Captain Jim Futcher
Posted: 06 Jun 2008, 20:36
This is an interesting obituary of a very brave VC10 Captain involved in one of the Palestinian hijackings of the 70s.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... tcher.html
It illustrates how the risks of terrorism were rather different in those days. As crew, we were always aware that there was a constant threat of hijacking but the most likely outcome for us would be a few days of discomfort and fear. I remember telling my family that they shouldn't worry if I got hijacked because I'd be OK and just be a few days late home!
The terrorists were willing to execute individual passengers, as in this case, but generally they selected American or Israeli passport holders. Martyrdom hadn't become fashionable and I remember a safety briefing at the time where we were told that the odds against somebody carrying a bomb on board an aircraft on which they were flying were so astronomical as to be negligible.
Although it was something I often thought of at the time it never happened to me so I don't know how I'd have behaved. But I remember being in awe at the actions of Jim Futcher who willingly walked out to a hijacked aircraft and risked his own life in an attempt to save others.
Ian
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... tcher.html
It illustrates how the risks of terrorism were rather different in those days. As crew, we were always aware that there was a constant threat of hijacking but the most likely outcome for us would be a few days of discomfort and fear. I remember telling my family that they shouldn't worry if I got hijacked because I'd be OK and just be a few days late home!
The terrorists were willing to execute individual passengers, as in this case, but generally they selected American or Israeli passport holders. Martyrdom hadn't become fashionable and I remember a safety briefing at the time where we were told that the odds against somebody carrying a bomb on board an aircraft on which they were flying were so astronomical as to be negligible.
Although it was something I often thought of at the time it never happened to me so I don't know how I'd have behaved. But I remember being in awe at the actions of Jim Futcher who willingly walked out to a hijacked aircraft and risked his own life in an attempt to save others.
Ian
