Thank God and Seat Belts!!!!!

[Kirk_Allen]

Glad to hear you boys OK.  

SEAT BELTS! SEAT BELTS! SEAT BELTS!

Having responded to numerous vehicle extrications I can say that although it does happen, I have never pulled a dead body that was belted in.  Serveral that weren't.

God Bless that all are OK.  I thank my military background for the seat belt use.  They wont let you on base without it.  So with a carrer in the AF it just became second nature to wear it ALL the time.  Even for that short 3 block trip to the store!

[VA-Sawyer]

Glad to hear all is OK.
Make that Seat Belt thing a real habit.
I've been known to "buckle up" when moving the Blazer so I can hitch up the mill. Better safe than sorry.
Years ago when I was first teaching aerobatics, I learned an important lesson. It was easier to get into the back seat without having the parachute on, so I would throw it in first, then climb in and start strapping everything on. We were running a little behind schedule, so I had the student start up and taxi out while I was getting strapped in. I got all the straps on the chute done up but got distracted and forgot about the 5 point harness ( improved seatbelt/shoulder strap system like in race cars).  The first maneuver I asked for at altitude was a slow roll. The "thud" he felt 1/2 way through the roll was my body falling up against the roof. It was a very slow roll, yet I was flopping like a rag doll in the back. I didn't get hurt, but it really got my attention. I always VISUALLY double checked the chute AND 5 point before the first maneuver after that flight. Parachute straps feel a lot like restraining straps to the body. They both tend to pull down a little on the shoulders and are a little tight around the hips. That was my mistake on this flight, I had buckled up a harness and felt "restrained".
Car rollovers happen a lot faster and are much less smooth than in a plane. I really got in the seat belt habit in my car as well after that flight.
VA-Sawyer

[etat]

WOW, VA, good thing that plane wasn't a convertible!!!!!!,   You just mighta been deploying that there chute!!!!!!

[rebocardo]

I am glad your son made it okay. A lot of kids do not survive these type of accidents because they do not wear the seatbelts. Generally EJECTED=DEATH.

Time to buy him a brand new 1969 Olds or 80s CrownVic :-)

[Swede]

I´ve told my self not to worry and usaly don´t but seeing that wreck makes me thinking.  My son is driving home from Stockholm in a couple of weeks............

cktate; nice to hear You take the accident the right way.  ( not quarrel over trifling matters as cars)
Buy him a Volvo or Volkswagen. They don´t roll that easy and I´ve seen some realy wrecked and people coming crawling out of them. (^__^) My sister drove a Mercedes truck, not a small one but not the biggest. A man hit her with a VW Golf. Bouth axles get moved on the truck and som peaces flewed 100 feet. The old man in the Golf came out from his car without help and with just some small cut.

Swede.

[etat]

Goin to Georga to get me a nuther one!  Be back tomorrow sometimes.   Hold down the fort!!!!!!!