I Ran an Airplane Out of Fuel With My Family On Board

Comments · 222

• WI

  @WildernessDebrief · 1 month ago · pinned

  Anybody else have a before-and-after event? Something that split your life into two parts?

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• MA

  @Marauder92V · 1 month ago

  When I got my pilot’s license my DPE flew Marauders in WWII. He asked me during the flight portion of my check ride what was the first thing you’d notice in an emergency. I told him I had no clue. He said “You’ll learn what raw adrenaline smells like”. A few years later I had an engine problem in flight - he was right. <br><br>One thing I have learned about aviation is that any pilot who has experienced a situation that could end in disaster has a much healthier appreciation and respect for what we do. And those who have never experienced it will continue to fly without a healthy respect for what could happen. The fact that you’re still thinking about it just shows you learned that respect. <br><br>Thanks for your service.

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• RY

  @ryanr2592 · 1 month ago

  Thank you for being willing to share your story. You did an excellent job telling it. You are talking to a specific person. You probably will never know who that is, but that person is listening. You’ve done a service by posting this. As a fellow pilot with a family, well done and thank you.

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• BI

  @bigjenny2k · 1 month ago

  Thank&apos;s for sharing this! Not many Pilots are brave enough to talk publicly about their mistakes, this shows a lot of courage.

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• RO

  @rogerclarke3291 · 1 month ago

  Hi from the UK. &nbsp; &nbsp;It was a blessing to hear your story. &nbsp;It has really mad me think deep about my flight planning and where I can improve. I was going to fly my plane today, but after praying,<br>I felt the lord wanted me to spend the day with Him at home. &nbsp;Thank you for sharing your story. May the lord continue to bless and protect you and your family.

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• FE

  @FelixPena-f9d · 1 month ago

  Your testimony is more valuable than 100 hours of dual instruction. Lord knows how many little mistakes didn’t turn out to much bigger mistakes but by the grace of God. Thank you for your humility and rest assured that your attitude and willingness to share your incident has made you a superior pilot.

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• AL

  @AllenFox-f3q · 1 month ago

  I don’t know your name but let me thank you for the amazing story and actually a very good lesson you presented. I had almost same story about 12 years ago. 2-3 years after I got my private pilot license, we decided to go to a vacation with small planes which I was able to fly. It was a 1975 Cessna 172 . I was flying with my wife and my teenage daughter. God really blessed us because as soon as I landed and came out of the runway, engine quit. This happened on the way back. With a full tank we went from Fullerton in Southern California to San Francisco and we had almost 20 gallons of fuel left on both tanks, but on the way back we encountered high head wind and took longer, also it was fire season and a lot of fires in Southern California, that’s why the controllers weren’t able to let me descend somewhere and I was afraid to declare emergency and… I still have nightmares

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• RU

  @RusscanFLY · 3 weeks ago

  I will say that, for many reasons, this is one of the bravest aviation, YouTube videos. I’ve watched to date! I know many of us, worry about trolls, so a lot of times the edits are pretty skewed to showing perfection, even when it doesn’t exist in a particular flight. You have decided to provide a story that is extremely useful to all of us in the general aviation community. Deep respect for you for doing that Brother. God bless!

  1

• AL

  @alpenglow1235 · 1 month ago

  Dear Friend, Thank you for a priceless conversation.

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• WA

  @WalterThorne-h5k · 1 month ago

  Strong story by a strong man…many thanks….I recall in the 1970s, one night over north Florida where I came close of running out of fuel..live and learn….my old friend was a P38 pilot during the War and taught me …NEVER STRETCH FUEL..

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• LD

  @ldebrobander · 1 month ago

  Thank you for being so transparent. I admire and respect you. May the Lord continue to bless you and your beautiful family. Onward and upward! 🤗

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• HO

  @hordi1ful · 1 month ago

  Thank you for your debrief.

  3