John J
Line Up and Wait
Just a day or so ago I was rummaging around cleaning out old stuff and found among my old flying diaries a little note book that started when I first began flying. I could barely read it for I wrote the notes when I was 15. That was in 1959. The notes covered my first day on the job as a "line Boy" I thought I would share some of the "do and don'ts" that I was told about while working on the ramp at 15. Ikept that note book for the next two years writing notes of airport happenings.
I thought I would share some of these notes with you all.
"For fueling airplanes;
Owner/pilot must be present and encourage to do it themselves. Line boy provides ladder and drain sample tube. If owner/pilot is at the greasy diner next door, line boy must get him/her before fueling can begin.
Line boy does not put fuel caps on plane after fueling. Owner Pilot must do it.
Line Boy does not check oil; Only supply rag and oil with spout. Make owner/pilot do it and watch to see if owner/pilot puts oil cap on tight.
Determine and varify with owner/pilot fuel grade and color. This is especially important for Piper Tri Pacers for they come in two engines models the 150- burns 80 and the 160 takes 100. Do not even suggest a grade to owner/pilot if they ask, make owner/pilot look it up in their owners manual."
I could not believe some of the notes that I took in April of 1959. The airport was and still it Lee Airport(ANP) in Annapolis, MD. In 1959 it was a sod runway and had 8 airplanes based there. The owner was a delightful woman who loved to have airport kids to help out. She had of course the best plane on the field a Tri Pacer 160. She had a lot of us line boys working so that we could learn to fly.
John J
I thought I would share some of these notes with you all.
"For fueling airplanes;
Owner/pilot must be present and encourage to do it themselves. Line boy provides ladder and drain sample tube. If owner/pilot is at the greasy diner next door, line boy must get him/her before fueling can begin.
Line boy does not put fuel caps on plane after fueling. Owner Pilot must do it.
Line Boy does not check oil; Only supply rag and oil with spout. Make owner/pilot do it and watch to see if owner/pilot puts oil cap on tight.
Determine and varify with owner/pilot fuel grade and color. This is especially important for Piper Tri Pacers for they come in two engines models the 150- burns 80 and the 160 takes 100. Do not even suggest a grade to owner/pilot if they ask, make owner/pilot look it up in their owners manual."
I could not believe some of the notes that I took in April of 1959. The airport was and still it Lee Airport(ANP) in Annapolis, MD. In 1959 it was a sod runway and had 8 airplanes based there. The owner was a delightful woman who loved to have airport kids to help out. She had of course the best plane on the field a Tri Pacer 160. She had a lot of us line boys working so that we could learn to fly.
John J
