Encounters With Arrogant Celebrity Pilots

[learnut]

F. Lee Bailey

I flew with him awhile back for about a year or so. I always found him to be very approachable from my standpoint or the publics. He always had about 10 things going through his head simultaneously. I flew both his Shrike and the Twin Commanche (Hoover Hornet and Bailey Bullet).

I met a few characters through him. Present and past clients. Did a AOPA flying photo shoot with him that was interesting. Bailey was a Marine pilot in the 50's, not sure of type or how much though.

I also met Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top (friends of boss) while flying a Lear, backstage alot also because of that, real nice guy.

 

[FlyingSkip]

After Desert Storm we got sent to Bangladesh to do typhoon relief stuff---delivering rice, rescuing little brown people floating on rooftops, etc. Anyway, Marilyn Quayle (Dan the Potatoe Man's spouse) was doing the celeb-wife duty at the time as US Ambassador to the UN for Humanitarian Relief or some such crap, and she showed up. I was flying co-pilot with our CO (who had done a tour at HMX flying the Prez) and halfway through the flight Mrs. VP asks a question on the ICS. I proceed to answer, and then asked her about her trip from the US, if she really thought the US could help all the little brown peeples, etc. She was very nice, told us how much she appreciated all we were doing to help, etc. Then she got off and I got my arse chewed by the CO---"You don't ever talk to the DVs(Distinguished Visitors) except to answer a question and then you shut the f*** up, Lt!" It's years later, but after all that time on the boat I still remember thinking that she was TOTALLY hotter than she ever looked on TV...!

I'm in CAE as Bobby Bowden of Clemson U fame gets off his aero-ma-plane for some speaking thing. We happen to walk into the head together, standing side by side at the urinals (don't go for the easy one here about cold, deep water!) and he finishes first. Walks out! I wash up, walk out just in time to see one of the boot-strapper introduce him to the FBO chick. She shakes his hand, "my family big Tiger fans", etc. then he goes out to meet the limo. She sees me and says "Did you see me talking to Coach?! I can't believe I got to meet Coach!!! My family will be so excited when I tell them!" I proceeded to ask her if she was going to go without washing her hand! When I told her the story she couldn't get to the sink fast enough, and it definitely made her look at "Coach" a little differently!

In all fairness, shows you how weird fame is. I don't wash my hands after I take a wee and nobody thinks anything of it---an SEC coach doesn't and I'm telling the story (I don't like Clemson!) for the last 16 months!

 

[Wanda Nevada]

ya wanna know arrogant??? i mean arrogant of the highest level. then the award goes to JULIA ROBERTS! ah yes. ms roberts was on a flight with me and when she pre-boarded because of her celebrity of course, she informed us that "I DONT GIVE AUTOGRAPHS, AND I DONT LIKE SMALL TALK. ALSO I DONT POSE FOR PICTURES WITH THE CREW. OK CAN I PLEASE BE TAKEN TO MY SEAT"?

lol, yeah i would have loved to have taken her to her seat, via the exit! lol
out of all the nasty Hollywood prima donna's shes the worst. the absolute worst!

 

[Wanda Nevada]

the nicest and sweetest Hollywood royalty would have to be Sandra Bullock (she poses for pics with crew! ) and Lorraine Brocco from the Sopranos was really nice. she likes small talk and signs autographs! lol...

 

[tomgoodman]

Besides Hoover, some other "class acts" from the golden age of flight test at Muroc/Edwards include Scott Crossfield (Douglas Skyrocket, X-15) and Bob Cardenas (B-29 that dropped the X-1, Northrop Flying Wing). Great technical knowledge, friendly, and interested in what YOU flew.

 

[bssthound]

As a young RF-4 WSO I met and ate lunch (in a group) with Bob Hoover at an airshow. Ultra nice guy, very complimentary about our aggressive low approaches when we arrived. Coming from him that meant something.

Once, when I was jumpseating to work Sarah Ferguson, the Dutchess of York, was on the flight. She is hands down one of the kindest, sweetest, most down-to-earth people I've ever met, celebrity or not. I realize that royalty learns the P.R. ropes from birth but it was obvious that she truly is a very nice person.

I've met some others but, not being that much into the Hollywood stuff, I wonder how many celebs I didn't recognize that I've been around . . . . .:0

 

[whaleroast]

I'm in CAE as Bobby Bowden of Clemson U fame gets off his aero-ma-plane for some speaking thing. We happen to walk into the head together, standing side by side at the urinals (don't go for the easy one here about cold, deep water!) and he finishes first. Walks out! I wash up, walk out just in time to see one of the boot-strapper introduce him to the FBO chick. She shakes his hand, "my family big Tiger fans", etc. then he goes out to meet the limo. She sees me and says "Did you see me talking to Coach?! I can't believe I got to meet Coach!!! My family will be so excited when I tell them!" I proceeded to ask her if she was going to go without washing her hand! When I told her the story she couldn't get to the sink fast enough, and it definitely made her look at "Coach" a little differently!

In all fairness, shows you how weird fame is. I don't wash my hands after I take a wee and nobody thinks anything of it---an SEC coach doesn't and I'm telling the story (I don't like Clemson!) for the last 16 months!

Alright, was it the guy on the right or the guy on the left?
http://media.theinsiders.com/Media/College_Football/31_tommy-fsu.GIF
You may not like Clemson and you make not like Bobby Bowden, but Bobby coaches Florida State, not Clemson.
And Bobby is a class act.

 

[FlyingSkip]

I totally stand corrected---it was TOMMY Bowden! I knew when I wrote that it didn't look right, but the AmberBock in my system was saying it was OK!

Thanks for the correction! The story stands, and now we have the right players with the right names!!!!!

 

[whaleroast]

Ah, understood. Beer related.