Got better service than US Transportation Secretary Lahood

twdeckard

twdeckard

Pre-takeoff checklist
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twdeckard
I flew a Lifeline passenger to PIA Sunday. Former Congressman and current Transportation Secretary was waiting for an Air Force jet to get them to D.C. somehow. It was he and his wife and a bored looking aide. He did not seem at all interested in striking up a conversation.

Only noteable becuase I got Rock Star parking right in front of the ramp doorway and the Byerly folks were right there to help the passenger disembark. The Big Important Jet had to park some distance away and they sort of wisked a path in the snow for his entourage who all seemed terribly put-out. Perhaps they were grumbling at the humble 182 being broomed off by a dork in a Santa hat ...

I would have loved to have pressed him on some issues with the current US Transportation system but, again, he seemed rather grumpy about the current state of it himself and didn't seem inclined to engage a constituent.
 
Good. I'm disappointed that they even cleared a path for him.
 
Good on ya for doing the flight and on the FBO for giving you good treatment.

I've found that I get exemplary treatment by FBOs as a rule when I come in doing animal flights. Park right up front, any services I need. Some of them even bring out the red carpet - which I thank them for and then suggest they remove because the dogs are likely to pee on it.

I think most of these folks are happy to see someone downt-to-earth out doing good rather than someone with his head up his ***, and want to be nice to you for it.
 
Let me get this right, SecTrans had to get the Air Force to fly him to DC? DoT not have any planes of their own???

This is kind of like the Secretary of the Navy having to hitch a ride on an AF plane...I'll bet you don't see that very often!
 
I once flew with Warren McIlvoy, from Deer Valley/Phoenix > Flagstaff. Warren was doing a blood supply delivery. When we were in Final he said, "Watch this." ?????????
As we were taxiing to the ramp a red carpet was being rolled out. I thought that was pretty impressive, the occasion being a first for me. The FBO at Flagstaff(circa 2005) is a beautiful facility. While there we signed the guest book and just above my space was the name of the A & P who had serviced my plane for the 17 years before I owned it. He had delivered a plane from Maine to Flagstaff; and had only departed ½ hour before we landed.

During the return flight we landed at Sedona for chow time. Upon lifting out of there I was closely watching the full panel.
"Wow; it didn't take long to hit 8000 feet." "No, it doesn't; especially when we started from 7000 feet." (or something like that) Duuhhhhh! from one accustomed to starting from 70 msl.

HR
 

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JeffDG said:
Let me get this right, SecTrans had to get the Air Force to fly him to DC? DoT not have any planes of their own???

This is kind of like the Secretary of the Navy having to hitch a ride on an AF plane...I'll bet you don't see that very often!
Click to expand...

It had a seal on the side. It might have been DOT but I could have sworn it was Air Force. I suspect government officials are all sheparded by the Air Force. It did not appear on FlightAware.
 
Thanks for the link! I used Hanger 6 and couldn't turn up the emblem despite some deliberate googling. I would have said it looked like the Air Force One presidential seal? It wasn't the FAA triad?

I'd be curious what kind of plane it was, it was big. Maybe a G450?
 
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