Your Brush With Fame

I love to hear stories about when people ran into by accident, or met some sort of celebrity. Ill start with mine:
Back in 04 On a whim my wife and I decided to fly out to Wisconsin to see our favorite band "Days of the New". They are a post grunge band that achieved success in the late 90s. We flew out Saturday morning from NJ, for that evenings show and then flew home the next morning. The reason for this was that it was a very small Venue with only 190 people allowed in the building. We had to be there, plus it was to be our first time to see em live. It couldn't of turned out any better... We arrived early, got front row, you were allowed to take pictures, and at that point in my life was the most memorable experience I had ever had. As we are leaving, the owner of the club says "you guys looked like you had a great time" To which we replied "Hell yea!!!" He then proceeds to ask us to come on down to the Bands private afterparty.... You've got to be kidding..... I couldn't believe it... What a night. They were the koolest guys ever, I will never forget that memorable evening in Wisconsin...

The Downtown 1997:

I haven't changed much. Falter was a local artist.

I was in every motorcycle magazine from '00 - to about '03 in an advertisement. I'll have to dig that one out & take a pic. Most of my friends don't even know about that one. My brush with fame ... and of course, I was paid --ZERO --.

I live and work on 'The Cape' so we get our share of VIP's...
We also get folks who just want to hide in the woods and be 'normal'...
Went to a job that was refered to me by a good client who knows people...
Nice couple just married...
Had to bring the computers back to the shop for repair...
He wants assurances that the data on the computer will be secure and will not get out into the wild...
I tell him and his wife...
I work for Spooks and Senators and I'm still alive, your data is safe with me I promise...
Then he asks if I follow sports much...
Not too much, more of a beach and BBQ kind of guy...
Why I ask...
He laughs and says OK I'll take your word the data will be safe...
Turns out he plays for the Red Sox and was pretty well known...

Back in the late 60's a bunch of friends told me they had seen my picture in several Post Offices--I guess alot of people wanted to meet me because the heading on the picture said "WANTED"

I guess the best I can do is standing in line next to John Laroquette at the Hard Rock in L.A.

I didn't speak to him because I figured he was just there to get a burger with his family like the rest of us.

I flew a lot of 'big names' around, when I flew charter and corporate. I found that most people are just people, that everyone has a nitch skill or area of expertice. Only the 'newly famous' cared about thier fame.

Flew these people:

Ringo Star
Jimmy Buffet
Hewey Lewis [not his real name, cant remember it now]
Pres [ex at time] Gerald Ford [hell of a nice guy]
Jessie Jackson [ total ass hole ]
Mike Ilich [grumpy, but nice guy]

Senators, Congressmen, sports 'stars' etc.

Many more, many VERY wealthy [how about a $1million/day income??]

But I learned that they all are just people, the worry about the same things we do, have the same issues.
some issues evaporate from plenty of money, but other problems arise..

I could write a book.

Some folks treated the pilots like friends, some treated us like taxi drivers, some ignored us, we just had to roll with the punches.

Greg L

Jessie Jackson [ total ass hole ]

Why doesn't that surprise me?

I flew Jessie Jackass during his run to be nominated for the democratic ticket.. must have been in the late 80"s ??? can't remember, don't care..

Mr Jackass complained that his jet was smaller than the the jets that the other candidates were flying, and wanted my company to swap him into a bigger plane.. but when the subject of price for the bigger plane came up, he couldn't put out, only BS and Rhetoric.. again, no surprise here !! LOL..

Some of the nicest people had the most money..

Charles Fisher of Fisher Body Co. President of NBD at the time, this bank got bought then re-sold.
Congressman Richard Chrysler
Jimmy Buffet, a pilot himself, asked to be fully briefed on the flights, never interfered, just wanted to know.

One property caretaker of my most wealthy passenger, recieved a nice Christmas present one December.. a top grade Holland&Holland engraved, gold inlaid, custom cased, shotgun.. cost?? didn't matter.. it was over $110,000.00 for a shotgun... the wealthy live in another world..

But this Uber-wealthy person, would go to the humane society, and bring back 4-6 new older dogs, usually labs and goldens, to rescue them from euthanasia, give them a great home for their last years.

Greg L

In my college class was David Eisenhower, grandson of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. I was to play in a golf tournament against another college, but I didn't have my clubs. So David lent me a set, in a gigantic bag with the president's name in large script up the side. I don't remember if I won or lost, but I got a lot of attention.

LsFarm wrote:Jimmy Buffet, a pilot himself, asked to be fully briefed on the flights, never interfered, just wanted to know.

Wanted to know whether YOU knew -- apparently you did, since he didn't interfere.

Why didn't you crash the one with Jessie on it? My kids told me, if you jump out just before it hits the ground, you will be OK.

Actually the Secret Service asked me a few questions, nothing direct, but they seemed to be asking if I would be inclined to do that.

The Secret Service guys definitely did NOT like mr Jackass. I think they kept hopeing some threat would pop up on the other side of Mr Jackass, so that the SS guy would have to shoot through Mr J to 'save' him from the threat.

I heard him whining about the small plane, several times,, his 'aids' would roll their eyes behind his back.

Greg L

Jimmy actually had always checked the weather, I'd often discuss with him routing around weather, expectations for turbulence etc.. a very nice guy.

Most of the Uber wealthy like to be annonymous whenever possible.. makes life easier.

I remember one grandson of a big pile of money.. complaining or at least commenting, on the ridiculous size of the limo that came to pick him up.. He's like 14-15 years old, only wants transportation, no taxi's available for his length of delivery.. so he asks for a simple 4-door limo, and gets this super-stretch, very ostentatious. The limo driver's first words were an appology for the car, defused the situation. the standard limo was in the shop, had gotten in a fender-bender that morning, and this was the only available backup. The kid just sighed, said he hated to show up in such a vehicle. At least he wasn't a show off !!

I worked on Mt Desert Island for 4 or 5 years from about '78 to '82. The Island is home of Acadia National Park. Many wealthy have summer homes on "The Island". Nowadays Martha Stewart, John Travolta, the Fords, the Astas. Living on the Island was were I learned upholstery & many times I was in homes of the elite.The most memorable was when I got to meet Mary Rockefeller. I spent an afternoon with her while I was installing carpet. She was a sweet lady & would have been happy to live a much simpler life. I remember her being intrigued that I was born on the Island & she wanted to know about Island life during the winter. It was a fun day.
The other memory that sticks with me is of the butler of one of the Astors. He & I talked each time I was there. He worked 50 weeks a year, more or less 24 hours a day. His pay: a cool quarter million a year. Not bad for a "normal guy". Plus, of course, he had free room & board. The first time we met he gave me a $20 tip..... that's big when you're earning $4.75 an hour.... I politely declined, then accepted. He told me "The Misses gives me monies every week that I must give out in tips. Each time you set foot on this property you see to it that you find me so I can do what she asks". Yes sir! Ahhhh, those were fun times.

I celebrated my 20th birthday with my mother. She took me to a Japanese hibachi restaurant where they sit different groups together at the same table and cook in front of you. We were the second couple at the table then a cutie and her date sat down across the table from us. The chef came out and gave us an awesome show. It wasn't until it was all over when the chef asked Brook Shields for her autograph. Several of my classmates from high school have met her and said that she was a bitch She seemed ok to me. She was going to Princeton University at the time. We lived in Lawreceville. one town over. I also got to meet Iron Maiden at the Bordentown Petro when they were refueling their tour bus.