Ze Plane...Boss..Ze plane
Well, New Mexico needs ze plane!
For that reason I offer the following unsolicited (and maybe unwanted) advice for the new Governor of New Mexico:
GET AN AIRPLANE
As much as you hate flying in them, figure out some way for some state agency to own and operate, and at your disposal an airplane with multi-engines and pressurized and capable of carrying at least 8 passengers.
Now, I'm not talking about some National Guard, Game & Fish, Transportation Department survey plane. I'm talking about a King Air. It could safely get you from Santa Fe to any location in New Mexico in an hour or less, and get you to adjoining state capitals in less than two hours.
Selling that jet might have been appropriate when Susana took over – but she should have replaced it. New Mexico is just too big to drive from one corner to the other in one day.
Besides, the Governor needs to have some class!
When I was just a lowly TV reporter in the days of Governor Cargo and Governor King, they made frequent use of a plane operated by the Oil Conservation Commission. It was a Beechcraft Queen Air - with the tail sign 834-Quebec. Don't ask why I remember, I just do.
It was not pressurized.
I have a story about that airplane. I always made it a habit of flying in the
co-pilot seat (because I liked it, and probably because the pilot wanted a
little more weight in the front of the plane, to better balance it for takeoff,
flight and landing.
Anyway we were headed home. The passengers in the back of the plane were pretty chatty, and the pilot didn't like that. He turned to the cabin, faced the passengers and warned of possible thunderstorms ahead. He advised he's be climbing to a higher altitude.
There were no thunderstorms.
The additional altitude would reduce the amount of oxygen, which reduced the bodily functions and often times brings about a bit of drowsiness.
The pilot then turned to me, suggested we don the oxygen masks - and he proceed to climb to a higher altitude. All the while it got quieter and quieter in the cabin behind us.
As we descended into Santa Fe the drowsiness wire off and all was right with the world.
Anyway we were headed home. The passengers in the back of the plane were pretty chatty, and the pilot didn't like that. He turned to the cabin, faced the passengers and warned of possible thunderstorms ahead. He advised he's be climbing to a higher altitude.
There were no thunderstorms.
The additional altitude would reduce the amount of oxygen, which reduced the bodily functions and often times brings about a bit of drowsiness.
The pilot then turned to me, suggested we don the oxygen masks - and he proceed to climb to a higher altitude. All the while it got quieter and quieter in the cabin behind us.
As we descended into Santa Fe the drowsiness wire off and all was right with the world.
Here’s my suggestion about the type of plane our Governor should be traveling the state in (pardon ending the sentence with a preposition!) They’re still in production today. Not this plane, it's too old and in a museum - but this type of airplane.
The U.S. Air Force purchased a standard Beechcraft King Air with a special VIP interior, designated as the VC-6A, to support President Lyndon B. Johnson and his family. The aircraft was faster and more agile than other light transport aircraft and featured full pressurization for comfort at high altitudes. Other special features included all-weather navigation, de-icing equipment and reversible propellers that allowed the aircraft to land on very short runways.
Go Shopping!
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