{"id":4534,"date":"2017-08-11T16:13:35","date_gmt":"2017-08-11T23:13:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.mechadigital.net\/?p=4534"},"modified":"2021-08-26T20:37:54","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T20:37:54","slug":"187-john-denver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/187-john-denver\/","title":{"rendered":"#187 John Denver"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Or, \u201cThe Show Must go on\u201d)<\/p>\n

Written 5-17<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was while I was in the airshow biz and we were scheduled to perform at a very high altitude airport in Colorado.\u00a0 In fact, the airport had an illuminated sign which showed departing pilots what the density altitude was at the time of takeoff.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never forgotten that the sign said \u201c10,800\u201d that day.\u00a0 I was married at the time and my wife was a died-in- the-wool fan of John Denver.\u00a0 Hell, who wasn\u2019t?\u00a0 I liked the Colorado-loving, folk singer and pilot.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I had done the first half of my comedy act and was just waiting for my wife\u2019s cue to enter and perform the last part of our comedy act.\u00a0 At the end, she would shoot me down, Ace the Wonder Dog would herd the ducks up and the three of us would fly off together.\u00a0 We\u2019d make a secret return with another performer supplying a diversion.<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

But unbeknown to us, John Denver made a surprise appearance.\u00a0 My wife was on the announcer\u2019s stand, ready to give me a cue.\u00a0 I was in my Cub, engine running and getting ready to roll.\u00a0 John Denver was introduced by the airshow announcer and introductions were made all around up on the stand.\u00a0 She was ready to meet her heartthrob and probably even had her hand out for a shake when she was told by the show controller that it was our turn.\u00a0 She showed her true professionalism by turning to the singer and declaring, \u201cSorry, Mister Denver, but Krashbern is on\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Then she transmitted on her handheld, \u201cYou\u2019re on, Krashbern!\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0She grabbed her 12 gauge and scampered out to the flight line to finish the act.\u00a0 I took off and climbed to altitude, Nancy shot me down for failing to pay for the ducks she\u2019d delivered.\u00a0 Ace the Wonder Dog parachuted out of the plane, I crashed into the duck box, Ace rounded up the ducks and the three of us bounded into the Cub and took off into the Density altitude of 10,800.\u00a0 With two people and a dog, it took forever.\u00a0 I delicately climbed off the hot runway, over a couple of fences and down the valley, staying in ground effect, then slowly climbing until we were out of sight.\u00a0 Another act was launched and, using him as a diversion, we landed next to the ramp and skulked back to our pit area.\u00a0 Nancy hauled ass back to the announcer\u2019s stand to finally meet John Denver.\u00a0 He had left.<\/h3>\n
\"\"
My character, Krashbern T. Throttlebottom and his sidekick, Ace, the Wonder Dog.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/h3>\n

That was a long time ago.\u00a0 Ace the Wonder Dog has been dead for years.\u00a0 The marriage is over; John Denver was killed in an airplane crash.\u00a0 Nothing lasts forever.<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

And, to this day, I have mixed feelings about that event.\u00a0 On the one hand I feel so sorry and grateful that Nancy\u2019s professionalism overshadowed her desire to meet the famous singer.\u00a0 Yet I am always amused by the events that eclipsed her desire.\u00a0 It may be one of the very few times of my life that I\u2019ve allowed such schadenfreude<\/em> to affect me.\u00a0 But the show must go on, regardless of the consequences.\u00a0 I applaud her sense of duty.<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

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

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