Pins of Peril

After returning from each flight around the globe I place a pin in the locations I visited. The color of the pin represented various events, but the red ones in particular carried significant meaning.

Each red pin in my map represents a time when I thought death was imminent.

👉🗺️ VIEW THE MAP: Click here to take a virtual tour of my "Pins of Peril" map on Google.

Red - Near death experience

Black - Aircraft ground problems

Blue - Visited more than 5 times

Green - Visited more than 10 times

Yellow - Not sure

White - Visited as Civilian

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EXLORE THE PINS

A personal memoir by Angelo Ford, Pins of Peril, is a collection of stories about harrowing situations the author faced throughout his life, each one marked by a red pin on a map. Ford is a USAF veteran who has piloted multiple aircraft on missions across the globe. He is also a film professor in Southern California with an MBA and an MFA in Film Producing. The book is dedicated to his daughter and to "all those who wander, where they want, when they want, or one day will."

⚠️🚧 -- UNDER CONSTRUCTION⚠️🚧

Childhood and Young Adulthood

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Trash to Treasure: The first red pin on Ford's map marks an incident from when he was about eight years old. While walking with his grandmother in a junkyard, she slipped, and as he held on to her, a piece of metal stuck into his forearm. The incident, which required a tetanus shot and stitches, instilled in him core values he still holds today8. His grandmother taught him to view the world not as it was, but as he wanted it to be, and to manifest dreams through persistence.

Under Thin Ice: At nine or ten years old, Ford was sledding in Fellsmere Park, Massachusetts, when his sled veered off course and he crashed through the ice of a pond10101010. He was trapped under the ice until a friend's father broke through with a sled and pulled him out11111111. This near-death experience taught him to appreciate life and to live it to the fullest12.

BMX vs. Train: After his grandmother bought him a BMX bike for Christmas, he and his friends were distracted by frogs and left their bikes on a train track13131313. A train destroyed Ford's bike, and he was more terrified of telling his mother than of the actual event14141414. His grandmother later rebuilt the bike from a junkyard frame and salvaged parts, teaching him a lesson about responsibility and finding "treasure in the trash"151515151515151515.

Life In Cars: Ford owned about ten cars between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one, and many of his accidents were due to "hubris and teenage stupidity"16161616. One notable incident involved his aunt's car, which he rolled into a swamp after attempting to "get some air" on a hill17171717. Another time, he fell asleep at the wheel and his car rolled over on a highway18. Each accident taught him lessons about responsibility and knowing his limits191919191919191919.

Air Force Career

Lost on Solo: During his Introductory Flight Training, Ford got lost on a solo cross-country flight202020202020202020. He had mis-tuned a navigational frequency and was running low on fuel21212121. He swallowed his pride and contacted radar control, who helped him find his way back to base, an experience that reinforced the importance of communication and adherence to training222222222222222222.

Stuck Gear on Solo: On his first solo flight in a jet, the landing gear lights remained red on his final approach23232323. After circling the base and trying to resolve the issue, his primary flight instructor pulled up in another jet and instructed him to perform a "split s" maneuver24. The maneuver caused the gear to deploy, and he was able to land safely25252525.

Airsickness: Ford suffered from severe airsickness during the first month of pilot training, which caused him to fail flight evaluations and rank at the bottom of his class26262626. A "hard-ass instructor" eventually helped him overcome his airsickness by teaching him to be aggressive and "put [the jet] where I want it," shifting his focus from puking to flying272727272727272727.

Typhoons and Sand Storms: As a pilot of the C-17 Globemaster, Ford faced two perilous weather events28. During a mission to South Korea, a typhoon forced him and his crew to make several missed approaches before they were able to land with only fifteen minutes of fuel remaining292929292929292929. Another mission in Dubai was impeded by a massive sandstorm that made it difficult to see and land303030303030303030. Both experiences taught him the importance of preparation, determination, and crew coordination313131313131313131.

Airstrip Evacuation: While on an airstrip in Afghanistan, Ford's crew was targeted by mortar fire32. They performed an emergency takeoff and watched an AC-130 helicopter unleash fire on the area from which the mortars were launched33333333. The experience was a stark reminder that complacency can be dangerous in a war zone, and it shook him enough to make him realize he might not return from a mission34343434.

Smallpox Vaccination: The final and most difficult red pin represents a medical discharge from the Air Force after Ford had an adverse reaction to a smallpox vaccination35. The vaccination caused brain swelling, leading to erratic behavior and a diagnosis of mania36363636. Despite expert testimony and a year of effort, he was medically discharged and felt his life was over37.

Civilian Life

Starting Over: After his discharge, Ford moved to California and started a new life, a decision he made to represent growth and moving forward38. He found a job in the business sector and pursued an MBA, which helped him build a new circle of friends and regain his self-esteem39393939.

Professor of Peril: Today, Ford works as a professor, a profession that he says is a perfect balance between his financial needs and his creative desires44. He tells his students that they will operate in a constant state of peril and that he could put a red pin on his map daily for them45. His final red pin represents all the other moments of peril he has encountered as a parent, a pilot, a producer, and a professor46.

Angelo Ford, MBA | MFA

Pilot, Producer, Professor