“Always be ready for the unexpected.” That is what Donnie Underwood, my friend and flight instructor (private through instrument), always told me. Be aware of what is going on around you and be ready to respond accordingly. This is good advice. On one particular flight, we would experience a good example of what he was talking about.
To celebrate my recent successful instrument check ride, I was treating Donnie to dinner at Lambert’s, a well-known fly-in destination in southeast Missouri. Known as the “Home of Throwed Rolls,” Lambert’s is especially gracious to pilots. Special treatment, from shuttle service from the airport to being escorted through the kitchen to avoid the bus loads of people standing in line (usually a one-to-two- hour wait), makes Lambert’s a favorite of the hundred-dollar dinner crowd. Hot sourdough rolls thrown to any raised hand doesn’t hurt either.