I did that to set myself up for 62 00:03:11,041 --> 00:03:14,521 Speaker 2: an earlier escape from the cockpit of the aircraft. So 63 00:03:14,921 --> 00:03:18,521 Speaker 2: in doing so, in steering away, I then followed emergency protocol. 64 00:03:18,561 --> 00:03:21,401 Speaker 2: I turned the key to the ignition off. I turned 65 00:03:21,401 --> 00:03:24,761 Speaker 2: the control so the red switches, Magneto's alphon, Bravo off, off, 66 00:03:25,161 --> 00:03:31,041 Speaker 2: master switch, lights, strobes, and fuel pump everything off in 67 00:03:31,121 --> 00:03:35,361 Speaker 2: sequence quite a low level. I removed my headset. Communications 68 00:03:35,401 --> 00:03:38,521 Speaker 2: with air traffic control was futile, so I sort of 69 00:03:38,601 --> 00:03:42,721 Speaker 2: bins the communication aspects and I was no longer communicating. 70 00:03:42,761 --> 00:03:46,681 Speaker 2: Removed the headset, unbuckled my three point harness over the 71 00:03:46,721 --> 00:03:50,241 Speaker 2: waist and across the shoulders, and opened my left hand 72 00:03:50,241 --> 00:03:55,521 Speaker 2: canopy door, and in the glide, I visually assessed it 73 00:03:55,601 --> 00:03:59,161 Speaker 2: looking forward, looking through the left and right window canopy 74 00:04:00,321 --> 00:04:04,161 Speaker 2: and from fifty feet forty feet, thirty feet and approximately 75 00:04:04,201 --> 00:04:08,761 Speaker 2: twenty feet, judging it purely by eye, I managed to 76 00:04:08,801 --> 00:04:12,121 Speaker 2: clamber onto the seat. I'd already opened the left hand 77 00:04:12,161 --> 00:04:15,681 Speaker 2: door to the vertical position, so clambered from the seat 78 00:04:15,841 --> 00:04:19,481 Speaker 2: out onto the left wing approximately twenty feet above the ground, 79 00:04:20,121 --> 00:04:22,161 Speaker 2: and I managed to get myself into a sort of 80 00:04:22,161 --> 00:04:25,001 Speaker 2: a good old fashioned sort of exit position on the wing, 81 00:04:25,521 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 2: so hands above my head in prayer position, feeting these 82 00:04:29,121 --> 00:04:33,241 Speaker 2: together as I leapt and took a giant stride leap 83 00:04:33,281 --> 00:04:35,001 Speaker 2: from the trailing edge of the back of the left 84 00:04:35,001 --> 00:04:38,001 Speaker 2: wing of the aircraft. So I estimate that she was 85 00:04:38,001 --> 00:04:40,241 Speaker 2: still dropping out, and I estimate that I jumped from 86 00:04:40,241 --> 00:04:44,481 Speaker 2: a height of about fifteen feet above the ground and 87 00:04:44,561 --> 00:04:48,121 Speaker 2: I was probably still running in at about thirty knots, 88 00:04:48,641 --> 00:04:51,201 Speaker 2: so probably thirty three thirty four miles an hour, fifteen 89 00:04:51,201 --> 00:04:53,601 Speaker 2: feet above the ground when I took that jump. I 90 00:04:53,801 --> 00:04:57,721 Speaker 2: landed feeting these together hands above my head in the 91 00:04:57,761 --> 00:05:01,681 Speaker 2: long grass. I landed like a sack of spuds. I 92 00:05:01,841 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 2: thrust forwards and and on my feet. I thrust forward 93 00:05:07,081 --> 00:05:10,281 Speaker 2: face planted my head and my face against the grass. 94 00:05:11,121 --> 00:05:14,081 Speaker 2: Soft ground, but relatively sharp grass because it was Florida, 95 00:05:14,081 --> 00:05:17,561 Speaker 2: it was tropical grass. I had a bilateral nosal fracture, 96 00:05:18,161 --> 00:05:22,041 Speaker 2: superorbital eye socket fractures. I tore through the right side 97 00:05:22,041 --> 00:05:25,881 Speaker 2: of my nose, through the ala of my lip, all 98 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:29,601 Speaker 2: the way through here. My left index finger you can 99 00:05:29,681 --> 00:05:34,201 Speaker 2: just see there on camera, hyper extended and fractured two ribs. 100 00:05:35,201 --> 00:05:42,041 Speaker 2: Collar bone fractured internally in the torso area. I ruptured 101 00:05:42,041 --> 00:05:46,001 Speaker 2: my large intestine, my colon, and I lacerated my liver 102 00:05:46,121 --> 00:05:50,401 Speaker 2: internally from that jump. I also had not just the 103 00:05:50,401 --> 00:05:55,081 Speaker 2: fractures that I described for the internal injuries, but I 104 00:05:55,241 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 2: also was sixty three percent third and fourth degree burn 105 00:06:01,561 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 2: over sixty three percent of total body surface. So I 106 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:11,001 Speaker 2: was a massive burn, and that in itself was the 107 00:06:11,041 --> 00:06:12,601 Speaker 2: life changing aspect. 108 00:06:13,241 --> 00:06:15,961 Speaker 1: When you said, you're in the cockpit of the plane 109 00:06:16,161 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: and it's now up to your what waist? The fires 110 00:06:19,721 --> 00:06:20,281 Speaker 1: up to your waist? 111 00:06:20,601 --> 00:06:23,001 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, How are you. 112 00:06:23,201 --> 00:06:28,281 Speaker 1: Actually controlling the plane from that calor heat? How the 113 00:06:28,281 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: hell are you doing that? 114 00:06:29,721 --> 00:06:31,561 Speaker 2: Yeah, because there was some there was a level of 115 00:06:31,601 --> 00:06:35,001 Speaker 2: through drafts through the cockpits. There was ventilation ducts that 116 00:06:35,081 --> 00:06:39,001 Speaker 2: were open on the dashboard, and so there was some 117 00:06:39,041 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 2: positive through draft being put air being pulled in in 118 00:06:41,801 --> 00:06:45,401 Speaker 2: other words, yeah, and air being drawn from the cockpit. Now, 119 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:47,921 Speaker 2: that was good because it kept me somewhat cool even 120 00:06:47,961 --> 00:06:51,401 Speaker 2: though I was on fire from the lower reaches. But 121 00:06:51,481 --> 00:06:55,681 Speaker 2: the burn started relatively superficially for me, and it was 122 00:06:55,721 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: being drawn, like I said, because of the slight through 123 00:06:57,961 --> 00:07:01,241 Speaker 2: draft and the slight air coming through the cockpit. That 124 00:07:01,401 --> 00:07:04,161 Speaker 2: was good from the cooling, but bad because it was 125 00:07:04,281 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 2: feeding the playing within the cockpit. If you can sort 126 00:07:07,521 --> 00:07:09,281 Speaker 2: of picture that, If you can understand that, I. 127 00:07:09,801 --> 00:07:13,761 Speaker 1: Can understand that, But I'm trying to fathom the pain 128 00:07:13,801 --> 00:07:14,721 Speaker 1: that you're going through. 129 00:07:15,281 --> 00:07:17,641 Speaker 2: Yeah. I didn't actually feel too much pain within the 130 00:07:17,681 --> 00:07:21,641 Speaker 2: cockpit because I was probably literally pumped on adrenaline having 131 00:07:21,641 --> 00:07:23,801 Speaker 2: to deal with the situation having to think on my feet. 132 00:07:24,041 --> 00:07:26,641 Speaker 2: So i sat there in the left hand seat of 133 00:07:26,721 --> 00:07:30,161 Speaker 2: the two seater cockpit of the light aircraft, and I've 134 00:07:30,201 --> 00:07:32,561 Speaker 2: got my left handle the control stick between my knees 135 00:07:32,961 --> 00:07:34,761 Speaker 2: and my right hand on the throttle in the center 136 00:07:34,801 --> 00:07:38,961 Speaker 2: column to control the actual control and the power of 137 00:07:39,001 --> 00:07:42,961 Speaker 2: the aircraft. And like I say, I was on fire, 138 00:07:43,001 --> 00:07:45,961 Speaker 2: but I wasn't really feeling it too badly. Adrenaline was 139 00:07:45,961 --> 00:07:50,321 Speaker 2: probably numbing that down. But no doubt about it. That 140 00:07:50,361 --> 00:07:53,441 Speaker 2: one thing is worth mentioning that when I got on 141 00:07:53,481 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 2: the wing, momentarily stood on the left hand wing, turned 142 00:07:57,721 --> 00:08:00,761 Speaker 2: my body to the left, and was presented by the 143 00:08:00,801 --> 00:08:03,361 Speaker 2: backwash of the propeller all the way down. My right 144 00:08:03,361 --> 00:08:08,641 Speaker 2: hand side was fanning of the the flames. Now that 145 00:08:08,801 --> 00:08:10,881 Speaker 2: wasn't good because if you look on the right hand side, 146 00:08:10,881 --> 00:08:15,081 Speaker 2: I lost obviously significant hair and scarring. That was how 147 00:08:15,121 --> 00:08:18,561 Speaker 2: it happened. So I turned to the left and I 148 00:08:18,601 --> 00:08:21,681 Speaker 2: got the backwash of the prop which fanned me. So 149 00:08:21,761 --> 00:08:25,201 Speaker 2: this was windward side, and on the leeward side it's 150 00:08:25,241 --> 00:08:29,201 Speaker 2: somewhat protected. Bizarrely, I still kind of kept the hair 151 00:08:29,241 --> 00:08:31,441 Speaker 2: on that sort of side of my scalp. So the 152 00:08:31,521 --> 00:08:36,441 Speaker 2: right side of my body was absolutely mullard and very 153 00:08:36,481 --> 00:08:40,681 Speaker 2: much devastated by the fire. And it wasn't until I jumped, 154 00:08:41,401 --> 00:08:44,201 Speaker 2: landed in the long grass, rolled around and smothered the 155 00:08:44,201 --> 00:08:47,041 Speaker 2: flame was when the pain actually hit me like a 156 00:08:47,081 --> 00:08:49,761 Speaker 2: sledgehammer at that point, and it was like a giant 157 00:08:49,801 --> 00:08:53,481 Speaker 2: tsunami of pain that rushed over me. And I waited 158 00:08:53,801 --> 00:08:57,361 Speaker 2: in the long grass, and I was dying basically in 159 00:08:58,481 --> 00:09:02,001 Speaker 2: a nutshell. There's no other way that I can describe 160 00:09:02,001 --> 00:09:05,841 Speaker 2: it to you. I actually took my shoes and socks off, 161 00:09:07,241 --> 00:09:10,161 Speaker 2: and I tucked my socks and my laces with into 162 00:09:10,161 --> 00:09:12,961 Speaker 2: the shoes, all neatly, because I figured that, look, this 163 00:09:13,041 --> 00:09:14,761 Speaker 2: is one journey that I'm not going to need shoes 164 00:09:14,801 --> 00:09:17,801 Speaker 2: and socks for, so they were placed neatly by the 165 00:09:17,841 --> 00:09:19,481 Speaker 2: side of me. I guess that's the one element of 166 00:09:19,521 --> 00:09:22,561 Speaker 2: control that I had left. And I was a man 167 00:09:22,681 --> 00:09:24,321 Speaker 2: on the edge. I was a man on a thread, 168 00:09:25,121 --> 00:09:29,921 Speaker 2: and I was about to die, and somehow I hung on. 169 00:09:30,681 --> 00:09:32,001 Speaker 2: I don't know how the hell I did it, but 170 00:09:32,081 --> 00:09:35,401 Speaker 2: I hung on and I just kept holding on the 171 00:09:35,401 --> 00:09:38,881 Speaker 2: grim life that I had left. And I was blinded 172 00:09:38,921 --> 00:09:41,961 Speaker 2: by the fire because it burns to my cornea my 173 00:09:42,041 --> 00:09:44,521 Speaker 2: eyes at the time, so I had that going on 174 00:09:45,001 --> 00:09:47,401 Speaker 2: and the massive burns that I described over sixty three 175 00:09:47,441 --> 00:09:50,361 Speaker 2: percent of total body surface area, and I, you know, 176 00:09:50,601 --> 00:09:53,041 Speaker 2: I was hurt in so many ways. Like I mentioned, 177 00:09:53,041 --> 00:09:56,441 Speaker 2: the internal injuries, the multiple fractures from the jump, and 178 00:09:56,561 --> 00:09:59,641 Speaker 2: the total body surface area burned over sixty three percent. 179 00:10:00,321 --> 00:10:04,601 Speaker 2: The pain was off the charts, indescribable, and as I said, 180 00:10:04,601 --> 00:10:09,001 Speaker 2: I just kept holding on and luckily for me, I 181 00:10:09,041 --> 00:10:11,401 Speaker 2: had an ambulance on seen probably within about ten to 182 00:10:11,481 --> 00:10:15,241 Speaker 2: fifteen minutes. I want to 183 00:10:15,241 --> 00:10:17,401 Speaker 1: Listen to the episode in full click the link in 184 00:10:17,441 --> 00:10:17,961 Speaker 1: the description.