{"id":3716,"date":"2016-02-12T15:40:59","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T23:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.mechadigital.net\/?p=3716"},"modified":"2021-08-26T20:37:55","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T20:37:55","slug":"the-geezer-patrol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/the-geezer-patrol\/","title":{"rendered":"#148 The Geezer Patrol"},"content":{"rendered":"
(This article was originally featured in my audio CD, “Nuts from a Blind Squirrel”. \u00a0It’s been resurrected and is featured here to be enjoyed both by young aviators and those of us who will be among the patrol’s members before very long<\/em>.)<\/h5>\n

<\/h3>\n

Bill Warren had nearly 9,000 hours of flying when I was still a student pilot, even though we were the same age.\u00a0 When I eventually put together my airshow act, Bill helped get me bookings and I performed within his troupe of airshow performers.\u00a0 It was a great way to get started as my mentor was there as I was starting out in the business.<\/h3>\n
\"Geezer
They don’t like to stand for too long and, like reptiles, they tend to be a little dependent on the temperature of their surroundings. Here they’ve found some nice shady spots under the wing of one of their favorite airplanes.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the duties of an airshow performer is to attend the usual airshow party.\u00a0 These parties are usually held on the Friday night before the show and maybe Saturday as well if it\u2019s a two day show.\u00a0 After I\u2019d attended just a couple of these parties, I found that I was being bombarded with comments and flying stories from old guys, most of whom no longer flew.\u00a0 Maybe some of them never flew.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t matter; they still had lots of stories and they loved to corner an airshow pilot (especially a Cub pilot) and make sure that he knew that they, too, were pilots.\u00a0 It was driving me nuts.\u00a0 I had other things to do, other people to meet and talk to, but I was always being buttonholed by these old geezers.\u00a0 I went to my mentor.\u00a0 I told Bill that I was being constantly bugged by these old geezers and they were driving me nuts.<\/h3>\n

\u201cYou need to change your attitude,\u201d Bill advised.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t realize what it means for these guys to be able to rub elbows with you and relive the flying life through you.\u00a0 You have to realize what you mean to them.\u00a0 They\u2019ve got a lot to say\u2026. You should listen to them.\u201d<\/h3>\n
\"DSCN2258\"
These patrol members are making sure that a visiting airplane is properly inspected and commented upon.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Properly chastened, I re-adjusted my attitude.\u00a0 And one day at an airshow in the Northwest, I was broken down.\u00a0 A part on my Cub had broken and I didn\u2019t know what the hell I was going to do.\u00a0 A geezer wandered in and asked me what the trouble was.\u00a0 At first I was inclined to blow this guy off and curtly dismiss him.\u00a0 After all, I had problems to solve and really didn\u2019t have time to visit with the Geezer Patrol.\u00a0 But, I stopped myself.\u00a0 I explained to him what the trouble was, believing that I was giving him valuable time that I needed in order to undertake a parts search. \u00a0He nodded understandingly and shuffled off.\u00a0 I think I was crawling around under the engine of the Cub trying to figure out how to fabricate a part.\u00a0 I must have been there for a half hour or so.\u00a0 I heard someone shuffle into the hangar.<\/h3>\n

\u201cMaybe THIS will fit,\u201d I heard the old guy say.\u00a0 He had found the part.\u00a0 It fit like a glove and my problems were over.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t take a dime.\u00a0 In fact he was just as delighted as I was.\u00a0 Me for having fixed my plane, he for having been responsible for the fix.\u00a0 His actions had made both of our days.<\/h3>\n

I was now a firm fan of the Geezer Patrol and, regardless of how I may sometimes make jokes at their expense, I am still a big fan.<\/h3>\n

It may have been the following season when I was no longer part of Bill\u2019s troupe.\u00a0 I was on my own and plying my trade of Airshow Comedy Pilot all over the country.\u00a0 But mid-season I was on the program with Bill at a show in Washington State.\u00a0 It was fun to see him.\u00a0 We visited briefly at the airshow party on Friday night and then we went to different parts of the room to socialize.\u00a0 But a while later, Bill caught my eye.\u00a0 He motioned to me from a corner of the room and I wandered over to see what was on his mind.<\/h3>\n

\u201cThese old guys are driving me nuts!\u201d Bill complained.\u00a0 \u201cThey just want to tell me the same damn flying stories over and over.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got better things to do\u2026\u201d<\/h3>\n

\u201cBill,\u201d I gently advised, \u201cSome of these guys have a lot to offer.\u00a0 And besides, it means a lot to them just to spend a little time with you.\u201d\u00a0 I related the story of the geezer who had come up with the part.\u2019<\/h3>\n

\u201cYeh, whatever,\u201d Bill admitted.\u00a0 Then, spotting a well-endowed young woman, he was gone.<\/h3>\n

I know for a fact that deep down, Bill appreciated the Geezer Patrol.\u00a0 I never got a chance to tell him what I often tell young pilots: \u00a0The Geezer Patrol is an amazing group of people and you know something?\u00a0 Someday we will all be members of their patrol.\u00a0 Well, Bill never joined their ranks.\u00a0 He died before he had to quit flying. He would have been a great geezer!<\/h3>\n
\"DSCN2266\"
Making sure a nav light is properly affixed.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You see, we can\u2019t fly forever.\u00a0 When we are kids, we might dream of flying and maybe become an airport kid, biking to the airport and hanging out.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll grow up and learn to fly.\u00a0 Maybe we\u2019ll have a checkered career, flying all kinds of airplanes and living the airborne life.\u00a0 Eventually we\u2019ll slow down as we age.\u00a0 And one day, we will fly our last flight.\u00a0 Too old to fly anymore, we\u2019ll spend our last years in varying amounts of activity.\u00a0 Some of us will stay busy and productive; some will slow down and begin to dodder. \u00a0But many of us will continue to think about flying and we will occasionally visit the airport and share stories with the other members of the geezer patrol who also share our love of the airborne life.<\/h3>\n

The Geezer Patrol is a valuable part of the fabric of any airport where they may hang out.\u00a0 If you have a few members of the Geezer Patrol at YOUR airport, you are lucky.\u00a0 Don\u2019t take them for granted.\u00a0 Someday you will be one.<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(This article was originally featured in my audio CD, “Nuts from a Blind Squirrel”. \u00a0It’s been resurrected and is featured here to be enjoyed both by young aviators and those of us who will be among the patrol’s members before very long.) Bill Warren had nearly 9,000 hours of flying when I was still a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3716"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}