I'm pretty sure this is the greatest video on all of UA-cam. I don't think I've ever felt more suspense, even though I already knew the outcome. What a situation.
She is one hell of a woman... To maintain her composure while her husband is lifeless beside her and get that aircraft on the ground in one piece is astounding... God bless her soul.. 🙏💛💛
This dude not only flew a plane while explaining to an inexperienced pilot how to fly the plane and kept his composer. All respect to that dude. And rip to her husband
@@kelrogers8480Vivaldi. And, I'm pretty sure that they maintained composure as well. I wish I had a dollar for every post I made that was ruined by technology trying to finish my sentences with hand grenade accuracy. 😅
This is so amazing! Most of you would be surprised to learn that this pilot, Rob Vuksanovic, died in 2018 at the age of 59. He had been fighting cancer for the previous three years. How long will we remember his heroic efforts to help this old woman out of a devastating crisis? May it live long.
@@FSMaNiA1 year later lol. can you explain this in almost children’s terms? I understand the very obvious reason; crashing. but would it have really been that easy for this non-pilot to accidentally sabotage the flight of the pilot?
@@rachelthomas5993 Why on Earth would the pilot's wife sabotage a flight where she would have a very high chance of dying in the process? If there had been any nefarious intent I'm pretty sure the post crash investigation would have discovered sabotage. Cheers, Tim
This video is Utube Gold. Helen just watched her husband die, but she managed to keep her cool and land the plane perfectly. If any of her adult children see this, please know that you have an amazing mother. She brought her husband's body home for burial and herself to soothe her children's pain. If I am just half the woman Helen was that day, I will feel privledged.
This lady is amazing so calm and the pilot who is guiding her in is also so calm really so amazing good for you Helen from A Oosthuizen I'm south africa
@@Taerin74 I'm 51 and this shit would have probably scared me into a heart attack long before I landed the plane. Of course I didn't have a husband I flew planes with and I have a fear of flying as it is.
This is so incredible: SHE REMAINED SO COMPOSED UNDER THE MOST DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. Congratulations to all involved who helped her get to the ground safely. She is an incredible woman.
@@N2FLYIN He mentioned her frailness, which was true, to emphasise the amazing strength and fortitude of his mother. Her frailness was a physical reality.
Wow, this made me cry. Her husband had just died and she still had the focus and strength to land. The minute that plane stopped I'm sure the flood of emotion must have overwhelmed her. That is one IRON LADY right there.
tbh though, her husband should not have been flying solo at his age. At that age people should consider not operating CARS let alone planes. Still, incredible work by Helen, she's an inspiration.
Your mom is a testament to the greatest generation. What a trooper. With her husband beside her dying, she was able to fly that plane and land it with empty gas tanks. AMAZING WOMAN!!!!!! I'm so sorry for the passing of your dad at that time. But you got three more years with your mom. I know their both in heaven watching over their family like they always did. God bless your brave and wonderful parents and your whole family. I know you'll remember them with fond memories. Your mom left you with one helluva good story to keep their memories alive. May God bless you all.
I love this amazing true life to this woman of her age she did a remarkable journey and calmed to herself how to calm her self and pay attention to the other pilot to guide her
this guy just helped an 80 year old lady, who hadn't flown a plane in 30 years, and whose husband suffered a life-threatening episode safely land a plane, from inside another plane. that's legendary pilot status
@@michaelwalsh9145 ....PLEASE acknowledge what a MIRACLE it is when an 80 year old, frail woman, who doesn't even know how to use a computer, and just had some minor flight lessons 30 years ago, lands a plane on an airstrip 🙏💝
@@Vikingshop Walsh is trolling. anybody with half a brain cell can tell that this was an almost impossible feat. it'd be fan-fiction if it wasn't recorded
"Don't you have faith in me?"... Amazing work grandma. For people not familiar with twin engine airplanes, loosing one engine on landing phase is almost 50/50 survival, yet she successfully did it If ever I needed help while flying my airplane, I would be hoping to have such a great instructor pilot flying next to me., Good job sir, you saved a life.
What a fabulous story, and it brought tears to my eyes also. What wonderful composure Helen maintained knowing the plight of her husband. I think if that were me I would exit the plane and scream my lungs out. To the family of Helen and John, you had two great people to remember the rest of your lives.
Incredible moments..! , I'm a senior pilot with over 30 years flying experience , I know exactly what's happening and it's almost like a miracle that she can land the aircraft all by her self with only getting instructions by the other pilot flying right behind her . well done Helen ..!
The pilot who talked her down was absolutely fantastic. Clear and calm. No panicky commands and constant reassurance she was doing good. Thank god he was there with a plane ready to go.
Wow, what a nail biter. Phenomenal 80yr old, wonderful partner for her husband and brave to take a few pilot lessons; I imagine for this just -in-case situation. The pilot who brought her to safety was so patient, and his repeating everything w/o getting frustrated, or raising his voice too much was what kept her focused, and hopeful. U could tell she was loosing it somewhat, just wanted it to end. If that pilot hadn't been right there in the sky w/her, chances are it would have ended terribly. (She never recognized her son's voice, did she?) Wonderful video, great graphics. Worth the time watching and satisfactory ending, in spite of her injuries. Dad's home, mom's home and alive to see her family again. The pilot and woman pilot on the ground both deserve medals.🤯👍🤗
Actually, the pilot in the chase plane was horrible. He failed to simplify everything to her limited ability. You need to be more specific when giving direction. "Power back... power back... power back... power back... power back..." doesn't give her any goal to shoot for. Also, he took way too long to get airborne, resulting in her being faced with the dangerous scenario of engine failures on a twin. It doesn't take a proficient pilot 15 minutes to get airborne.
Right. I was so touched by her amazing strength even though she might have known her husband passed it moved me deeply, what a brave wonderful mother. God bless her family. 🙏
I'm a Flight Attendant of 30 years this is an amazing video , how brave and calm your Beautiful Mom was during such a stressful crucial emergency situation ❤️ I felt like I was there onboard with her . Thank You for posting this I flew on propeller aircraft and major jumbo jets.
I am weeping. I am so moved and impressed by this woman's ability to keep her wits and not fall apart. Anyone alone would be in great distress but, having a loved husband dying beside her and her having to choose to fly to save both of them rather then consoling him is more then I can imagine. I'm glad she had the extra time to be with her family as I'm sure they appreciated her and made her feel loved and honored. I'm amazed I found this today. I'm sleeping in my rental car I'm ill, poor and scared. Now after watching this I feel more hopeful and inspired. Blessed today thank you.
Seu comentário me sensibilizou muito. Assisti o vídeo com a emoção presa ao coração, ao ler seu comentário, não contive as lagrimas. Daqui de muito longe, do outro lado do mundo, eu te envio minhas melhores vibrações e orações. Deus te abençoe!
I found it a few minutes ago listening to the .Legend Paul McCartney .I don't how this video came about .🙏I think google . Detected that I was sad and pull up my spirits, this video came to be am saving this one.To show others that we must keep our cool.Things will work out my. God this lady just inspired me big time may you rest in peace .Helen and John 🙏.
Love that "Dont you have faith in me?" 😅 That alone shows she had 100% faith in herself! What an amazing, courageous woman! May Helen & John rest in paradise❤
Helen showed such coolness and character under an unimaginably stressful situation. And the folks that helped her down are angels. I know they didn’t mean to add to her confusion, but helping someone (who has no real, practical experience) to land a twin engine aircraft is not something they train for, and I can’t imagine the stress they were also under. Had I been at the airport that day I would have wanted nothing more than to meet Helen and her angels, and give each of them a big hug. This is truly an inspirational story. ❤️
so truely she hs no experience but she knows how to hold how to fly.im jst watching the vedio and she s so amazing.my husband is a certified aircraft mechanic connected in a good company n me too as an avionics tech.thts why i why her.so amazing.and the persons who guide her frm the control tower so nice and all are wll done.
I've read about this incident and listened to the ATC before and still, every time I go back to it, I'm still blown away by the airwomanship displayed by Helen in this moment. She landed a plane, something she'd not done since she was young woman and a plane far more advanced and difficult to fly than anything she'd flown before, at the age of 80, knowing her dead husband was strapped into the seat next to her. It's an incredible piece of flying and bravery. I believe Helen has since passed away, several years later, but she gave her children and grandchildren several more years of her being part of their lives with what she did.
Heartwrenching yet so heartwarming lay scary.. I'm sitting on the edge can hardly breathe but so very p'leased this Mama landed safely. God Bless her Dear and very brave heart .. Love her, she's a hero
The unsung hero in all of this is the pilot in the other plane that talked Helen down! This event, with the live audio needs to be a "must see" for ANYONE GETTING A PILOTS LICENSE! AND YES, I cried through most of this. Incredible story, Incredible journey. Thank you Collins family! Thank you Sturgeon Airport heros!
Yes. Both Helen and the pilot who guided her down onto the runway were awesome. I would love to meet him someday and thank him for the incredible job he did.
@@FSMaNiA Video like these help you to believe in yourself. And there is nothing you can’t do if you put your mind and heart to it. Helen left FOOT PRINTS for all of us. 🙏
As a private pilot of a PA44, I have to admit that I was close to tears, assuming the pilot/son were talking to someone about to be killed within the next 15 minutes. Now when I am on my motor yacht, I always let my wife do the steering so she is not completely lost when something like this should happen to me.
So smart! I want to call my friend in her 50’s whose husband is a pilot and ask her if she can fly. I don’t think she can. I think that’s absolutely necessary after seeing this.
I thought I wasn’t going to survive watching this video to the end. I was having trouble remembering to breathe. This was a masterful presentation of an amazing situation. It’s amazing the lady was able to bring the airplane to a safe, survivable landing under the circumstances. Congratulations to those who helped in the process. Thanks also for making it possible for me to experience it though I barely survived it.
This is inspirational for those who fly and those who don't. One important lesson is that if you are a spouse of a pilot, you need to know enough about the aircraft to land. Helen had received at least some minimal flight instruction. As a bare minimum, frequent passengers such as Helen need to become very familiar with instrument locations and names. Well done, dear lady.
"Don't you have any faith in me?" is the moment I fell in love with Helen. What a strong, beautiful, composed woman. She found herself in a moment none of us want to ever be in and powered through like a boss. Added to the stress of knowing that her husband was dying or already gone and not being able to attend to him. I'm so proud of her.
Yes , and she stayed strong. That was my favorite part besides she lived . They seem like they were very good people and they carried the tradition of Angel 😇 flights.
@@cathylewanski7881 You can't always feel a pulse by hand because it is so light some times. There's a possibility that she might of thought he was just unconscious.
Omg I cried all through that ordeal. Well done Helen. I trained as a nurse in a General Repatriation Hospital for Veterans and Defence patients in Sydney, Australia and I heard some amazing stories. Especially those of our senior citizens and I believe we sell them short a lit of the time. They can do amazing things. My mum is in her 70s and she still runs around after me and is my fierce protector. Helen was on a mission to bring her companion home. So beautiful a story.
This woman was truly amazing! I thought I would get bored watching it, but I certainly didn't!! I think her husband guided her hands to land the plane. God rest both of their souls.
I used to go flying with my pilot husband and felt very safe with him and never learnt anything about taking over the seat so I’m incredibly impressed with this lady even with some knowledge of flying and the nerve wracking circumstances. Her husband would have been proud of her.
Incredible woman. Amazing calmness in this very frightening situation. This has convinced me to get my wife some basic training in my plane. Just in case. I've already taught her navigation, but being able to land keeps you alive.
It's so amazing what this woman did. Losing her husband in the air while flying and now she needs to land a plane that she has not ever flown before. Her amazing calmness throughout this video is astonishing especially the conditions that faced her. On top of it all she also ran out of fuel on her one and only chance of landing this aircraft. This footage should let every viewer know what can be accomplished in life when life itself takes you on a rough journey as this. I watched many video's like this, but this one alone had more odds stacked against her than any footage I've ever witnessed and she lived to tell us. This did change the way I think now. Mom's know how to get it done and handle stress. God bless her and her husband.
Have you seen the one about a British gentleman who had never flown any plane and his friend, the pilot died. He not only lands safely but does it at night barely able to see the runway! He maintains a calm attitude with a great sense of humor. It's amazing to listen to!
She was an amazing strong woman, who didn’t sound anywhere near 80. What a sharp gal. How sad she lost her hubby. Thank God for the pilots who helped guide her.
What a courageous, wonderful Lady. Thanks God she was able to follow instructions inspite of all the stress she was going through, and the plane had enough fuel. Great, Lovely and unbelievable. Patient instructor, a wonderful guide and communicator.
Helen's ability to stay calm, focused, listen to instructions and execute them saved her life. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been, with an unconscious loved one right by her in the cockpit, to have to hold back her emotions and fly the plane all by herself. Immensely proud of her and very pleased that she successfully landed at the airport. A fantastic traffic control team at Sturgeon Airport as well. You guys were so kind and considerate. You helped Helen stay calm and gave her clear instructions. The decision for having a guiding pilot fly around Helen was a brilliant idea, as it gave her the assurance and confidence needed in order to make it to the airport. The guiding pilot was absolutely amazing, he must have had all the permutations flying through his head in such a precarious situation, but was able to guide Helen out of danger with outstanding competence, not to mention having to watch every manoeuvre and risk-assess every single second for the safety of Helen, himself, and those standby on the ground etc.. You guys are simply a WOW team, mission accomplished beautifully, saving Helen's life. Thank you for being kind human beings 👏🥇🙏
All that good, but no-one declared Mayday! Take control of the communications frequencies by saying mayday, clear the channel. The pilot was almost lured away, and with all of the training and experience that they had, they didn't dial 911!
I know and she's like "you're closing the road, don't you have faith in me"? I'd be like.. roads... close all the roads... if there's a road anywhere... in the world... you should close it... close it now, close them all now.
Bless her heart. When she said Hurry up! I kept thinking how that was the longest "5 minutes" getting that other plane off the ground as she was worried about running out of gas. So glad it all ended well. Helen was a real trooper.
@@abdiadan4837 She may have thought he just passed out and not that he was dead. During her flight time she mentally may be thinking he could be helped.
She was truly a woman of great faith, courage, determination, and so focused despite the terrible life threatening situation she found herself in. She knew that her husband was not going to bring this plane down and it all depended on her and the flight controllers and pilot who finally took to the air to guide her down. I was rivetted to Ms. Helen's descent and so stressed as if, I was on board with her. Sympathies to her children and their families. I hope they are as proud of her as all of us who have viewed this video. We must never give up on our struggles in life. God bless Helen & John Collins and I feel that they are resting in peace in paradise.
Helen was absolutely a heroine that day. As a fellow pilot, I admire her ability to take command and fly an aircraft to the ground, with help from her wingman in the air and on the ground. Thank God she was familiar with the aircraft's panel. I commend the pilots who were her wingmen, they did an awesome job!
This shows how much their loved❤ each other.They had the same interest thank god. This story needs to be seen by the world wow. Am just amaze this will a conversation piece .
Courage is the ability to overcome one' s fear.With an amazing presence of mind and keen ability to follow instruction this lady overcame the unimaginable.
I pretty much sh@t my pants watching this video, but I gotta say, Helen is amazing. The way she kept her composure and concentration throughout that ordeal with her beloved husband deceased in the seat next to her. The two pilots who talked her down, one in a second plane next to her and one on the ground, are heroes too. It must’ve been agony for their adult son to be on the ground, unable to help, but just praying. Next time I’m in a serious jam, I’m going to try to channel my “inner Helen.”
Riveting!!! The pilot who brought her in was amazing...I was so impressed with the way he never responded to her obvious anxiety and panic about her fuel running out...He just kept her focused on what she had to do.. Helen of course was super amazing under the circumstances..Congratulations to all others who were caught up in this unexpected rescue mission...There was fluid running from my eyes and nostrils the whole time...WOW!!!
RIP to this lovely couple. No idea how this lady kept that plane in the air with those huge balls of steel. Through the trauma of losing a loved one and possible asymmetrical center of mass, she did it.
I was so tense I started to get a neck ache. Helen was so calm and clear headed and her intelligence shone thru the entire time. What a truly amazing woman. When I get super stressed I simply find it hard to think and there she was in such a demanding life or death situation, taking instruction, reading the instrument panel ,keeping air speed, worried about fuel, etc and she did a fantastic job!! I will always remember this inspiring woman! Once she is as on the ground, then she had to face that her beloved husband passed away. God bless Helen and her husband's souls🙏🙏 The people that helped Helen fly and land were wonderful!! They came to her rescue!!
What a gutsy woman! Her partner of years dead beside her, cant walk up the stairs even yet keeps the plane flying and lands outta gas. Wow! That generation is just made of stronger stuff! The pilot guiding her in deserves a medal too!
I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for that poor woman, she did an exemplary job. The pilot in the other plane probably aged 20 years , what a great job he did.👍👍
This woman was tough, calm and collected while her dead husband, to whom she had been married for nearly six decades, lay beside her. She received good support and guidance. RIP Helen and John.
Oh that lady at the cockpit is marvelous. She is soo calm in the face of adversities.This is exactly what education does to a person . Couples must encourage each other to learn as her husband did
Amazing!!!, at 80, this has renewed my strength instantly, I am 61 and I feel I am an old school refusing minor tasks on phone. Well done to the team that talked her through, God bless mama Helen if alive, if asleep, she must be resting in peace. Bravo.
You're absolutely never too old to learn! I hope you never let anyone patronise you, nor refuse well-intentioned help if it's offered. I'm only 40 but I feel more and more "old school" each year, and I do worry that I'll get set in my ways and not want to learn. Helen has shown us that it's never too late to learn, even if it's under such extreme duress.
Having time in the 414 myself it is a beautiful plane to fly but a little on the tough side to land even when you know what your doing! I remember my very 1st landing and was white knuckled an sweating bullets. I can just imagine what she was dealing with. All the chores of landing the airplane, the communications from everyone, and her husband out next to her. The people that helped her deserve a medal as well as a round of thanks. My condolences to the family for their lose. But the memories will fly on forever.
Every muscle in my body was tense watching this. I felt like I was in the plane with Helen. What a woman. Not many twenty five year olds could have landed that plane, but eighty year old Helen landed it without a shred of panic in her voice. What a great lady ❤❤❤
This just proves that not all elderly people have lost the ability to learn and apply new skills what an amazing woman and I wish her the best of the rest of her years if she's still living her family must be very proud of her
I started crying after I watched the first half of this video; I was very tensed and at the edge of my seat because it felt as if I was in that cockpit! I was so relieved when the plane was safely landed. Under those circumstances I would've freaked out! Imagine, 80 years old, your loving husband just died on board, you're very grief-stricken, low on gas, up in the air and frightened; she was a BOSS and a HERO! My heartfelt condolences to the loving family; you all loss both parents but they're now together and resting very peacefully 💐❤🙏 Wonderful job EVERYONE! God bless YOU ALL who've safely brought down that plane 🙏 ❤ 🥰
I çould not stop looking.A a brave lady a brave lady I'm very happy very briefly be very happy. All went well. I could not put my phone down I watch I watched the entire video congratulations rest in peace my dear
I can't believe how she is staying such a calm way even things get worst at that situation. When running out of fuel, she showed nothing. It was magnificent❤️. She deserves an award the most stress handled women ever in an airplane🙂
Rowan Sri, I concur! I was so touched by this video! I was thinking about taking Aviation lesions, and I’m obsessed with training videos, and pilot errors good, and bad youtube videos. Maybe why I didn’t start lesions yet lol I could never afford my own plane, but I have friends that use to take me in their aircrafts. I live by a local airport. I’m from Pa, and I’ve been in the same plane she was in. I thought to myself, idk if I would know what to do. This video mad me realize I should be aware of important controls before leaving, I will ask more questions. I never thought about a crisis. This video made me cry, i was shock, sad, then relieved. I hope I’m like her if I see 82. I think this was undeniably God plan! He kept her strong in a difficult time. She probably know in her heart, He can’t be helped. However, she was going safely bring the love of her life home to Rest In Peace so the kids could see him, and pay their respects. The admiration I have for her is unmeasurable. It was incredible to watch her! The strength she found deep inside herself to stay calm, get a grip, and focus on getting to land for help. That took such courage, she is someone to be admired. Personally, I think Love played a major roll in all this. The love lost, the love for her son waiting on land, and the love for her other kids and grandchildren. She wasn’t going to let anything else happen that would effect loved ones lives. Momma bear mode took over! It’s beautiful, heart warming, and I could only hope that I’ll find a love like that one day. Love conquers…
Everyone thanks for your lovely and great loving comments Helen deserve an Honorable Medal 🎖🛫🛩 May 21 2022 my first truth story Thanks 🙏 UA-cam Bravo 👏 love ❤️ and Memorable moments for Mrs Helen and to her large family from Sherbrooke Québec Canada 🇨🇦 Bonjour 👋 May God Bless all involved for Helen professional and calm action. A second solo Pilot like Amelia Hearart
This was the most amazing thing I have ever watched. I was so nervous watching and listening. I was so proud of Helen. May she be remembered for her bravery and calmness while taking instructions from the pilot.
That is a great telling of this story. It was so suspenseful I was totally drawn in. I am a sailor and docking my sailboat is pretty stressful. It's hard to comprehend what Helen must haver been going through.
I didn’t think this would choke me up but at the end it did. I wish this family the best. I’m sure all her children, grand children, etc are extremely proud.
I thought I was the only one choked up. I have no experience piloting a plane so putting myself in her seat I never could've stopped crying/freaking out to perform all those procedures for landing. & then one engine runs out of gas! She stayed so calm. Wow! Very emotional, edge of seat story.
Wow, what an incredible woman! Her focus at a time of unimaginable shock and trauma is utterly astonishing. Respect to her, her late husband would have been so proud. Her family too. Glad she got to enjoy another three years of life with her loved ones, thanks to getting that plane - and herself - down on the ground in one piece. The professionals who helped her survive were magnificent, and obviously deserve a huge shout out! I have to say, it baffles me that wealthy folk want to fly themselves in these tiny planes. This tragedy - that was so nearly a double tragedy - shows exactly what can happen if there's only one qualified pilot on board. When the sole pilot is elderly, this kind of event (ie his collapse through a heart attack or stroke), is a distinct possibility. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it's pretty clear he should not have risked piloting the plane alone when he was not feeling well - or even when feeling well, due to his advanced age. He was very elderly, and shouldn't have risked his wife's, let alone his own life. I doubt most people unqualified as she was, could have survived the ordeal - her courage under fire was nothing less than extraordinary and hugely admirable. What a bittersweet memorial of their courageous Mom and Grandma this recording is for her children and grandchildren. Her bravery and level-headed conduct throughout are amazing - particularly as she knew her husband was beside her, probably deceased. I will remember this video for a long time - thanks for a superb and inspiring upload.
Same thought about someone flying at that advanced age. If he had been flying alone this outcome would've been very different. Could've killed a lot of people.
Imagine how scary that was for her. On top of her upsetment over losing her husband in a fashion that she couldn't even try to help him. I'm so glad she was able to get back on the ground safely
I used to fly 25 years ago, single engine. I am very proud of her. The training she had was nothing compared to this. God bless her and her family, she was a HERO
Angels!!! The woman was amazingly beautiful and strong!! May her and her husband rest in peace. RIP 🙏May God bless the folks who helped! Lord knows all and it is an epic experience. The recordings capured here and shared will live on forever. Jim, keep this audio of your mother and pass it on to your children. It is invaluable, both as a testament of the woman she was and to the the importance of recognizing and appreciating other aviators and their devotion to others. ❤ When we fall in love with this exciting environment called aviation we become more than ourselves and it also becomes more than a passion, we discover a love for more than ourself, we become family! When i watched this the world around me fell away, i was fixated on willing her to the ground. Edge of my seat consintration as if i was in the right seat of the chase plain, praying... The man talking her through this... Who??? Is this man??? He should get more than the world
The pilots control of voice, intonation, inflection and the continuous affirmation and directions that the pilot and ground control gives Helen is absolutely wonderful. While you can hear the concern and worry in her voice, along with the joke, “don’t you have any faith in me?” she remains determined and poised. What a remarkable woman and pilot that helped her land safely.
Helen is a true hero. I made my daughters watch this video to remind them that even in times of immense stress fear that they can accomplish anything. I absolutely cannot imagine knowing that you need to land this plane in order to save your life she’s so incredibly calm it’s just unreal. She is amazing. An angel. A gift from God. Like another commenter said I believe she’s passed away, but I wish she was here to read the comments about how many people think she just is awesome. But not only did she land a plane in order to save her life but she did it knowing that her husband who she loved dearly and had been with for most of her life had most likely passed away next to her. I’ve been married for 18 years and with my husband for 20. I can’t imagine some thing happening to him and I certainly can’t imagine being calm and here she is putting that on the back burner knowing that right now there’s nothing she can do for him or her except for get on the ground and take each thing one step at a time and she did just that. She’s definitely amazing. And to the air traffic controllers who helped her down, I am a nurse a NICU nurse so I’m certainly familiar with high stress situations and I know your job is very stressful and I know you spend a lot of time training for so many things but this is not something that you train for and yet you didn’t amazing job staying calm providing praise and encouragement to help Helen stay calm. You were also amazing and true heroes. God put all the right people in play that day and each person did their job amazingly above and beyond with professionalism kindness encouragement definitely an amazing story thank you so much for sharing.
@@FSMaNiAI have never flown an airplane and know nothing about flying and even I can tell this recreation was very impressive. The animation of what the plane is doing aligns exactly with what the pilot is saying, while he is giving her directions AND aligns with her actions prior to him correcting her. You can see it move a certain way, such as starting to turn to the left and he says "No, don't go left" and it straightens out again. Excellent recreation.
Wow. Amazing. Unbelievably impressed with how she stepped up to the plate and landed the plane. Don't ever underestimate the ability and determination of an 80 year old.
The GOAT. Doug White's landing is iconic, yet Helen Collins landing takes the prize for the most amazing feat of airmanship since the dawn of aviation. Incredible.
@@kelrogers8480 It was the most amazing "single" feat of airmanship, as in one person. Better? The Battle of Britain was fought by 2945 pilots, some highly trained, some complete rookies, yet they still all had training. This 80 year old woman had zero training, and a dead husband right next to her. The minerals on display from her is outrageous.
What an amazing story. God and her husband was with Helen this whole time as well with the whole entire flight crew team that assisted Helen with landing aircraft!🙏
This 80 year old is so calm , it's amazing! These people of this age group have a different perspective on life than any other age group I've seen.! I would have freaked out long ago.😮
Holy Smokes !! I was glued to the screen watching Helen’s unforgettable flight journey to land. How encouraging Tower and rescue plane were …it’s so impressive ! Thank the Lord Helen had more than most courage and knowledge…Great job Helen !!!! My sincere condolences for the loss of her husband that now she has joined three years later at the age of 83. How proud their children must be of them both. I must say when Helen overheard the rescue pilot tell ground to “ clear the highway “ and Helen radio’s him saying “ don’t you have Faith in me ? “ the quickness and the sureness of the female listening in the Tower telling Helen “ your doing great, was inspirational at how hopefulness is always the most powerful of the spoken word and it made me cry knowing her tanks were almost empty, her husband in dire straights, the “ no time to spare “ for negative emotions, the goings out and the comings in of it. It’s amazing what can be learned from the shared journeys of others, I learned “ one never knows how strong they are once put to the test, and as for hope well thankfully that is something that no one, anywhere, can take it’s measure. ❤
I'm pretty sure this is the greatest video on all of UA-cam. I don't think I've ever felt more suspense, even though I already knew the outcome. What a situation.
Wow! Thank you very kindly for that. True stories are the best! Cheers, Tim
That was fantastic ! ! Helen was GREAT and she had an amazing support team. Her husband would have been so proud.
@@FSMaNiA 1qqqq he
The man was too. Devours. Used too much language
Agreed I loved this story
Helen passed away in 2015, three years after her husband's death and landing the plane. Rest in peace to the both of them.
Thanks for the information. ❤ Pure braveness.
RIP, Helen..
may her soul rest in peace .. she's reunited with her husband in heaven... her voice reminds me of my grandma
She probably can still live longer if she didn't get the injuries when the plane landed.
😅@@demonslayer4951no no ii no no no no
A woman with a clear head and nerves of steel. I lift my hat to her and all who supported her to landing.
Yes. And a woman fitting that description is probably one of only a handful in existence, lol!
@Steve Gooden Beautiful poem. ♡♡
They don't make them like this any more .
At 80 years of age most people have have cognitive issues (BIDEN)much less trying to Land a twin engine airplane. Helen was an amazing woman.
Amen!
She is one hell of a woman... To maintain her composure while her husband is lifeless beside her and get that aircraft on the ground in one piece is astounding... God bless her soul.. 🙏💛💛
I mean tbf life and death situations tend to do this.
Love flying .. Love the message. Watched the video footage entire video. I was in tears....
I would had a heart attack
She is one blessed angel!! Composure amazing, one gutsy Lady!
And to run out of feul in the right engine! 😢
This dude not only flew a plane while explaining to an inexperienced pilot how to fly the plane and kept his composer. All respect to that dude. And rip to her husband
Not to mention the awesome airmanship demonstrated by the pilot on distress! She was brilliant!
@@themichaelbrigdenI could hardly breathe watching this. Humans are amazing.
So impressed by this action. Bless you both.
Composer? 😅
@@kelrogers8480Vivaldi. And, I'm pretty sure that they maintained composure as well. I wish I had a dollar for every post I made that was ruined by technology trying to finish my sentences with hand grenade accuracy. 😅
This is so amazing!
Most of you would be surprised to learn that this pilot, Rob Vuksanovic, died in 2018 at the age of 59. He had been fighting cancer for the previous three years.
How long will we remember his heroic efforts to help this old woman out of a devastating crisis? May it live long.
@Josh I did not know that. Thank you for sharing. He was a brave soul to fly formation with a passenger pilot. Rest in peace.
Was wondering about him…thanks
Thank you ,may he be rewarded for his bravery.❤
@@FSMaNiA1 year later lol. can you explain this in almost children’s terms? I understand the very obvious reason; crashing. but would it have really been that easy for this non-pilot to accidentally sabotage the flight of the pilot?
@@rachelthomas5993 Why on Earth would the pilot's wife sabotage a flight where she would have a very high chance of dying in the process? If there had been any nefarious intent I'm pretty sure the post crash investigation would have discovered sabotage. Cheers, Tim
This video is Utube Gold. Helen just watched her husband die, but she managed to keep her cool and land the plane perfectly. If any of her adult children see this, please know that you have an amazing mother. She brought her husband's body home for burial and herself to soothe her children's pain. If I am just half the woman Helen was that day, I will feel privledged.
I so agree with this
This lady is amazing so calm and the pilot who is guiding her in is also so calm really so amazing good for you Helen from A Oosthuizen I'm south africa
WOW!!!!!
Indeed. This is a picture of the human spirit under great duress. Amazing
She probably have in her mind that her husband could get help too. I don’t think she realized he was dead.
This poor woman! She has a crisis within a crisis and is extremely steady given the horrifying circumstances. RIP John.
RIP Helen.
I’m
When you have lived that long nothing really shakes you. I'm currently there myself at 36 but that's because I do extreme sports.
Well said ....many couldn't handle it.
@@Taerin74 I'm 51 and this shit would have probably scared me into a heart attack long before I landed the plane. Of course I didn't have a husband I flew planes with and I have a fear of flying as it is.
This is so incredible: SHE REMAINED SO COMPOSED UNDER THE MOST DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. Congratulations to all involved who helped her get to the ground safely. She is an incredible woman.
Her son should never have called her frail,
He mentioned her frailness, which was true, to emphasise the amazing strength and fortitude of his mother. Her frailness was a physical reality.
@@N2FLYIN He mentioned her frailness, which was true, to emphasise the amazing strength and fortitude of his mother. Her frailness was a physical reality.
After that landing, that airplane is what was frail. She was riding 300 horses while its engines quit and its nose gear collapsed.
HA HA
The pilot who talked her down is a hero!!!
So is Helen!
Yes he is.
Amen 🙏
Absolutely!
Wow, this made me cry. Her husband had just died and she still had the focus and strength to land. The minute that plane stopped I'm sure the flood of emotion must have overwhelmed her. That is one IRON LADY right there.
Yes nerves of steel!
God Bless her and her husband may he rest in peace he was helping her down safely as well
I also cried...I was overtaken. Wow. That situation, the way that little old lady sounded. Incredible. What an inspiration.
Women of courage
She is indeed an Iron lady.i wish i could meet and give her a big hug
For being 80 yrs old, and having to fly this plane solo after her pilot husband just died. She did an amazing job flying and landing the plane.
tbh though, her husband should not have been flying solo at his age. At that age people should consider not operating CARS let alone planes. Still, incredible work by Helen, she's an inspiration.
Your mom is a testament to the greatest generation. What a trooper. With her husband beside her dying, she was able to fly that plane and land it with empty gas tanks. AMAZING WOMAN!!!!!! I'm so sorry for the passing of your dad at that time. But you got three more years with your mom. I know their both in heaven watching over their family like they always did. God bless your brave and wonderful parents and your whole family. I know you'll remember them with fond memories. Your mom left you with one helluva good story to keep their memories alive. May God bless you all.
I love this amazing true life to this woman of her age she did a remarkable journey and calmed to herself how to calm her self and pay attention to the other pilot to guide her
I didn't think I was going to cry and then she landed it!! Tears just flowing!
@@tracystout-powers5245😊😊 16:54 16:55
this guy just helped an 80 year old lady, who hadn't flown a plane in 30 years, and whose husband suffered a life-threatening episode safely land a plane, from inside another plane. that's legendary pilot status
But she crash landed
@@michaelwalsh9145 ....PLEASE acknowledge what a MIRACLE it is when an 80 year old, frail woman, who doesn't even know how to use a computer, and just had some minor flight lessons 30 years ago, lands a plane on an airstrip 🙏💝
@@Vikingshop Walsh is trolling. anybody with half a brain cell can tell that this was an almost impossible feat. it'd be fan-fiction if it wasn't recorded
@@michaelwalsh9145 so what
@@michaelwalsh9145 she crash landed softly enough to walk away…that’s fuking AMAZING.
"Don't you have faith in me?"... Amazing work grandma.
For people not familiar with twin engine airplanes, loosing one engine on landing phase is almost 50/50 survival, yet she successfully did it
If ever I needed help while flying my airplane, I would be hoping to have such a great instructor pilot flying next to me., Good job sir, you saved a life.
I know ...she was even cracking funny jokes during it all (Dont you have faith in me?)....UNBELIEVABLE! ha
What a fabulous story, and it brought tears to my eyes also. What wonderful composure Helen maintained knowing the plight of her husband. I think if that were me I would exit the plane and scream my lungs out. To the family of Helen and John, you had two great people to remember the rest of your lives.
Calling him ‘Sir’ and calling her, ‘Grandma’, revealed so much about you, and not much about them!
❤
So proud of you both think I fell in love with instructer and his calm voice 👏👏😅❤❤
Its amazing the quality of assistance she received. Kudos to the controller and other pilots who did an amazing job.
Xxc
She did a great job, don’t know i would be so calm and patient
They saved her life. They were incredible!
Really? They ran her out of gas on one engine.
That pilot was so amazing I'm so proud of grandma ❤️ absolutely beautiful
Incredible moments..! , I'm a senior pilot with over 30 years flying experience , I know exactly what's happening and it's almost like a miracle that she can land the aircraft all by her self with only getting instructions by the other pilot flying right behind her . well done Helen ..!
Absolutely....this is incredible and highly commendable. And the flight team and pilot too.
I find this absolutely breathtaking. Helen is such an awesomely courageous and strong woman.
She had taken classes in Phone solo before, so luckily she had some experience.
I sure got on edge 😢but she sure was a surviver so calm.now they are together RIp.❤
wow!
That rescue pilot was amazing. If I ever learn to fly, he would be my choice. If you read this sir, you are a hero sir.
Yes he is. She is so brave.
She is so calm.
She seems to be in a large plane?
He ran her out of gas and she crash landed. Not that great in my book
He did not run her out of gas, he had to get her in the best, the safest position to be able to land.
What an amazing teacher and a very brave lady.
Guy pilot: “Close the road.”
Helen: “Don’t you have any faith in me?” LOL! Love this woman.
I got a kick out of that too. Reminds me of the sense of humor of my dear Grandma. God Bless Her.
The pilot who talked her down was absolutely fantastic. Clear and calm. No panicky commands and constant reassurance she was doing good. Thank god he was there with a plane ready to go.
Wow, what a nail biter. Phenomenal 80yr old, wonderful partner for her husband and brave to take a few pilot lessons; I imagine for this just -in-case situation. The pilot who brought her to safety was so patient, and his repeating everything w/o getting frustrated, or raising his voice too much was what kept her focused, and hopeful. U could tell she was loosing it somewhat, just wanted it to end. If that pilot hadn't been right there in the sky w/her, chances are it would have ended terribly. (She never recognized her son's voice, did she?) Wonderful video, great graphics. Worth the time watching and satisfactory ending, in spite of her injuries. Dad's home, mom's home and alive to see her family again. The pilot and woman pilot on the ground both deserve medals.🤯👍🤗
Thank God 🙏🏽
@@brucetowner5775 But you know he browned his trousers.
Shit! This woman's gonna die and possibly take others out with her.
Actually, the pilot in the chase plane was horrible. He failed to simplify everything to her limited ability. You need to be more specific when giving direction. "Power back... power back... power back... power back... power back..." doesn't give her any goal to shoot for. Also, he took way too long to get airborne, resulting in her being faced with the dangerous scenario of engine failures on a twin. It doesn't take a proficient pilot 15 minutes to get airborne.
@@OneTequilaTwoTequila you cannot be serious.
Her courage and control of nerves till the last moment in the wake of death of her husband was marvelous. Made me cry.
Blessings
To the family... your mom is just AMAZING!!! Even now. I lift my hat to her. You can be SO VERY PROUD if her!!!
Very kind words! Thanks for sharing.
What a blessing that Helen was able to make a landing it's amazing! God bless the Collins family in Jesus name.
I know that God was with her and I thank Him for saving her Rip Helen
Right. I was so touched by her amazing strength even though she might have known her husband passed it moved me deeply, what a brave wonderful mother. God bless her family. 🙏
I'm a Flight Attendant of 30 years this is an amazing video , how brave and calm your Beautiful Mom was during such a stressful crucial emergency situation ❤️
I felt like I was there onboard with her .
Thank You for posting this I flew on propeller aircraft and major jumbo jets.
When she asks, " Don't you have any faith in me ? " I knew she would land that plane and survive.
That was Jesus speaking through her.
@@MrMJmusicLover .yes indeed.
I am weeping. I am so moved and impressed by this woman's ability to keep her wits and not fall apart. Anyone alone would be in great distress but, having a loved husband dying beside her and her having to choose to fly to save both of them rather then consoling him is more then I can imagine.
I'm glad she had the extra time to be with her family as I'm sure they appreciated her and made her feel loved and honored. I'm amazed I found this today. I'm sleeping in my rental car I'm ill, poor and scared. Now after watching this I feel more hopeful and inspired. Blessed today thank you.
I hope you’re doing better ❤️
Seu comentário me sensibilizou muito. Assisti o vídeo com a emoção presa ao coração, ao ler seu comentário, não contive as lagrimas. Daqui de muito longe, do outro lado do mundo, eu te envio minhas melhores vibrações e orações. Deus te abençoe!
God protect you and seek the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart and soul!! Praying for you!!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I found it a few minutes ago listening to the .Legend Paul McCartney .I don't how this video came about .🙏I think google . Detected that I was sad and pull up my spirits, this video came to be am saving this one.To show others that we must keep our cool.Things will work out my. God this lady just inspired me big time may you rest in peace .Helen and John 🙏.
I’m crying as well. Not much anyone can say except Helen should have her heroics engraved on her tombstone. She was wonderful!
Love that "Dont you have faith in me?" 😅
That alone shows she had 100% faith in herself!
What an amazing, courageous woman!
May Helen & John rest in paradise❤
Helen showed such coolness and character under an unimaginably stressful situation. And the folks that helped her down are angels. I know they didn’t mean to add to her confusion, but helping someone (who has no real, practical experience) to land a twin engine aircraft is not something they train for, and I can’t imagine the stress they were also under.
Had I been at the airport that day I would have wanted nothing more than to meet Helen and her angels, and give each of them a big hug.
This is truly an inspirational story. ❤️
Absolutely agreed!
Wah! The suspense was so real! Great team work right there, and God's grace. A great display of self control by Hellen. May they both rest in peace..
What would you rather her do, panic and crash the plane?
so truely she hs no experience but she knows how to hold how to fly.im jst watching the vedio and she s so amazing.my husband is a certified aircraft mechanic connected in a good company n me too as an avionics tech.thts why i why her.so amazing.and the persons who guide her frm the control tower so nice and all are wll done.
Made me cry..don't you have any faith in me God Bless her.RIP.
I've read about this incident and listened to the ATC before and still, every time I go back to it, I'm still blown away by the airwomanship displayed by Helen in this moment. She landed a plane, something she'd not done since she was young woman and a plane far more advanced and difficult to fly than anything she'd flown before, at the age of 80, knowing her dead husband was strapped into the seat next to her. It's an incredible piece of flying and bravery. I believe Helen has since passed away, several years later, but she gave her children and grandchildren several more years of her being part of their lives with what she did.
Such a brave woman.
*airmanship
I don't know how she kept her cool. She is amazing!
I agree, very touching and was brought to tears after hearing her passing 3 years later.
Heartwrenching yet so heartwarming lay scary.. I'm sitting on the edge can hardly breathe but so very p'leased this Mama landed safely. God Bless her Dear and very brave heart .. Love her, she's a hero
The unsung hero in all of this is the pilot in the other plane that talked Helen down! This event, with the live audio needs to be a "must see" for ANYONE GETTING A PILOTS LICENSE! AND YES, I cried through most of this. Incredible story, Incredible journey. Thank you Collins family! Thank you Sturgeon Airport heros!
The hero is the woman that lost her husband and landed that plane!!!!!!!!
Yes. Both Helen and the pilot who guided her down onto the runway were awesome. I would love to meet him someday and thank him for the incredible job he did.
Yeah I almost did too , life is too hard sometimes , or seems like it is
@@suebell9977 They are both heroes, in my book.
She does a phenomenal job & kept such composure, considering her husband passed away flying the plane. May they both rest in peace.
I'm so happy to have seen this recreation of her amazing flight. Helen's calm state of mind under great duress is a testament to her brave character.
Couldn't agree more!
@StayInAlive Someone to look UP too? Lol. Good at puns maybe?
Hello there!
I can’t preformed English grammar perfectly . I thought 💭 she was just another professional.!
It definitely says something about her brave character. ❤️🤛🏼
@@FSMaNiA Video like these help you to believe in yourself. And there is nothing you can’t do if you put your mind and heart to it. Helen left FOOT PRINTS for all of us. 🙏
As a private pilot of a PA44, I have to admit that I was close to tears, assuming the pilot/son were talking to someone about to be killed within the next 15 minutes. Now when I am on my motor yacht, I always let my wife do the steering so she is not completely lost when something like this should happen to me.
Very smart! The Captain , might become , unavailable for a lack of better words!
Big difference
So smart! I want to call my friend in her 50’s whose husband is a pilot and ask her if she can fly. I don’t think she can. I think that’s absolutely necessary after seeing this.
My Ex actually had me familiarize with his airplane and learn the control panel as well as fly it but I never landed or took off.
I would say “if” something would happen to me”
I thought I wasn’t going to survive watching this video to the end. I was having trouble remembering to breathe. This was a masterful presentation of an amazing situation. It’s amazing the lady was able to bring the airplane to a safe, survivable landing under the circumstances. Congratulations to those who helped in the process. Thanks also for making it possible for me to experience it though I barely survived it.
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I was squeezing my phone and forgot to breathe, too. 🤣
M
I was having a hard time remembering to breathe too.
We were with you on that one Jim xxxx
I absolutely cried after she landed. Helen is a fearless courageous woman. Rest in Paradise Mrs. Helen🌹
Her sheer will to keep going and live at a moment like that is incredible! She had a son watching which is a blessing in disguise!
If you’re going to die at least die trying not to.
@@FSMaNiA j
This is inspirational for those who fly and those who don't. One important lesson is that if you are a spouse of a pilot, you need to know enough about the aircraft to land. Helen had received at least some minimal flight instruction. As a bare minimum, frequent passengers such as Helen need to become very familiar with instrument locations and names. Well done, dear lady.
Composer: That's a smart idea. Wouldn't have thought of that.
Shiiit. I don't even want a woman touching my steering wheel. Lol
@@zombywoof1015
What a sexist you are.
Wow!!! Incredible!!!
"Don't you have any faith in me?" is the moment I fell in love with Helen. What a strong, beautiful, composed woman. She found herself in a moment none of us want to ever be in and powered through like a boss. Added to the stress of knowing that her husband was dying or already gone and not being able to attend to him. I'm so proud of her.
Yes , and she stayed strong. That was my favorite part besides she lived . They seem like they were very good people and they carried the tradition of Angel 😇 flights.
@@cathylewanski7881 You can't always feel a pulse by hand because it is so light some times. There's a possibility that she might of thought he was just unconscious.
i think i detected impatience/unkindness on the part of her son
@@harridan. It might have been or came across like that because he was plum out of his mind with worry. I know I would have been worried 😟.
@@irenemarano8241 Helen is a woman with nerves of steel. Really cool
What an incredible woman and pilot who helped her down! Three years later she's reunited with her husband! REST IN PEACE!
Omg I cried all through that ordeal.
Well done Helen. I trained as a nurse in a General Repatriation Hospital for Veterans and Defence patients in Sydney, Australia and I heard some amazing stories.
Especially those of our senior citizens and I believe we sell them short a lit of the time. They can do amazing things. My mum is in her 70s and she still runs around after me and is my fierce protector.
Helen was on a mission to bring her companion home. So beautiful a story.
@Daniel Cheney Thank you for the very kind and refreshing words.
A JOB WELL DONE.
This woman was truly amazing! I thought I would get bored watching it, but I certainly didn't!! I think her husband guided her hands to land the plane. God rest both of their souls.
The guy that guided her down was amazing and deserved a mention or did I miss it. God bless her.
The Pilot who guided her is great. An outstanding human.
I used to go flying with my pilot husband and felt very safe with him and never learnt anything about taking over the seat so I’m incredibly impressed with this lady even with some knowledge of flying and the nerve wracking circumstances. Her husband would have been proud of her.
Y
Hello Hellen am Radhe am from east Africa I love caregious people I wish I was there to give u a big hug . hope to see u soon
Proud of this woman pamela
Incredible woman. Amazing calmness in this very frightening situation. This has convinced me to get my wife some basic training in my plane. Just in case. I've already taught her navigation, but being able to land keeps you alive.
It's so amazing what this woman did. Losing her husband in the air while flying and now she needs to land a plane that she has not ever flown before. Her amazing calmness throughout this video is astonishing especially the conditions that faced her. On top of it all she also ran out of fuel on her one and only chance of landing this aircraft. This footage should let every viewer know what can be accomplished in life when life itself takes you on a rough journey as this. I watched many video's like this, but this one alone had more odds stacked against her than any footage I've ever witnessed and she lived to tell us. This did change the way I think now. Mom's know how to get it done and handle stress. God bless her and her husband.
@StayInAlive umm, no, he wasn't.
@@kimchipig YOU MUST BE ONE MISERABLE ATHEIST S.O.B. !
@@kimchipig OH stop....it's a beautiful sentiment!
Have you seen the one about a British gentleman who had never flown any plane and his friend, the pilot died. He not only lands safely but does it at night barely able to see the runway! He maintains a calm attitude with a great sense of humor. It's amazing to listen to!
@@kimchipig Len, Len, Len. Let’s lighten up a little bit😂.
She was an amazing strong woman, who didn’t sound anywhere near 80. What a sharp gal. How sad she lost her hubby. Thank God for the pilots who helped guide her.
What a courageous, wonderful Lady. Thanks God she was able to follow instructions inspite of all the stress she was going through, and the plane had enough fuel. Great, Lovely and unbelievable. Patient instructor, a wonderful guide and communicator.
Helen's ability to stay calm, focused, listen to instructions and execute them saved her life. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been, with an unconscious loved one right by her in the cockpit, to have to hold back her emotions and fly the plane all by herself. Immensely proud of her and very pleased that she successfully landed at the airport. A fantastic traffic control team at Sturgeon Airport as well. You guys were so kind and considerate. You helped Helen stay calm and gave her clear instructions. The decision for having a guiding pilot fly around Helen was a brilliant idea, as it gave her the assurance and confidence needed in order to make it to the airport. The guiding pilot was absolutely amazing, he must have had all the permutations flying through his head in such a precarious situation, but was able to guide Helen out of danger with outstanding competence, not to mention having to watch every manoeuvre and risk-assess every single second for the safety of Helen, himself, and those standby on the ground etc.. You guys are simply a WOW team, mission accomplished beautifully, saving Helen's life. Thank you for being kind human beings 👏🥇🙏
Well said, Siuyu!
This woman is a successful
Well done you are a great woman a woman of pure grit .
All that good, but no-one declared Mayday! Take control of the communications frequencies by saying mayday, clear the channel. The pilot was almost lured away, and with all of the training and experience that they had, they didn't dial 911!
I know and she's like "you're closing the road, don't you have faith in me"? I'd be like.. roads... close all the roads... if there's a road anywhere... in the world... you should close it... close it now, close them all now.
That was probably the most dramatic aviation stories I have ever seen. Thank you.
Thanks for the positive feedback! Best regards, Tim
This was so inspiring ! Her husband would be so proud of her .
Bless her heart. When she said Hurry up! I kept thinking how that was the longest "5 minutes" getting that other plane off the ground as she was worried about running out of gas. So glad it all ended well. Helen was a real trooper.
So much poise and calm. A pilot myself this video was SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!
What a great listener and a brave confident lady, well done lady,
@@abdiadan4837 She may have thought he just passed out and not that he was dead. During her flight time she mentally may be thinking he could be helped.
She was truly a woman of great faith, courage, determination, and so focused despite the terrible life threatening situation she found herself in. She knew that her husband was not going to bring this plane down and it all depended on her and the flight controllers and pilot who finally took to the air to guide her down. I was rivetted to Ms. Helen's descent and so stressed as if, I was on board with her. Sympathies to her children and their families. I hope they are as proud of her as all of us who have viewed this video. We must never give up on our struggles in life. God bless Helen & John Collins and I feel that they are resting in peace in paradise.
God I wish for these skills as I continue to learn how to fly.
Thank you all for your positive thoughts and comments. K. M
@@DA-ji4tf lol glad you let everyone know that you are learning to fly. Fell better 🤮
Faith...in herself?
Wait, Helen died as well? What?!
Helen was absolutely a heroine that day. As a fellow pilot, I admire her ability to take command and fly an aircraft to the ground, with help from her wingman in the air and on the ground. Thank God she was familiar with the aircraft's panel. I commend the pilots who were her wingmen, they did an awesome job!
She,s a wonder woman
Not just “familiar” she was well trained by her husband!! Lots of hours in the air and of course, well trained by her husband.
I admire her courage! I was in suspense all the time. Thank God for her life and the wingmen who directed her.
This shows how much their loved❤ each other.They had the same interest thank god. This story needs to be seen by the world wow. Am just amaze this will a conversation piece .
Awee she passed away?
She supposed to received a 🏅
Obviously the son completely underestimated his mother. She was sharp, focused, precise and incredibly calm, impressive!
Courage is the ability to overcome one' s fear.With an amazing presence of mind and keen ability to follow instruction this lady overcame the unimaginable.
Helen God blessing always you were amazing 👏 ❤
Amazing 😘
Courage is the ability not to overcome fear, but to act in spite of it. The fear is up close and personal, but you go ahead anyway.
Thank you for your likes and positive reactions.
The pilot who was up there with her was literally a guardian angel 😇
I pretty much sh@t my pants watching this video, but I gotta say, Helen is amazing. The way she kept her composure and concentration throughout that ordeal with her beloved husband deceased in the seat next to her. The two pilots who talked her down, one in a second plane next to her and one on the ground, are heroes too. It must’ve been agony for their adult son to be on the ground, unable to help, but just praying. Next time I’m in a serious jam, I’m going to try to channel my “inner Helen.”
Riveting!!! The pilot who brought her in was amazing...I was so impressed with the way he never responded to her obvious anxiety and panic about her fuel running out...He just kept her focused on what she had to do..
Helen of course was super amazing under the circumstances..Congratulations to all others who were caught up in this unexpected rescue mission...There was fluid running from my eyes and nostrils the whole time...WOW!!!
Awesome 🎉🎉
❤👍🙏
RIP to this lovely couple.
No idea how this lady kept that plane in the air with those huge balls of steel. Through the trauma of losing a loved one and possible asymmetrical center of mass, she did it.
So happy that Helen remained calm during this flight. she is one amazing lady. Wow
I was so tense I started to get a neck ache. Helen was so calm and clear headed and her intelligence shone thru the entire time. What a truly amazing woman. When I get super stressed I simply find it hard to think and there she was in such a demanding life or death situation, taking instruction, reading the instrument panel ,keeping air speed, worried about fuel, etc and she did a fantastic job!! I will always remember this inspiring woman! Once she is as on the ground, then she had to face that her beloved husband passed away. God bless Helen and her husband's souls🙏🙏 The people that helped Helen fly and land were wonderful!! They came to her rescue!!
What a gutsy woman! Her partner of years dead beside her, cant walk up the stairs even yet keeps the plane flying and lands outta gas. Wow! That generation is just made of stronger stuff! The pilot guiding her in deserves a medal too!
I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for that poor woman, she did an exemplary job. The pilot in the other plane probably aged 20 years , what a great job he did.👍👍
I am so pleased that Helen made it but sadden that she died only three years later. What a truely grand woman.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽😢😇
Helen you are a women in a million
Love you
May she RIP much love and respect
I'm glad she got those 3 extra years.
Damn, she deserved way more time what a quick thinking woman all the while, dealing with a massive loss. Rip to both.
This woman was tough, calm and collected while her dead husband, to whom she had been married for nearly six decades, lay beside her. She received good support and guidance. RIP Helen and John.
Oh that lady at the cockpit is marvelous. She is soo calm in the face of adversities.This is exactly what education does to a person . Couples must encourage each other to learn as her husband did
Amazing!!!, at 80, this has renewed my strength instantly, I am 61 and I feel I am an old school refusing minor tasks on phone. Well done to the team that talked her through, God bless mama Helen if alive, if asleep, she must be resting in peace. Bravo.
You're absolutely never too old to learn! I hope you never let anyone patronise you, nor refuse well-intentioned help if it's offered. I'm only 40 but I feel more and more "old school" each year, and I do worry that I'll get set in my ways and not want to learn. Helen has shown us that it's never too late to learn, even if it's under such extreme duress.
This woman is simply incredible and considering her dead husband is next to her shes simply WONDER WOMAN
Having time in the 414 myself it is a beautiful plane to fly but a little on the tough side to land even when you know what your doing! I remember my very 1st landing and was white knuckled an sweating bullets. I can just imagine what she was dealing with. All the chores of landing the airplane, the communications from everyone, and her husband out next to her. The people that helped her deserve a medal as well as a round of thanks. My condolences to the family for their lose. But the memories will fly on forever.
amen.💞
She is simply amazing. God was on her side.
Every muscle in my body was tense watching this. I felt like I was in the plane with Helen. What a woman. Not many twenty five year olds could have landed that plane, but eighty year old Helen landed it without a shred of panic in her voice. What a great lady ❤❤❤
This just proves that not all elderly people have lost the ability to learn and apply new skills what an amazing woman and I wish her the best of the rest of her years if she's still living her family must be very proud of her
The video said she died 3 years later from landing.
@@MarlaLukofsky7 it didn’t say from landing did it? like she didn’t pass landing a plane right
@@grey6703 She landed it and then was treated for a broken rib and a crushed vertebrae but lived for another 3 years. Amazing woman.
@@grey6703 he meant 3 years after landing. No she didn't die because of landing a plane.
Correct Karen.
I had tears in my eyes, what a brave woman, she knew hubby had passed away, after a life time together she knew, yet she got them both down and safe.
What a beautiful story. I have my 91 year old Mom still with us. All I. Could do was cry. Thank God for her safe landing.
I started crying after I watched the first half of this video; I was very tensed and at the edge of my seat because it felt as if I was in that cockpit! I was so relieved when the plane was safely landed. Under those circumstances I would've freaked out!
Imagine, 80 years old, your loving husband just died on board, you're very grief-stricken, low on gas, up in the air and frightened; she was a BOSS and a HERO!
My heartfelt condolences to the loving family; you all loss both parents but they're now together and resting very peacefully 💐❤🙏
Wonderful job EVERYONE! God bless YOU ALL who've safely brought down that plane 🙏 ❤ 🥰
I çould not stop looking.A a brave lady a brave lady I'm very happy very briefly be very happy. All went well. I could not put my phone down I watch I watched the entire video congratulations rest in peace my dear
I can't believe how she is staying such a calm way even things get worst at that situation. When running out of fuel, she showed nothing. It was magnificent❤️. She deserves an award the most stress handled women ever in an airplane🙂
she survived world war 2 dude, she has seen worse than this
Rowan Sri,
I concur! I was so touched by this video! I was thinking about taking Aviation lesions, and I’m obsessed with training videos, and pilot errors good, and bad youtube videos. Maybe why I didn’t start lesions yet lol I could never afford my own plane, but I have friends that use to take me in their aircrafts. I live by a local airport. I’m from Pa, and I’ve been in the same plane she was in. I thought to myself, idk if I would know what to do. This video mad me realize I should be aware of important controls before leaving, I will ask more questions. I never thought about a crisis. This video made me cry, i was shock, sad, then relieved. I hope I’m like her if I see 82.
I think this was undeniably God plan! He kept her strong in a difficult time. She probably know in her heart, He can’t be helped.
However, she was going safely bring the love of her life home to Rest In Peace so the kids could see him, and pay their respects. The admiration I have for her is unmeasurable. It was incredible to watch her! The strength she found deep inside herself to stay calm, get a grip, and focus on getting to land for help. That took such courage, she is someone to be admired. Personally, I think Love played a major roll in all this. The love lost, the love for her son waiting on land, and the love for her other kids and grandchildren. She wasn’t going to let anything else happen that would effect loved ones lives. Momma bear mode took over! It’s beautiful, heart warming, and I could only hope that I’ll find a love like that one day. Love conquers…
Everyone thanks for your lovely and great loving comments Helen deserve an Honorable Medal 🎖🛫🛩 May 21
2022 my first truth story
Thanks 🙏 UA-cam Bravo 👏 love ❤️ and Memorable moments for
Mrs Helen and to her large family from Sherbrooke Québec Canada 🇨🇦 Bonjour 👋 May God Bless all involved for Helen professional and calm action. A second solo Pilot like Amelia Hearart
This was the most amazing thing I have ever watched. I was so nervous watching and listening. I was so proud of Helen. May she be remembered for her bravery and calmness while taking instructions from the pilot.
That is a great telling of this story. It was so suspenseful I was totally drawn in. I am a sailor and docking my sailboat is pretty stressful. It's hard to comprehend what Helen must haver been going through.
@Leon Berrange thanks very much and best regards, Tim
Awesome!
what a brave lady. may both RIP.❤
Helen and Family, When you have an unflappable gallant mother, a family can accomplish anything. Amazing woman!!!!!
RIP great and gallant wife/worrior.
No words can express the uniqueness of this lady! RIP
I didn’t think this would choke me up but at the end it did. I wish this family the best. I’m sure all her children, grand children, etc are extremely proud.
I thought I was the only one choked up. I have no experience piloting a plane so putting myself in her seat I never could've stopped crying/freaking out to perform all those procedures for landing. & then one engine runs out of gas! She stayed so calm. Wow! Very emotional, edge of seat story.
Wow, what an incredible woman! Her focus at a time of unimaginable shock and trauma is utterly astonishing. Respect to her, her late husband would have been so proud. Her family too. Glad she got to enjoy another three years of life with her loved ones, thanks to getting that plane - and herself - down on the ground in one piece.
The professionals who helped her survive were magnificent, and obviously deserve a huge shout out!
I have to say, it baffles me that wealthy folk want to fly themselves in these tiny planes. This tragedy - that was so nearly a double tragedy - shows exactly what can happen if there's only one qualified pilot on board. When the sole pilot is elderly, this kind of event (ie his collapse through a heart attack or stroke), is a distinct possibility.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it's pretty clear he should not have risked piloting the plane alone when he was not feeling well - or even when feeling well, due to his advanced age. He was very elderly, and shouldn't have risked his wife's, let alone his own life. I doubt most people unqualified as she was, could have survived the ordeal - her courage under fire was nothing less than extraordinary and hugely admirable.
What a bittersweet memorial of their courageous Mom and Grandma this recording is for her children and grandchildren. Her bravery and level-headed conduct throughout are amazing - particularly as she knew her husband was beside her, probably deceased. I will remember this video for a long time - thanks for a superb and inspiring upload.
This was awesome ,great job after the lost of your husband, something to teach us never give up
❤🇯🇲
Same thought about someone flying at that advanced age. If he had been flying alone this outcome would've been very different. Could've killed a lot of people.
Imagine how scary that was for her. On top of her upsetment over losing her husband in a fashion that she couldn't even try to help him. I'm so glad she was able to get back on the ground safely
WOW! WOW! WOW!
So emotional . That dear lady did an amazing job. She had already lost her husband and calmly landed that plane under all that stress. AMAZING!!!!
I have so much admiration for that lady, she was brilliant.
I used to fly 25 years ago, single engine. I am very proud of her. The training she had was nothing compared to this. God bless her and her family, she was a HERO
Helen was a great person, she passed away 03-16-2015 at 83 years old.
💖🙏🏾⚘
Thank you for the update..
I didn't know.. but she is with her husband now..
reading through the messages i am sudden to hear helen died 3 years after this R.I.P. JOHN & HELEN
Angels!!! The woman was amazingly beautiful and strong!! May her and her husband rest in peace. RIP 🙏May God bless the folks who helped! Lord knows all and it is an epic experience. The recordings capured here and shared will live on forever. Jim, keep this audio of your mother and pass it on to your children. It is invaluable, both as a testament of the woman she was and to the the importance of recognizing and appreciating other aviators and their devotion to others. ❤ When we fall in love with this exciting environment called aviation we become more than ourselves and it also becomes more than a passion, we discover a love for more than ourself, we become family! When i watched this the world around me fell away, i was fixated on willing her to the ground. Edge of my seat consintration as if i was in the right seat of the chase plain, praying... The man talking her through this... Who??? Is this man??? He should get more than the world
The pilots control of voice, intonation, inflection and the continuous affirmation and directions that the pilot and ground control gives Helen is absolutely wonderful. While you can hear the concern and worry in her voice, along with the joke, “don’t you have any faith in me?” she remains determined and poised. What a remarkable woman and pilot that helped her land safely.
Amazing ❤
Helen is a true hero. I made my daughters watch this video to remind them that even in times of immense stress fear that they can accomplish anything. I absolutely cannot imagine knowing that you need to land this plane in order to save your life she’s so incredibly calm it’s just unreal. She is amazing. An angel. A gift from God. Like another commenter said I believe she’s passed away, but I wish she was here to read the comments about how many people think she just is awesome. But not only did she land a plane in order to save her life but she did it knowing that her husband who she loved dearly and had been with for most of her life had most likely passed away next to her. I’ve been married for 18 years and with my husband for 20. I can’t imagine some thing happening to him and I certainly can’t imagine being calm and here she is putting that on the back burner knowing that right now there’s nothing she can do for him or her except for get on the ground and take each thing one step at a time and she did just that. She’s definitely amazing. And to the air traffic controllers who helped her down, I am a nurse a NICU nurse so I’m certainly familiar with high stress situations and I know your job is very stressful and I know you spend a lot of time training for so many things but this is not something that you train for and yet you didn’t amazing job staying calm providing praise and encouragement to help Helen stay calm. You were also amazing and true heroes. God put all the right people in play that day and each person did their job amazingly above and beyond with professionalism kindness encouragement definitely an amazing story thank you so much for sharing.
Amazing story! Can’t imagine the stress she must have felt. Cathy was a great support.
Awesome
4 year CFI here. Massively impressed by your recreations of these events through Flight Simulator. Subbed.
Thank you so much and welcome aboard! Best regards, Tim
@@FSMaNiAI have never flown an airplane and know nothing about flying and even I can tell this recreation was very impressive.
The animation of what the plane is doing aligns exactly with what the pilot is saying, while he is giving her directions AND aligns with her actions prior to him correcting her. You can see it move a certain way, such as starting to turn to the left and he says "No, don't go left" and it straightens out again. Excellent recreation.
No words to describe the braveness and courage of tthis woman ,what this woman has done is beyond amazing.
This woman was so calm, and brave.
Wow. Amazing. Unbelievably impressed with how she stepped up to the plate and landed the plane. Don't ever underestimate the ability and determination of an 80 year old.
The GOAT. Doug White's landing is iconic, yet Helen Collins landing takes the prize for the most amazing feat of airmanship since the dawn of aviation. Incredible.
Just amazing an older woman doing this
Bravo
Well that puts the Battle of Britain in its place! 😂
@@kelrogers8480 It was the most amazing "single" feat of airmanship, as in one person. Better?
The Battle of Britain was fought by 2945 pilots, some highly trained, some complete rookies, yet they still all had training.
This 80 year old woman had zero training, and a dead husband right next to her. The minerals on display from her is outrageous.
This is so nice to see that someone recreated this story. I know some members of this family and this is such a nice tribute!
Thank you kindly. I tried to reach out to Tula family member through the family business but never got a reply. Best regards, Tim
@@FSMaNiA thank you so, so much for inspiring everyone who watched this awesome video. Great choice, great job.
What an amazing story. God and her husband was with Helen this whole time as well with the whole entire flight crew team that assisted Helen with landing aircraft!🙏
Why didn't God wait till they were on the ground?
@@kristoffersmith8289 free will
God had nothing to do with it...it was all Helen.
@@kristoffersmith8289 God doesn't owe any of us anything
@@waterheaterservices So God killed the guy then had to waste time helping her land the plane? 🤔
This 80 year old is so calm , it's amazing! These people of this age group have a different perspective on life than any other age group I've seen.! I would have freaked out long ago.😮
Wow, what a courageous lady, Helen Collins was in bringing her dead husband pilot back to the airport. Incredible true story!
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
Helen and all those who helped her you are all true heroes. To serve esp when all the chips are down is the greatest honor in life. Well done all!!
This lady is extraordinary the way she handled this,Also enough respect to the pilot who was giving her the instructions to safely land.
Yah! That pilot saved her life. She caused so much stress for HIM being very uncommunicative during the process!
@@sharonhamilton8907 shes probably hard of hearing. I'm sure they were both stressed but more so her with an incapacitated spouse nearby
Holy Smokes !! I was glued to the screen watching Helen’s unforgettable flight journey to land. How encouraging Tower and rescue plane were …it’s so impressive ! Thank the Lord Helen had more than most courage and knowledge…Great job Helen !!!! My sincere condolences for the loss of her husband that now she has joined three years later at the age of 83. How proud their children must be of them both. I must say when Helen overheard the rescue pilot tell ground to “ clear the highway “ and Helen radio’s him saying “ don’t you have Faith in me ? “ the quickness and the sureness of the female listening in the Tower telling Helen “ your doing great, was inspirational at how hopefulness is always the most powerful of the spoken word and it made me cry knowing her tanks were almost empty, her husband in dire straights, the “ no time to spare “ for negative emotions, the goings out and the comings in of it. It’s amazing what can be learned from the shared journeys of others, I learned “ one never knows how strong they are once put to the test, and as for hope well thankfully that is something that no one, anywhere, can take it’s measure. ❤