Tech Topics - Spring 2009 - (Page 22) BURDELL & FRIENDS out of the plane in a suit minus a suit coat. They asked what size. A guy here in our Charlotte office called a guy in New York, and he went to Brooks Brothers and bought me an entire outfit. He e-mailed me that there would be an outfit, a charger and a coat at the hotel when I got there. These two guys I was sitting next to at the terminal, Jay and Nick, had arranged for a police car to take them to Brooks Brothers. My hotel was near there, so I asked for a ride. We snuck out a side exit. It looked like a rock concert at the front. A young NYPD officer named Brian drove us up to Midtown, and we got out in front of Brooks Brothers. I was walking to the hotel and found myself outside of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I said, “I’m going in.” I made my donation, lit a candle and said a prayer. Then I went to the hotel. I didn’t tell them at the front desk that I’d been on the plane. Peter, the guy from the office, met me with a bag full of clothes and an invitation to dinner. We had a two-and-a-half-hour dinner. It was really nice. He said, “OK, it’s therapy time. Tell me what happened.” So I did, over a really big steak dinner. I went back to my room, went to sleep and woke up early. The firm had readied the jet for us. We boarded the corporate jet, me and other employees who had been on the same flight. All the folks I worked with had been getting all this information to my wife and what time we’re landing. “Everybody that flies a lot has a little trepidation, especially early in the flight. And I thought, after all the times of thinking this could happen, it’s going to happen.” The guys that I work for and with did an amazing job of making it as painless as possible. The next morning, being able to put on all new clothes, not my plane crash apparel, was big. Kelly (IntA 93) and our two kids (Caroline, 8, and Jackson, 4) met me when I hopped off the jet. It was nice for them, seeing me come off in a new suit, like I’d just been on a business trip, not in a plane crash. those little planes do. The flight attendant next to me kept saying, “It’ll be OK.” I may not fly as much as I used to, and instead just fly when I have to. It’s a necessary evil of business. And I am an optimist. I’ve had my plane crash, I figure. Did you ever get a chance to talk to the pilot after the landing? I did not, and I wish I had. He came out the other side of the plane, and all the ferries took us to different terminals. I saw one flight attendant, but she had a bad cut on her leg so was getting a lot of medical attention. They did an unbelievable job. They calmly and coolly did what they were supposed to do. But then, everyone was very calm. There were passengers loudly saying, “We’re going to be fine.” Whenever people started to get rattled, someone would calm them down. I had to help the girl next to me get her life jacket on. All of us were there, helping each other. Flying is such a regular activity for you. Will you be able to keep doing it? I’m not in a rush to do it. But I will. The whole family is flying to Denver for a ski trip in the next few weeks, so that’s the first big hurdle. When I first walked out and saw the corporate plane that next morning, it gave me a little pause. And when it rose, it bounced around a lot, which Do you still think about it a lot? I don’t remember everything. I remember bits and pieces. I remember standing up. I remember seeing life jackets and deciding to get one. I don’t remember from that point to being at the door, but then I remember pushing it open. And just being thrilled to death I was alive. 22 TechTopics | Spring 2009
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