I know what courage looks like. I saw it on a flight I took six years ago, and only now can I speak of it without tears filling eyes at the memory.
When our L1011 left the Orlando airport that Friday morning, we were a chipper1, high-energy group. The early-morning flights hosted mainly professional people going to Atlanta for a day or two of business. As I looked around, I saw lots of designer suits, CEO-caliber haircuts, leather briefcases and all the trimmings of seasoned business travelers. I settled back for some light reading and the brief flight ahead.
Immediately upon take off, it was clear that something was ***ss. The aircraft was bumping up and down and jerking left to right. All the experienced travelers, including me, loo