Controlled Crash
An Airline Odyssey, from Eels and Ethics to Blimps and Drunken Bears
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“Controlled Crash is a reading treat—marries a little learning with a lot of laughs.”
—Pamela McCorduck, author of Machines Who Think
My first trip to Japan on Japan Airlines was aboard a crowded DC-8. Not yet eligible for first-class travel, I ended up in a middle seat between two Japanese men who didn’t speak English. Nor did they seem too happy to be seated next to a gaijin (foreigner). No problem for me, though at six foot two I do take most of what is allotted to me in an economy chair. Seatmate on the aisle, at five foot one, proved a bit territorial, but I was a company employee on his best behavior, so I quietly ceded the armrest and other space as we proceeded across the Pacific. Not, however, without thoughts of Manchuria and Nanking crossing my mind.
Worse was to come. When the empty trays had been removed after dinner, Aisleman—now Tojo to me—stood up and removed his trousers! After folding them neatly, he hung them from the back of the seat in front and then sat in his shorts till about fifteen minutes out of Tokyo. I didn’t sleep! Later I learned that this behavior used to be de rigeuer with Japanese businessmen traveling by train. They all sat in a compartment in their underwear, so that their trousers were nicely creased upon arrival.
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About the Book
Pilots like to say that every safe landing is really just a controlled crash. In this witty and entertaining memoir of his airline career, Eldon Brown whisks us back to the heyday of the airline industry, when it was fun to fly and salesmanship was a creative art. During his decades in cargo management with airlines like Japan and Northwest, Brown crosses paths with a surprising array of life forms: wily entrepreneurs, stowaway cockroaches, and, yes, a drunken bear. Along the way, there are challenges to be met with pluck and imagination. For example, he conducts reconnaissance missions (when his 007 persona springs to the fore). He arranges fl ights for fauna like eels, ostriches, tuna, and the Dallas Cowboys. He also has to learn to accommodate his relaxed American style to the rigidity of a Japanese managerial culture, to stay true to American values in places where less rigorous ethical standards are the norm, and to deal with such worrisome passengers as a tipsy senator, Dr. Timothy Leary, and an escaped mental patient. Through it all, Brown’s common sense and sly humor prevail, making this book a fi ne and fun read.
About the Author
ELDON BROWN’S marketing career in the airline industry provided over thirty years of adventures in America, Japan, and the West Indies. A New Jersey native, he holds degrees from The Citadel and Florida International University. In his retirement Brown enjoys nurturing orchids, travels with wife Yvette, and playing at golf.