The human spirit is an amazing thing. Throughout our history on planet Earth, we have
controlled fire, invented the wheel, built amazing structures and even learned how to slip
the bonds of Earth and soar high into the sky. Our achievements are rather impressive
considering how far we’ve come since we were hunting woolly mammoths during
the last Ice Age.
There is a saying when it comes to gravity: what goes up must come down. Orbital and
escape velocities aside, this bit o’ wisdom pretty much holds true. A case in point
happened on the Atlantic side of Marathon on July Fourth.
Sol Bradman is living proof. Sol owns and teaches at the Florida Keys Flight Academy at Marathon Airport, and is a damn fine drummer and percussionist. Sol plays drums for the Lady A Band, and they had the late afternoon slot at Sombrero Beach on July Fourth.
Earlier, during a set that Adrienne Z and I were playing, a gentleman came to the stage
and let me know that a small plane had just gone down into the water off Sombrero
Beach! He told us that the two people on board the plane walked away seemingly
unharmed. That was good news.
Drummer Sol was one of the first of the Lady A Band to arrive for their gig. As he was
setting up his drums, he revealed that he was the pilot who set down the plane in the
water off the beach! He didn’t look or seem like someone who had just survived a plane
Crash … and he did share with us some details.
The plane was a vintage single-engine aircraft, and Sol had one other passenger on
board. Ironically, John Mavis, Lady A’s bass player, was originally scheduled to be on
that flight (he called it off that morning). Sol’s plane lost engine power, and all his
training as an experienced pilot and flight instructor took over. As the plane lost altitude
in a controlled, powerless descent, he searched for the best place to land. After rejecting
any idea of a beach landing because of the number of docks in the vicinity, Sol decided to
put the plane down in the ocean just offshore.
Luckily for all, July Fourth was a breezy day. Sol took advantage of that breeze to reduce the
plane’s airspeed before the wetter-than-normal touchdown. He said that he went in at
about 15 mph, which lessened the force of impact with the water. Sol and his passenger
were rescued from the waist-deep water and safely returned to dry land.
Although the land may have been dry, Sol’s clothes certainly weren’t. A quick trip to
Beall’s Outlet solved that problem, and he showed up at the gig early and ready to play.
Sol was quick to cite the importance of the what-do-I-do-now lessons he learned, which
are the same ones he teaches at the Flight Academy. All the proper procedures for
putting down a powerless plane ensured that Sol and his passenger only got wet. He also
said that the experience will reinforce these lessons for his flight students, Sol having
“been there, done that.”
This is yet another story of our amazing human spirit. Most plane crash survivors
probably would take the rest of the day off and count their blessings or lick their wounds.
Sol goes and gets some dry clothes and shows up for the gig.
Sol did have but one request of Ric Arra, Lady A Band’s guitarist and singer, and it was
a simple one. Sol asked Ric not to tell him anything he may have done wrong on the
drums, saying, “All I want to hear is, ‘Good job, Sol.’”
I think that just showing up was worthy of a “Great Job!” And if you want to learn how
to fly with someone who knows from experience, better call Sol. Florida Keys Flight
Academy is on Facebook and the World Wide Web … and at the Marathon Airport as
well.
– Catch John live Thursdays at Sparky’s Landing, this Friday at Isla Bella,
Saturday at the Boardwalk in Big Pine and Sundays at Skipjack Tiki Bar. Find his music
anywhere you download or stream your music. www.johnbartus.com •
johnbartus.hearnow.com
