A hypothetical question
I don’t know if anyone of you knows and listens to Dan Carlin’s “Hardcore History” podcast. It’s one of the things I like to listen to when I’m drawing. Not surprisingly, it covers many a gruesome and brutal subject. One of episode I recently listened to was about medieval torture and punishment methods and how they were common practice until not so long ago. He didn’t mention tarring and feathering though. As inhumane as this practice is, it pales in comparison to other torture methods. But to be honest, I don’t know how hard it really was or is to get the tar off (apparently they used wood tar and not bitumen, so it didn’t have to be heated), or if there are any long term effects.
What I do know is that I am very grateful to live in a world where torture is looked down upon as a barbaric act and not viewed as a form of justice or even entertainment! But I guess it lives on as a source of entertainment in an artificial form in violent movies or brutal comics, where mechanics chase around unfortunate pilots …
Stef
Hi
I hope you don’t mind but I forwarded that one to all the pilots of my flying club (knowing that the club’s mechanic is me…it should serve as a warning…I completely agree with julio reaction)
Fbs, what’s even worse, though, is pilots denting the planes and not telling anyone. At least Chuck talks about it, even if “hypothetically”.
Some years ago, in Cannes. I came to the handling and they asked if I was flying Thisandthat aircraft. I confirmed so and they told me that they have good and bad news. Curious I asked for the bad news: “a security guy crashed into this aircraft with his golf cart during his round on the apron”. Ah. Beautiful! And the good news? “He said you still can fly” …😬🧐🙄
Looking at the bent wing this poor fellow – I mean the aircraft – was grounded for quite some time …..
A hurricane was incoming and the night guy was told by his night boss to go out in the rain, and get certain planes into a hangar . . . pack them in tight . . . and night fellow manages to clip the wingtips of a King Air and another (I wanna say a 310, but it has been too long). Night Manager chews him out, and can’t hardly wait to tell the General Manager about his stupidity come morning. With a bit too much glee he tells the G.M. how the rube managed to damage two very expensive planes . . .
G.M.: “Where was his wing walker?”
Night Supe [not the reply he was expecting]: “um”
G.M. “So, you told him to pack a hangar at night, in a heavy rain, and didn’t help guide the planes in, didn’t you?”
“You do know the owner is going to ask the exact same question, and likely both plane owners and their insurance companies? Kenny’s mistake was he didn’t force you to go out in the rain and do your job, and we will give him a bit of grief for that, but you are in deep trouble.”
oops
Years before and working for a different FOB, I almost clipped wings towing a Challenger and slotting it between two Gulfstreams. Luckily we had a good, heavy tug (4.5 ton Harlan) with good brakes. The General Manager noticed the assistant manager was no longer paying attention and called a halt just in the nick of time.
tar from wood is known for causing cancer, its hard to remove and gets everywhere. if they would use bitumen it would be easier to remove, because it gets harder an body temperature, but it would cause second to third degree burns when taring Chuck.
I seem to remember that you had a reader who dreamed about things like this happening to the poor cluck; he hasn’t joined your staff, has he? (Also will admit that you have an interesting take on fried chicken.)
I will however disagree with you, torturing pilots and/or aircraft is possible both as justice and entertainment, though maybe a little barbaric. Haven’t you ever heard of flight students?
Just to show that even the best pilot can have an off day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ5KmS-MTPs
Whoever feels grateful to live in a world where torture is looked down upon as a barbaric act needs to open their eyes. There are many places in the world where torture – or what we Westerners consider such – is daily practice. A shame of course, but the facts are there and we must be willing to see them.
@Fbs: Don’t mind at all. Our comics are meant to be shared with all of your friends 😉
@Uli: That’s a crazy story! Who told you that you can still fly with a bent wing?
@Sebastian: Maybe Chuck can use that next time as an excuse to not get tarred?
@JZ: Boy, I hope we don’t get cancelled for condoning chicken on chicken violence…
@HiddenWindshield: Ouch! That sinking feeling. Some of us have been there…
@Karel: Are you sure you’re on the right website here? This is supposed to light and fun and mostly… aviation.
I totally agree with Karel, and I wish I couldn’t. Fortunate people from rich countries are pretty often tempted, if not invited or forced, to wear rose-tinted glasses when looking at the rest of the world. As in “light and fun”. Sometimes, even when wars are involved.