Tell us your best courtesy car story!

KORS is a mid 70's Mercedes diesel NA 240D, stick with a choke. Had a laminated checklist for starting and how to use the brakes a while ago. Everything worked! Such a loud, slow car. But it's on an island in the Puget sound so it blends in nicely. Not my pic of the old girl tho.

Mid 80's, Pops, Ma and me stopped in BFE KS and drove the old 70's land yacht. The keys were a hammer and big screwdriver. Dad got the skinny on the ops, was reminded that the cops might pull us over. We were, Barney Fife and the most beautiful girl cop in the world pulled us over (I was 15 so I was instantly in love) to make sure we didn't steal it from the airport like it was by the girl cop's x-bf every few days, so we heard. I learned how to jump the starter solenoid to the frame with the screwdriver, and how to hammer it off when it welded itself to the frame and starter.

Took my old, filthy, leaky, ugly as sin Sierra to a fancy FBO in Addison, where we parked the plane amongst hotrod Jets and fancy big new twins. 1998? A sight to behold. Asked to use the crew car, it was a brand new caddy Escalade, 1100 miles. We were kids and easily impressed with how fast it was. Tried to pick up chicks to no avail and went to our concert. Bought more gas for the caddy than the Sierra.

Best was the car in Muscle Shoals. Delivered a Baron to the broker who owned the FBO. He let us use a mid 90's 993(911?) Carrera RS Clubsport. Had a roll cage and 4 point harness, and a stiff as hell clutch. LOUD AF. I couldn't drive it worth a damn, to much work to keep it running in the city. It was the owner's girlfriend's, soon to be ex-husband's father's pride and joy. I had a poster of a yellow one in my dorm, and I drove one!
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Zeldman said:
Years ago I took a C-152 from Ona, WV to Lunken Field in Cincinnati for an engine over haul. A buddy followed me in a C-182 to pick me up.

After meeting with the shop manager, we asked about a place to eat. He told us there is a decent BBQ place about a mile down the road. Take my truck, the red Ford parked out the front door, keys are in it..

We walked out to see a really nicely restored red Ford pickup, about a '64 model, parked out front and the keys were in it. We took it and was surprised by the acceleration. We parked at the BBQ joint and opened the hood to find a really nice looking 390ci.

We had lunch, tolerable pork BBQ, and headed back to the airport. When we pulled into the parking lot there was a small group of people and a police car. As we pulled in, one of the guys in the crowd pointed at us. They all ran over, yelling things, so we parked the truck, right next to a fairly new red Ford pickup......

We were trying to tell our story but the owner of the truck was understandably upset and not giving us much of a chance to talk. Finally the shop manager was summoned and once he confirmed our story things calmed down a little. But it was a really nice truck....
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With all the stories about "finding" the keys to car and borrowing it, I was just sure one of these stories would end this way. Here there are always cars around with keys in them, but only one is the courtesy car. The owners of the others might be surprised to have lost their way home.
 
Ravioli said:
Doesn't @Jay Honeck have the ultimate loan car for use when staying at the landing?
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Sadly, not anymore.

After 17 years of being the only hotel in America to offer pilots a free car to use, we have sold our last one -- the Lexus.

Why? Disuse. It hadn't moved in months, and there is nothing worse for a car on an island surrounded by salt water than not using it. The rotors corroded, the seals in the AC dried up and failed, and it was a never ending litany of maintenance issues caused by sitting (dead battery, flat tires, etc.) that finally made me relent to common sense and sell it.

We will still come fetch you at the airport, should you fly in, but even that is few and far between nowadays. It's sad, but our success as an aviation themed hotel -- we've set sales records every year since we opened here 10 years ago -- has paralleled the steep decline in GA flying.

Hell, in Iowa, when we opened in 2002, we had TWO courtesy cars! 17 years later, there's just no longer any call for one. :(:(:(
 
@Jay Honeck

I'm going to put in my request to head down to Amelia's Landing again, probably Sep.

I want to see the rebuild. We were last there when the first remodel was starting and missed most of it. I followed your progress on FB after the storm - that was a whole lot of brutal work for you guys. I'd like to see the results.
 
Eric Stoltz said:
Best was the car in Muscle Shoals.
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Muscle Shoals! Brings back memories - I grew up in Florence, just across the river. I was thinking about the Muscle Shoals airport just the other day. I went there a couple times as a little kid when my parents had to pick up my sister who flew in from when she lived in Memphis. That was back in the 70's. I barely remember that airport terminal - dark wood paneling, and old school metal detectors you had to walk through.

I was actually looking at the airport diagram and satellite images of that airport, wondering what it was like now, if I ever decided to fly back that way after I get my PPL.
 
midwestpa24 said:
With all the stories about "finding" the keys to car and borrowing it, I was just sure one of these stories would end this way. Here there are always cars around with keys in them, but only one is the courtesy car. The owners of the others might be surprised to have lost their way home.
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I am not the sharpest tool in the shed but I learnt my lesson on this one. I learnt to get a better description of the vehicle... :lol::lol:
 
I had a forced landing in a tiny town in West Central Texas called Knox City when my #2 engine oil filter housing fractured. I didn't want to park on the taxiway, so I parked in the dirt, clear of any aircraft.
Of course, it rained and we had to walk in the resulting mud.
The gentlemen who ran the airport/FBO also owned the Ford dealership. He instructed us to take his truck and go see an old guy who operated the only BBQ joint, just outside of town.
His truck turned out to be a freshly detailed, brand new quad cab F-250 luxury edition dealer demonstrator and we all had muddy boots from walking in the mud!
We drove to the barbecue place and the old guy behind the counter told us to ignore the menu board and he made us all a big plate of brisket and ribs. When we were done, he refused to take our money, so we left him a $50.00 tip!
We eventually made it home after being rescued by a sister ship with the part we needed...
 
DaleB said:
Typical experience... Land at a deserted airport. Find the keys to the courtesy minivan, use it, put a few gallons in it, drop a few bucks into the coffee can full of singles and fives that's there for courtesy car donations. And here we are... a vehicle with the keys readily accessible, a coffee can with probably close to $100 in it, sitting on a desk in an effectively unlocked room. And it works, because everyone wants it to work.
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Absolutely, I feel the aviation world is one of the last bastions of true community left. I love that we live in Mayberry once at the field. I was shocked by this when I got into it, I figured as pricey as it is the flying world would be filled with arrogant snobs. I can count the pilots ive met like that on less than a hand. Seems to be no matter our income we all like crappy coffee in styrofoam cups and will bend over backwards for a fellow pilot without so much as a thought... that the driver of a decked out glass paneled ship and the guy that flies a ratted out old ragwing chat as complete equals and brothers. I hope we never loose this sense of community.
 
Not a true courtesy car, but close.

I had my ppl for a few years and a brand new girlfriend. Sans kids, decided to take a weekend trip to Biloxi, MS. Called and was told they didn’t have a courtesy car but they did have $25/day rentals. Great. Flew down in my 1969 177, bad paint job and ripped upholstery, my pride and joy. Marshaled in by a flagman right in front of the FBO and literally a red carpet was rolled out and we were escorted to a brand new Mercedes. I excused myself, went inside and reminded them that I wanted the $25/day car. That was it, the rentals were subsidized by the hotels. Married the girlfriend. Got a bigger plane.


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Coos Bay Oregon. They didn’t have a courtesy car so a dude at the FBO let me use his F250 super duty. Super nice guy. I filled it up for him (back when diesel was like $4.40) and I think it was more than my airplane fuel bill!
 
Douglas WY had a junker '74 Chev Grand XXX station wagon that pulled to the right so hard you had to use both hands on the steering wheel just to go straight. No gas cap but had a rag stiffed in the filler. Felt like I was driving a Molotov cocktail.
 
MetalCloud said:
Coos Bay Oregon. They didn’t have a courtesy car so a dude at the FBO let me use his F250 super duty. Super nice guy. I filled it up for him (back when diesel was like $4.40) and I think it was more than my airplane fuel bill!
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I’d be scared to have a courtesy car that’s a diesel. You just know someone would put gas in it.


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In Nebraska they're often runouts. The keys are usually on top of the door molding or on a hook beneath the pay-phone (remember those?). Bring it back with more gas than it left with.

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Let'sgoflying! said:
Tried to get a car at Midland Tx, they said a pilot had taken it to El Paso (maybe 3 or 4 hrs away) without permission and they were in the middle of retrieving it!
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You may have gotten lucky there. Last time I was in Midland, that ratty car had a drivers door that would barely close, highly faulty speedometer, non-working fuel gauge, and every warning light in the panel was on. They were proud of it though! Could only have it for an hour.

Best crew car story I heard didn't happen to me, but a doctor friend who flew to San Antonio for a day seminar. He landed at International, and took a bit of a sketchy crew car to the south side of the city for the seminar. At the end of the day, walks back out to open up the car to drive back, and the entire drivers side door comes off in his hand. After some head-scratching, he puts it in the backseat, and drives all the way through San Antonio at rush hour with no drivers door.
 
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DaleB said:
Dude, when did you get a picture of my car???
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Dale: I'm guessing you've been around the block; a lot of courtesy cars aren't unlike "(your) car." I've always felt grateful for them, and I think you nailed it in post #22. Thanks.

BTW, if you happen to be at an airport without a courtesy car, just get to the road and start walking; I've never made it more than 100 yards before someone stops to pick me up (not even thumbing...just faked a limp).
 
Choteau, MT.

Arrive, and it's what you'd expect at a Montana Airport. Nice facility, but no one there when I arrive. Call the hotel to see if they have a car or a local cab that can come get me and the hotel manager says "there's a white car (retired PD crown Vic)out front at the airport, keys are [I forget where, but probably under the floor mat] and come. Car is yours as long as you are here." Of course if you've been there you know you only needed to get from the airport to the hotel and then everything else is walking distance. The tank was full and I think owned by the city so I couldn't even put gas in it.
 
KBUY BMW 325i Used but great...now a new Impala.
KSCR Don't remember the make, no reverse, had to push car out from parking space and pull through the space at Subway.
KHBI Dead battery...got a jump. Next time had to use seatbelt to keep the drivers door shut.
 
Years ago in SYI, we wanted to go to the nearby Bell Buckle Cafe for lunch. We were offered a choice: Do you want the one with working AC, or the one with a working transmission? (Seriously, those were the words from the guy in the office.)

It was a hot day; the wife and our girls outvoted me. We got to the restaurant OK and without sweating, and I almost thought the transmission was OK. Until I tried to back out of the parking spot after lunch, that made me sweat after all since getting it into reverse was next to impossible.
 
I've had plenty of courtesy car "adventures", but probably the most unusual was when I landed in Wall, SD on a long trip, planning to walk into town (it's only about 6-7 blocks from the airport) to eat lunch at Wall Drug... I was met on the ramp by the airport geezer, who tossed me the keys to his motorcycle. :)

For some reason, this reminds me of when I returned the courtesy car in Richfield, UT a couple years ago on my way back from a trip to CA to visit my brother. My wife and I had stayed overnight and brought the car back in the morning. When we headed inside to return the keys, there was a group of airport geezers there drinking coffee, and one of them said, "Hey, that ain't the chick you brought here last week!" :rofl: <guffaws all around>
 
ARFlyer said:
Greenville, MS had a H1 Hummer that leaned as you drove it due to blown suspension. My university buddies might or might not have driven it across several fields and through a ditch.
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Did you go to Delta State?
 
Not a free courtesy car, but almost ...

In 1972 I borrowed my dad's Cessna 150 to take a young lady on a trip from Oxnard CA for a picnic in the Danish-themed tourist town of Solvang. (To be fair, the town has an authentic Danish heritage, but they've played it to the hilt for the tourists, quite successfully). We landed at Santa Ynez, where the FBO at that time had a fleet of rental cars -- all 1958 Chevys, all $5 a day.



The young lady must have liked the trip. She's still flying with me. :)

The coolest courtesy car I've seen in recent years is at Benson, Arizona (E95) -- a 1955 Dodge Coronet with "three-on-the-tree":

 
We landed Ontario Or. and was given the keys to a 1970 vintage Lincoln Continental, largest car I've ever driven..That car had a hood the size of the average parking lot, every thing worked even the wonder bar radio.

Worst, Ogden UT, late model Volvo station wagon, nothing worked, and we ran out of gas exiting the parking lot.
 
kayoh190 said:
Llano used to have an old cop car with power steering that no longer worked. It was always a fun drive out to Cooper’s!

I wonder if Larry is still out there tearing ass around the airport in his golf cart?
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I think Larry passed away a couple of years ago. Roy is running the place now.
 
KDMN Deming NM has an Econoline van that'll haul about 12 people if you want to have a multi-ship fly in (we do out of El Paso usually with at least 6-8 AC)

Flew to Lubbock Exec F82 years ago and that courtesy car was in pretty rough shape.

Lamesa (LUV) told me their courtesy car had not been started in over a year. For some reason, you call the librarian for info. She sent someone out to insure it'd start before we arrived for a HS playoff basketball game several years ago. Great people in that area.
 
Small Ag airport in Arkansas. I think they were suprised someone would actually land and want to go into town on purpose. They drove me across the airfield to a CV that hadnt been started in a year. Had a bees nest under the gas door. No bees, even they didnt like the car. Would chug and miss but it got to the where I needed and back. I think they were happy for me to drive it and charge the battery for them. I smile on the inside and feel privileged when I land at a small airport, no one around, but everything is self serve and on the honor system. I happily over pay for the soda or coffee and put more gas in the cars even or especially when there is no one around. I feel like thats how we keep this semi-secret world alive.
I usually land at larger airports that are staffed, but I enjoy the smaller ones just as much or more. I like the "secret" codes to get into them... "door code is vfr squawk" or "door code is unicom"
 
Bobanna said:
The "best" courtesy vehicle I've had was a run-out Mercury with almost no brakes: if I pumped (and pumped and pumped...) the right rear wheel would lock-up until the pedal was released. Novel and fun, sure, but I wouldn't do it in anything but dry conditions and very light traffic. I was grateful for the loaner car, though, and I brought it back with more gas than I left with (shoulda checked the oil, I suppose).
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I might have started by checking the brake fluid. ;)
 
We have a summer home across from KSSQ (Shell Lake in NW WI) & garage an old Geo Tracker there. The Airport/City has a nice clean Buick courtesy car on honor system but when it's out, we loan out our Tracker. It always comes back with more fuel or $ stuffed in the ashtray....:)
 
DaleB said:
Typical experience... Land at a deserted airport. Find the keys to the courtesy minivan, use it, put a few gallons in it, drop a few bucks into the coffee can full of singles and fives that's there for courtesy car donations. And here we are... a vehicle with the keys readily accessible, a coffee can with probably close to $100 in it, sitting on a desk in an effectively unlocked room. And it works, because everyone wants it to work.
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Huckster79 said:
Absolutely, I feel the aviation world is one of the last bastions of true community left. I love that we live in Mayberry once at the field. I was shocked by this when I got into it, I figured as pricey as it is the flying world would be filled with arrogant snobs. I can count the pilots ive met like that on less than a hand. Seems to be no matter our income we all like crappy coffee in styrofoam cups and will bend over backwards for a fellow pilot without so much as a thought... that the driver of a decked out glass paneled ship and the guy that flies a ratted out old ragwing chat as complete equals and brothers. I hope we never loose this sense of community.
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I hate to say it, because a lot of times eman goes against the popular grain, but this is exactly why I'm totally opposed to that courtesy car book (or website, whatever it is). I appreciate the work that guy is doing (forgive me, I don't recall who's doing it), and I obviously understand how it can benefit the general aviation world, but I'm of the opinion that it really shouldn't be advertised. it should be appreciated IF AND WHEN it's available.
 
At St. Maries, Idaho (S72), the county keeps two vintage Chevy Blazers at the airport with signout sheets in the pilot lounge. With regard to one of them, for Pete's sake don't put it in 'park' -- you'll never be able to move the shifter again if you do ...
 
Seanaldinho said:
The FBO at Pensacola regional had some nicely restored muscle cars. I think one was a GTO.

As a local I never had a need despite several attempts to fabricate a need.
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The one time I went there, they had a Ferrari 308 and a 318. Both red.
 
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