sometimes it's the little things (revisited)

In response to Jay's post I would like to post the following story to pay
respects to an aviator that took the extra step to help a fellow pilot in
trouble. If anyone has a similar story I'd like to hear it.

My in-laws are visiting my wife and I for a few weeks. My father-in-law is
a real history buff and his favorite subject in history is the Civil War and
knows quite a bit about it. I got the bright idea of having us all watch
the movie Gettysburg one night and told them that I would fly them to the
battlefield the next morning.

He was sooo excited to see Gettysburg as he has never been there. Actually,
this is his first trip to America. They are from the Philippines.

The next morning we all woke up to a beautiful sunny day with calm winds.
They flight to the historic site was a very relaxing flight. They also
never flew before in a small GA airplane.

Gettysburg airport is a really nice place btw. The runway was recently
re-done, lengthen and widened. The airport is just minutes from the history
sites, restaurants and the battlefields. What I didn't know was that it was
recently sold to new owners and there are NO facilities there! No FBO, no
fuel, no service, no courtesy car, no taxi's, no nothin'!! It was an
aviation ghost-town. There was no one there and no planes on the ramp.

I began calling for a taxi and they were non-existent. I tried limo
services...nothing! I called restaurants to see if they would provide
transportation for 4 hungry customers. Nothing doing! I called 411 for
help, I called hotels, motels and B&B's and they thought I was crazy to ask
for a ride.

AAMOF, the B&B owner asked how I got her number. I said it is listed in a
pilot's airport directory called Flight Guides. Her response was, "Well
I'll have to call them and remove my name. I don't want to be picking up
pilots" eh?!?

Most people, upon hearing that I was at the Gettysburg airport said,
"Gettysburg has an airport?" or "AT THE GETTYSBURG AIRPORT!! I THOUGHT
THEY CLOSED THAT THING DOWN!" or "Why would anyone fly into there?!"

As I looked around at this perfectly functional airport within a stone's
through of a great tourist and historic site I became depressed. How could
such a nice airport go un-used and un-loved. I began to realize that I had
no options left. I would have to announce that we were getting back in the
plane and going home.

Just then I heard the familiar sound of an airplane engine over-head. It
was on base for Gettysburg and I blew a sigh of relief. Maybe these folks
know how to get a ride to town and back again.

Upon landing they taxied to a hangar and a man and a woman stepped out. I
walked over.

"Hello! It's good to see someone. Can you guys tell me how we can get a
taxi to town?"

"Yea, that's a trick. There are no taxis. What are you all going to do?"

"We were hoping to see the battlefield and visit the museums and electric
map."

"Well you're in luck! Our car is available. Would you all like to use our
car?"

"Eh? You mean you'll give us a ride to town?"

"No, I mean we'll drive you to our house and you can take our car for the
day. Just bring it back to the airport when you're done and my wife and I
will pick it up."

"Wait! You mean this Mercedes? You're going to let us take it for they
day!"

"Sure, no problem. Jump in and we'll drive you to our place."

Well that is exactly what they did and they even gave us maps of the town,
told us the best places to eat and made sure we knew how to get back to the
airport.

I didn't know how to thank them. I could only fill the tank (which was
already full). I told them that if they are every in Lumberton, NJ (N14)
that I would love to treat them to dinner or lend them my car.

What great folk aviators are to each other. How trusting and caring. God
bless them and I hope one day I can repay their kindness for saving our trip
and allowing my father-in-law to have such a cherished memory. His greatest
moment was standing on Little Round Top just at sunset looking out on the
hallowed battleground of Pickett's Charge.

Kobra

("Kobra" wrote)
What great folk aviators are to each other. How trusting and caring. God
bless them and I hope one day I can repay their kindness for saving our
trip and allowing my father-in-law to have such a cherished memory. His
greatest moment was standing on Little Round Top just at sunset looking
out on the hallowed battleground of Pickett's Charge.


I have got to get out to Gettysburg next summer!! Thanks for the post.

http://www.brotherswar.com/Gettysburg-2k.htm
The First Minnesota at Gettysburg ...and Pickett's Charge.
[What Hancock had given us to do was done thoroughly. The regiment had
stopped the enemy, held back its mighty force, and saved the position, and
probably that battle-field. But at what a sacrifice! Nearly every officer
was dead, or lay weltering with bloody wounds--our gallant colonel and every
field-officer among them. Of the two hundred and sixty-two men who made the
charge, two hundred and fifteen lay upon the field, struck down by Rebel
bullets; forty-seven men were still in line, and not a man was missing. The
annals of war contain no parallel to this charge. In its desperate valor,
complete execution, successful result, and in its sacrifice of men in
proportion to the number engaged, authentic history has no record with which
it can be compared.]

(From Wikipedia)
Gettysburg
The men of the 1st Minnesota are most remembered for their actions on July
2, 1863, during the second day's fighting at Gettysburg, resulting in the
prevention of a serious breach in the Union defensive line on Cemetery
Ridge. Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, commander of the II Corps of the Army
of the Potomac, ordered the regiment to assault a much larger enemy force (a
brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox) in an effort to buy time
while other forces could be brought up. During the charge, 215 members of
the 262 men who were present at the time became casualties, including the
regimental commander, Col. William Colvill, and all but three of his
officers. The unit's flag fell five times and rose again each time. The 47
survivors rallied back to General Hancock under the senior surviving
officer, a captain. The 82 percent casualty rate stands to this day as the
largest loss by any surviving military unit in American history during any
single engagement.

Despite the horrendous casualties the 1st Minnesota had incurred, it
continued the fight the next day, helping to repulse Pickett's Charge. The
surviving Minnesotans just happened to have been positioned at one of the
few places where Union lines were breached during that engagement, and, as a
result, charged the advancing Confederate positions one last time as a unit.

As a direct result of its actions defending against Pickett's Charge, the
1st Minnesota captured the colors of the 28th Virginia.[1] The flag was
taken back to Minnesota as a prize of war and is displayed at the Minnesota
Historical Society. In the mid-1990s, several groups of Virginians
unsuccessfully sued the Society to return the 28th Virginia's battle flag to
the Old Dominion State.


Montblack
They want their 28th Virginia flag back. Ain't gonna happen!
[1] http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us%5Ecvcap.html
[2] http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/flag/vote.html
[3] http://www.mnlegion.org/paper/html/zdon.html

"Kobra" wrote in message
. ..
In response to Jay's post I would like to post the following story to pay
respects to an aviator that took the extra step to help a fellow pilot in
trouble. If anyone has a similar story I'd like to hear it.


Thank you for taking the time to post this.

Just when you start to wonder if (given world events) there are any saints
or angels left...along comes a story like this.

Awesome...just awesome.

Happy Holidays Kobra!

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ

Jay Beckman wrote:
"Kobra" wrote in message
. ..
In response to Jay's post I would like to post the following story to pay
respects to an aviator that took the extra step to help a fellow pilot in
trouble. If anyone has a similar story I'd like to hear it.


Thank you for taking the time to post this.

Just when you start to wonder if (given world events) there are any saints
or angels left...along comes a story like this.

Awesome...just awesome.

Happy Holidays Kobra!

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ


I second his notion that pilots are different. Coming back from Oshkosh
one year ( pre IFR cert ) I go stuck near Detroit overnight. The
college student who was working the desk at the FBO found us a motel
about 5 miles away and drove us over there. His was not working the
next day so he gave us his home phone number and said to call him in the
morning and he would drive over and pick us up to return us to the
airport. The most unusual part about all this is that it was not
unusual. I've heard many similar stories from other pilots.

John

Great Story Kobra.... and it illustrates the overall level
of ignorance regarding aviation that permeates eevery strata
of life in this country.

Look at the potential business that airport could bring to
the town of Gettysburg... being such an historic place. In
this day an age, with driving such a hassle (and dangerous!)
I just don't go to places that I can't fly to and land
nearby.

Merry Christmas.

What great folk aviators are to each other. How trusting and caring. God
bless them and I hope one day I can repay their kindness for saving our trip
and allowing my father-in-law to have such a cherished memory. His greatest
moment was standing on Little Round Top just at sunset looking out on the
hallowed battleground of Pickett's Charge.

This kind of thing has happened to us so many times over the years.
When we were considering buying the hotel, experiences like this became
a prime reason for deciding to get into the aviation theme-suite hotel
business. Pilots are simply outstanding people, and you simply can't
go wrong building a small business around them.

Unfortunately, we pilots are a very small market, indeed. Less than 5%
of our guests are pilots, although there are certainly a huge
percentage of folks who WANT to be pilots. And, in every case, our
pilot-guests have been simply outstanding, honorable, honest folks, and
I have never felt any hesitation tossing them the keys to our
full-sized Ford van, handing them a map, and sending them off to
dinner.

But I digress. We ran into a similar situation a few years ago in
Ephraim, Wisconsin, up on the Door Peninsula (that thumb-shaped spit of
land that sticks out into Lake Michigan, creating Green Bay on the west
side). Mary, the kids and I landed there on our way to Mackinac
Island, hoping to have lunch at our favorite restaurant in the whole
world, the "White Gull Inn". (See it he
http://www.whitegullinn.com/ )

Unfortunately, the airport is in Ephraim, and the inn is in Fish Creek,
one city down the peninsula. In the past we had called a cab, but were
told (to our horror) that the "cab driver had died" -- leaving Door
County taxi-cab-less.

About this time an elderly woman drove into the FBO's parking lot. She
strode into the FBO with an air of dignity and authority that you don't
normally associate with elderly women, and she announced her intent to
go for a sight-seeing ride over to Mackinac Island. This was clearly a
woman who knew her way around an airport -- there was no questioning in
her voice.

Sadly, as it turned out, the FBO's sole charter plane was out on a
flight, and she was out of luck. There would be no ride today.

Striking up a conversation with her brought to light that she was a
non-current pilot named Gwen Dare. She had been a WASP during World
War II, ferrying aircraft of all makes and models all over the country.
(What a great name for a WASP, no? "Gwen Dare"!) We hit it off
right away, and told her our problem with getting off the field.

Since she couldn't get an airplane ride (all four of our seats were
full, or we'd have taken her with us to Mackinac Island), and we
couldn't get a ride to the restaurant, we offered to buy her brunch if
she'd give us a lift into town. She thought this was a marvelous idea,
and we ended up sharing one of the most enjoyable luncheons we've ever
had, as Gwen regaled us with flying tales from the war.

She may have been pushing 80 years old, but you'd have never guessed it
-- once the words started flowing, she was 20 years old again, flying
Mustangs and Mitchells across continents in all weather... The stories
she told -- what an era to be alive!

Eventually the meal ended, and she drove us back to the airport.
Reluctantly we bid her a fond farewell, and never saw her again -- but
her kindness and sparkling personality live on in our memories.

Perhaps Jim Burn can share his tale of the wonderful FBO we discovered
in Dalhart, Texas? Those folks really set the Gold Standard for
aviation customer service, IMHO...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote
Perhaps Jim Burn can share his tale of the wonderful FBO we discovered
in Dalhart, Texas? Those folks really set the Gold Standard for
aviation customer service, IMHO...

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KDHT/INGRAM#c

Broke a trailing drag link bolt during landing into the worst cross wind
that I've ever seen.

4 Honecks and 2 Burns' stranded on runway 21 on a Sunday evening 100 miles
from nowhere.

Carl Ingram is a retired ag pilot and part 137 operator. A bad heart forced
him to hang up his wings several years ago, but his passion and commitment
to aviation has only seemed to have grown. He and his wife continue to run
a full, and I mean FULL service FBO despite Dalhart's remote location.

Leaving the Honecks and my wife to stay with the airplane I walked up to the
FBO and was amazed to find not only Carl and his lovely wife still at the
office, but not just one, but TWO mechanics still on duty. Remember, this
is a Sunday at 5pm!

Carl, the two A&P's and I all pile into Carl's pickup truck and we're back
out on the runway in no time. They quickly agree that it's safe to taxi up
to the ramp.

As one of the mechanics searches for a the required hardware, Carl asks us
if we'd like a ride to a motel for the night. We politely agree but inform
him that with 6 passengers, his van won't hold our full load of people and
bags. "No problem, I'll just call my wife and she'll come in our other van.
We've got plenty of room!" What generosity!

Just as things are beginning to look up, the A&P discovers that he doesn't
have the correct bushing for the drag link. But never fear, he has some
Cessna bushings that he might be able to machine down. Sure enough. He
machines the retaining lip off a Cessna bushing then countersinks each end
and we've got an adequate temporary fix!

As we load our bags into both of the Ingram's mini vans, I volunteer to stay
behind and help the A&P but he refuses, saying that he'll have everything
done in the next few minutes. He wishes us a good evening and promises to
see us the following morning before we go.

Carl and his wife deliver us to a local motel and ask what time we'd like to
be picked up the following morning. Jay and I both object and tell him that
we'll be very happy to simply call a taxi, but Carl insists. Seems that
he's already delivered another pilot to the same motel and he'd be by in
the morning to give that fellow a ride to the airport. (a pilot from
Maryland who had spent the previous night sleeping in his Maule after
arriving at KDHL after hours)

Jay and I each attempted to pay the Ingram's for their generous taxi service
but they refused repeated attempts until Jay suggested that they put the
money in the church plate on our behalf next Sunday. This they could do.

The next morning, Carl in one van and his wife in another, both show up at
the motel to give 4 Honecks, 2 Burns' and one Maule pilot a ride back to the
airport.

It wasn't long before the A&P arrived at the FBO and began totaling our
invoice. As he did that Carl opened the hanger door and pulled our Aztec
around to the self serve fuel pumps. After filling all four tanks to the
brim, I returned to the office so Carl's wife could ad my fuel bill to the
invoice.

If memory serves me the total for fuel AND the Sunday evening repair was
less than .4AMU's. I'd have gladly paid several times this amount for their
great service and hospitality. Without them, our wonderful Vegas vacation
would have been at least delayed and at worst cancelled.

Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to sample the offerings of the
onsite restaurant.

If you ever get the opportunity, or should I say, privilege of stopping in
at KDHL say Hi to Carl and his wife. They are "real" down to earth airplane
people. As we all repeatedly thanked each of them they repeatedly acted
nonchalant saying "Oh, this sort of thing happens all the time. This is why
we're here."

Jim

If you ever get the opportunity, or should I say, privilege of stopping in
at KDHL say Hi to Carl and his wife. They are "real" down to earth airplane
people. As we all repeatedly thanked each of them they repeatedly acted
nonchalant saying "Oh, this sort of thing happens all the time. This is why
we're here."

Thanks, Jim. Those two were the best FBO owners I've ever met -- and
they sure saved our hash.

I wonder if they've found a buyer for the business yet? They're both
pushing their mid 70s, I reckon, and I know they were trying to find
someone to carry the flag for them...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

From the posts to airnav, it looks like they're still there.
Jim

On Wed, 20 Dec 2006 22:55:37 -0500, "Kobra" wrote:

What great folk aviators are to each other. How trusting and caring. God
bless them and I hope one day I can repay their kindness for saving our trip
and allowing my father-in-law to have such a cherished memory. His greatest
moment was standing on Little Round Top just at sunset looking out on the
hallowed battleground of Pickett's Charge.

Nice post Kobra. I have been helped out by numerous good samaritans
while flying XCs. I have also been able to return the favor many
times too.

Your post is also a good reminder that preflight planning is not
limited to the aviation part of flying. Desination transport, food,
and lodging may not be life-threatening, but they are definitely a
critical piece of enjoying flying.