The Foundaions laid by Our Respected Principal Mrs. Doreen Logie’s
Another True Story in The Life & Times of this Reprobate …………….only there was a break of several Years in between the related events:
In the year 1975/77, I was working with an Airline at Bombay Airport
A certain First Officer on one of our flights made an innocent mistake which led to some pretty serious consequences and could have required our Flight to be seriously delayed
The issue involved a breach of Customs Regulations, and could have also cost my Airline hundred of thousands of Dollars with passengers Costs, due Missed Connections etc.
I offered to pay the maximum penalty which could have been applied, personally guaranteing this with My Personal Cheque, only for this F/O to be not held in Custody, pending resolution of the issue and provided a Personal Financial Guarantee that he would return to BOM to face any charges, by depositing my Personal Cheque to cover this and Customs released him to Operate the Flight
- Fast forward to…………….. SEPTEMBER 2008
- I am at Frankfurt Frankfurt/Rhein Main Airport a Now Long Retired from ALL Airlines, with which I had worked in Australia but still travelling as a PAD (Retired Ailine Staff on a Discounted Saff Ticket – Subject to Load) (Airline Mates can relate to this)
- I had resigned in 1977 to emigrate to Australia, in that year ….. and this was NOT a LH Retired Staff Ticket
- Trying to get seat on board a connecting Heavily Booked Lufthansa Flight , after attending my School Reunion (Lasallian Schools in Rome SEP 2008 – I was a student at St. Paul’s High School, between stints at MEHS
- I had chatted with the Check-in Staff, even telling them I had been with LH, but no longer was , and this probabl they had been born (they were very young ladies who also later advised me that I had very Little chance of a seat, but that they would notify the Cockpit Crewe and seek appoval to offer the Spare Crew Seat, or Jump Seat to me
- This I also expected to become a NON-Option as I was not in Possession of an ASIC Identification Card Airport Identity Security Card, which is now Mandatory, for Cockpit Travellers Crew & Staff), with Security Measures being tightened
- I later went and sat in the Standby Staff Area, w.a.i.t.i.n.g.
- I saw the Commander of the Flight come in and he started discussing ’something’ with the Traffic Counter Staff…..who were pointing to me while this was in progress
- The Commander (‘a pretty stern 6 foot 2inch or so, tall German’) strode towards me and I thought I would be in b.i.g. Trouble for me seeking this Jump Seat, and that Ishould have known better
- He said, ” are you Cecil Wagstaff. I concurred, sheepishly . “YESIR”
- He then said, Cecil Wagstaff, Cecil Wagstaff, do you know who I am? – to which I again responds sheepishly – “NOSIR”
- I am Captain —— -, but when we first met I was Only a First Officer, and if you had not got me out of a F@*&#**@ Mess, caused by my stupidity, I may not even have been a F/O…needless to say and never made it to Flight Commander. I could have lost my job
- He then related what I had done …..for him in 1976…I had not at first remembered, as one does NOT keep ‘Favours Done” in Memory Banks………and it all came back to me, in a Flash
A Favour repaid as:
His next words were”…….. “Of course you can travel in My Aircraft’s Cockpit. Bugger the Rules……….I know I can trust you, JUST AS YOU TRUSTED ME ALL THOSE YEARS AGO……”???
That, Mates is true, as it happened to me, and exactly as I related it to you
A FAVOUR REPAID More than 32 years Later