When I was in my 20s (Young and Stupid) I worked on the Airfield Lighting Crew. One of the lights we had to maintain was the big revolving Strobe light in the highest point on base. That turned out to be on the Water Tower. The Water Tower was maybe 200 to 250 ft tall. But it was also on the highest hill on base. We had to climb it once a week and check the lights. We usually had to replace one or two bulbs, which required we have tools to open the locking devices that kept the unit closed. Also once we climbed the ladder to the top we had to walk to the center of the top of the tank, on a sheet metal roof. Now they had put those sandpaqper type strips down for us to walk on and give us some traction. There was no rail or anything to hang on to till we reached the light fixture. I had been doing this for about a year when a big wind suddenly came up as I was walking to the fixture. I go blown off my feet and slid about ten feet out on the slick metal roof. I froze and just laid there spread out till a member of the crew could climb back down and bring up a rope. They threw me the rope and I tied it to my belt. They then drug me over to the light fixture. Once there I was so scared, it took a long time for the Boss to talk me into crossing back over to the ladder. From that point I refused to go back up on the tower, period. Today I don't climb up on anything higher than a six foot ladder. The balcony in our house overlooking the living room and kitchen makes me dizzy.
