I just heard
Bob Costas on The Ticket just now. Every
time I see him on TV or hear him on the radio I realize how close the world was to losing him and several
other names you would know in the summer of 1982.
I was just
hired as a porter at the Holiday Inn-Fargo. One part of the duties was to pick up passengers that flew into the Fargo
Airport. When VIP's flew in they used
private jet companies that weren't dropping off passengers at the main
terminal. Those planes would land and
taxi over to private hangars where we were supposed to pick them up.
I was in my
first few weeks on the job and not really clear about the airport protocols in
place. When I would be summoned to the
private hangar I would drive through the access gate that was often
unattended. You would drive the van down
a taxiway and then cut across one or more runways to get to that location.
Roger Maris
was from the Fargo, ND area and every year there would be a golf tournament in
his honor put on in the city. Many former Yankee players would come in and play
in the tournament or just hang around during the tournament.
Upon
arriving at the airport I got through the access gate and drove over to the private
hangar. When I got to the private hangar
there stood Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Moose Skowron (I didn't recognize him
but found out who he was later), Whitey Ford, and Bob Costas. I loaded them and their baggage up in the
van.
Using my
normal procedure I turned down one of the taxiways toward the end of one of the
big runways. I looked to see if I was
clear and not seeing any planes in the vicinity I cut across the runway and
actually turned on to the runway to get to another taxiway that would get me to
the access gate.
I was
hustling down the runway when I looked into the rearview mirror to see a big
jet on final for that runway. I
remember the big "headlights" on it and the feeling of sudden panic. I
accelerated the van and moved to one side of the runway about to crap my pants.
In about 10
seconds or so the plane pulled up and executed a "go around" flying over the top
of the van and filling the van with an extraordinary noise of jet engines. As the plane went over I could see all of the
heads in the rearview mirror duck down as the plane flew over. There was a bunch of cussing going on due to
the surprise of the situation. After the plane passed over us (not exactly
directly over us as I was to one side of the runway) I got to the taxiway and
got out of the airport.
The drive back to the hotel was pretty
quiet. I figured that when I got back
they would complain and I would be fired.
I also figured that the cops might show up too because the Holiday Inn
van was very visible in yellow and green and had "Holiday Inn" all over
it. I finished the day and figured that
I would get called in and fired the next day once everything was found
out. Not a word was ever said about the
incident. Had the plane actually hit us, I wonder if I would have been mentioned in the article.
I know, cool story bro. I had to get it off my chest here in the RRS confessional.
Bob Costas on The Ticket just now. Every
time I see him on TV or hear him on the radio I realize how close the world was to losing him and several
other names you would know in the summer of 1982.
I was just
hired as a porter at the Holiday Inn-Fargo. One part of the duties was to pick up passengers that flew into the Fargo
Airport. When VIP's flew in they used
private jet companies that weren't dropping off passengers at the main
terminal. Those planes would land and
taxi over to private hangars where we were supposed to pick them up.
I was in my
first few weeks on the job and not really clear about the airport protocols in
place. When I would be summoned to the
private hangar I would drive through the access gate that was often
unattended. You would drive the van down
a taxiway and then cut across one or more runways to get to that location.
Roger Maris
was from the Fargo, ND area and every year there would be a golf tournament in
his honor put on in the city. Many former Yankee players would come in and play
in the tournament or just hang around during the tournament.
Upon
arriving at the airport I got through the access gate and drove over to the private
hangar. When I got to the private hangar
there stood Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Moose Skowron (I didn't recognize him
but found out who he was later), Whitey Ford, and Bob Costas. I loaded them and their baggage up in the
van.
Using my
normal procedure I turned down one of the taxiways toward the end of one of the
big runways. I looked to see if I was
clear and not seeing any planes in the vicinity I cut across the runway and
actually turned on to the runway to get to another taxiway that would get me to
the access gate.
I was
hustling down the runway when I looked into the rearview mirror to see a big
jet on final for that runway. I
remember the big "headlights" on it and the feeling of sudden panic. I
accelerated the van and moved to one side of the runway about to crap my pants.
In about 10
seconds or so the plane pulled up and executed a "go around" flying over the top
of the van and filling the van with an extraordinary noise of jet engines. As the plane went over I could see all of the
heads in the rearview mirror duck down as the plane flew over. There was a bunch of cussing going on due to
the surprise of the situation. After the plane passed over us (not exactly
directly over us as I was to one side of the runway) I got to the taxiway and
got out of the airport.
The drive back to the hotel was pretty
quiet. I figured that when I got back
they would complain and I would be fired.
I also figured that the cops might show up too because the Holiday Inn
van was very visible in yellow and green and had "Holiday Inn" all over
it. I finished the day and figured that
I would get called in and fired the next day once everything was found
out. Not a word was ever said about the
incident. Had the plane actually hit us, I wonder if I would have been mentioned in the article.
I know, cool story bro. I had to get it off my chest here in the RRS confessional.
