My Brushwith Greatness

A friend and I took our lady friends flying in our Ercoupes. Ercoupes are antique, low wing monoplanes. We cruised a bit, then landed for lunch at the café at Agua Dulce Airport near Vasquez Rocks, California.

As we ate we noticed another Ercoupe circling and making touch and go landings, and commented that we seemed to be having a convention of ‘coupes. Soon the other plane landed and a flying instructor, Dix Logan, whom we knew, and his student, JOHN TRAVOLTA, who owned the little plane, came in. In those days, Travolta owned only one plane.

I shouted, “Ercoupe pilots, over here,” and they joined us.

We chatted about our planes and their flying characteristics. My lady friend was in awe, and tried to edge the menu closer for an autograph, but I said, “No, you don’t. We’re all just Ercoupe pilots here.” And Travolta said, “That’s right.”

I had commented on the Ercoupe’s special ability to handle cross-wind landings, and Travolta asked why that is. I said, “It‘s the sturdy landing gear. Have you noticed, it is built like brick outhouse.” Except, I used a more common scatological term for outhouse. My lady went into shock. How could I use language like that with John Travolta?

Asked if it were true that he was not allowed to fly while in New York filming Saturday Night Fever. He said “Yes, because so many peoples’ jobs depend on your safety .” But he confided that he had been able to get over to New Jersey for some flying.

Nowadays, Travolta flies his own jet worldwide, and I pilot my electric scooter closer to ground.