(Submitted by:Jim)

 

HOW I GOT HIRED BY LEWISAIRE, ALMOST KILLED MY BOSS, AND NEARLY GOT FIRED ALL IN THE SAME DAY. 

Well, just so you knew that Garry didn't have the only view of the story, I thought I best set the record straight. Now you might think that I will make a bunch of excuses, but I won't, but you can be sure I won't accept all the blame.

We had met earlier this year elsewhere. Well due to no ones fault, just some crazy happenstances we lost track of each other, until I found some old messages on a disused email account. So realizing that he had sent a couple of messages that I hadn't answered, I fired up a very belated friendly note as a reply. Since I had last talked to Garry my contract as a charter service pilot in Anchorage for the pipeline service company had expired and with cutbacks was not renewed. I thought I would take the winter off, having put away quite a nest egg. But then Garry comes back with an email about a new bush airline named Lewisaire, and a plea to come help him get it going, if only for 6 months or so, but I know how those things go. I was reluctant, but he was persistent, so I relented. You see, I have never had a job for just 6 months, I get into it and just can't leave, and someone somehow convinces me that I have to stay or the world will fall apart.

Below you can see me and my constant companion, Kermit (he is on my left shoulder), at the dock at Wilburville:

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I had just flown all the way in from Anchorage. Garry had talked me into bringing down the Volpar Amphib fresh from a dual engine overhaul and repainting. He didn't even pay me for that, just said it was free transportation to the job site. And a week later he still hasn't reimbursed me for the gas! But to add insult to injury he wants me to immediately fly a locally overhauled Skymaster to Prince George and back as a test run. I haven't shaved in 2 days, short on sleep, tired, and hungry. As a sop, he agreed to accompany me in the Super Otter Amphib (I think that's his favorite), I suppose that way he could retrieve my body if I crashed from a loose screw in the engine. At that time I didn't realize that Peter, the LewisAire mechanic, was first rate and wouldn't let the plane go until it was perfect. Well, to make a long story short, the flight was uneventful until we were on approach to Prince George, at which point Garry suddenly slowed down to an imminent stall about 2 miles from the runway, probably to see if I would notice, and I, nearly nodding off, suddenly realized I hadn't descended far enough by a thousand feet or so and took a nosedive. Of course, who would have thought that Garry had thrown out the sky anchor, and suddenly I found myself in position to land on top of his plane...and let me tell you at that point I was tempted. However, having come this far, I really didn't want to kill the boss or get fired until I had a meal so I did a quick 360. Garry, totally oblivious, doesn't realize anything until I tell him I am going around, and he continues on to land. I did a hot rod landing, that Skymaster is a nice handling craft, lining up with the runway and touching down simultaneously. Whew.

The trip back was uneventful, I was in the lead, thank God, and landed smooth as silk. Watching Garry come in, I noticed he bounced off the runway about 20 feet (is that some new fangled landing style or something) but didn't harm anything and he successfully taxied in. At that point, I don't remember if I fell asleep in the cockpit or got something to eat first and went to bed, but it was nice to finally be at my new home.

 

And that's the real story.