It’s not that I didn’t have permission to land at the private grass strip. It’s that the person who granted me permission to land there wasn’t technically the owner.
While marked private on the chart, an idyllic grass strip proved to be friendly and welcoming in person. [Courtesy: Jason McDowell]
Key Takeaways:
The author describes flying to a private grass strip, Der Schwarzwald Airport, with permission granted unconventionally by a friend of the owner, leading to initial apprehension about being an unwelcome intruder.
Upon landing, the author's fears were alleviated as he was warmly greeted by the airfield's owners.
One of the owners, Al, turned out to be someone the author had previously met and photographed his unique Wing Derringer aircraft, fostering an immediate friendly connection.
The visit evolved into an enjoyable experience of shared aviation history, tours, and camaraderie, completely dispelling the author's initial anxieties about needing "bail money."
Bail money isn’t something that I typically include on my before-landing checklist. Of all the variables with which one might have to contend upon landing at a new airport, incarceration generally isn’t one of them.
But on a late-afternoon flight through the Wisconsin countryside last week, it did cross my mind.
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Jason McDowell is a private pilot and Cessna 170 owner based in Madison, Wisconsin. He enjoys researching obscure aviation history and serves as a judge for the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. He can be found on Instagram as @cessnateur.
