Up in the Air – Steve Pollock

Remembering the Past

In Airlines, Bill Schock, Braniff Flight 250, Braniff International Airlines, Deadly Turbulence, Falls City, Grief, History, Hope for the Future, Loss, Memories, Nebraska, Touchy Feely, Up in the Air, Work

Remembering Bill Schock on his 100th birthday … and the 52nd anniversary of Braniff 250 in Falls City. Also … feeling old from … time flying and stuff.

Since the AM2431 crash in Durango a few days ago appears to be from weather-related causes, never forgetting the lessons of BN250, as well as CO426, OZ809, EA66, PA759, DL191, and US1016 is as important as ever. Hope today’s flight crews are paying attention.

Warm Summer Night

By AirBeagle

On 25-Jun-18

In Airports, Donelson, Dreams, Entertain Me, Memories, Nashville, Random Shots, Roswell, Tennessee, Touchy Feely, Weather

Terrible quality, but is there anything better than a warm summer night playing in – er, rather sitting near the lawn sprinkler under a street light while watching the 21:00 evening arrivals at KBNA? Well, maybe if I was still 10 …

Posted by Steve Pollock on Monday, June 25, 2018

For Bill

By AirBeagle

On 25-Jun-18

In Bill Schock, Braniff Flight 250, Braniff International Airlines, Deadly Turbulence, Falls City, Grief, History, Loss, Meaningful Labor, Nebraska, Pioneers, Professionalism, Quotable, Reciprocal Affection, Touchy Feely, Up in the Air, Weather

Back in 2014, I included a chapter in my book detailing Bill Schock’s war experiences as they related to his reporting on the crash of Braniff International flight 250 in 1966.

The editors at McFarland, rightly but regretfully, suggested I delete the chapter since it was rather tangentially related to the subject, namely “Deadly Turbulence: The Air Safety Lessons of Braniff Flight 250 and Other Airliners, 1959-1966.” (Yeesh, that title.) They wanted 80,000 words; I gave them 96,000, so yeah, some cuts were needed—like the chapter about events which happened in 1966.

But for what it’s worth, in honor of Bill, here’s the deleted chapter. I hope it does him at least some honor.

Farewell, Bill. Thank you.

Update 05:00 26-Jun-18: I revised the chapter to correct a few annoying typos and to add some information, including original source documents for Bill’s war record. Click the link below again to get the revised version. Thanks!]

Read the chapter at this link:
«Deleted Chapter About Bill Schock from Deadly Turbulence by Steve Pollock»

A Final “Hangin’ Out the Warsh”

By AirBeagle

On 25-Jun-18

In Braniff Flight 250, Deadly Turbulence, Falls City, Grief, History, Loss, Meaningful Labor, Memories, Mound City, Nebraska, News Media, Pioneers, Professionalism, Quotable, Reciprocal Affection, Rulo, Touchy Feely, United States, Up in the Air

This is Bill's final column out of countless ones he wrote over 71 years for the Falls City Journal.

With this column,…

Posted by Steve Pollock on Monday, June 25, 2018

More Grief

By AirBeagle

On 25-Jun-18

In Braniff Flight 250, Deadly Turbulence, Falls City, Grief, History, Loss, Mound City, Nebraska, Pioneers, Professionalism, Reciprocal Affection, Rulo, Society, United States, Up in the Air

This is kind of like how I feel about my (possibly four) upcoming surgeries: I don't want to do this, but I have to, and…

Posted by Steve Pollock on Monday, June 25, 2018

BA223 Arrives

By AirBeagle

On 14-May-18

In British Airways, Video

Welcome to KBNA, 787-8 BA223, arriving on 20R after an 8 hour, 56 minute flight from LHR.
British Airways began five-times-a-week, nonstop service between London Heathrow and Nashville International last week and I’ve been trying to get the beautiful Dreamliner on film all week and the stars aligned today. Not great lighting, but I got ‘er!!
Welcome to Music City, BA! Hope to fly Dreamliner flights 222/223 some day!

Posted by Steve Pollock on Monday, May 14, 2018

Snow at Hermitage Station

By AirBeagle

On 29-Jan-18

In Hermitage, Weather

Hard to tell in this pic, but it’s snowing to beat the band in Music City. Thoughts and prayers to grocery store workers…

Posted by Steve Pollock on Monday, January 29, 2018

Ice Lights

By AirBeagle

On 13-Jan-18

In Random Shots, Weather

We got snow over ice … at least on our patio lights. Don’t want to know about the streets.

Posted by Steve Pollock on Friday, January 12, 2018

Snow in Dixie

By AirBeagle

On 12-Jan-18

In Nashville, Weather

Snowing to beat the band in Music City and they’re as panicked as if General George Thomas and his Yankees was a-comin’ agin. Winter is always amusing in Dixie. Snow is purty though!

Posted by Steve Pollock on Friday, January 12, 2018

Hello Autumn!

By AirBeagle

On 20-Oct-16

In Photography, Weather

Hello Autumn. Nice to see you finally show up. But could we have something between 90 degrees yesterday and 67 today so I could use the blasted hammock at least once this year? Yeesh.

Posted by Steve Pollock on Thursday, October 20, 2016