The Mini Van Soap Box

We all have our silent (or not so silent) phobias and fears. I, like many people in my family, am not a big fan of flying. At all. I've spoken with some of them about their fears, some came about shortly after 9/11, for some it came after a bad flight. And for some, the fear is so strong that they will not fly at all. My fear came after a short jaunt from Virginia to Florida for my older sisters wedding. I was about 20 or so at the time, and everyone had already gone down for the festivities, but I had to go by myself later, because I couldn't take so much time off of work. I had flown by myself before - and remember not being anxious about it all. However, as I've come to find out - flights to Florida from Virginia are almost always 'a bit bumpy'.

How fortunate I was at that time, and that age, to experience this particular flight by myself. It was more like a roller coaster ride than a flight. About an hour into it - there was pudding and soda dripping from the ceiling of the plane, children clinging to their mothers, rosaries were clutched in the hands of the believers....and 'oh lucky me' - an odd group of CHANTERS sitting behind me. There was no question at the time that I was going to die.

Thankfully, I'm here to type this story today. When we touched down and taxied to our gate - the tears flowing freely from all the passengers (and even some of the crew) we were not ashamed to show - and the hug/death grip that I put on my Aunt who was waiting for me - I'm surprised didn't break her ribs.

So, as I've said - we all have our own little fears. Which brings me to my post for today.

Apparently for 15 year old, Andrei (last name not given at this time) from Urals in Russia is NOT afraid of flying.....AT ALL.

Fleeing from his alcoholic father, and a mother who sides with his father - Andrei ran away from home to a nearby village where his Grandmother lived. Once he got there - he decided to keep going, and hitched his way to the airport.

This is where the story gets really interesting.

Andrei then climbed onto the wing of a Boeing-737 and hung on for an entire 2 hour flight from Perm to Moscow - and survived.

He was found after collapsing on the tarmac at the Moscow airport, his limbs so frozen that they were unable to even remove his jacket.

The Boeing-737 has a cruising speed of roughly 560 miles per hour, and temperatures of almost -60 degrees.......Doctors say it is nothing short of a miracle that this boy survived.

Moscow airport officials at this time are for sure not commenting on this, and have even said "We have no information on this", however Moscow's Air and Water Transport Control Department said this story was true.

Now I've spent enough time at Dulles International Airport to know that it's a fairly busy place. How on earth this kid was able to sneak onto the grounds, climb onto the wing of the plane and not be seen by a soul is pretty weird to me - which is why I seriously debated even writing about this in the first place. However, I did my research this time and have found this story on a few sites (including Yahoo News) and even heard it on the radio on my way home from dropping off at school.

Regardless - even if this holds any truth - my prayers are definitly with this kid as he recovers. I imagine things have to be pretty bad at home to bring someone to hitching a ride on a wing of a plane.

**turns out he was hiding INSIDE the wing of the plane. However, the temperature would still be about the same - however, makes the idea of "clinging" to the wing a little more plausible. A writer that I read often has also found further information that it looks as though there is the possibility that his hands will have to be amputated**