For this photograph, I was shooting the J2F Duck in the
Tillamook Air Museum from its PBY. I was standing in the
bug-eyed waist position with the bubble part pulled up and
over behind me. The shooting position was just a little spooky
because the sides of the fuselage barely came up to my
knees. Still, it was a terrific camera platform, and the Duck
pilot was doing a terrific job.
Then I heard a slight “bang,” and the latch on the bubble let
go. But rather than slamming shut in front of me, it pivoted
around and came in behind me, pinning my legs against the
low side wall. I was too far from the front to get a hand on
the fuselage framing to steady myself. I was teetering back
and forth, barely able to hold my position, with most of me
entirely capable of pitching forward and out of the airplane.
That was not good!
I started yelling, knowing that no one up front could hear
me. But I yelled anyway. Then I started waving frantically at
the pilot in the Duck. He must have called the PBY because,
in a couple of minutes (very looong minutes!), someone came
running back and got the bubble off my legs.
We were back on the ground before I was able to quit
shaking.
I probably didn’t mention that I have severe acrophobia.
Severe!Wow! That Was Close!