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A cut of the green at Dublin airport

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  • A cut of the green at Dublin airport

    Those of you who do not like flying close your eyes now, press this message's `close window' command and then put your hands in front of your face while adopting the `brace' position. If you, like ourselves, believe flying is no more hazardous than driving, walking, cycling, motorbiking or taking the train, then read on.

    The pilot of the charter flight from the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh to Dublin had an interesting landing at our airport in May 2009. Approaching the runway in the early hours, he contacted the control tower and said "Could have sworn I saw a man riding a lawnmower", then adding "Okay, he was on the right side of the runway, although maybe two thousand feet down, but it looked like a guy just riding a lone tractor lawnmower." He was right – and made a safe landing despite being distracted by a man on a sit-on flymo lawnmower only 18.5 meters (60 feet) away from the runway.

    The man was totally oblivious to the approaching jet and was employed by the airport to trim the grass. Despite being instructed to leave the runway, he thought he still had a few minutes to cut an extra few blades of life-threatening grass. Even though he saw the runway's landing lights being switched on, he assumed the electricians were testing them!

    The flymo had no flashing beacons and it later transpired that while the flymo man had a radio, only his maintenance HQ could contact him and not the control tower. Top marks to the pilot for spotting the flymo man in the dark (and in poor visibility) but that's what I call a close shave! If you think this is an April fool's joke, check it here on the Irish Independent's website: HERE


    Full acknowledgement for this story to PJD Scott author of Insidersdublin, and http://www.hidden-dublin.com
    'Never look down on a person unless you're helping them up'.
    .
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