fishbuck - 1-22-2010 at 03:26 AM
"50 Romeo, cleared to land runway 25 Palwaukee, wind calm... welcome home... you guys catch any fish?
"Palwaukee tower 50 Romeo, cleared 25... oh yeah, we caught fish."
N50R was a company DC-3. The chief pilot was my dad, Dick Bucko.
The plane was owned by a man named Jacob Cohn. He also owned Continental Coffee Company in Chicago. The DC-3 was sort of the Gulfsteam G-2 of it's
day.
The year was around 1965 and N50R was inbound from a fishing trip way up in Canada. So far up that the people either spoke French or Indian.
N50R took us as far north as the last gravel runway that could land the 3 or "the Doug" as my dad called it.
From there it was by floatplane. A Dehaviland Beaver.
There were coolers of rainbow and brook trout and one very tired little boy. Maybe 6-7.
That little boy had just lived an adventure of epic proportions.
I don't know if N50R ever went to Baja but there was another plane at Palwaukee that had. A Twin Beech. I don't know the tail number but I'm sure I
can find it if I try. My sister has my dads's old log books and I think a picture of the Beech.
I didn't make the trip in the Beech except maybe as a twinkle in my dad's eye. He made the trip the year I was born.
It was his first real flying job. Another company owned the Beech and was making a business tour of the southwest. Somebody in the company knew about
Baja and my dad flew them to Las Cruces in 1959. He was in his late 20's then.
I have one of those classic pictures they take there. They even made them into postcards. I wonder if they still do that.
Ever since we started talking about the old dirt DC-3 runway in G. Negro I've been having a meloncoly nastalgia trip aboud old DC-3's and "the good
old days" when a little boy could stow away on his dad's plane.
I was sort of a mascot to the crew and the Cohn family. The Cohn's loved my dad and treated us very good.
There were lots of trips in the DC-3 to lots of exotic places... like Canada and Florida.
I guess that is how I got my love for flying, fishing, and Baja. And why it's so important for me to have my own runway.
There is much more to the story. But that's all for now...
fishbuck - 1-22-2010 at 04:48 AM
One more fishing trip.
I think that's all I really wanted.
No that's a lie. I wanted many more, infinitely more!
But if I could get one more...
I was at Las Cruces. I drove my truck there. It's private now. And at the end of the rough dirt road. And there is a gate. About a mile from the
hotel.
I was there to ask permission to fly there with my dad. He was fighting cancer. And winning.
So we were planning a trip in his Beechcraft TravelAir as soon as he was done with his treatment.
A truck came to the gate from inside and opened it. I ask my beautiful girlfriend Maria to ask if we could drive in. They said no...
lizard lips - 1-22-2010 at 04:53 AM
Thanks Fishman..... Great story.
ELINVESTIG8R - 1-22-2010 at 06:21 AM
Good story Fishbuck!
I don't know if this is what it would have sounded like but it is how I imagined it would have sounded if your dad went to Guerrero Negro Baja
California.
DC-3 November Five Zero Romeo to tower, Engine running, Checks complete request permission for taxi over!
Tower to DC-3 November Five Zero Romeo, request approved, taxi to runway 25 right!
Roger tower!
Tower to DC-3 November Five Zero Romeo what’s your Destination?
DC-3 November Five Zero Romeo to tower, Guerrero Negro Baja California!
Tower to DC-3 November Five Zero Romeo, Roger, have fun!
Thank you Tower!
DC-3 November Five Zero Romeo to tower request permission for launch!
Tower to DC-3 November Five Zero Romeo, takeoff approved on runway 25 Right continuing on to Guerrero Negro!
capt. mike - 1-23-2010 at 02:27 PM
Great story fish buck.
there is a touring DC-3 that actually sells stick time and check outs for the well heeled Walter Mittys in us all...look for it at many shows.
GN doesn't have a tower but you'd be yakin' on the unicom similar phrases and if they felt like it the military boys in the office might reply.
got gas in Loreto once mid 80s and a pristene Beech 18 from Long Beach taxied to the pumps behind us.
all 5 of them looking sunburned but laughing about their ride home with 2 100 qt igloos full of filets.
plane was red white with red exec interior. nicest 18 i ever saw.
Diver - 1-23-2010 at 02:36 PM
My uncle was 1/3 owner of a twin Beech from around '65 to '73 that was at Palwaukee.
We used to take it up north to fish and to Aspen Co for skiing.
Does the name "Hillman" sound familiar ?
fishbuck - 1-23-2010 at 03:02 PM
I knew alot of people at the airport but I was very young. I'm sure my dad knew them.
Duck tape, don't leave home without it
wessongroup - 1-25-2010 at 11:19 AM
Fishbuck ...
Thought you might enjoy this.. a fella left some beef jerky in his plane, on a trip up to Alaska to do some fishing..
Seems bears like beef jerky too and what ever else that is around to chew on .. the guy was able to radio to friends for some items to get things to
back together and duct tape was a big item .... and away we go.. don't know how he did on the fishing 
fishbuck - 1-25-2010 at 04:27 PM
Ha ha! I didn't know bears eat airplanes. Apparently so.