Talk:Hemisphere Dancer
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Who was on board during the Jamaica incident?[edit]
This article includes the line
The "Hemisphere Dancer" had been carrying Buffett, U2's Bono, and Island Records producer Chris Blackwell, but they were not onboard at the time.
Does "they" include Buffet, i.e. was he on board while being shot at?
In addition, the Jimmy Buffett article describes the same event, but says
On board the plane with Buffett were U2's Bono, and Island Records producer Chris Blackwell.
Several other sources on the Web say that all three were present. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dtgriscom (talk • contribs) 12:09, 30 June 2008 (UTC)
I was just an 18 year old working the line at International Aviation at Palm Beach International (PBI) this day. I do know the details of the return leg from Jamaica to PBI. It was on the return flight leg, deadheading back to base at PBI during the takeoff roll when the plane was shot. Only the pilot was on the plane when it was shot. Jimmy and company were on the shore, watching the police shoot at the plane. When it rolled up, me and the rest of the line guys with me noticed the windshield was cracked. It was pretty uneventful until the pilot, (who I think was named Jimmy too, might have been Bob, might have been neither, we're talking about 14 years ago) checked his cell phone and saw that Buffett called a bunch of times. He called him back and you could hear Buffett on the other line very animated "Jimmy (or whatever his name was), are you alive!" The pilot said "Yeah, why? What's wrong?" "They must have shot at you 100 times!", Buffett replied. The pilot replied, "I wonder why the windshield broke!"
They completed their conversation while the pilot was walking around the airplane, us walking with him. We saw two bullet holes in the side of the plane, and one in the corner of the windshield that broke it. The pilot thought that torque is what caused the windshield to crack. Of course, the roar of the engines drowned out any noise of the gunshots for the pilot. One bullet entered the airplane about a foot below the pilot's seat. Had the shot been a little higher, it would not have been good.
That plane was one of the neatest on the ramp while I worked there. Great times back then. -Wayne W. Woodward, July 18, 2010, Lineman for International Aviation in 1996. Wayne.woodward (talk) 02:19, 19 July 2010 (UTC)