Billy Graham, gone west

dtuuri

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dtuuri
While driving this morning I heard on the radio that Billy Graham passed away at 99. It was raining, foggy and cool outside my car and as the wipers slapped to and fro I recalled a rainy, foggy cool night over 40 years ago--the night I met him. Maybe I should say, "The night he met me."

I was a copilot for Executive Jet Aviation, now known as NetJets, and my captain, Rex, and I had been dispatched to Atlanta on New Year's Eve to pick up fans attending the Peach Bowl and take them home. It was one dreary, wet day in Atlanta (EDIT: OK, I checked the records--the "rain" and "fog" must have been condensation on the tinted window in the pilots lounge, but it WAS cold). The FBO paged us to take a call from dispatch back in Columbus.

"Forget those passengers, we'll send another crew to cover you. Beat feet it up to Champaign and fly Billy Graham to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota," said the dispatcher.

So, off we went. That winter of 1976/77 was probably the coldest I can remember, even considering the "Blizzard of '78" in Cleveland. When we landed the Lear 24D at Champaign, the wind chill was 30 degrees below zero. I felt every bit of it, too, through my light-weight red blazer.

As we shut down, a van approached and backed up close to the entry door. An assistant jumped out and opened the rear doors to reveal a cot. Sitting upright, arms folded and wearing a baseball cap was the man I'd seen on TV often, Billy Graham. I stood outside in the freezing wind while his traveling companions helped him into the plane and tried to make him comfortable.

When they were done, I jumped in and went through the door shutting procedure while Rex fired up the number two engine. Satisfied the bayonets were locked in place, I turned to hop into the cockpit and copy the clearance.

"Excuse me young man, I don't think I've met you before," a familiar drawl came from behind me.

I turned around and he had his hand out to shake mine.

"I'm Billy Graham, what's your name?"

I was pretty floored by all this. Here's a guy that 350,000 people stand in line to listen to--and he wants to know about ME?

We chatted some small talk while Rex fired up the other engine and then I had to excuse myself in order to get on with my job.

By the time we got to Rochester and checked into the hotel, the restaurant was about to close, the rooms had no heat turned on until check-in and there was a good quarter inch of frost on the inside of the window pane. A New Year's Eve party was in full swing in the lounge.

That was over 40 years ago, but seems like just last week. Billy Graham's life was barely even half done at the time, yet had he died that night his place in history (or heaven?) was already secured. For me, an amazing memory of an unforgettable man.
 
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We are all mortal and reach the end of our life expectancy some day. Your status in life does not determine your longevity.
 
Amazing man. He will be missed.

My wife and I have been volunteers with his son’s organization, Samaritan’s Purse, for several years. Great organization.

One of the few legitimate charities out there today. Thanks for helping them.

My father in law (RIP) spent a lot of time with Billy. Youth for Christ was essentially started in his living room long long before I knew him.

He had a phrase Billy liked inscribed on his tombstone... “Just passing through...”

A very interesting person, Billy. Won’t see another one like him in my lifetime, probably.
 
One of the few legitimate charities out there today. Thanks for helping them.

Another great charity is Engineering Ministries International. They partner with Samaritan’s Purse and other charities to provide engineering and architectural design services for things like new hospitals, schools, etc. I volunteer with them, too.

PM me if you’d like more info.
 
Another great charity is Engineering Ministries International. They partner with Samaritan’s Purse and other charities to provide engineering and architectural design services for things like new hospitals, schools, etc. I volunteer with them, too.

PM me if you’d like more info.
Since it’s a flying forum, I’ll add the Samaritans Purse flies a DC-8 for its relief missions.
1A848EFF-1A76-4842-9D46-840D135CED72.jpeg

They are a really well run organization, one that people can feel good about contributing to. I have a lot of respect for Franklin Graham, who incidentally is also a pilot with several airplanes. Our other favorite is Compassion Intl. With Compassion, you get involved and form a personal connection with those you are helping, rather than just sending money. But you can simply donate as well.
 
Another great charity is Engineering Ministries International. They partner with Samaritan’s Purse and other charities to provide engineering and architectural design services for things like new hospitals, schools, etc. I volunteer with them, too.

PM me if you’d like more info.

Neat. Not my sort of engineering so I’d be useless to them, but I’ll keep them in mind as a possible place for philanthropy for sure. Hadn’t ever heard of them. Neat mission.
 
I drove (ack!) from Houston to Fort Worth today and was listening to newstalk shows most of the way.

Learned a bit more about Rev Graham, but also noticed that regardless of the station, the coverage was positive about his influence on the US and the world.

That's rare these days.

I guess it's hard to combat a message of love. Even when there are parts you may disagree with. When the motivation is love.

Good for us to all remember from time to time.
 
Since it’s a flying forum, I’ll add the Samaritans Purse flies a DC-8 for its relief missions.
View attachment 60348

They are a really well run organization, one that people can feel good about contributing to. I have a lot of respect for Franklin Graham, who incidentally is also a pilot with several airplanes. Our other favorite is Compassion Intl. With Compassion, you get involved and form a personal connection with those you are helping, rather than just sending money. But you can simply donate as well.

Sweet. I didn't realize he was a pilot. I Googled and it said he'd been one almost 50 years, so sounds like he started in his late teens. I found one article from '94 and he was flying an MU2.
 
Neat. Not my sort of engineering so I’d be useless to them, but I’ll keep them in mind as a possible place for philanthropy for sure. Hadn’t ever heard of them. Neat mission.

Hardly anyone has. EMI doesn't operate as a primary stand-alone charity, but as a support function to other charitable groups.

For example, when the earthquake hit Nepal a few years ago, Samaritan's Purse brought in all sorts of relief and provisions. EMI was brought in by Samaritan's Purse to provide engineering damage assessments of building structures and also to design temporary water and power and sanitation systems.

Samaritan's Purse was responsible for developing the ELWA Hospital in Liberia, and EMI was brought in to do the architecture and engineering design.
upload_2018-2-22_8-5-32.png


A couple of years ago, a medical charity from Texas became involved with renovating Hopital StCroix in Leogane, Haiti, a hospital which was severely damaged in the earthquake down there. EMI provided site surveys, assessments of the power and sanitation systems, and preliminary architecture drawings and design options. I went as an EE member of the team. I was planning to go with them Kenya this year to work on a hospital expansion, but my company's security office strongly discouraged me from going there. I'm looking for another opportunity to volunteer with them.

Since EMI always works in support to a primary or sponsoring organization, the group's work is sort of behind the scenes, but EMI has been around since 1982 and has done many many projects worldwide, including designing facilities for Mission Aviation Fellowship (gotta keep this somewhat flying related :) ).
 
I drove (ack!) from Houston to Fort Worth today and was listening to newstalk shows most of the way.

Learned a bit more about Rev Graham, but also noticed that regardless of the station, the coverage was positive about his influence on the US and the world.

That's rare these days.

I guess it's hard to combat a message of love. Even when there are parts you may disagree with. When the motivation is love.

Good for us to all remember from time to time.

I remember around 15 years ago Billy Graham came to New York City (this is when I still lived there). He spoke at Shea Stadium, which was packed (we didn't go, but his presence drove tremendous media coverage). While NYC is home to people of all different faiths, it's also a city that I consider to be largely atheist or agnostic from my 20 years there, and also extremely anti-southern, anti-Bible belt. So have an evangelist from North Carolina come and draw such a huge crowd stunned me. Similarly, all the media was positive.

I didn't know who he was prior, but my mom did. My mom almost never says anything positive about anyone, but she had nothing but good things to say about Billy Graham and spoke positively about his talks (which I don't think she'd personally attended).

Like you said, it's rare to have someone for whom the press and memories are so overwhelmingly positive. It's refreshing.
 
He did seem to be regarded positively by most people. But there are some that are so eaten up with hatred and bitterness that they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to say something nasty.
 
Well, I'd never think to insult somebody one day after they died. Since he isn't around to fend it off, for those who haven't seen his deft handling of a masterful smart aleck here it is again:

That was fun to watch. Woody Allen didn’t seem sinister or out to get him and they both appeared to be enjoying themselves. Today it would be hard to imagine that type of relaxed atmosphere in a similar setup. Rosie O’Donnell, the ladies on the View, Jimmy Kimmel, etc., seem more interested in slamming and dividing than actually trying to have a decent conversation.
 
I think the fact that you never heard of any scandal out of his ministry speaks volumes to me about his character and those that were a part of his ministry. I think he was genuinely a humble man that his priority in life was to share the good news of Jesus. Another thing that impressed me is that I never recall hearing him beg for money. At the very end of their brodcasts there would usually be a very short display of an address you could send donations to but it was tastefully done in a way not to take away from the message of the program that proceeded it. All-in-all I think he made a very positive influence on the world. It is a shame there are not more leaders with his character. He was just "passing through". Now he is home!
 
I didn't agree with everything he said and his religious beliefs aren't mine, but I always admired the man. He was a good guy, stuck by his convictions, and was seemingly the only famous evangelist who always stayed out of trouble. R.I.P.
 
He did seem to be regarded positively by most people. But there are some that are so eaten up with hatred and bitterness that they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to say something nasty.

Spot on! The hatred we see today is downright depressing.
 
Well, I'd never think to insult somebody one day after they died. Since he isn't around to fend it off, for those who haven't seen his deft handling of a masterful smart aleck here it is again:
I didn't read that Onion piece as particularly insulting toward Graham, mostly a bit of gentle satire. Though the ending seemed ambiguous; I couldn't decide whether it was trying to imply that he was a closeted gay man himself (not sure there is any basis for believing that), or that he was, at heart, more open-minded than his hardline conservative reputation suggests.
 
Anybody seen my thread? It was here a little while ago: https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/billy-graham-gone-west.109004/

Now it's gone.

There was a lot of good information about various charities. One rabble-rouser got what he deserved and left, he certainly was not bad enough to remove the whole thread, judging by the crap the mods allow every day. The Russians must have stolen it I guess. :mad:

Here's my post again, in the hope those folks I sent links to the original can find it:

While driving this morning I heard on the radio that Billy Graham passed away at 99. It was raining, foggy and cool outside my car and as the wipers slapped to and fro I recalled a rainy, foggy cool night over 40 years ago--the night I met him. Maybe I should say, "The night he met me."

I was a copilot for Executive Jet Aviation, now known as NetJets, and my captain, Rex, and I had been dispatched to Atlanta on New Year's Eve to pick up fans attending the Peach Bowl and take them home. It was one dreary, wet day in Atlanta (EDIT: OK, I checked the records and the "rain" and "fog" must have been condensation on the tinted window in the pilot's lounge). The FBO paged us to take a call from dispatch back in Columbus.

"Forget those passengers, we'll send another crew to cover you. Beat feet it up to Champaign and fly Billy Graham to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota," said the dispatcher.

So, off we went. That winter of 1976/77 was probably the coldest I can remember, even considering the "Blizzard of '78" in Cleveland. When we landed the Lear 24D at Champaign, the wind chill was 30 degrees below zero. I felt every bit of it, too, through my light-weight red blazer.

As we shut down, a van approached and backed up close to the entry door. An assistant jumped out and opened the rear doors to reveal a cot. Sitting upright, arms folded and wearing a baseball cap was the man I'd seen on TV often, Billy Graham. I stood outside in the freezing wind while his traveling companions helped him into the plane and tried to make him comfortable.

When they were done, I jumped in and went through the door-shutting procedure while Rex fired up the number two engine. Satisfied the bayonets were locked in place, I turned to hop into the cockpit and copy the clearance.

"Excuse me young man, I don't think I've met you before," a familiar drawl came from behind me.

I turned around and he had his hand out to shake mine.

"I'm Billy Graham, what's your name?"

I was pretty floored by all this. Here's a guy that 350,000 people stand in line to listen to--and he wants to know about ME?

We chatted some small talk while Rex fired up the other engine and then I had to excuse myself in order to get on with my job.

By the time we got to Rochester and checked into the hotel, the restaurant was about to close, the rooms had no heat turned on until check-in so there was a good quarter inch of frost on the inside of the window pane. A New Year's Eve party was in full swing in the lounge.

That was over 40 years ago, but it seems like just last week. Billy Graham's life was barely half done at the time, yet had he died that night his place in history (or heaven?) was already secured. For me, an amazing memory of an unforgettable man.​
 
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So.... where was I?

Only kidding. I actually thought the conversation had turned a corner and was heading back in the right direction, oh well.

But the OP’s story is a good one and I’m glad you reposted it. Billy Graham was the end of an era. The great revivals of the past probably died with him.
 
There were some issues. Stand by.
 
The local news coverage of his death and funeral plans here in Charlotte is incessant. They are now saying Trump is coming for the funereal. Oh joy!
 
The local news coverage of his death and funeral plans here in Charlotte is incessant. They are now saying Trump is coming for the funereal. Oh joy!

I was scratching my head when the cable news channels suspended their programming to report on his death. Hardly unexpected that someone aged 99 would eventually leave us. Not all that newsworthy.
 
Frankly, I found the news quite surprising. I had heard nothing from or about him in several years and assumed he was already dead. 99 is indeed quite an advanced age.
 
Frankly, I found the news quite surprising. I had heard nothing from or about him in several years and assumed he was already dead. 99 is indeed quite an advanced age.
With no disrespect meant to Billy Graham, I honestly thought the same thing. It seems like it’s been a while since he left the public spotlight.
 
With no disrespect meant to Billy Graham, I honestly thought the same thing. It seems like it’s been a while since he left the public spotlight.

Likewise. Although at 99, nobody can blame him for slowing down a bit.
 
39 deleted posts later, this thread is being reopened and merged with the "Round 2". As a reminder, the MC expects all posts to be respectful. If you didn't like Billy Graham, feel free to ignore the thread.

While Billy Graham was a religious figure, but that doesn't mean we need to have a religious discussion. Let's also remember that religious discussions are not allowed per the RoC.
 
39 deleted posts later, this thread is being reopened and merged with the "Round 2".
Does this mean I have to return my "Seriously Likeable!" trophy? I had 100+ "Likes" yesterday, now only 63.
EDIT: Oh, I see. I have 63 Trophy points and 104 likes. Got it. Btw, what's a "Trophy Point"? Never mind, figrd it oot.
 
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He was such a superb evangelist and preacher that his civil rights activities are often overlooked. When MLK was jailed in Birmingham it was Graham who bailed him out. In the Deep South throughout the 50s and 60s Graham insisted that his rallies be open to all and he fought hard against segregationist attitudes. He and King were dear friends and preached at rallies together.

Our world was richer for having him, and poorer now that he’s gone.
 
Does this mean I have to return my "Seriously Likeable!" trophy? I had 100+ "Likes" yesterday, now only 63.
EDIT: Oh, I see. I have 63 Trophy points and 104 likes. Got it. Btw, what's a "Trophy Point"? Never mind, figrd it oot.

Any trophies that must be returned will be returned promptly or there will be unspeakable consequences. Note that the MC will not be evaluating which trophies should be returned so it is up to you to comply on the unpublished compliance schedule that you are expected to know without being told of its existence. Should you fail to comply with this regulation that you are unaware of and that we are not monitoring or enforcing but decide you have not complied with, you will be uninformed of any punishment timelines, but we will repossess the trophies that are no longer rightfully yours with extreme prejudice.
 
Any trophies that must be returned will be returned promptly or there will be unspeakable consequences. Note that the MC will not be evaluating which trophies should be returned so it is up to you to comply on the unpublished compliance schedule that you are expected to know without being told of its existence. Should you fail to comply with this regulation that you are unaware of and that we are not monitoring or enforcing but decide you have not complied with, you will be uninformed of any punishment timelines, but we will repossess the trophies that are no longer rightfully yours with extreme prejudice.


Thanks for unclarifying.
 
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Any trophies that must be returned will be returned promptly or there will be unspeakable consequences. Note that the MC will not be evaluating which trophies should be returned so it is up to you to comply on the unpublished compliance schedule that you are expected to know without being told of its existence. Should you fail to comply with this regulation that you are unaware of and that we are not monitoring or enforcing but decide you have not complied with, you will be uninformed of any punishment timelines, but we will repossess the trophies that are no longer rightfully yours with extreme prejudice.
Precisely what I expected the rule to be. LOL :) Unfortunately, it slipped through my fingers and I already threw the sweepings away.
 
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