Review of Capt. Dale Black’s “Flight to Heaven”: Majesty and Humility

When Capt. Dale Black visited heaven, he had not yet become an instructor for almost all kinds of commercial, Learjet, and small plane pilots.  He had not yet earned his M.A. and his Ph.D.  He had not yet piloted over 1,000 missionary ventures and many 1,000’s of commercial flights.  Also, because of a vow he made after discussing his trip to heaven with his grandfather, Black waited 40 years to tell his story.

Although he earned his pilot’s license at age 19, Capt. Black sat in the back of a red and white Piper Navajo that would be flown by two more seasoned pilots.  On May 29, 1969, the “pilot-in-command” took off poorly and crashed the plane into a monument near the end of the runway.  Located in Burbank, California, the monument with a mosaic dome is called, “Portal of the Folded Wings.” It contains the remains of aviation pioneers who have died and plaques to Amelia Earhart and others of flying renown.  Some day Black’s remains will be contained there.

Written about in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” only Black survived the crash.  The plane nearly disintegrated and Black fell 70 feet.  Black endured many operations and endless trips to the surgeon’s office.  Because his left foot was receiving no circulation, he was advised to have it amputated.  Black didn’t cooperate with the doctor’s advice, as the operation would have ended his flying career.  Black swore he would be the pilot-in-command of a plane that flew over the same monument within one year of the crash. Against all odds – and after barely passing a physical – Capt. Black did just that (this is a tearful moment for the reader); and many years later, Black led his surgeon to faith in Christ.

In the emergency room, Black experienced himself above his body.  But his journey had only just begun.  Spinning through a narrow pathway that was illuminated by a beam of light, Black traveled through total darkness.  He traveled at a blinding speed and became aware of two angelic companions.   He seemed to have 360° vision.  Fast approaching “a magnificent city, golden and gleaming among a myriad of resplendent colors,” he also heard “majestic, enchanting, and glorious” music.  He felt like he was “made for the music.”

This review hasn’t begun to capture what Black saw and experienced in heaven.  The rest of his account is mesmerizing.  I’ll let you read his incredible story yourself, but here are a few profound quotes: “I understood in my heart that God’s will was perfection and His Word was the source of all creation…Somehow I recognized that Jesus, the Word, was the structure that held it all together. ..He was the creative power that brought everything that I saw into place and stabilized it.”

Here’s an “asterisk” to Black’s near-death experience: His ankle made a miraculous recovery, but he still suffers pain.  Also, his short-term memory is not good.  Ever since the accident, he’s had to work twice as hard as most people to remember anything by making sure his thoughts and experiences are stored as long-term memories.

This reminds me of when the Apostle Paul went to heaven.  When Paul returned, God gave him a “thorn in the flesh” in order to keep him humble.  As with Paul, Capt. Black has at least two “thorns in the flesh.”  He’s suffered from short-term memory problems throughout his life.  Also, he still suffers from pain in his left ankle.  As with others who have experienced such majesty, humility is increased and is not an option.

Capt. Black can be contacted at [email protected] or by visiting www.DaleBlack.org.  He narrates the crash flight path into the “Portal of the Folded Wings” on this You Tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dQoavT66TE

Other favorite near-death experience accounts are listed on my “Psychology and Christ” Facebook site.