introduction:
today, a flyingover Maule made me remember Robert (a dear gringo friend, who flew away to the Other Shore) and how we met at Puerto Escondido, down in México way...
the Maule:
Robert landed his Maule right there at puerto Escondido's airport: can't remember what year his Maule was, with a white and blue color scheme & an absolutly burned out alternator! Robert looked a little worried, the -"what shall I do?"- sindrome. (we get a lot of those from visitors in trouble, here in México) So I introduced him to the local electrician; the one who rewired all the roof fans of the hotel Arcoiris. Robert was the hotel owner and I was his hotel manager. We felt a little like Laurel meets Hardy...
Craftsmanship in México, can be astonishing (or absolutely dissastrous): but this time, the electrician overdid himself. I remember that I had pointed out to him, how VERY important it was to put back those pieces of wood that pack the windings, because otherwise vibration can self destroy the alternator, and -"We don't want that happening to the Maule in it´s flight!!!"
I haven't said it yet, but I am a barefoot automobile mechanic on wheels; my vehicle+tools = my shop. And Robert was an oil driller, from Texas (where else?). I learned English in Texas in my teens as a wetback.
Robert instructed me how to access Maule's engine compartment, (I only heard of DZUS FASTENERS way back in time, whe I used to fly control-line scale model airplanes. Lots of balsa was splattered over the ground in those days!)
We removed the alternator, we put it back in position after it was fixed, and we started the Maule's engine...like model airplane engines; flicking the propeller! And the Maule started without taking Robert's head off! We fooled around to celebrate:
"Pinche Jean Loup, you are so crazy that you jump from a perfectly sound airplane!!!" - because of my fascination with skydive (29 jumps only, I am not an expert). I would reply:
"Yes, but I am not going to look like a bad Halloween disguise!!!" - (that propeller swing...)
I pointed out to Robert that the regulator had to be readjusted; we didn't have any Specifications to do it. Vega airline's certified mechanic was tunning up a twin engine Cessna, at 9 o'clock and two airplanes distance from us. So we had him check the Maule out. He gave us the "A.O.K."
At 3 o'clock from us, a Skyvan twin engined coastguard transport was parked. It looked like a big box with wings and had an open rear ramp. It reminded me of a baby Hercules. The marine crew poped out and looked at us with blank eyes, asking us:
"Are you really going to attempt to fly that thing? Just like that?"
"I have no choice: I told Robert "Never trust a mechanic that doesn't take the test flight with you". And I wouldn't miss ANY flight for nothing on this world!" was my answer.
When Robert started warming up the engine, I asked him (I am VERY GOOD at making stupid questions) -"what's the big deal between tail draggers and trycicle landing gears?" - so he passed the commands to me (oh,oh) and we started to practice on the runway.
On those days, Pto. Escondido's airport received two commercial flights a week, only. Airport staf & control tower perssonel were bored to their sleep, no action around. When they saw us, they woke up and helped us willingly; at last they could do some practice. It's funny how the air community sticks together.
After a few runs up and down the strip, Maule started keeping a straight course. Then Robert encouraged me to take her off. I already had handled controls in flight of one engined Cessnas, once in a Kaddet bipe, and had taken off and landed a few times on ultraLights, at local aerodromes in Cuernavaca and Cuautla, Morelos. Those ultralights had trycicle landing gears, NOT a tail wheel. So this was a first time for me: I had that wonderfull feeling (on take-off) of how she was flying, only I kept her flying at ground level, until Robert indicated me that I should start climbing, then runned out of words, feeling one with joy, where everything just IS!Some exercises: keep your eye on the ball, navigate with the horizon, all the way to Chacahua lagoons and back. Chakahua is a mangroove sanctuary for all tipes of birds. Well, our Maule IS a BIG bird! I noticed that Robert never pulled over the Ocean too much, allways keeping the right distance so She could glide back to shore. This Maule had sand wheels (Robert being a surfer, he often landed on the beach to visit the wave).
On the way back, Robert told me how one day, Maule's main wheels started sinking in the mud, on his suicide attempt to takeoff after a big rain... his wife co-piloting, to make things more embarrassing, of course! He was very tired from surfing all day long, was also feeling hungry and he just wanted to get home. So Robert didn't pay any attention to Maule's warnings: he tiped her over! They had to dismantle the wings, put her on a trailer, and finally go back to the factory in USA. There Maule went trought the whole assembly line, cheking every thing inside out! (Luckily, nobody was hurt: only pride!)
When we were back at Pto.Escondido, on final approach, I was feeling SO confident...SO masterfull...and just before Touch Down, still felt so OK & YingYang... Suddenly, when things (supposedly!) should start slowing down...well, they didn't slow down at all! Happenings started too fast: it felt like I was going to drive Maule sideways, like if oil & watter were mixed all over the strip!!! Robert knew Her temper very well, did some astoundingly fast actions, and kept her on a straight path until we stopped.
Now, I DO know what's "the big deal" with taildragers...thank you, Robert
epilogue:
I miss good old Robert Crowe. Everey evening at the CROW'S NEST of the Arcoiris hotel, you could find him handling a glass of vodka on the rocks, grilling pork ribs and prepairing barbecue sauce...
He flew into the blue, and left us with the blues ...no more pork ribs, nor barbecue sauce.
Jean Loup sansfrontiéres
Robert Crowe was a surfer
The ocean ran through his veins and the crash of the waves was his pulse. He had the drive that all surfers have that forces them to wake up at ungodly hours of the morning to catch the best sets, beat the crowd, and just surf as long as possible.
Mexican Pipeline in Puerto Escondido (video: SAS Theater)
As a young surfer, Robert spent years traveling the world with his beautiful wife, surfing and in search of that perfect spot. The kind of spot where it feels like the ocean has swallowed you up and transported you to a hidden paradise, where the skies are endlesssly blue except when streaked with colors of passion at sunset. A place where you can feel the hot sand ever so slightly gaze your skin in the wind. A place where the oceans seems to poetically build one perfect emerald wall after another. Robert found this paradise in Mexico, at a town appropiately called Puerto Escondido, or Hidden Port. This was his paradise.
Mega Waves July 2009 (video: VideoVamp99 )
On the outskirts of this quaint fisherman's village, is where Robert had found his spot. "Playa Zicatela". The towering green waves crashed down onto long sandy beach that ran up into a jungle of palm trees and cacti that cascaded up a mountain. This was the birthplace of Hotel Arco Iris. With the help of Robert's close friend and partner, Jose Luis Mendiola, Hotel Arco Iris began it's journey. It was built amongst the beauty of the palm trees and cacti, allowing nature to engulf it, rather than it engulfing nature.
The hotel is true to the Mexican tradition and culture of the area and prides itself in maintaining the way of life in this paradise. Robert wanted to ensure that future surfers, adventurers, and travelers from all over the world could one day experience this hidden paradise tucked away from the rest of the world for generations to come. Today, Jose Luis devotedly lives and runs the hotel, but mention the name Robert Crowe in Puerto Escondido and many will remember the surfer.
1949-2001
Photos: José Luis Mendiola Farfán
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WELCOME, my Gringo & nonGringo friends! Would you like some coffee?