"Jay Honeck" wrote
Perhaps Jim Burn can share his tale of the wonderful FBO we discovered
in Dalhart, Texas? Those folks really set the Gold Standard for
aviation customer service, IMHO...

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KDHT/INGRAM#c

Broke a trailing drag link bolt during landing into the worst cross wind
that I've ever seen.

4 Honecks and 2 Burns' stranded on runway 21 on a Sunday evening 100 miles
from nowhere.

Carl Ingram is a retired ag pilot and part 137 operator. A bad heart forced
him to hang up his wings several years ago, but his passion and commitment
to aviation has only seemed to have grown. He and his wife continue to run
a full, and I mean FULL service FBO despite Dalhart's remote location.

Leaving the Honecks and my wife to stay with the airplane I walked up to the
FBO and was amazed to find not only Carl and his lovely wife still at the
office, but not just one, but TWO mechanics still on duty. Remember, this
is a Sunday at 5pm!

Carl, the two A&P's and I all pile into Carl's pickup truck and we're back
out on the runway in no time. They quickly agree that it's safe to taxi up
to the ramp.

As one of the mechanics searches for a the required hardware, Carl asks us
if we'd like a ride to a motel for the night. We politely agree but inform
him that with 6 passengers, his van won't hold our full load of people and
bags. "No problem, I'll just call my wife and she'll come in our other van.
We've got plenty of room!" What generosity!

Just as things are beginning to look up, the A&P discovers that he doesn't
have the correct bushing for the drag link. But never fear, he has some
Cessna bushings that he might be able to machine down. Sure enough. He
machines the retaining lip off a Cessna bushing then countersinks each end
and we've got an adequate temporary fix!

As we load our bags into both of the Ingram's mini vans, I volunteer to stay
behind and help the A&P but he refuses, saying that he'll have everything
done in the next few minutes. He wishes us a good evening and promises to
see us the following morning before we go.

Carl and his wife deliver us to a local motel and ask what time we'd like to
be picked up the following morning. Jay and I both object and tell him that
we'll be very happy to simply call a taxi, but Carl insists. Seems that
he's already delivered another pilot to the same motel and he'd be by in
the morning to give that fellow a ride to the airport. (a pilot from
Maryland who had spent the previous night sleeping in his Maule after
arriving at KDHL after hours)

Jay and I each attempted to pay the Ingram's for their generous taxi service
but they refused repeated attempts until Jay suggested that they put the
money in the church plate on our behalf next Sunday. This they could do.

The next morning, Carl in one van and his wife in another, both show up at
the motel to give 4 Honecks, 2 Burns' and one Maule pilot a ride back to the
airport.

It wasn't long before the A&P arrived at the FBO and began totaling our
invoice. As he did that Carl opened the hanger door and pulled our Aztec
around to the self serve fuel pumps. After filling all four tanks to the
brim, I returned to the office so Carl's wife could ad my fuel bill to the
invoice.

If memory serves me the total for fuel AND the Sunday evening repair was
less than .4AMU's. I'd have gladly paid several times this amount for their
great service and hospitality. Without them, our wonderful Vegas vacation
would have been at least delayed and at worst cancelled.

Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to sample the offerings of the
onsite restaurant.

If you ever get the opportunity, or should I say, privilege of stopping in
at KDHL say Hi to Carl and his wife. They are "real" down to earth airplane
people. As we all repeatedly thanked each of them they repeatedly acted
nonchalant saying "Oh, this sort of thing happens all the time. This is why
we're here."

Jim