by Patrick “Pat” Weeden
My dad, Dick Weeden, started an airplane maintenance and restoration business at Brodhead Airport when I was a young kid. Because of this, I quite literally grew up on the Brodhead Airport in the 1970s and 80s, and I learned a lot of life lessons during those formative years. Now 50+ years later, I work full time at the same airport and carry a lot of those lessons with me. Among the things I learned being an airport rat…
- Always put the tools back in the drawer where they came from, OR, Shop Maintenance. Dad was an A&P mechanic and IA, and as a kid I helped out in the shop. I was the tear-apart guy: Someone would bring in a small Cessna or an old taildragger for an annual inspection, and I would take off the inspection covers and cowlings. Dad would inspect my work. I learned every nook and cranny of an airplane, every fastener, what kind of tools you need for what kinds of tasks. That’s how I learned fractions, too, working with wrenches. But always, ALWAYS put the tools back where they came from. Never make someone else clean up after your work.
- When you’re throwing a GI Joe out of an open cockpit biplane at the top of a loop, make sure the parachute is not the same color as the cornfield below. The fields around Brodhead Airport are littered with my childhood: Estes rockets, .049-powered free flight models, R/C gliders, parachutes… All lost due to pilot error or lack of a good preflight. Plan ahead for contingencies, or a lot of hard work will go to waste.
- It’s bad if the engine quits, OR, Don’t panic early. My very first airplane ride was in the back seat of an Aeronca Champ, sitting on my brother Mike’s lap. I was 5. When pilot Fritz Badertscher throttled back to land, I turned to Mike and asked, “Are we going to crash?” Somehow, I instinctively knew that airplane engines were supposed to keep running in flight – but nobody told me that you have to throttle back to land. Don’t always assume the worst and don’t panic early. I got teased a lot for that one.
- If you ever aggravate a pilot, that’s the end of your fun, OR, Airfield Safety: When you’re a young kid mowing a grass runway at a small airport, keep your eyes open for airplanes and stay the heck out of the way or you’ll never get to mow again. Dad would say, “Don’t make any of those guys mad or get in their way. Watch the sky! If you see an airplane, stay well clear of the runway. Don’t make them guess what you’re doing next.” What was then referred to as “Never Tick Off a Pilot” turned into a life skill beyond what was probably intended at the time. But also, watching the sky made my mowing lines crooked. It’s all a balance, I guess.
- Don’t go for a flight with just anyone, unless they’re a good pilot, OR, Stranger Danger. Of course, I didn’t follow that rule. My earliest aircraft ride memories were with the old timers, WWII or later vets who didn’t mind squeezing a few extra kids into the cockpit for a quick flight around the patch. My favorite memory is taxiing out with a local pilot and just before takeoff he turned and said to me, “No matter what happens, I know what I’m doing.” I would often get admonished later in the day…”Don’t fly with that guy again, he’s not a good pilot.”
- Take a lot of pictures, OR, Someday you’ll be the old timer. In 1978, Dave Weiman wanted to write an article about the Brodhead Airport for his new publication, “Wisconsin Flyer.” Dave came to our local EAA chapter meeting, back when we held them in the basement of the Green County Bank in town. Dave asked for photos of airport activities. I was 10 years old, and I had just got my first camera from Larry Ayres, a Vietnam Huey pilot and family friend. I burned up 6 rolls of film taking photos for Dave and he even published one. I never thought that 48 years later, I’d still be contributing to what is now called Midwest Flyer. Looking at those pictures for this article made me realize I’m one of the airport old guys now. “Back in my day…”
- Celebrate the small victories. Perhaps my biggest claim to fame at Brodhead Airport is that I was the inaugural user of the first airport outhouse – and I helped dig the hole, or as much as a 6-year-old can help. That day was a special kind of proud for me, and I have held that mantle high for a lifetime.
I’m sure many readers have their versions of these same life lessons learned by being an airport rat. Thanks for letting me share mine.
About the Author
Patrick “Pat” Weeden is the Executive Director at the Kelch Aviation Museum on the Brodhead Airport, where he has been helping mow the grass runways since his dad turned him loose on a rickety old Ford tractor in 1976.