CRAZY FLIERS

CRAZY  FLIERS

 

In this world of high tech, crazy

fliers are practically unknown.

They used to be an institution and

here are a few examples.

 

There was a famous, ex military pilot

in Western South Dakota who`s exploits

were known far and wide.

He set his plane down in cow pastures

to pick up pregnant ladies for her 

 doctor`s visits.  He flew in to

snowbound ranches and delivered hay to

starving cattle and he fed starving elk

in the Black Hills.

 

I was visiting my father in a black hills

hospital when I needed a trip back to

California in a hurry.  Airlines were all

booked for days in advance , but my brother

said no worry, Clyde will fly you out.

 

So, I contacted this old flier.  He rolled

out his 1930s Waco biplane and we were off.

I said, is`nt this a little rough and he said

"what?".  I yelled, it`s rough and he said

what ?  Then I realized he was deaf.

 

His poor hearing did`nt seem to bother this

flier, he pointed to his ear and said, "just

punch me in the arm when you want to tell me

something.  So, we were off.

 

No problems.. until we landed in Casper,

Wyoming for gas. (we were always out of gas).

When he sat us down on the runway, the plane

spun out of control, out, off the runway

through the weeds and into the neighboring

pasture.

No problem.  I was instructed to pull the

weeds out of the tail wheel.  Seems that was

the problem, a hold over from the last flite

he was on.

After gassing up no problem until we had to

go into Salt lake city for gas.

 

The mountains surrounding Salt Lake City are

like a formidable barrier, tall jagged peaks.

Suddenly we were circling lower and lower

around these peaks, so I poked him in the arm.

 

After poking the pilot in the arm, he gave me

the hands up gesture, meaning "I don`t know".

 

When we had just about touched the last peak,

this pilot got a bright look in his eye, looked

down below the dashboard and turned a switch,

then he dove to start the engine.

 

After some sputtering the engine roared into

life and we flew out of there.  Whewwww !

 

We gassed up in Salt Lake City and flew on

to Las Vegas where we stopped for gas.

Las Vegas did not have gas, so no problem.

We borrowed two five gallon gas cans, took

a taxi downtown, got gas, back to the plane,

gassed up and took off.

 

No problem--- except---we could not get any

altitude with regular gasoline, so we

followed the highway into California, One

wing up, one down, because in places the

pass was too narrow to fly with both wings

down.

 

When we landed I bought a bus ticket to

San Francisco.

 

This flier was one of the good ones.

Let me know if you want to meet the rest.

 

---- Eagle Cruagh

Reviews

[Emily Rae]

this is an adventure-of-a-write, it left me with a sense of exhilaration and wonder. it reveals your brave soul if it's true