Captain
Final Approach
So I did my first Kentucky Derby yesterday.
I flew folks from OMA to SDF. We got there around noon and soon figured out the race was at 6:15 or so. Our pax left and we settled in at the FBO (Atlantic). The place was packed of course. Standing room only. I'll post a pic later. The place was full of energy and excitement. Usually these things are a bunch of pilots waiting for the game to get over. Well this was way bigger.
I'd guess only half of the three to four hundred folks there were crew. They had a massive 4 pole tent set up in the parking lot with an awesome buffet catered. Pasta salad, potato salad, pulled pork BBQ, hamburger, Chicken, corn on cob, beans, ice cream, pecan pie with that fancy syrup lines drawn on them...you get the idea.
Inside they were selling jewelry. You heard right, jewelry were set up to sell to the throngs of people. The place never emptied out. I sat there from 12:00 until after the race and it was packed. The crew room was a musical chair event. Early on some flight attendants were trying to 'save' there seats. That didn't last one second. When you're sitting on a leather couch watching TV and get up to go eat while there are people standing and sitting on the floor there is no way that seat is getting 'saved'. The mantra was "shuffle your feet, lose your seat!"
They had a raffle for several items. They had a nice bottle of bourbon that I had my eye on, but, alas, it wasn't to be. They had the bean bag game Corn Hole set up outside, but I never saw a soul play as it was too hot and muggy.
At one time outside my FO asked how long it'd take our pax to get back after the race. I said, "I don't know but it isn't far, look" and pointed. Not far away you could see where the race was as the were, and I kid not, 8 banners flying a large circle around what I assume was a gaggle of well dressed people. I'd never seen so many banners at one place. I was actually a bit impressed at the choreography of the thing. Very evenly spaced and very symmetrical.
Anyway, as the race approached I managed to find a seat in one of those leather couches. There was a very attractive flight attendant I managed to end up sitting next to. When Bob Costas was on the air at one point she said she was flying him. (I saw her later loading up catering on a G-IV)
So the race started. I was taken back that as soon as the last horse was locked in the gate the race just started with all the gates opening. No, "On your markes, get set, go!" or anything. We all watched as the horses ran around a large circle of dirt. I'd of thought they'd use the nicer grass track right there...but nope, the dirt track was in use. The race lasted a minute or so. Someone commented during the race, "That's what this place is going to look like in 45 minutes!" and we all had a chuckle. He was right.
The race ended and I started to get things moving. I knew there wasn't going to be a GPU but had to ask. I was right and briefed a plan with the FO. We had all the gas in the world so we fired the engines up so we could run the AC and cool the cabin. The cabin had gotten like an oven and I can't imagine our pax getting in that oven all dressed to the nines like that.
The cabin cooled and our pax arrived. We departed ahead of the pack. I think I was the 3rd plane to takeoff from our side of the airport. I even just beat the hot FA in her G-IV. Her pilots seemed to be gritting their teeth as I taxied by that I beat them out of the blocks.
All and all it was cool. I'd never done it before and thought I'd share.
I flew folks from OMA to SDF. We got there around noon and soon figured out the race was at 6:15 or so. Our pax left and we settled in at the FBO (Atlantic). The place was packed of course. Standing room only. I'll post a pic later. The place was full of energy and excitement. Usually these things are a bunch of pilots waiting for the game to get over. Well this was way bigger.
I'd guess only half of the three to four hundred folks there were crew. They had a massive 4 pole tent set up in the parking lot with an awesome buffet catered. Pasta salad, potato salad, pulled pork BBQ, hamburger, Chicken, corn on cob, beans, ice cream, pecan pie with that fancy syrup lines drawn on them...you get the idea.
Inside they were selling jewelry. You heard right, jewelry were set up to sell to the throngs of people. The place never emptied out. I sat there from 12:00 until after the race and it was packed. The crew room was a musical chair event. Early on some flight attendants were trying to 'save' there seats. That didn't last one second. When you're sitting on a leather couch watching TV and get up to go eat while there are people standing and sitting on the floor there is no way that seat is getting 'saved'. The mantra was "shuffle your feet, lose your seat!"
They had a raffle for several items. They had a nice bottle of bourbon that I had my eye on, but, alas, it wasn't to be. They had the bean bag game Corn Hole set up outside, but I never saw a soul play as it was too hot and muggy.
At one time outside my FO asked how long it'd take our pax to get back after the race. I said, "I don't know but it isn't far, look" and pointed. Not far away you could see where the race was as the were, and I kid not, 8 banners flying a large circle around what I assume was a gaggle of well dressed people. I'd never seen so many banners at one place. I was actually a bit impressed at the choreography of the thing. Very evenly spaced and very symmetrical.
Anyway, as the race approached I managed to find a seat in one of those leather couches. There was a very attractive flight attendant I managed to end up sitting next to. When Bob Costas was on the air at one point she said she was flying him. (I saw her later loading up catering on a G-IV)
So the race started. I was taken back that as soon as the last horse was locked in the gate the race just started with all the gates opening. No, "On your markes, get set, go!" or anything. We all watched as the horses ran around a large circle of dirt. I'd of thought they'd use the nicer grass track right there...but nope, the dirt track was in use. The race lasted a minute or so. Someone commented during the race, "That's what this place is going to look like in 45 minutes!" and we all had a chuckle. He was right.
The race ended and I started to get things moving. I knew there wasn't going to be a GPU but had to ask. I was right and briefed a plan with the FO. We had all the gas in the world so we fired the engines up so we could run the AC and cool the cabin. The cabin had gotten like an oven and I can't imagine our pax getting in that oven all dressed to the nines like that.
The cabin cooled and our pax arrived. We departed ahead of the pack. I think I was the 3rd plane to takeoff from our side of the airport. I even just beat the hot FA in her G-IV. Her pilots seemed to be gritting their teeth as I taxied by that I beat them out of the blocks.
All and all it was cool. I'd never done it before and thought I'd share.
)
