[AAC Cadet Leader]

The Kari-Keen Man, the Cab Lady, the Ex-Con and the Incessant Talker
Day 72 August 7, 1988, 10 p.m. Written on the beach and in the airport office in Portage, Wisconsin.

A few days ago when Oshkosh week was winding down, I thought I’d better get busy and line up my next ride out. I’d singled out one of the prettiest antique birds there, a maroon and cream 1948 Luscombe Silvaire Sedan and on Wednesday asked its owner, Bill Wright for a lift after the show. He agreed to drop me off on his way back to California in either Minnesota or North Dakota, two states west of the Mississippi in which I’d yet to plant my feet.

“Either state,” he said, “whatever your preference – no problem.”

“Super! Then after I hit Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana and Washington, then I can hit turn around and head back east and add all those states to my map,” I said.

“Okay, it’s a plan! Meet Michael and me here at the plane at noon and we’ll pack up and head out.”

When Friday noon came, we met at his plane with all our bags. Bill’s plane was one of the very few left in the antique and classic area as most of the planes had left earlier in the week.

“Martha,” Bill said, “we’ve had a change of plans. Michael and I are going to head east to Michigan before going back home to California.”

Just lovely! I said to myself, sarcastically.

Immediately I revisited the experience I had in June back at the Bartlesville Antique Biplane Fly-in where I was stuck without a ride out among a steady stream of aeroplanes. They were all taxiing out to go in different directions back to their home bases. With no ride lined up, I resorted to standing on the edge of the taxiway with my bags and my thumb out for five hours before getting a ride out. From that experience I learned that it can be harder to get a ride at a crowded airfield then at an abandoned one. I was now worried that scenario was about to repeat itself.