Stories of Paraná - At the foot of the letters

Stories of Paraná - At the foot of the letters

At the foot of the letters
José Roberto da Silva

December 1853. The strike in the commercial aviation pilots forced air taxi to an over-effort to the wants of the Douglas, Convair and Scandia companies.
We flew from sunrise until sunset sunsets. Most travel was from Londrina to Curitiba and vice versa.
I was riding at the limit of endurance.
I almost turned, like other companions, in auto-pilot, taking off, gaining height, leveling, lowering, approaching, landing ... and repeating all right then.
That afternoon I taxiei Bonanza PT-AHO to the head 17 of the Bacacheri with three passengers.
Of those who were in the rear seat can not remember.
But to my right, in front, was the Michel Dib, Head of Traffic Cornelius 1'rocópio duly uniform (khaki) and his white kepi. ) Will Dib knew of other flights.
Slim, well-marked traces of Arabic, soft-spoken, quiet way.
I took off and aproei Londrina, gaining height.
The heat was sweltering, the sun seemed to want to fry inside the plane.
Hot and heavy in the air, the lionanza dragged like a jar of jam, heavy and grudgingly aerodynamics.
Suddenly I - who piloted librado thoughts on extra aircraft - rechinar hear the gears of the train-of-landing downloading.
Take a fright, cut the throttle lever, pull the stick back, "killing" the speed and try, in a flash, locate the "crash".
A train-the-landing never can be downloaded on-line flight at cruising speed.
Czech panel and see the key switch to the train in position "down" (low). I did not, I had not commanded train down!
Dib, leaning against the door, arms crossed and kepi with the visor over his eyes, was quiet, like a little angel:
- Dib Dib ô! You moved here? - I said, almost shouting.
- I? Huh! - Thought a few seconds - Mexi yes!
- But how? That is the key train-of-landing, has a security lock down! Why do it?
The innocence of Dib's response made me laugh:
- Wilson, is that it was very hot inside. Then I started looking, looking and saw written "Landing Gear".
Gear, I thought, it's cold. Then, I pushed this little key down, ué! ...

Wilson Silva, former aviator in North Paraná, journalist.


Source: Stories of Paraná, Brasil.