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A Boys Trip to New Orleans is Interrupted by a Bird Strike

Dick Karl and a group of old friends were very excited to fly his Premier jet to New Orleans. Dick Karl
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The article introduces "The Men of No Particular Ambition" (MONPA), a decades-old group of successful but personally "messy" men, including pilots, a surgeon, and a lawyer.
  • Six members of MONPA embarked on an anticipated private jet trip from Tampa to New Orleans for Jazz Fest, with assigned roles among the professional members.
  • Shortly after takeoff, their flight was abruptly interrupted by a severe bird strike on the right wing, later identified as a large pelican, which caused visible damage to the aircraft.
  • Despite the plane remaining airworthy, the pilot decided to return to Tampa for safety and convenience, where the group landed safely and celebrated their relief with Champagne.
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Not just anybody can join this group. We’ve been meeting for close to 30 years, and we guard admission with diligence. To become a member, you must be a man who looks good on paper, but be a bit of a mess in real life. Turns out, there are a lot of us. In the early 1990s, this group usually met at my house because I had three kids, no wife and possessed pots and pans. I served the same meal each time. Though some in our group had impressive Ivy League pedigrees, their state of affairs in those days could be characterized as “unsettled.”

Dick Karl

Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. Dick’s monthly Gear Up celebrates the human side of flying. He writes about his enthusiasm for both the machines and the people who fly and maintain them.

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