Travel

by Joshua Piven

  4. Open all emergency valves located in the engine room on or near the dash (at the left side of the cab).

  The emergency valves will be clearly marked. Place the handles in the farthest position forward.

  5. Move all levers and handles forward, toward the windshield.

  Be certain to move the brake valves forward (they will have the word “brake” at the base of the handles). Quickly push or move down all white sliding switches on and around the control stand to shut off electricity to the engine(s).

  6. If the train is still not slowing down, enter the engine room, which will be behind you to your right.

  A very loud engine room will indicate that the locomotive is “under load,” or still operating.

  7. Move rapidly through the engine room, along the engine block.

  The engine block stands about four or five feet tall and looks like a large automobile engine.

  8. Shut down the engine by pulling the layshaft lever.

  This is a two-foot-long handle at shoulder height near the end of the engine block. It may be difficult to find, as it is not painted a different color from the engine itself. Push the handle all the way in, and the engine will run too fast and shut down. This lever is mechanical and will shut down the engine without fail.

  9. Return to the cab and sound the whistle to warn others of your approach—it may take several miles to stop the train completely.

  The whistle is either a handle the size of your hand that points upward, or a button located on the control panel marked “horn.”

  IF THE TRAIN IS NOT SLOWING OR A CRASH IS IMMINENT

  1. Proceed as calmly and quietly as possible to the rear of the train.

  This is the safest place to be in the event of a crash. Instruct the other passengers to move to the back of the train with you.

  2. Prepare for a crash.

  Sleeping cars are usually placed on the tail end of the train and have mattresses and pillows that can be used for protection. Sit or lay against a wall that is toward the leading end of the train, so you will not fly forward in the event of a crash. The farther you are from the locomotive the better.

  HOW TO STOP A CAR WITH NO BRAKES

  1. Begin pumping the brake pedal and keep pumping it.

  You may be able to build up enough pressure in the braking system to slow down a bit, or even stop completely. If you have anti-lock brakes, you do not normally pump them—but if your brakes have failed, this may work.

  2. Do not panic—relax and steer the car smoothly.

  Cars will often safely corner at speeds much higher than you realize or are used to driving. The rear of the car may slip; steer evenly, being careful not to over-correct.

  3. Shift the car into the lowest gear possible and let the engine and transmission slow you down.

  4. Pull the emergency brake—but not too hard.

  Pulling too hard on the emergency brake will cause the rear wheels to lock, and the car to spin around. Use even, constant pressure. In most cars, the emergency brake (also known as the hand brake or parking brake) is cable operated and serves as a fail-safe brake that should still work even when the rest of the braking system has failed. The car should slow down and, in combination with the lower gear, will eventually stop.

  5. If you are running out of room, try a “bootlegger’s turn.”

  Yank the emergency brake hard while turning the wheel a quarter turn in either direction—whichever is safer. This will make the car spin 180 degrees. If you were heading downhill, this spin will head you back uphill, allowing you to slow down.

  6. If you have room, swerve the car back and forth across the road.

  Making hard turns at each side of the road will decrease your speed even more.

  7. If you come up behind another car, use it to help you stop.

  Blow your horn, flash your lights, and try to get the driver’s attention. If you hit the car, be sure to hit it square, bumper to bumper, so you do not knock the other car off the road. This is an extremely dangerous maneuver: It works best if the vehicle in front of you is larger than yours—a bus or truck is ideal—and if both vehicles are traveling at similar speeds. You do not want to crash into a much slower-moving or stopped vehicle, however.

  8. Look for something to help stop you.

  A flat or uphill road that intersects with the road you are on, a field, or a fence will slow you further but not stop you suddenly. Scraping the side of your car against a guardrail is another option. Avoid trees and wooden telephone poles: They do not yield as readily.

  9. Do not attempt to sideswipe oncoming cars.

  10. If none of the above steps has enabled you to stop and you are about to go over a cliff, try to hit something that will slow you down before you go over.

  This strategy will also leave a clue to others that someone has gone over the edge. But since very few cliffs are sheer drops, you may fall just several feet and then stop.

  HOW TO STOP A RUNAWAY HORSE

  1. Hold on tight to the saddle with your hands and thighs.

  Most injuries occur when the rider is thrown, falls, or jumps off the horse and hits the ground or some immovable object, such as a tree or fence post.

  2. Grip the saddle horn or the front of the saddle with one hand and the reins with the other.

  If you have lost hold of the reins, hold on to the saddle horn or the horse’s mane and wait for the horse to slow or stop.

  3. Sit up in the saddle as much as you can.

  Fight the instinct to lean forward (it will be especially strong if you are in a wooded area with many trees and branches), since this is not the standard position for a rider when the horse is asked to stop (whoa!), and the horse can feel the difference. Keep a deep seat, with your feet pushed a little forward in the stirrups.

  4. Alternately tug and release the reins with a medium pressure.

  Never jerk or pull too hard on the reins of a horse running at full speed—you could pull the horse off-balance, and it may stumble or fall. There is a very high risk of serious injury or death if the horse falls while running at full speed (25 to 30 mph).

  5. When the horse slows down to a slow lope or a trot, pull one rein to the side with steady pressure so that the horse’s head moves to the side, toward your foot in the stirrup.

  This maneuver will cause the horse to walk in a circle. The horse will become bored, sense that you are in control again, and slow to a near stop.

  6. When the horse is at a walk, pull back with slow, steady pressure on both reins until the horse stops.

  7. Dismount the horse immediately, before it has a chance to bolt again.

  Hold the reins as you get down to keep the horse from moving.

  Be Aware

  • Long reins dangling in front of a horse may cause it to trip. Inexperienced riders should tie the ends of the reins together so that they cannot fall past the horse’s neck and pose added danger.

  • Horses bolt when they are frightened or extremely irritated. The key response is to remain in control of the situation without causing the horse greater anxiety. Talk to it reassuringly and rub its neck with one hand. Yelling, screaming, and kicking the horse will only make it more agitated.

  HOW TO CRASH-LAND A PLANE ON WATER

  These instructions apply to small passenger propeller planes (not commercial airliners).

  1. Take your place at the controls.

  If the plane has dual controls, the pilot will be in the left seat. Sit on the right. If the plane has only one set of controls and the pilot is unconscious, remove the pilot from the pilot’s seat. Securely fasten your seat belt.

  2. Put on the radio headset (if there is one) and call for help.

  There will be a control button on the yoke (the plane’s steering wheel) or a CB-like microphone on the instrument panel. Depress the button to talk, release it to listen. Say “Mayday! Mayday!” and give your situation, destination, and plane call numbers (which should be printed on the top of the instrument panel)
. If you get no response, try again on the emergency channel, 121.5. The person on the other end should be able to talk you through proper landing procedures. If you cannot reach someone to talk you through the landing process, you will have to do it alone.

  3. Get your bearings and identify the instruments.

  YOKE. This is the steering wheel, and it should be in front of you. The yoke turns the plane and controls its pitch. Pull back on the column to bring the nose up, push forward to point it down. Turn it left to turn the plane left, turn it right to turn the plane right. The yoke is very sensitive—move it only an inch or two in either direction to turn the plane. While cruising, the nose of the plane should be about three inches below the horizon.

  ALTIMETER. This is the most important instrument, at least initially. It is a black-faced dial in the middle of the panel with white hands and numerals, with zero at the top. The small hand indicates feet above sea level in thousand-foot increments, the large hand in hundreds.

  HEADING. This is a compass. It will be the only instrument with a small image of a plane in the center. The nose of the image will point in the direction the plane is headed.

  AIRSPEED. This dial is on the top of the instrument panel and will be on the left. It is usually calibrated in knots, though it may also have miles per hour. A small plane travels at about 120 knots while cruising. Anything under 70 knots in the air is dangerously close to stall speed. (A knot is 1¼ mph.)

  TACHOMETER. This instrument (not visible in ill., but located near the throttle) displays the engine’s power in revolutions per minute (rpm). In more sophisticated aircraft, a manifold pressure gauge may be present. This gauge supplies manifold pressure in inches of mercury, and shows you how much power an engine is producing. If present, it should be used in place of the tachometer. (One inch of mercury equals approximately 100 rpm; 10 inches corresponds to 1,000 rpm.)

  THROTTLE. This lever controls airspeed (power) and also the nose attitude, its relation to the horizon. It sits between the seats and is always black. Pull it toward you to slow the plane and cause it to descend, push it away from you to speed up the plane and cause it to ascend.

  FUEL. The fuel gauges will be on the lower portion of the instrument panel. If the pilot has followed FAA regulations, the plane should have enough fuel for the amount of flying time to your intended destination, plus at least an additional half hour of reserve. Some planes have a reserve fuel tank in addition to the primary one, but do not attempt to change tanks. Full tanks will provide 4½ to 5 hours of flying time for a light aircraft. If the gauge indicates the tanks are half full, you will have half that time. However, be advised that fuel gauges on airplanes can be inexact and experienced pilots do not rely on them. Always assume you have a fuel emergency despite what the fuel gauge may indicate. You want to land the plane as soon as possible to avoid an uncontrolled landing.

  MIXTURE CONTROL. This is a red knob or lever on the instrument panel, or between the pilot and co-pilot positions. The knob regulates fuel flow to the engine. Pull it out (toward you) to reduce fuel flow, push it in (away from you) to increase it.

  AUTOPILOT. The autopilot panel will be on the lower third of the instrument panel and will generally be to the immediate left or right of the yoke. There will be an on/off switch and separate switches or buttons reading “alt,” “heading,” and “nav.”

  FLAPS. The flaps are the moveable parts of the wings that are used to change the speed of the plane and adjust its altitude. Due to their complexity, wing flaps can make the plane hard to control. Use the throttle to control airspeed instead.

  4. If the plane is flying straight and level, engage the autopilot.

  Press the “alt” (altitude) and heading buttons until the displays read “hold.” This will maintain your present altitude and heading and give you an opportunity to continue to use the radio and assess your landing choices.

  5. Once you have determined your landing strategy, turn the autopilot off and reduce power by moving the throttle toward you.

  Slowly move the throttle enough to cause the nose to drop and the plane to descend slightly. You will need to be at approximately 2,000 feet to be able to clearly see the water below you.

  6. When the altimeter reads 2,000 feet, level the nose with the horizon using the yoke.

  Increase power slightly by moving the throttle away from you if pulling back on the yoke does not work.

  7. Assess the water ahead of you.

  It is imperative that you land in calm water and that you avoid landing the plane in the face of swells, where there is a significant risk of waves breaking over the aircraft. The plane should be heading into the wind (called a headwind), so you land on the backside of any waves.

  8. Reduce power by moving the throttle toward you.

  Do not use your flaps or your landing gear, which might catch on the water. Bring the plane to an altitude of 100 to 200 feet.

  9. Continue to reduce power until the tachometer reads 1,500 to 1,700 rpm or 15 to 17 inches of mercury.

  10. Move the nose of the plane up at least 5 to 10 degrees above the horizon by pulling the yoke toward you slightly.

  You must exercise a nose-up landing to keep the propeller out of the water and prevent the plane from flipping end-over-end. The angle of the nose should be such that the horizon is almost completely obscured.

  11. Just before touchdown, make sure the throttle is in its furthest position toward you.

  The plane should be no more than 10 feet above the water at this point.

  12. Pull the red fuel mixture control knob toward you to cut fuel to the engine when the plane is about five feet above the water.

  Use the surface of the water, not the altimeter, to judge your altitude at this low level.

  13. Keep the nose up by pulling back gently on the yoke.

  The plane should fall gently onto the water. Concentrate on making sure the rear of the plane hits the water first. If the plane has non-retractable landing gear, it will most likely flip over because the landing gear will catch on the water.

  14. Open the door or window as soon as you hit the water, and quickly get out of the plane.

  It may be difficult to open the door or window once you begin to sink. If you are unable to open the cabin door, kick out the windshield.

  15. If the plane has life vests or a raft, inflate them outside of the plane.

  The plane’s emergency location transmitter (ELT) should continue broadcasting your location to rescue personnel.

  HOW TO SURVIVE AN AIRPLANE CRASH

  TO DECREASE THE ODDS OF A CRASH

  1. Take a nonstop flight, if possible.

  Most accidents happen in the takeoff and landing phases of flight; the fewer stops you make, the less chance of an accident.

  2. Watch the skies.

  Many accidents involve severe weather. As takeoff time approaches, check the weather along the route, particularly in places where you will land. Consider delaying your flight if the weather could be severe.

  3. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants made of natural fibers.

  Radiant heat and flash burns can be avoided if you put a barrier between you and the heat. Avoid easy-care polyester or nylon: most synthetic materials that aren’t specifically treated to be fire resistant will melt at relatively low temperatures (300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Synthetic fabrics will usually shrink before they melt, and if they are in contact with skin when this happens, they will make the burn—and its treatment—much more serious. Wear closed-toe, hard-soled shoes; you might have to walk through twisted, torn metal or flames. In many cases, people survive the crash, but are killed or injured by post-impact fire and its by-products, like smoke and toxic gases.

  4. Select a seat on the aisle, somewhere in the rear half of the cabin.

  The odds of surviving a crash are higher in the middle-to-rear section compared to the middle-to-front section of the cabin. An aisle seat offers the easiest escape route access, unless you are sitting right next
to an emergency exit: If you can get a window seat right next to the emergency exit, this is a better choice.

  5. Listen to the safety briefing and locate your nearest exits.

  Most airplane accident survivors had listened to the briefing and knew how to get out of the plane. Pick an exit to use in an emergency, and an alternate in case the first one is not available.

  6. Count the seats between you and the exits in case smoke fills the plane and you cannot see them.

  Make sure you understand how the exit doors work and how to operate them.

  7. Practice opening your seat belt a few times.

  Many people mistakenly try to push the center of the buckle rather than pull up on it.

  TO PREPARE FOR A CRASH

  1. Make sure that your seat belt is tightly fastened and that your chair back is fully upright.

  2. Bend forward with one arm across your knees.

  3. Place your pillow in your lap and hold your head against the pillow with your free arm.

  4. Push your legs forward and brace for impact by placing your feet or knees against the chair in front of you.

  If you are over water, loosen your shirt (and tie) so that your movement is not restricted when you attempt to swim. Be ready for two jolts: when the plane first hits water and when the nose hits water again.

  5. Stay calm and be ready to help yourself.

  The vast majority of crash survivors were able to get out either under their own power or with the help of someone already on the plane. Fire and rescue personnel are unlikely to enter the airplane to pull you out.

  6. Do not take anything with you.

  If you have something you absolutely cannot part with, you should keep it in your pocket and not in your carry-on baggage.