Encounters With Arrogant Celebrity Pilots

[FN FAL]

This story is pretty dated, but I'll tell it anyway. You older guys may remember a comedian named Jerry Clower, who passed away about six years ago. Played at the Opry all the time. Anyway, my Dad happened to be seated next to Jerry years ago while dead-heading home. They got to chatting and Jerry asked if my folks had ever been to the Opry. Dad said no, but that my Mom was a huge fan, and always wanted to go, but tickets were hard to get with their schedules. Jerry told Dad to get a weekend off and let him know the date.


A few weeks later, my folks showed up in Nashville, and reaching the Hotel room, found two backstage passes and a boquet for my Mom. Jerry introduced them to a number of performers, and I recall that Marty Robbins played that night, and the crowd wouldn't let him off stage...

I only tell the story as a tribute to Jerry, a real class act.

wow...that is a cool story!

 

[avbug]

I used to listen to Jerry Clower on the bluegrass hour every Sunday, on a local radio station.

 

[TonyC]

You older guys may remember a comedian named Jerry Clower, ...

I only tell the story as a tribute to Jerry, a real class act.

Yazoo City, Miss-uh-sip-ee


Marcell Ledbetter...


shoot up amongst us, put one of us out of our pain ...


Pure humor, and every bit of it "G"-rated - - he was a genius.



Anybody remember Andy Griffith doing the same kind of "stand-up" comedy?



.

 

[Snakum]

Anybody remember Andy Griffith doing the same kind of "stand-up" comedy?

"What it was ... was football."

He's a nice guy. Came to my co-worker's wedding in Manteo. Heard he was a total dick back in the days when he was picked up by a limo in Mt. Airy anytime he wanted to go anywhere. He must have mellowed since.

Minh

 

[414Flyer]

There was a certain b-tv series semi-celebrity who did a gear up in a cessna single here in NM. However I would rather go thru a thousand gear up landings than be married to his wife, the one famous for telling others how they should air dry their laundry (nothing wrong with that at all, however she would not do it), and her famous suit against an aerial photographer.

 

[GIVDrvr]

Crossed paths with Harrison Ford a few times at Jet in TEB...seems like a decent guy..just very private. Probably wasn't too happy with me starting up the MU2 screamer right next door...when ya gotta ya gotta go.

 

[Jimbodawg]

Mathew McConnahay (or however it's spelled)

Mathew McConnahay (or however it's spelled) was a Line Service guy... we saw him in the a$$-old training video at Jet Aviation

 

[BigPhil]

my celeb encounters

I once worked on a movie crew that was shooting in our area (my first and only time). I asked everyone who the nicest star was they had ever worked with and they all said it was Harrison Ford.A lot of the crew had worked on "Six Days, Seven Nights" the year before. They said that Ford bought a beaver after the shoot, like the one he flew in the movie...Antonio Bandaras was in this movie and his wife Melanie Griffith would fly in often on a charter. I walked out to her plane one day to get a close look-see and she was a real b****....John Denver's mother married an old childhood friend after John's father died and they lived part of the time in our area. John would drop by in his Lear occasionally. One day I had my gyroplane on the ramp and he came over and asked a few questions and made nice. I was on my way to Detroit to pick up a Longeze project I had bought, when I heard of his death in the very same make. It was a wierd feeling........President Clinton was from our home town and regardless of your politics its always a big show when any president is around. Barbra Streisand flew in on MGM's 727 for Clinton's mother's funeral. She looks smaller in person. Our airport manager told me the government bought over $50,000 worth of jet-a to fill the presidential fleet during that three day stay....... I once saw Robert Redford at a small fbo in Missouri. There weren't many people around so he took some time to chat and sign autographs.....My celeb encounters have been mostly positive

 

[Lead Sled]

I've flown a few...
I attended FlightSafety in Lakeland, FL with Christopher Reeves a couple of times. He was truly a nice guy and flew a good airplane.

Robert Redford - never flew with him, but he came into our crew quarters one night - he was running late and asked if he could use our showers. After he left, one of our pilot's towel was wet and laying on the floor and one of the tooth brushes had been used. After that, Waldo Pepper was just never the same.

I've flown 3 or 4 NBA players. Across the board a bunch of self-absorbed jerks.

The guy who played Gentle Ben tried to get me to take an illegal 135 in a friends airplane.

Glen Frey of the Eagles - a genuine nice guy.

A couple of governors and other politicos during election campaigns. They all seemed to be good guys, but then they were looking for votes.

Chris Mathews - a real arrogant jerk. He gives left-wing wackos a bad name.

My favorite, although I didn't get to fly with him, was Neil Armstrong. I met him at a convention and had the opportunity to talk to him for quite a while. It was an experience that I will never forget.

'Sled

 

[Say Again Over]

Very intresting information on this thread, what about Tom Cruise and Charlie Sheen ?

 

[BigPhil]

Bob Hoover and Burt Rutan

Like a million other guys I met Bob Hoover in his booth at Oshkosh. One year I was hitting on...er, uh....talking to a lady working in the booth next to Hoovers. She was "non-aviation"; but very attractive and VERY well endowed in a low cut blouse. I explained to her who Hoover was and that he was a living legend in the airplane world. She walked over to shake his hand and old Bob just looked down (not at her eyes) and exclaimed "honey, God was sure good to you!" Priceless!...............I was on the ramp at OSH inspecting Dick Rutan's Longeze when a car pulled up and out stepped Burt Rutan; I guess if you're Burt Rutan you can drive anywhere you want to. I introduced myself and mentioned that I was from Arkansas. He had just read a conspiracy book about all the alleged guns and drug running at the Mena, Ar. airport and asked what I knew about it (which was only what was in the papers). There wasn't really anyone around and we sat and talked for close to an hour and never once talked about aviation. Burt has a deep and broad interest in many things and as you can imagine is very intelligent. Even though I had owned and flown two of his designs, I never brought it up because I figured that's all anyone ever wanted to talk to him about. I think that's why he talked to me as long as he did. When I went back the next year he even remembered me. If you ever fly a Longeze you'll be a Burt Rutan fan........





























oO

 

[coptercop]

Craig T. Nelson

I flew Craig T. Nelson ("Call to Glory" and "Coach") into the Atlanta Motor Speedway where he was honorary grand marshall for the race. He's a very nice guy, very tall too. He still sends Christmas cards.

 

[FlyingFisherman]

Mickey Gilley (Gilly?) stopped by in a Baron when I was a line guy. I had no idea who he was and talked auto insurance of all dumb things. He'd overheard me talking to another line guy (my 'real' job was working for an Insurance Company in Claims and doing a little Fraud work) and we talked cars, weather and airplanes for a while.

Only later did I find out that his joint was the one they filmed "Urban Cowboy" in and he was quite well off. That explained his nice watch...

Thumbs up for Mickey Gilly(Gilley?)

 

[BigPhil]

Barry Goldwater

I just remembered a story my brother told me from his Airforce days. He flew C-141's and Lear 35's (whatever the military calls a Lear 35). A Lear crew picked up Sen. Barry Goldwater at some military base once. The crew was ready to go and they noticed the senator doing a " walkaround" on the plane. They remembered he had been a ww2 pilot and thought maybe he was just sort of "preflighting " the airplane. When he got out to the wingtip he started taking a leak on the ramp in broad daylight in front of God and everybody.When he was climbing in the plane the crew rather sheepishly reminded the senator that the Lear was equipped with a head. Goldwater replied," Son, I don't get on my knees and piss in front of anyone!!"

 

[Swamp Fox]

Gene Hackman - used to have a C-340, as I recall, at Santa Paula

Roy Clark - used to fly his own MU-2

Clint Eastwood (?) - heard recently that he flew helicopters - not sure that is correct.