Sweatshirts, Jazzercise, and an unforgiving political climate

“I can’t believe that you voted for HIM! I thought that you were my friend! Look at her shirt! That’s terrible!” Those were the words, or ones like them, that greeted my daughter Nancy who lives in Omaha. Yes Omaha, Nebraska a day or so after our most recent election. She had joined her regular 5:30 a.m. Jazzercise exercise class wearing her sweatshirt with the announcement “I Survived COVID and the Clintons” on it. At that moment she discovered that most of her friends were strong Democrats and not happy with any who had voted Republican. Quite a little different from the atmosphere that greeted her parents, strong supporters of Trump, in Southwest Nebraska in the same time frame.

For sure our daughter didn’t wear any shirt with script leaning for Trump on it to her regular exercise class that meets around 9 a.m. With those friends being of an older age and possibly more conservative in thinking. Still the “I survived COVID and the Clintons” brought the same reaction. Smart move on her part as that group too was upset that the Vice President had lost her bid to change the politics of our beloved country.

Personally, your old column writer has been surprised at how lopsided the vote turned out in favor of Donald Trump. Fox News was about the only cable news outfit that seemed to favor Trump, and they always plead that they are “Fair and Balanced.”

None of the Major News channels seemed to be prejudiced for Trump and actually were against him every chance that they got. Upon reflection, most pundits seem to be of the opinion that it was Social Media that made the effort to favor Trump during the campaign.

President Donald Trump is only about 10 years younger than this old guy, but there sure is a difference in our energy levels. For instance, this senior citizen was happy to lean back in my powered recliner chair Sunday evening and watch Mark Levin harangue at the progressive Democrats presently in charge of our nation. In the same time frame, President Donald Trump flew round-trip from Florida to New York City in his private Boeing 757 to watch a professional USC champion fight in Madison Square Garden. Huge crowd and of course Trump with his distinguished group of guests was ringside. Typical Trump go go go. The guy seldom seems to sleep!

Speaking of sleep our local McCook Airport is presently in deep sleep. Sad.

The present FBO (Fixed Base Operator) (aviation lingo for the main business in an airport) has declared bankruptcy. The doors are closed and locked with a sign that reads “RWA Red Willow Aviation & Spraying INC Closed Permanently.” Then, another sign asks: “Please Call the City Offices” and gives a phone number.

Sure the concrete is all still there, and the fence is intact. The airline terminal is still loading and receiving passengers as normal. Our freight haulers are tied down on the ramp but there is not a worker in sight. There is a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) posted for pilots to say that fuel is not available.

This is new territory for this longtime lover of aviation. I own my hangar, and my airplane is authorized to use certain grades of automobile fuel so I can carry it out in cans and fuel myself.

If maintenance is needed on my old Champ I can fly it to neighboring airports and use the services of the mechanics there. It probably would cost a bit more, but the mechanic could travel to my hangar if needed.

The newer steel hangars at our airport, the majority of our hangars, are owned by the City and leased as needed for privately owned aircraft so owners can still come and go as they please. The larger two hangars plus the pilot’s lounge and fuel office are owned by the FBO. Also, the older steel hangars, a couple with doors hanging, are owned by the FBO. Then too it is a little far into the winter so agricultural aviation is not necessary until spring.

What will happen with our Airline service which supplies its own mechanical services and does not use any of the local mechanics to fix problems? I don’t know if local fuel service is a mandated requirement so that service may or may not continue. Same for our two freight services.

By City regulations our City Manager is also the Airport Manager. It will be interesting to watch our local government in action to keep the services of our local airport available.

That is the way I saw it.