Today as I was leaving the Chas airport the small Delta airliner took the full length of the runway to get airborn.
It reminded me of a flight many years ago.
It was during the days a propeller airliners. I was flying from Atlanta to Greenville, South Carolina. The plane was a Martin 404. A Fri night in the fall and GA was playing TN in Athens the next day. The plane was overflowing as the football revelers prepped for the Sat contest. As we went down the runway gaining speed you could hardly hear the engines over the noise of the passengers. The engines roared as the plane strained to leave the clenched of gravity. It seemed that we were almost airborn when the pilot cut the engines. We slowed and moved back toward the terminal at a snails pace. We were told we had to get off the plane. My fellow passengers were infuriated...for awhile as we styled into the terminal chairs designed for discomfort. Someone broke open a fifth of Jack Daniels bourbon. Someone else was sent to get Coca-Cola and soon all seemed to be right with the world. While my fellow passengers imbibed, I ventured to peer out window of the terminal. Much to my surprise, they had a fuel truck backed up to the plane. They pumping some fuel out of the plane! It had been too
heavy to get off the ground.
Soon we were aboard again and thundering down the runway. I've always liked to watch the flames from the exhaust pipes of those big radial engines light up the night. The pilot managed to get the plane off the ground before the grassy area at the end of the runway. We were on our way to Athens. After the football fans got off the plane in Athens we had an uneventful and quiet flight to Greenille. And I had the opportunity to enjoy a delightful conversation with the stewardess.
By the way, Georgia beat Tennessee in the football game.
