So, there we were. My 7month pregnant wife and I in our RV-8 flying back to Wichita Falls from Salt Lake City where we attended my Vice Wing Commanders retirement. We were over Cortez, NM enrout to KSAF for a fuel stop when my wife taps me on the shoulder and says, "is there any place to land?" I respond with the expected, "why," at which she tells me she thinks her water just broke. Holy schnekies! I look down at Cortez, which didn't look promising. Went to NRST to find the closest towered field. Four Courners Regional off the nose for 50nm/ 12mins. I ask her if she's good till there and get the affirmative. Call up Denver ARTCC, declare the emergency, pass the data, and request they contact Four Corners to get an ambulance.
We land, eye watering landing by the way, taxi up to the tower where the ambulance is waiting. They put her on the bed and say "lets go, this is imminent." As we are driving over, the med said he could feel the head. We get to the hospital and 20 minutes later my first child is born. 2 months early but incredibly healthy and breathing on his own.
With his age, they wanted to get him to a level 3 NICU at a children's hospital and asked if Fort Worth worked for us. It did, being only 1.75 hrs from our home.
So right now, he's got a swank room in Ft Worth while mom and dad are stuck in Farmington, NM waiting to get discharged tomorrow so we can finish the flight and meet up with my boy.
Sorry for the choppy story, but I thought you guys might enjoy a story of my flight with "2 souls onboard" almost turned into 3.
Oh, mom and baby are both doing great!
We land, eye watering landing by the way, taxi up to the tower where the ambulance is waiting. They put her on the bed and say "lets go, this is imminent." As we are driving over, the med said he could feel the head. We get to the hospital and 20 minutes later my first child is born. 2 months early but incredibly healthy and breathing on his own.
With his age, they wanted to get him to a level 3 NICU at a children's hospital and asked if Fort Worth worked for us. It did, being only 1.75 hrs from our home.
So right now, he's got a swank room in Ft Worth while mom and dad are stuck in Farmington, NM waiting to get discharged tomorrow so we can finish the flight and meet up with my boy.
Sorry for the choppy story, but I thought you guys might enjoy a story of my flight with "2 souls onboard" almost turned into 3.
Oh, mom and baby are both doing great!