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yourtcfg(at)aol.com
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 Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 8:41 am Post subject: Fwd: last flight |
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yourtcfg(at)aol.com
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| Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 8:49 am Post subject: Fwd: last flight |
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nico(at)cybersuperstore.c
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| Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 10:30 am Post subject: Fwd: last flight |
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Thank you for sharing the story, Dan. It really got to me. Our condolences from my family to you all.
Nico
From: owner-commander-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-commander-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of yourtcfg(at)aol.com
Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2010 8:39 AM
To: commander-list(at)matronics.com
Subject: Commander-List: Fwd: last flight
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Farmer <daniellfarmer(at)yahoo.com>
To: Jim Metzger <yourtcfg(at)aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Nov 16, 2010 9:24 am
Subject: last flight
| Quote: | Jim,
I just found the TCFG news letter that was mailed 2 Sept. It made me realize
that I had not keep up with you as to our not coming to the fly-in.
Teresa's father and one of my best friends passed away Oct 9th from congestive
heart failure. Bob and Sonnie Murdock's telling of their Commander trip to
their grandson's graduation brought joys and sadness of my last trip with 6369U
(someday to be 500DF).
Dick, Teresa's Dad, was a great man to be around, he had a thousand stories that
people loved to hear him tell and he was the happiest man I ever knew. He loved
mechanics and there was nothing that he could not fix. In addition to being a
professional mechanic his whole life he loved to help friends with their
maintenance problems. He enjoyed helping me and my A & I work on my planes.
Even though he had no formal training an airplane was just another piece of
equipment and he was of great help with "crop duster maintenance".
Teresa's mother moved to Colorado several years ago but Dick wanted to stay on
his farm near his numerous friends, his cattle, his dog, his deer and his wild
hogs. He would visit four to five times a year and I would go visit him about
as often. I knew he was really slowing down and a few times I would ask if he
felt okay and he would just grin and say "OK for 85". He never had much use for
doctors until that last few weeks of his life. He liked to say that doctors
were like mechanics and if they did not know what they were doing you could sure
get "rickadooed".
Dick wanted to drive his truck to Colorado in August so I met him at the
airport DFW and drove back to Oklahoma with him where he stayed a week with me
while we were very busy 15-18 hour days scheduling, figuring loads spraying and
cleaning up. I would try to get him to go to my place and rest but he insisted
on being there all day, that kind of bothers me now. He drove on to Colorado
alone and started to have heart problems in just a few days. He had to go to
the hospital in the end of August for 4 or 5 days and they released him. He was
really depressed because he had a yearly "dove hunt" on his farm, labor day
weekend, for the last 28 years and he knew he was not going to be there and he
instinctively knew it would be his last. I told him that if doctors would agree
that I would fly him down on Friday and back on Sunday. That he should tell the
doctors that within 15 minutes after take off that we would constantly be going
to a lower altitude than where he lived in Colorado. They said great and he was
like a child going to Disney Land.
Most people do not know how most Texans feel about there beloved State. They
feel a closer bond to Texas than most Americans feel about the US of A.
Dick loved to fly with me and knew the route home quite well. When he saw
Kerrick, Tx go by he turned to me with an ear to ear grin and stated "We are in
Texas", I knew instantly that making the trip was the right decision. I had
been a little nervous about his well being and what I had gotten into.
He loved the hunting party. Sunday he started going down hill and I took him to
the hospital where he stayed for nine days one time they had to
recessitate him and I was not sure about what I had done. I stayed with him
every day until they released him and gave us a green light to fly home. We
went to the airport and I told Dick to wait in the car with his best friend of
forty years while I got the plane ready. The right engine on 69U is generally a
little cantankerous and I knew I had a weak battery so I started the left and it
took over thirty minutes to get the right started. I had tried everything I
knew or ever heard of and the starter in spite of giving it rest between
attempts was really hot. I carry an extra starter with me but fortunately I did
not need it. Finally it fired off and we got under way. We "had" to do a fly
by for his friends seeing him off at the airport and a circle or two over his
farm before we heading North. As always he loved the flight. We stopped at
Boise City, OK (17K) where I spray out of to refuel and relieve. The right
engine started right up even though it was hot. I have never had that much
trouble starting a plane engine. In hind sight I think God was giving Dick and
his friend a little extra time together. I did not realize it at the time but
while I was trying to start the engine Dick and Bubba had a real good heart to
heart visit.
Dick, went up and down health wise and I really thought he was going to be
around for another year or two, but that was not to be. One of the best things
Dick ever did for me was to tell me how much he enjoyed going to Texas for the
weekend and that he wanted to thank me for making it possible to be with his
friends for the last time.
We really hope to make next years fly-in. If you are near the pan handle of
Oklahoma (17K) drop in for the cheapest fuel you'll find.
dan
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