Fire Destroys Reliant Air Hangar at KDXR

HPNPilot1200

HPNPilot1200

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Jason
Sad to hear about it. Reliant ran a nice operation.

http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/story.php?id=1186571061&source=tabbox#tt

DANBURY -- Reliant Air Building at 1 Wibling Road, near Danbury Airport, began burning shortly before 10 p.m. The ruined building was still in flames at 10:45, with increasing numbers of firefighters still arriving on the scene.
The building houses the charter flight company and other businesses, including McNally’s Steak & Ale House.
Dan Perry, who was driving to the Weindorf Road home he shares with his mother near the airport, said he saw the fire and pulled into the Bed Bath & Beyond parking lot. He was among the first spectators.
"When I pulled in I saw one window with fire in it," Perry said. He placed a phone call to his mother, and "By the time I looked back around, the whole building was going up."
His mother, Kelly Ballard of Weindorf Road, soon met him in the lot, which also serves Sports Authority, "At first there was tons of smoke and sirens. In 10 minutes it about tripled in size."
http://www.newstimeslive.com/admana.../ad/ck/8423-51518-17777-2?mpt=24398729&ismap=
Angela Hartwell, a Reliant pilot who had the day off, was driving nearby on I-84 when she saw smoke over Barden and then an orange fireball at Reliant.
"It’s heart-breaking. This is people’s life blood. We have a lot of loyal customers," Hartwell said, beginning to cry. "It’s a good company and I really liked working there. It’s very sad.
The company had been in business since 1989. The company has five full-time, and six part-time pilots.
Embers showered down onto I-84 and its exits.
Jay Sherwood of Danbury Fire Police, trying to clear the Bed Bath & Beyond parking lot of a stream onlookers — some of them trying to take pictures with their cell phones — said of the burning building, "There’s planes in there and lots of equipment, really flammable stuff."
Police and fire reports are not yet available.
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I love how he called his mother, but there's no mention that the fire department was already on the scene or that he called them.

I hope that no one was injured (they didn't say), and am very sad about the loss.
 
A charter business with a restuarant? Or was the steak house just a lease holder and they stored a plane there?

If there really was a restaurant sharing the building, that's a recipe for disaster (no pun intended). Commercial cooking equipment, gas flames, grease, oil, 100LL and Jet A.
 
JohnR said:
A charter business with a restuarant? Or was the steak house just a lease holder and they stored a plane there?

If there really was a restaurant sharing the building, that's a recipe for disaster (no pun intended). Commercial cooking equipment, gas flames, grease, oil, 100LL and Jet A.
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Reliant Air is an FBO which had a separate charter department. McNally's restaurant was a steakhouse on top of the FBO. Both had been there forever.

bstratt said:
Flew out of DXR for years but don't remember where this was.
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It's on the northeast side of the field.

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Hi Jason,

I'm really saddened by these news. Reliant is my preferred FBO at DXR. In fact, I was there two weeks ago. Nice people. It's sad to see a general aviation company go down that way.

Gil
 
TeenDoc said:
Hi Jason,

I'm really saddened by these news. Reliant is my preferred FBO at DXR. In fact, I was there two weeks ago. Nice people. It's sad to see a general aviation company go down that way.

Gil
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Me too. :( Will have to give you a call this week so we can catch up.
 
HPNPilot1200 said:
Reliant Air is an FBO which had a separate charter department. McNally's restaurant was a steakhouse on top of the FBO. Both had been there forever.



It's on the northeast side of the field.

03522.gif
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Ah, I used to rent from Curtiss Aero (where I got my PPL) and then moved down the field to a newer FBO which I also can't remember (damn my memory is getting bad!)
 
I used to fly with an independent CFI named Lou who based his Piper Cherokee there. After flying, we'd go up to the restaurant for dinner. The restaurant overlooks the field and is built over the bar that is at ground level. The fence used to be about 3 feet high there, and pretty easy to jump over. But after a kid stole a C-172 from Arrow Aviation and flew it to HPN and landed on a taxiway around 2am, they made it higher, about 7 ft, I think.

We had lots of good food and good evenings at the restaurant. Lots of good talk and lessons sitting on the park bench in front of Reliant, watching and grading landings.
 
Isn't there an FBO between RWYs 8 and 35 I was only at DXR once but I thought thats where I parked. I recall taking off on 17 isn't that the one they call the valley of death?
 
Yup 17 that was one hell of a climb out just follow the valley up till ya pop out the top
 
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