A Warm Welcome by Hoosier Aviation

The Flagship arrived in Terre Haute on Wed. in the midst of an afternoon downpour, but the atmosphere was quickly brightened by the staff of Hoosier Aviation.  They brought umbrellas and helped unload luggage into two waiting vehicles.  There was quite a bit of luggage due to the size of the crew. Fortunately space had been located in a hanger for the Detroit and it was efficiently put away for the night. 
The rain had stopped by dinner time and upon local recommendation we dined very well at the Black Angus where we were treated to a private dining room.  This proved to be a wise move as by the end of the evening we were "harmonizing" a rousing chorus of "Me and Bobby McGee" along with several cowboy classics. We are not sure that the staff was as impressed by our harmony as we were...
Thursday morning was an early call since the plane was to be open for viewing by 9 AM. Breakfast was provided by Hoosier Aviation and to our delight it was an amazing feast provided by a local caterer.  
We were greeted by Nicole Brown and her husband, Jordan.  If you look up "hospitable" in the dictionary, you will very likely find their picture. We have been to many outstanding FBOs across the country, but this one is definitely a 5 star+, largely due to the care and concern the Browns exhibit.

Hoosier Aviation Proprietors

As a bonus, their sons Jordan Ray, 12, and Nicolas, 8, were in and out most of the day. One of our tasks for the day was sorting and folding a new tee shirt shipment. Nicolas jumped right in and taught the girls his very precise folding method.  We were amazed by their manners and confidence.  Obviously some solid parenting going on and we look forward to seeing these two young men flying the Flagship one day.
Not too long after breakfast, a lovely luncheon of cold cuts arrived.  We were getting very spoiled by this point.
There was a steady stream of visitors all day and did well with sales, largely due to Sunae Glendening, whose husband joined the foundation last year in Terre Haute.  She was incredibly enthusiastic and volunteered her whole afternoon to promote the Flagship. We did a membership flight at 4 PM and then retreated to the air conditioned comfort of the hotel.
We met the Browns for dinner at a fun local brew pub called Moggers.  We were joined by many of Jordan and Nicole's friends from the flying community, including Bill Foraker, Board President of the Terre Haute International Airport Authority.  His son, Will, was in town enjoying a visit with his family from his job as a pianist aboard Celebrity Cruise Lines.  He was part of a jazz group which was playing that night at Moggers.  So the evening was very entertaining and much "all in the family."  We all felt like we were with dear friends.  We cannot thank the Browns enough for their generosity and look forward to our next visit to Terre Haute.
On Friday June 28th, the crew departed Indiana for the three plus hour flight to Tulsa. Bill Gentry and his crew at the American Airlines Maintenance Facility had graciously offered to hanger the plane for awhile. You see, the Flagship is a bit of a homeless plane at the moment. American closed down their operation at Alliance Airport where she used to live.  They offered space at DFW, but government red tape would prevent the crew access. So for the moment, she resides happily in Tulsa.
Because there are scads of American Airlines employees in Tulsa, riding a pass in and out of there is a challenge and so 7 members of the crew rented a van and drove back to Dallas.
There are to be two more events in the Midwest in the middle of July, so stay tuned. 
(Note: This issue of the chronicles of the Flagship and the one preceding it were authored by Peggy Fairchild)