Horse air search

[flyer170]

The Horse Flight
I received a call last week from a woman who's friend had lost their horse in the Sand Dunes national forest about 30 miles southeast of St. Cloud, MN. and she was wondering if I could fly over the park and locate the horse.
Sounded like a pretty straight forward request of the type that I get once every few months.
But here is what really happened in geezer Bob's world.
The names, except mine have been change to protect the guilty.
Sue (the friend of the horse owner) wanted to fly with me as an observer to help locate the horse. Yesterday at 7:00 a.m. Sue and her mother arrived at the New Richmond airport for the beginning of the rescue mission. They drove up in a small pickup truck which was not unusual except for the legs of the dead deer sticking up in the air in the back. It seems that Sue and her mother collect road kill and haul the remains to Chippawa falls. I have no idea what they do with them in Chippawa Falls but I would not buy any hamburger in that county if I were you.
Now I want you to understand that I very seldom talk about the appearance of individuals because I'm not exactly a beauty myself but when Sue's mother got out of the truck I almost ran back into the hangar. Try to picture a 70 year old woman who had been out collecting roadkill and driving with her head out of the window. Yep, even the airport dog ran for cover.
After Sue's Mom left, presumably to look for more road kill body parts, I briefed my observer about the aircraft operation, our mission and various safety items such as the airsick bags in a pouch on the passenger side of the aircraft. I was reassured by her that because of her military experience as an MP and her military flying in small aircraft that they would be unnecessary.
We launched from the airport at 7:45 a.m. after she scrapped the horse crap off of her tennis shoes.
45 minutes later we arrive at our search area and began out circular, square, rectangular shaped search pattern. I had to keep reminding my military observer to look up once in a while to avoid getting sick. After about 30 minutes of the old turn and bank flying I saw her reaching for the Northwest airlines sick bag in the little pouch.
I leveled the aircraft and instructed her to take the microphone and her nose out of the bag. Now those of you that know me understand that seeing someone sick is not one of my favorite things. Well, I managed to control my reflexes and the aircraft (only gagged once). I don't understand how somebody can handle roadkill but can get sick in a professionally controlled aircraft.
After the little bag was sealed and positioned on her lap she said that she felt great and was ready to do some more laps around the park at 2,000 ft.
We spent another 30 minutes looking and headed for the "barn."
I said good by at the airport to my military observer and left before roadkill granny showed up.
I received a message that evening from the owner of the horse thanking me for looking and that they think the horse has left the park and is headed home. I suppose that would be pretty easy for a horse to do, considering that home is 180 miles from the park and what ever is left of a saddle and bridle might still be in place.
I parked the airplane in the hangar left the doors open and went fishing with Dale.
He caught 6 bass and I caught zip, but that is another story.
Bob aka Geezer

[jon s blocker]

Good story! Isn't flying in a circular search pattern and looking out the window kind of like putting your forehead on a baseball bat and running circles around it for a while?! I once took a doctor, (vet), out to his ranch where he had some stranded cattle. He showed up in shorts, suspenders, tee shirt, cowboy boots, with spurs! (A side note, he was arrested several months later for self medicating himself with horse tranquilizers)! Sounds like he and the roadkill queen would have made a good pair!

[flyer170]

Jon.... You are right, straight and level would have been better but the search area was only about 17 sq miles.
I flew a similiar sized search area a few years ago but it was in a PA12 and we had the seaplane door open and the fresh air helped.
Different circumstances. A good friend of mine lost his son, he drowned in the St. Croix river. He left a young son and wife. We flew twice a day morning and evening for 21 days before his body came to the surface.
Pretty sad.
Bob

[flyguy]

IM REAL GREEN WITH ENVY. IT SEEMS LIKE IMA GONNA HAVE COMPETITION WRITIN FUNY STORYS. IVE BIN THERE DUN THAT BUT YOU BEAT ME TO THE PUNCH! I NEVER HAD TU CLEAN ANYBODYS BOOTS OFF BUT I HAVE COME HOME WITH REAL FRESH GREEN MANURE PASTED TO THU UNERSIDE OF MA WINGS.

I GOTS LOT A STORYS BOUT ROAD KILL, FUNY SMELLS EMANATING FRUM THE BACK AN LOOKIN FER LOST ANUMULES AND PEOPLE. THERE WILL BE MORE ON THAT LATER WHEN I GIT THU STITCHES OUTA MY SIDE!

PS. ONE THING I DOANT ALLOW TOO IS SUMBODY TO GIT IN MA PLANE WITH SPURS ON. IT IS HARD ON THE FEED BAGS LAYIN ON THE FLOOR BACK THERE.