Celeb Sitings at FBO's

Ben Smith wrote:
How often do you guys see celebrities, or otherwise famous people at
your

Used to carry a long list of well-knowns out to Nantucket and Martha's
Vineyard when I flew for a Massachusetts commuter about 25 years ago or so.
Most were OK, some were arrogant a$#&oles. Finest in the bunch were Jerry
Stiller and Ann Meara. Real folks with no pretensions.

I ran into Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins in the base ops vending room at
Buckley Field in Colorado in late 72 or 73. My friends and I were
private/student pilots in the base Aero Club; they had just flown in in
their T-38s enroute to some NASA contractor. They sat down and we all
chatted for 10 minutes or so. Major league memory.

When flying a 747 freighter, carried a planeload [one of two] of tour
equipment out of Paris for Guns & Roses. Only met the roadies, never Axel
or anyone else -- they don't ride on the truck! In the same line of work,
while waiting for a crew van to pick us up at the hotel about 0300 in Buenos
Aires, we went into the hotel coffee shop to wait. Only other folks in
there were Cyndi Lauper and one of her staffers (manager?). The six of us
wound up talking for about 20 or 30 minutes. Don't believe her public
persona -- that is one very sharp lady.


Not Flying related:
I met Roy Orbison on 2 different occasions. He played a few nights at the
USAF NCO Club in Ankara some time in 1971. I got a chance to meet him
briefly, seemed a nice guy. Some time in 1976, I ran into him again in a
hotel lobby in Townsville, Australia. Still a nice guy, but seemed a little
non-plussed when I mentioned Ankara. (faux pas?)

In college ( I think 1966) some friends and I met George Gobel in a hotel
bar in Philadelphia. If you remember George Gobel, you're more than likely
wearing glasses to read this. He was playing at a nearby club, and we were
in town for a football game, I think. He was very gregarious, and way ahead
of us on drink count. The four of us wound up striking up a conversation,
and he insisted on buying us drinks. That was a long night, and it was
painful for a couple of days afterward, too.

Great memories.........