Day 5 - US 127 at DennyGibson.com

Day 5: September 30, 2023
Airborne History
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The path of this trip was determined by US-127 but its timing and the need for an overnight in Crossville was determined by an event at Crossville Memorial Airport. My anticipated ten-minute straight-shot turned out to be a little longer and a little more complicated but it wasn't really a problem. Check out the event poster.

Garmin guided me to the main gate where only handicapped parking was available. Open parking was at the far end of the runway but getting there was easy and shuttles ran non-stop from there. The one thing I was really interested in was on the side opposite the shuttle drop-off so I skipped right past most of the displays until I caught my first view of Flagship Detroit.

The DC-3 looked even better up close and looked downright sprightly for an 86 year old. A line of people filed in and out of the aircraft for what I believe was a free look inside. A shorter line led to a table under the wing where flight sign ups were taking place. I joined the line under the wing.

Sometime after all seats were spoken for, the walk-throughs were put on hold and the area around the airplane cleared. Then Blake Butler, whom I had exchanged emails with but had met just today, gave a little pre-flight talk and handed out "boarding passes". I was among the last to board so did not have much of a seat selection but ended up in the very front row which meant extra legroom. Everyone got a fresh air vent (which functions only when airborne) and clean ashtray but only I had a good view of the posted smoking limits. The full length of the runway, came into view briefly when the plane turned onto it.

Once we were in the air, every passenger was treated to a visit to the cockpit. The lady in the single seat across the aisle was first and I was second. Someone had changed their mind after "booking" the flight which left one extra seat that turned out to be the one next to me.

With perfect weather, the ride was as smooth as any big jet although some horizontal motion that a bigger plane would likely have suppressed could occasionally be felt. Steady state noise levels might be higher than on a modern jet but I'm guessing that improved sound insulation is largely responsible. I can't say that the big radial engines are either louder or quieter than jets although they certainly sound different. The one next to me can be heard in the very short video made with my phone.

I also recorded a video of our landing but I guess looking for my car distracted me and I missed the actual touchdown. On the way out, I turned around to snap a picture of where I had been sitting. We were told that the shelves above te seats are not there to store carry-on bags but were hat racks. Everybody wore a hat in the 1930s. To me, the plane looks even brighter after the flight than before.

With my mission very happily accomplished, I could focus some attention to other planes as I walked back to the shuttle.

I made a stop in downtown Crossville to photograph the Cumberland County courthouse and the Palace Theater. The theater opened in 1938 making it a year younger than the airplane I'd just flown on. I'd paused at the theater last night but was too lazy to get out a tripod so am rather surprised that one of the pictures came out OK.

Regular readers know that I "collect" breweries. I knew that something of a milestone -- my 400th -- was coming up and hoped it would be a good one. It absolutely was. There's even something of a back story. I has visited the brewery closest to Crossville, Swing On Brewery last night. In addition to enjoying some fine beer, I enjoyed some fine conversation with the owners and several customers. One of the couples I spoke with planned to attend the open house at the airport. Not only did they attend, they and a friend were on the Flagship Detroit flight with me. As we compared notes after the flight, the conversation naturally turned to breweries, and I mentioned I intended to stop at one south of town as I continued toward Chattanooga. Good beer and good BBQ they told me. Especially the brisket. As I sat at the Creekside Brewing bar, someone called my name and I turned to see my new friends at one of the tables. We had introduced ourselves back at the airport, and I promised myself I'd remember their names but failed miserably. That's just one of two things I apologize for.

Any brewery with a country setting that includes a deck and open space gets extra points from me even when, like this time, I don't actually get to use it. On top of the setting, the beer, food, and people on both sides of the bar were terrific. Owners Rashaell and Eric (It was his birthday!) are welcoming and entertaining hosts.

The second apology I mentioned relates to food. I've had some less than desirable brisket in the past and am always a little leery of it so, despite the enthusiastic recommendation of my new brewery-hopping DC-3-flying friends, I ordered pulled pork. It was excellent. I sure wasn't disappointed in it but I am sorry that I ignored those sincere recommendations (reinforced by others at the bar). But, as I usually say whenever I miss out on something, it's just another reason to come back.

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