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Two-year old sets out on mission to destroy airliner!

Readers may recall that in the eighties, Zimbabwe offered a really good value-for-money vacation in the Flame Lily Holidays. These packages flew once around Zimbabwe, between the main tourist centres, in those most wonderful of aircraft, the Vickers Viscount. In 1987, our family set off on one such holiday, commencing at Bulawayo, and following a circular route via Vic Falls, Kariba, Harare and back to Bulawayo. At that stage we had three sons, who accompanied us on the trip. The trip proceeded very smoothly, and we really loved the Falls, the cruise up the Zambezi and the magnificence of the Kariba Dam. Being a civil engineer, I really soaked up the splendour of that structure. We also visited a crocodile farm at Kariba, and marveled at the views from the hotel, across this mighty man-made lake. But then it was time to leave Kariba and move on to Harare.

Kariba has a small airport, as one would expect. On our arrival at the airport, we all stood around in the foyer, while passengers checked their luggage through the baggage counter. This was in the days before conveyor belts, carousels and all the modern conveniences one finds at an airport. After luggage was checked in, it was loaded directly onto a train of three or four trolleys, which in turn were drawn by a battery-powered tractor. These tractors were very simple to operate, having just a steering wheel, and a pedal on the floor which, when depressed, caused the vehicle to move. The staff at the baggage counter were dutifully checking in the luggage and stowing it on the trolleys, which were parked just behind them. All was quiet and peaceful. At this juncture, I needed to go to the toilet, so off I went, leaving my wife Carol and the three boys, to deal with the luggage. I was only in there for a minute or two, but when I came out, there was complete pandemonium in the building. People were shouting and pointing, and there was a great commotion behind the baggage counter. Carol came up to me, her face ashen, her mouth moving, but no words came out. She just pointed in the direction of the baggage counter, and squeaked “Simon!” I dashed across the foyer to the counter, but it was empty. The staff had all disappeared, and just as I arrived, I caught a glimpse of a dozen or so officials charging down the corridor towards the runway, pursuing the luggage train! I stood there bewildered, wondering what on earth was going on, and where was Simon! But a moment later, a group of officials returned up the corridor, one of them carrying Simon in his arms. “Hau!”, he exclaimed with a huge smile, “this boy, he is veeery lucky!”

It transpired that, while everyone was busy with loading the luggage, curious young Simon, at that stage only two years old, had spied the luggage tractor behind the counter, and decided it was an opportunity to explore. He had somehow managed to climb up onto the tractor, and while looking around, had inadvertently stood on the accelerator pedal. Naturally, the machine obeyed the instruction, and took off down the ramp, and onto the runway, and was heading straight towards our aircraft! To those who witnessed the incident, it was actually all rather amusing. One man said he had never seen Zimbabwean airport staff move with such speed, as this body of officials roared down the ramp in pursuit of the tractor and its trolleys! Simon just stood on the tractor, with his foot still on the pedal, and screamed, not knowing why he was trundling along towards the big aeroplane! Well, in typical good-natured African manner, the airport staff dismissed the incident and everyone had a good laugh. But there was one set of parents who heaved a HUGE sigh of relief! Today Simon is 30, does off-roading and scuba diving, and clearly still retains his thirst for adventure!

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