The Airmail Switch

Near the end of my Airmail days, I was kind if a "pilot at large" for the Nickelsons. I lived in a hovel near BWI airport. One week I was sent to Norfolk to cover a mail route. The regular pilot was sick with a virus. My boss wanted me to check up on everything. He had heard that the pilots on the route were sometimes landing at a halfway point and swapping planes in order to overnight back where they started from. He said that must stop. The route went one-way: Norfolk, Richmond, Charleston W. Va., New River Valley Va. The next night was the reverse: PSK, CRW, RIC, ORF. One night the pilot would overnight in Norfolk, the next night in New River. When I got to Norfolk my old friends were there and we had a nice visit and all was very well, except my friend GB was ill of course. Just before I left to fly the run, GB said, "Oh Lou, there's one more thing, you gotta land at Charlotsville and swap planes with Little Joe". "Look GB I've been told about this, and I can't do it and you guys can't do it anymore either" "Oh excuse me Mr. Lou company man, I know you're a big boss now Check Airman sir"! "C'mon GB I just can't do it, we can't do it" "Here's the deal Lou. Little Joe wants to stay in New River. His girlfriend is there. He'll quit before he spends another night here. He'll be sitting in CHO waiting for you no matter what you say. Also, tonight is Friday and if you do the switch, you'll be back here at 2 AM and we will have a party in full swing. You know Sue, and she'll have her friends here and they've heard about you and want to meet you. And you'll be here all weekend, at the beach. Or do you want to spend the weekend at 'No Reefer Valley, Va' in a bunkhouse? I got to CHO before Little Joe because Richmond is closer to CHO than "Charlie West". So I stood alone on the ramp and looked west in the clear, starry sky. I'd heard about Joe, but never met him. I picked up a light to the west and as it approached it seemed too high to be landing here. The aircraft must be a Jet, the descent ratio looked like one to one. When he landed he kept up a frightening taxi speed and he was alongside and parked. He climbed out, this is what I saw: A small, tanned, muscular, very young man. He had a wild look in his eyes. He was wearing cut off shorts. Only cut off shorts. No shirt, no shoes. He had a mane of wild long, jet-black hair. He shook my hand with a big grin and climbed aboard the Navajo I had brought in. He fired up and was gone. I climbed into Joe's Navajo. You have to belly crawl over the mail and slide down into the cockpit. I flipped on the battery switch. Everything came on. The lights, the radios. While I fired up, CHO FSS was calling me. "Cumberland Four, you're released for Richmond, runway your choice, numbers to follow and our friend in Cumberland Three says to say thanks to you".