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Right Brake, Wrong Decision by Joe Casey
Iwas once a “flying salesman,” one of the coolest job titles ever. But when I took that job, I was hung up on the word “salesman.” I had never considered myself in sales, but it took me about a year to understand how great it was.
A flying salesman gets to use an airplane to shake more hands, do more deals, and create more sales. And someone else pays for the flying. How cool is that?
I worked for a coatings manufacturer in East Texas, and my job was to use a Piper Mirage to fly all over the USA to visit manufacturing facilities that dipped, sprayed, or poured our paint during the final steps of their manufac- turing process. I flew more than 500 hours a year in that Mirage, visiting clients who have become some of my best friends. I dovetailed aviation into work and loved every minute of it. At least I loved it until I made a poor decision one day. A decision that cost me my magic carpet.
On the last two trips in my Mirage, I experienced softness in the brakes upon landing. The brakes were firm when taxiing for takeoff, but upon landing, there was a softness that I knew was not wanted. So, I took my Mirage to the
10 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2023
mechanic, who then bled the system, reported no issues, and handed me back the airplane.
I flew another flight, and the same problem happened again, soft brakes upon landing. I returned the airplane to the same mechanic who bled the system again, tightened all the nuts and bolts related to the brake system, and handed me the plane again with a clean bill of health.
I then loaded up my wife and three young boys in that Mirage and flew from the Cherokee County Airport (KJSO) to the Piggott Airport (7M7) in Arkansas, an airport that sports a 2,500ft runway, a few open t-hangars, and some crop dusters. Those crop dusters support the many farm- ing communities in this gem of a small town located in the nutrient-rich soil of the Mississippi River floodplains. And the deep ditches on the sides and end of the 2,500 ft runway at this little crop-dusting aerodrome didn’t concern a vastly experienced (and entirely humble) pro pilot such as myself -- even after the soft brake issues.
The Piggott Airport is within walking distance of my objective, the L.A. Darling Store Fixtures Manufacturing