Yesterday crash in Germany (http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=8189956) had me wondering…if the pilot was able to drop off his passengers a few feet off the ground before it shot high into the air, why couldn’t he have jumped as well? Is there a door next to the pilot, or does he have to climb back in the cabin?
i think he heroically piloted the burning airship away from people that could have been injured from the crashing airship and been burnt from burning fuel.
The stories that I read stated clearly that he guided the burning dirigible away from the ground crew, then crashed.
Hence, the exit is irrelevant. He CHOSE to control the aircraft and protect the people on the ground.
Just like an F-16 crew that I personally knew did, driving the aircraft with one engine out and in stall condition, straight down between two houses, no attempt to punch out.
They’d rather die than kill some poor sap on the ground.
Hereare photos of the blimp in question. It appears that he would have had access to the same door as the passengers had he chosen to jump ship with them.
The pilot’s name was Mike Nerandzic. Apparently he would have turned 53 today. He is heralded as a hero by all accounts I read about the crash. His website is here. (eerie…)
The coolest entry in my logbook is 10 minutes PIC of a Goodyear blimp.
All of the gondolas I’ve seen have the only door on the right side, several feet behind the pilot. It was perhaps, escapable for him, but professionals typically do whatever they can to mitigate damage and casualties. Sounds like he did a good deed there.
Nitpick:
F-16s only have one engine and one pilot, not a crew, although I understand that he may be referred to as such in some contexts.
Nitpick#2: If you’re “in stall condition,” you’re not “driving” anything.
Nitpik #3: Several models of the F-16 do have 2 seats, including the F-16B, D, and F variants.
You left out the “c” in “Nitpicq.” 