Hey, Mister! Can I Have a Ride in Your blimp? PART TWO

Hey, Mister! Can I Have a Ride in Your blimp?
PART TWO

January 18, 2017 - Houston, TX

So many people over the years have been able to ride on a Goodyear blimp, and, if asked, I'll be willing to bet that nearly all who climbed aboard those buoyant craft realize how special an experience their ride was.
I know I fully realize what a privilege it was to go up in the America back in the Seventies. I am a person who will, at the sound of droning engines, jump into his car and chase a blimp across town, across the county, or even from Houston to Beaumont, like I did with the Budweiser blimp years ago.
But I knew in my heart of hearts that my ride on the America would be the only one I'd ever get. 

Then I had to go to Lake Charles....

Fast forward some fifteen years. I managed an air freight operation in Lafayette. I had just landed a huge helicopter account in Lake Charles, and was in the process of setting them up a shipping computer system. Computer installation was, I'm afraid, a notch or two above my pay grade, and the company sent me a techie from Memphis to make sure the job was done right.
So we drive up to the account, and I delighted to see the America unexpectedly moored nearby. Mel, my technician, said:"Hey, look at the Goodyear blimp!"
I replied:"Pretty, isn't she! You know, Mel," I continued, jokingly, "I think I'm gonna get me a ride on that thing today!"
"Dream on, pal," he said, "Only bigwigs get to go on them."
Now, had Mel not made that comment to me, I might well not have taken the next step. But now I had some free time, while Mel as doing whatever computer geniuses do with their circuitry and wires.
I decided to visit the Airship Operation office, temporarily set up there at the hangar.
I walked in, and the first person to greet me was the general manager of Pumpelly Oil, a Goodyear dealership in the Lake Charles, La. area. We did a lot of business with them - they maintained our fleet of delivery trucks and vans.
I introduced myself as the newly-promoted Terminal Manager for Emery Worldwide in Lafayette.
"EMERY WORLDWIDE?!?!" the man exclaimed, "Why you guys are one of our biggest customers in Lafayette!! We sure appreciate your business!"
He smiled great big, and gave me an honest, firm handshake as only a Louisiana man can, and then he said, "Say, Ken.... How would you like to have a ride on the blimp??"
I must have looked at the man like Johnny Carson used to look at his sidekick, Ed McMahon, after Ed came right back at him with a counter joke from out of left field.
"Well, sure.... I mean, I'd LOVE to!!!"
The next thing I knew, I was on the Airship Operations van heading out to the blimp. I climbed aboard, and greeted the pilot - it was none other than LARRY CHAMBERS! (A well-known Goodyear airship pilot)
I told him I was an LTA enthusiast, and that I had several albums of photos and articles on the subject. Larry was by no means bored by my story - he was a bit of an LTA fan himself, and actually made flying a blimp a career.
I didn't have the heart to tell him that this was not my first blimp flight. It wasn't even my first flight in this particular ship! But in my defense, I thoroughly enjoyed every second aboard the America, and Larry put her through her paces, showing off for a passenger who shared his passion for buoyant flight.
It was a thrill as we dove headlong back down to earth, and I must say, I was sad that the ride didn't last longer. I shook hands and bid adieu to Larry and his crew, and went back to my customer's helicopter hanger to check on Mel's progress, and to tell him the story of my blimp ride.
He had trouble believing that I just walked in and climbed aboard the blimp, but with only a few minor details added, that was the true story!
I picked later up a copy of the local Lake Charles newspaper, and there was an article about the America, and how she was visiting the city for a week, etc.
This time I didn't have to content myself with reading an article...

I got the real thing today!!!

To be continued in Part Three