Page 22 - September21T

from where we were but only a 12-minute flight. We called the dealer and he said he would be glad to have one of his people meet us there with the car. Fifteen minutes later, we are on the FBO’s ramp when the car pulls into the parking lot. Unfortunately, this one smelled like the previous owner had regularly smoked in it so that one also got turned down.
The sales guy then informed us of another similar car at their Chehalis site (about 40 miles down the freeway), and they could send a driver down there and bring it back. By now we are having too much fun flying the airplane to dif- ferent unexpected places on a nice sunny day, so we tell the dealer if they could have that car on the Chehalis Airport (KCLS) in 15 minutes we would see it there. Now Chehalis is a bit inland from the Pacific Coast of Washington. The U.S. Army apparently was not concerned about that par- ticular area being invaded by the Japanese, so their airport did not come for free from the U.S. Government after the war. It is the more typical compact single runway affair located fairly close to the freeway. We arrived to find the car and smiling salesman waiting and more than impressed that his potential buyer showed up in a shiny new-looking
20 • TWIN & TURBINE / September 2021
twin-engine airplane. We drove the car around the airport perimeter road and found some problems we didn’t like, so we again passed on the purchase.
Then, with our cellphones overheating, we found yet an- other car at a dealership. This time in La Grande, Oregon – several hundred miles away from the dreaded WWII coastal invasion threat, but only about an hour flight away in the 340. This airborne car searching activity turned out to be even more entertaining and productive than we thought, so we decided to look at that one too. La Grande is a pretty small town located on the interstate just to the northwest of Boise, Idaho, but they have a decent airport (KLGD) with a 6,000-foot runway. The dealer there told us he is located just four minutes from the airport and would be glad to meet us there in an hour. After a pleasant flight over the top of 14,500-foot Mount Rainier, we met him near the gas pumps at the airport and looked the car over. But, at that point, I think we were experiencing sensory overload from looking at too many cars. If someone brought out a brand new one plated in gold, we likely would have turned it down. Besides, the convenience of looking for cars via airplane in different areas of the state was just too much fun. We passed on the car then f lew home.
An hour later, we were home for dinner and looking on the internet for additional cars that might deserve inspec- tion via airplane. Maybe the right car will eventually show up, but if not, we will surely have more fun looking.
Kevin Ware is an ATP who also holds CFI, MEII and helicopter ratings, has more than 10,000 hours and is typed in several different business jets. He has been flying for a living on and off since he was 20, and currently works as a contract pilot for various corporations in the Seattle area.
When not working as a pilot he is employed part time as an emergency and urgent care physician. He can be reached at kevin.ware2@aol.com.