On one of my recent stops at small Montana airstrips there was, like the others, no one around. I had just confirmed a beater courtesy car was usually available there from another pilot at a nearby strip. Sure enough, one car in front of the locked shack, and that one car had the doors unlocked and the keys in the ignition. The car also exhibited many numerous quirks so typical of courtesy cars, this must be it I figured. So, without further thought I backed it around to my bird and loaded my ferry tank and ABW gas bag into the trunk for the 1/2 mile ride to the gas station. Hmmm, the trunk had a lot of other junk in there, oh well I thought, someone must have forgot their stuff.

Driving to the gas station I then noticed a wallet on the front passenger seat. Now the car being unlocked and the keys in the ignition doesn't surprise me, that is pretty much the usual casual, and trusting, deal in the small strip loaner cars I seek out, but the wallet got me thinking maybe I had just STOLEN a car, not borrowed it. I flipped it open and a quick glance (that's all, really) at the drivers license showed what looked like a working pilot (sunburned, grizzeled, and poorly dressed) and then I started thinking maybe I should start thinking up a good story as to why I was driving his car, then I thought that the best story was to tell exactly what I had already figured out.

Anyway I dropped it off, after putting a few bucks in the tank for the 1 mile at most drive, (premium no less) and still saw no one. Today it occurred to me I could call up there and maybe there would be someone around today, sure enough there was and it turns out a crop duster working the area is using the loaner as his local rig. So, I guess I was OK, I told the FBO lady to make sure to tell him thanks and sorry about that both, she said NO BIG DEAL, and laughed. God I love the West!

That would only happen at a GA airport people that use them know what we do for transportation.

Did exactly the same thing at a rural undisclosed location in Colorado two weeks ago. Was later informed that this was the "emergency vehicle" for the local hospital, and was never supposed to leave the strip.
The vehicle in question was an ancient, and unlocked, Plymouth minivan with keys in the visor and otherwise possessing all the characteristics of the standard worn out airport loaner.

Wonder how many times a week this happens out West?!?!

Airport van in Demming, NM:

One of my favorite airport courtesy cars, but hey, it was free except for a little gas. One of the great characteristics of small airports. Where else would they hand you the keys to a car, and you haven't even been introduced.

This is a GREAT string! I could see a collection of short essays on the topic. Some of my near-death experience in dodgy courtesy cars. And lately, a string of rather decent ones, too, who knew....

Thanks. cubscout

You guys remember the Skytel in Penticton? And the great beater cars there!

Gump

There is a re tired Police cruiser at an airstrip in Arizona.
On the dashboard is a police flat top cap so you can play the part.
Does the siren work? Don't know, I didnt try it.
Big mistake in the case it was not the airport car.

We have been using the same black Chev Corsica in JNO for years and it is still usable. My favorite was actually a little tiny dodge I think, that belonged to one of the guys from Haines and was shared by most of us. It was front wheel drive and when you shifted to the next gear it would change lanes to the left RIGHT NOW., The drivers side window didn't work so if you went to Micky Ds you had to drive through backwards Got a few funny looks but it worked OK. The car was so small that you couldn't put enough in it to overload the plane.

Mine's been borrowed a time or two. It always comes back fuller than it left. Having the old FBO hanger has caused more than one awkward conversation by pilots that thought my customer service was lacking. I got a tonguelashing this Spring from a guy that wandered into my hanger while I was at the Post Office. It seems that he came up a little short on wipe and when I got back he, his friend, and his dog surprised me by coming out as I was going in. He rather bluntly chastised me for allowing the t.p. to run low, told me they were good on gas, and left. I'm sure the look on my face from running into unexpected guests chapped him a little further. I guess the thought of the prick flying home with an itchy bum satisfied my indignation enough that I didn't tell him I wasn't the FBO, in fact my sense of humor had grown back by the time he passed by enroute to his plane and I told him I'd restocked the roll if he wanted a second chance

Back on track: My favorite POS crew car is the one in Paris ID that I was barely old enough to remember that they used to put the gas cap under the license plate. I thought to look after I made an attempt from each side of the pumps to refuel it.

I was over at the Emmett airport the other day and noticed the back of the courtesy car had a huge sticker you can read from 100 yards away.

This Car Does Not Leave Gem County

Went into Plentywood, MT a couple years ago, and needed to use the courtesy car...which was prominently located beside the airport pilot lounge....locked up. Hmmmm. Sign on wall: "Use wall phone to call police dispatch for use of courtesy car". I did. Dispatcher took my name and driver's license number, and gave me the combination to the lock box on the wall next to the phone, wherein the car keys are located. I asked the dispatcher if they'd had a little problem with the car....she said something about impromptu drag races between the airport courtesy car and others late at night, mostly involving youngsters and beer....

At least they still gots a courtesy car and the system works, since they've got 24/7 dispatch for county and city.

At Crookston, we've got two old police cars (with the light bars removed, thank you). One is referred to as the short distance courtesy car, the other will get you to Grand Forks and back reliably. It's pretty obvious which is which.

MT Aeronautics does a great job with courtesy cars. They request donations of old cars, bring donated cars into the State DOT shop for maintenance, and check out to make sure they're safe, then the car goes to the next airport on the list that needs a car. Great program, and I've used those cars many times, and hope to again.

Late night drag races notwithstanding, of course.

MTV

Here's one. I was a young flight instructor and I was accompanying a student on his dual cross-country. He got lost and I let him struggle with it for a bit before I helped him find his way. The extra circles caused us to run low on gas and we made an unscheduled stop in a small Oklahoma town.

The FBO was closed, but the fuel pump was on. I pumped gas and explained to my student that we’d just record the amount of fuel we pumped and call the FBO the next day to pay. My student was very nervous about my proposal.

Then I decided I wanted a hamburger, so we borrowed the airport car. I scrounged around and found the keys stashed over the visor. It was an old city police car complete with a faded “POLICE” decal on the door, but no lights on top and all the cop stuff removed from the interior. My student almost refused to get in the car with me saying "are you sure?"

While we were eating our burgers at the local drive-in a real police car pulled up behind us with lights flashing and the whole show. The young officer jumped out obviously worked up and yelled at me to exit the vehicle immediately. I tried to explain that we were just borrowing the car and realized how lame that sounded to someone unfamiliar with airport etiquette.

Turns out the city employee that mows the lawn at the airport had called the police and reported that two guys just flew in, stole some gas and stole a police car.

We talked our officer into reholstering his gun and suggested a call to the airport manager might straighten everything out. The manager told the cop we were driving the official airport car. The cop said he’d never heard of such a thing and made a few more calls before he finally gave up and let us go.

After that my student quit flying with me and started up with another instructor. He has probably refused to borrow another airport car to this day.

Great stories guys! It's always good to hear peoples stories about the other aspects that go into flying small pieces of metal around from strip to strip.

The easiest way to verify if it is indeed a crew car is to start it up and confirm that the check engine light stays on...

We have a retired sheriff cruiser. I have the keys in a locked shed. To open a shed you use the CTAF for the airport. There is a little box for some money if you don't want to bother with the fuel. It works out great. Airport S49 Miller Memorial, Vale, OR.

There was an an old Buick Riviera at a Flying Cloud (FCM) FBO that I borrowed once. It ran okay, but the interior roof fabric had fallen down and draped over your head as you drove down the road. You could see under it, but by the time you arrived at your desination, your hair looked like a staticky balloon had rubbed all over it.

Salmon ID used to have a *classic* huge cadillac with large tail fins to get into town. You had to start turning the wheel a good few seconds before the front end would begin to slowly swerve into the turn a half a block ahead of you to where you wanted to go. It was like driving a Superpax container ship. I wish they still had it.

Great story, Courierguy. Glad you didn't get thrown in the slammer.

Borrowed the Afton red Cadilac courtesy car both coming and going to JC. Not a bad car really but it had had some prior use. When we got out of the cafe on Sunday, a gal in a SUV parked next to us got all excited, wanted to know how we liked our '82 Caddy and said she used to have one just like it. I told her no mam, this wasn't my car just the airport Batmobile...you'd though I shot her! She drove off with a real funny look on her face.