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that something terrible had happened – perhaps I had been in a crash, and my body wasn’t working?
I kept fighting and eventually got the strength to move my fingers and then my hand, and then I gained the ability to use my other arm to pull my head back upright. Looking back, I can see that my body was thankfully working just fine, but I was just fighting against Gs. We were still on a joyous flight, and everything was perfectly fine. Without the video, I would have bet money that those seven seconds were actually seven minutes. The long internal conversation I had with myself in those seconds just didn’t add up, but after viewing my flight and laughing along with the millions of others who saw my viral G-LOC video on social media, it really was just seven seconds. You can find the footage and details of this entire flight experience on my YouTube Channel, @schmiiindy.
After G-LOC
It seemed like Buddy’s biggest concern after I regained consciousness was the status of my neck and stomach. He quickly checked if my neck was hurting from my head swinging down under Gs, and I was happy to report that I felt no pain during or after my flight. His next set of questions revolved around my stomach and whether it felt like my Starbucks breakfast would stay put or if it would join us in the cockpit. I was also happy to report that I wasn’t feeling ill in that way and that the white, plastic barf bag slipped under the leg strap of my parachute didn’t need to make an appearance.
It was coincidentally the end of the flight, so we did a few more rolls and headed back into Sherman Field (KNPA) for an iconic carrier break to landing. On the taxi back into the ramp, Buddy explained that even the Blue Angels pilots could lose their tolerance and experience the high fatigue I felt if they took too much time off of flying.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Unsurprisingly, I left the best flying experience I have ever had with a feeling of utmost respect for this team of aviators who just exude excellence in everything they do. It was an incredible honor and privilege to see them in action, to fly with them, and to learn more about what it takes to be a Blue Angel pilot. And for that, I choose to wear my G-LOC moment as a badge of honor. Go big or go home, right?
Mindy Lindheim is an exper-ienced pilot, aircraft broker, and aircraft owner. She has Textron Aviation factory experience as both a sales director and demonstration pilot and has since worked her way up to earning a Citation 525S type rating and selling aircraft for Lone Mountain Aircraft. Mindy is very
active on social media to educate, inspire, and share aviation experiences on her accounts @schmiiindy. You can contact Mindy at Mindy@ChasinTailwinds.com.
October 2024 / TWIN & TURBINE • 21