Worldwide, there have been 13 airline emergency evacuations so far this year. Although it's unlikely you will need to evacuate from an airliner you're traveling on, it is prudent to always be prepared for an event that could be catastrophic if not performed correctly.
In this podcast we discuss airline evacuation procedures and steps you can take to prepare yourself for the unlikely event.
Lee Ellis was on his first Air Force assignment, flying an F-4C aircraft out of Danang, South Vietnam, when he was forced to eject over Dong Hoi and captured. He endured 5 1/2 years as a Prisoner of War (POW) in the infamous Hoa Loa prison, nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton.
It was during that incarceration, in the crucible of leadership, that he learned the lessons that guided him through the rest of his career and his life.
After repatriation, he returned to flying, serving as a T-38 Instructor Pilot (IP), Stan-Eval Flight Examiner (SEFE), and Squadron Commander. His final assignment in the Air Force was Commander of the Air Force ROTC Program at the University of Georgia.
He now travels and lectures extensively on Leadership, and has written four books.
Wally Funk started flying at age 16, obtained her Private Pilot certificate while at Stephens College, and obtained all her other ratings while a student at Oklahoma State University. After graduating, she taught primary flight students for the U.S. Army at Fort Sill.
Then she heard about an astronaut screening program and was selected to participate. Along with twelve other women, they became known as the "Mercury 13". Political pressures forced the termination of the women's astronaut program. She became the first female FAA inspector, and the first female NTSB investigator, serving on over 400 accident boards.
Wally was listed in Outstanding Young Women of America in 1965, Won the Pacific Air Race in 1975, and was inducted into the Aviation Womens Hall of Fame in 1995. She holds an honorary Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin, and has had awards, trophies, and even a song named after her.
Wally still flight instructs, and has a reservation to fly into space next year with Virgin Galactic.
Fred Tecce started flying when he was 21, and eventually earned all of his ratings. He had to take a brief hiatus while attending Law School full time, but quickly made up for the lost time by buying a Piper Arrow, which he owned until 1994, and then a Beech Duke, which he still owns.
Fred specializes in Aviation Law and, more recently, Intellectual Property Law, and has frequently used his airplane for business.
His public appearance career began with a local television show in Philadelphia, and grew into national appearances on all the major networks as an expert on legal and aviation issues.
Nick Hinch started his Aviation career as an Air Force navigator on the B-52, flying over Hanoi during Operation Linebacker II. He then went to pilot training and rose to B-52 Squadron Commander and Wing Assistant Director Of Operations. Following a 20-year Air Force career, he became an airline pilot with United Airlines, then went overseas to fly B777s for Air India.