Pilot Good Karma - Paying it forward

AdamZ

AdamZ

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Display name:
Adam Zucker
So in honor or Grant's requst in a similar thread about bone head pilots I'll start this. Post the good things that Pilots have done for you or that you have seen them do in your travels.
 
Helped me haul out of 6Y9. A kindness I won't soon forget, and one of the myriad reasons I've attempted to get back there every year since.
 
Got stranded at Hicks field on a Sunday morning last fall.

Had a number of folks that bent over backwards to help me out, figure out what was wrong with the plane, bought my wife and daughter breakfast at the diner. Just great overall.

Turned out to be a bad magneto, couldn't get it repaired on a Sunday. A local A&P arranged to get it taken care of on Monday (very reasonable cost), and another gentleman flew us home!

-Dan
 
We've got a cropduster in our small community with a Bonanza that has a standing offer of free rides to any locals who need to get to the hospital fast for family that is hurt. Refuses payment of any kind, first class guy. It's 35 minutes to the nearest (small) ER and an hour drive to the nearest trauma center, he gets quite a few runs.
 
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Lending of tools has been a common occurrence in my experience, both so I could fix my plane, and so I could fix another pilots.
 
Lost a brake on a Sunday while going up the east coast.an instructor helped me move the airplane,then called the flight school owner who is also the mechanic.Mechanic did the brake on Sunday and showed me how to due them myself for future reference,also showed me what tools to buy.also offered to get me lunch while waiting/ watching.
 
Lending tools, borrowing tools, free BFR, free instruction, free A&P advice.

Last night I was offered the chance to get a tailwheel endorsement in my CFII friend's Taylorcraft. No charge, just fill it up after every lesson.
 
labor day (last week) I landed in KJCT at 9:30pm and was given a ride to the Motel 6 by the only guy on the airport at that hour.

thank goodness he was working on his plane that night.. else my gf and I would have slept in the plane that night.

he'll be getting a box of almonds or something as soon as I translate his license plate into an address.. or i'll send it to the FBO.
 
All of the kind POAers who have given me rides in their aircraft at Gastons and other flyins. So nice to be able to sample such a fine array of planes.
 
Charlie Cooper in Wink Texas helped me tremendously when I had issues there and had to leave the plane and fly back to Alabama on the airlines. Truly one of the good guys in aviation.

Wayne Bower as well. His willingness to offer up some suggestions via telephone was very kind during my aircrafts' stay in Texas.

These two stand out to me the most.
 
Lot's of stuff. Aviation has a lot less tools than the majority of industries out there.
 
Skylane81E said:
Lending of tools has been a common occurrence in my experience, both so I could fix my plane, and so I could fix another pilots.
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When I was a broke college student after the service with a C-150 and an A&P, older guys lending me special tools and the occasional annual signoff kept me going. Without their help I would have never made it to where I am.
 
Dinner, free rides to hotels (and back to airport in the morning). free places to crash for the night, breakfast, drinks, car.

Not only from pilots but from locals near the airport.
 
On one of my first trips to Osh I got stuck by bad weather on the way home near Detroit. The student intern who was running the FBO that evening found me a nearby hotel and drove my Dad, son and I over there in his personal car and told me he was not working the next day but gave me his cell number and said to call him the next day when we wanted to go back to the airport and he would come and get us. This was not a isolated incident for me, I've had great things like that happen other times while flying. Pilots and those who work supporting them just seem to be more willing to help out them the general population
 
Brook Beringer was a NU quarter back that was killed due to pilot error flying a Cub. Two people died that day, the other person was Brook's future brother in law. He was flying a plane loaned by a local business man. Brook's family sued the owner of the plane and they settled out of court. You would think that the owner of the plane would never allow anyone else to fly his planes due to the buggie man of LIABILITY. :eek:

Last Saturday I ran into a young pilot fresh off 3 tours in Iraq. He was infantry, now he is a helo instructor for the Army. He was flying the business owners plane while home doing his reserve duty training.

I was amazed, and really learned something by the example the local business owner set. He could have ( and understandably) never allowed anyone else to fly his planes again, but he didn't. He still allows people to enjoy his generosity.

There are very generous and forgiving people in aviation. :yes:
 
Took a pilot from out of town (transient) up to the local hotel so he could get some sleep. He flew in from New Jersey or somewhere like that and stopped on his way to OSH 2 years ago. He came in and said "How far to a hotel?" I commented "It's about 5 miles up the road" then decided I had time and offered him a ride up there (totally out of my way since I was waiting for my instructor) and initially refused but I don't take no for an answer easily. :) So I dropped him off and on the way I advised that he call the taxi company early tomorrow because it'll take awhile (Toledo is great place but taxis aren't the most popular)
 
jtheune said:
On one of my first trips to Osh I got stuck by bad weather on the way home near Detroit. The student intern who was running the FBO that evening found me a nearby hotel and drove my Dad, son and I over there in his personal car and told me he was not working the next day but gave me his cell number and said to call him the next day when we wanted to go back to the airport and he would come and get us. This was not a isolated incident for me, I've had great things like that happen other times while flying. Pilots and those who work supporting them just seem to be more willing to help out them the general population
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I can't tell you the number of times I have had people do this for me. One lady even give me there own personal car and they walked home! She lived 3 blocks away, but wanted me to have a good nights rest at the local hotel. :yes:

One airport I landed at used the honor system for fuel! After hours, no one around, they left the key to the pump in plain sight inside the FBO and expected you to pay cash or leave a check in the cash box that was full of money! :eek: The honesty and good feeling of aviator trust ( as a traveling pilot) still sticks with me today.
 
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Adam, exceptionally excellent thread. Thanks.

I have flown a fair amount over the last 12 years. Many cross country trips, and I've been weathered in too many times to count. Each time I usually meet someone who goes out of there way to kind, considerate, or helpful. Usually frazzled at the end of a long day I meet the nicest people who are willing to go the extra mile to assist in finding accommodations.

When you do have a good experience leave positive comments on AirNav. :yes:
 
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Geico266 said:
Adam, exceptionally excellent thread. Thanks.

I have flown a fair amount over the last 12 years. Many cross country trips, and I've been weathered in too many times to count. Each time I usually meet someone who goes out of there way to kind, considerate, or helpful. Usually frazzled at the end of a long day I meet the nicest people who are willing to go the extra mile to assist in finding accommodations.

When you do have a good experience leave positive comments on AirNav. :yes:
Click to expand...

+1 always like to post on air nav especially the good stuff.
 
Bill Jennings said:
All of the kind POAers who have given me rides in their aircraft at Gastons and other flyins. So nice to be able to sample such a fine array of planes.
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This! I've gotten to fly many types that'd be otherwise inaccessible thanks to kind PoAers.
 
Naming names - Ann Arbor Aviation Center (KARB )

A good friend, a U. Mich Alum (Go Blue!), who was still residing in Ann Arbor at the time, but blissfully oblivious to sports, decided to throw a release party for his album at the Ark -- on the same weekend Wisconsin Badgers were in town for a Big 10 matchup. Hotels were scarce, but these folks found a great room for me that was neither flea-bitten nor exorbitant (the only two options I had found of my own devices anywhere west of Ypsilanti), was close to the airport, and to downtown.

I've heard good things about Solo Aviation on field as well, but AAAC are the guys who helped me, so I sing their praises since I can't often buy their gas.
 
After a engine failure and landing at a field, had a pilot lend me his hangar while repairs were being made, next day he flew down to IFR mins to drop the key off and even gave us a ride to the local regional airport so we could get back home.

There are some AWSOME people in aviation
 
Have done a lot of cross country's in the last several years,don't think I have had a bad experience .In Mississippi they gave me lunch then a ride to the hotel across from a casino and picked me up in the morning.On another trip I misplaced my cell phone and they mailed it out the next morning this was in Arkansas .
 
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