Gene Seibel wrote:
I began flying in the days when FSS were scattered all across the
country. I will always fondly remember approaching Harrison, Arkansas
from the north as a thunderstorm approached from the west. The FSS guy
gave me a blow by blow description of its progress as I eventually lost
the race and diverted to another airport. That was flight service at
its finest. But I also understand we can't afford to continue providing
that service to 6 airplanes a day. ;(
--
Gene Seibel
Tales of Flight - http://pad39a.com/gene/tales.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.


I too remember - FSSs were always nearby - near Hoxie (where I grew up)
at GLD and maybe at HLC (where the HLC is closer to Hoxie than to Hill
City). Thank goodness, since that was before toll-free telephone
service (long distance phone calls were expensive) and we didn't have
the Internet, etc.

My most memorable visit was at Tuscaloosa - Mother's Day, 1966. On the
spur of the moment, a friend and I flew down from Wright Field in a T-34
to drop in on his mother. We enjoyed a great flight down and had a
wonderful day - southern hospitality and all.

We visited the FSS on the field in preparation to return. We got the
usual full briefing - over the counter, in person. We settled on going
northeast, then north. Just as the door to the FSS was closing behind
us, the briefer called after us - reported he had been advised that
thunderstorms had increased in intensity on our route and advised that
we should consider going north then northeast. Whew. We changed the
route of flight, climbed through scattered to 10500, watched the
activity east of us, and landed at DWF before dark.

Those 'old days' were 'good'.

Gene: I've been enjoying your publications on your web site - thanks
for sharing your experiences and love of aviation.

george