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There is still trust in this world...

java

java

Well Known Member
Just had a great day, with several flights and some tinkering. Finally, the weather has cooperated!!!

Anyhow, stopped off at a small, rural airport to pick up my cousin for a ride. A local mentioned that they had good gas prices, so an hour later after the tour flight I decided to fill up before heading home. No joy. The door to the office was locked, with no one around. But wait... Sign on the door says the code to the lock is the first, second, and fourth digit in the standard emergency frequency. That gets me in, to find a lock box with a combo padlock and a note that the code is the standard enroute frequency. Inside I find a log, a key to the pumps, and a bunch of visa slips (the old ones with carbon). I fill up, fill everything out, lock it back up, and I'm on my way.

How cool is that?
 
java said:
Just had a great day, with several flights and some tinkering. Finally, the weather has cooperated!!!

Anyhow, stopped off at a small, rural airport to pick up my cousin for a ride. A local mentioned that they had good gas prices, so an hour later after the tour flight I decided to fill up before heading home. No joy. The door to the office was locked, with no one around. But wait... Sign on the door says the code to the lock is the first, second, and fourth digit in the standard emergency frequency. That gets me in, to find a lock box with a combo padlock and a note that the code is the standard enroute frequency. Inside I find a log, a key to the pumps, and a bunch of visa slips (the old ones with carbon). I fill up, fill everything out, lock it back up, and I'm on my way.

How cool is that?
Click to expand...

Did you smile for the camera? ;-)
 
java said:
How cool is that?
Click to expand...

Very cool JV! Good to see we still can find that in aviation!

I once knew a 20 year old kid ;) that got bit by headwinds in a J-3 Cub (honest), and had to drop into an airport short of home, having just spent the last of his cash on lunch for his girlfriend (well before ATM cards and cell phones). The nice folks at the FBO looked him over (and sensed his deperation not to be totally embarrased) and hooked him up with a tank...then sent him the bill. And he paid it!

Good to see there's still some of that going on 34 years later (ooops! :D)

Great story! (by the way, what is the standard enroute frequency...I may have been stuck up there! :eek: will probably do a dooohhh! when you say it, but what the heck!).

Cheers,
Bob
 
airports like they used to be

Couple of years ago I flew from West Texas to Wash DC for a niece's wedding, and stopped in at Lawrence County Airpark in Burlington, OH. It's just on the north side of th Ohio River, across from the much larger Huntington, WV.
I could have landed at the larger Tri-State airport nearby on the other side of the river in another state (and would have, if IFR), but I like the smaller airfields when possible. Cheaper gas, too.
Airnav had told me they have self serve avgas on the field, and I see the tank and pump when I taxi in. After I park in front and get out, I noticed that there is not a credit card reader, so I go into the small office to find out how it's done here.
I ask the older gentlemen at the counter inside if I can buy some gas, and he inquires "do you know how to run the pump outside?" I tell him "yes" and he says "just write down the numbers of gallons that you use" and then come back inside. And that's what I did.
Once back inside, I gave him the gallons and he used a printed chart that had gallons down the left side and various prices per gallon across the top to come up with the total cost. I silently smiled that in this day of GPS and EFIS and coupled autopilots, this airport and this gentlemen still ran an airport the way that I began almost 40 years ago, with an implied trust in the fellow aviator's integrity.
I paid my tab and used the telephone to get a briefing for the next leg into Gaithersburg, MD.
Departing downwind on the shoulder of the Ohio River, I gave the ones standing outside the small office a wing wag of appreciation for their hospitality. I hope to land there again someday, just to see if it has changed. I hope that it's still there and that it hasn't changed.

Hobby
RV6
270 hrs.
 
hobby_rv6 said:
...stopped in at Lawrence County Airpark in Burlington, OH. It's just on the north side of the Ohio River, across from the much larger Huntington, WV.

I hope that it's still there and that it hasn't changed.
Click to expand...

As of last summer, yep, it's still there and still seems laid back. I stopped in for a quick overnight; landed in the evening after everyone had gone home... I didn't need fuel so I tied down at an open spot and walked to the hotel. Next morning I walked back and the place was still deserted, but the office was unlocked for access to the facilities and phone. Nice little airport.
 
Jennings, LA 3R7

On a related note, the people at the 3R7, Jennings, LA, FBO are really nice. Had a mechanical there on a weekend, no mechs around, so told me to just help myself to whatever I needed in their maint hangar. Got airplane fixed and on my way on a Saturday vs waiting 'til Monday, at least, to have parts flown in.

Also, can park airplane on NE corner of field right by hotels and restaurants, no need for a crew car. Self serve fuel also.
 
java said:
Don't feel bad Bob. I had to flip through a CFS sitting on the desk (Canadian FD) before I caught on! :confused: :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Thanks for that easy out! ;)

And it is a great story! The way things oughtta be in this game!

Cheers,
Bob
 
Similar experience at Skywest Airport, Midland, TX, except that, IIRC (1998), the note on the door told you where to leave the cash for the gas, and where the keys to the courtesy car were.

Before that, 1993, I landed at Delaware Airpark near Dover with a stuck valve. I asked the mechanic on duty when he might have time to help. He didn't, but pointed me toward his toolbox and said "help yourself".
 
Baxley, GA (BHC) has always been deserted when I was there. CTAF code to open the door, TV on, self serve snacks on the counter, etc. Not a sole around anywhere. Brand new white van outside with the keys in the ashtray. Oh and they had the cheapest gas around!

Contrast that with my local airport, likely the highest gas in the Southeast ... .... ....., well at least we have friendly RV builders!
 
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hobby_rv6 said:
I ask the older gentlemen at the counter inside if I can buy some gas, and he inquires "do you know how to run the pump outside?" I tell him "yes" and he says "just write down the numbers of gallons that you use" and then come back inside.
Click to expand...

You must have been WAY off course ! That sounds exactly like Charlie at 7B3 and they still sell gas that way today !
 
java said:
Just had a great day, with several flights and some tinkering. Finally, the weather has cooperated!!!

Anyhow, stopped off at a small, rural airport to pick up my cousin for a ride. A local mentioned that they had good gas prices, so an hour later after the tour flight I decided to fill up before heading home. No joy. The door to the office was locked, with no one around. But wait... Sign on the door says the code to the lock is the first, second, and fourth digit in the standard emergency frequency. That gets me in, to find a lock box with a combo padlock and a note that the code is the standard enroute frequency. Inside I find a log, a key to the pumps, and a bunch of visa slips (the old ones with carbon). I fill up, fill everything out, lock it back up, and I'm on my way.

How cool is that?
Click to expand...

I experienced this on my second [long] cross country trip when I was a sport pilot and very new to aviation. I had checked for the airport ahead of time and said gas was available but when we arrived, no one was there with tumble weed rolling cross taxi way such that my wife did not want to get out of the plane :)

Anyway, after much looking we found the gas pump but no one was there with no CC type for self-service. A bit more searching we found a wooden box with CC slip and a key to unlock the lock on the pump. Fill up and write how much it was.
We were only not sure if we were pumping Avgas or from the local water well, but it all turned out to be just fine.
 
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