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Subscriber Ed Copeman shares this memory - I worked the ramp at Edmonton (YEG) for TCA, and then Air Canada, from '62 till '65, and had several 'interesting' episodes. Here's one: A DC-8 freighter had just landed and was now taxiing to the ramp. I was told to get the cargo manifests from the hold just in front of the wing-root as soon as the '8' stopped, so I drove my tractor past the "winding down" nos 4 and 3 engines, stopping with the front of the tractor under the fuselage. I set the brakes, stood on the seat and unlocked the cargo-door, then swung it 'UP' and 'LOCKED' - looking straight into the eyes of a black panther not THREE FEET AWAY! I just about 'crapped' myself, then realized that if it had been loose I'd have already been attacked, noticing that the whole crew I was on were laughing their heads off, watching my reaction, and pointing. Oh yes - the GOOD OLD DAYS...! Yours truly, Ed Copeman AC captain retired off A340's. In a follow up e-mail, Ed sends this – I worked on the ramp for about 4 or 5 years, then into RCAF and re-joined AC as a pilot on January 24, 1974 until I timed-out' on April 30, 2003 after 23,000 total hours. The guys on YEG ramp told me I was making a 'BIG' mistake... - nobody who'd quit the ramp went on to anything worthwhile. As a pilot I loved to go into the freight-shed at YEG and make my three stripes very evident, until they became four stripes. Great memories, cheers, Ed |
