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Sep
27
2021
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Posted 2 years 205 days ago ago by Admin
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If you are looking for an intensely human, punchy, immensely funny, really short but sometimes harrowing little book about one pilot's international helicopter flying career, 'Life in a Spin' is for you. Just 91 pages long, most chapters are simply a collection of recollections about a page-and-a-half long recalled by my good friend, Nick Mylne.
Nick and I worked together when I was flying as a Major for the Royal Oman Police Air Wing in Oman. Nick was a Major flying for the Sultan of Oman's Royal Flight flying Pumas. In a recent email, he told me about his recently published book and sent me a copy which I read in one day, mainly because I literally couldn't put it down.
What I found so special and truly unique about Nick's stories is how self-effacing he is. No Rambo stories here, making Nick's recollections intensely human, easily relatable to every one of us, it certainly was to me anyway as I read how he muddled through his career from one adventure or I should say quite often miss-adventure to another.
One story he recalls nearly ended his life when his Puma suffered a tail rotor failure on takeoff sending the machine crashing down a cliff then catching on fire. Hanging upside down in his seat harness, unable to free himself, a sense of calmness suddenly washed over him as he accepted that this is how he is going to die.
Or the time his Bell-47 suffers a rotor brake fire while flying a general. He lands, gets out and when he tries to fight the fire with the on-board fire extinguisher, a small dribble of liquid spills out. Being resourceful and unwilling to watch his helicopter burn up, he convinces the general the only way to put the fire out is to urinate on it, which he and the general do. Thinking he will surely receive a commendation, instead the final report chastises him for pouring a corrosive liquid on a helicopter. I can highly recommend this book even to those not in the helicopter industry. You won't be disappointed. Well done Nick!
Amazon link to Life in a Spin https://www.amazon.com/Life.../dp/1913567591/ref=sr_1_2...
About Randy:
Randy Mains is an author, public speaker, and a CRM/AMRM consultant who works in the helicopter industry after a long career of aviation adventure. He currently serves as chief CRM/AMRM instructor for Oregon Aero. He may be contacted at [email protected].