Flight Experience Includes Marinated Meat

In the 1960s having a "draft card" was a mixed blessing for human males in the United States. The Vietnam War was escalating to a

crescendo meaning you were likely to be conscripted by the so-called Selective Service.

On the plus side, it was absolute proof of being 18 years old and in the State of New York entitled to legally purchase alcoholic beverages, hence the phrase "being carded." I spent my teenage years in a New York town called Binghamton.

After turning 18 my favorite watering hole was a place called "Sharkey's." It wasn't a very hip place. The crowd was mostly working class and there were always three or four "regulars" at the end of the bar nursing a beer and telling stories.

What I liked about Sharkey's were "Spiedies." They were invented there but are now part of Binghamton's culture.

A recent publication of recipes by the New York Times includes several variations, but it's simply marinated meat that's grilled on a wooden skewer.

Sometimes vegetables like peppers or onions are included. Spiedies are usually served on a thick slice of Italian bread. "Spiedie" is actually an Americanized Italian word, Spiedini meaning "skewers."

I soon left Binghamton, but made many trips back there over the years.

Somehow, I never went back to Sharkey's. Sometimes I made it a road trip, but usually went by airline.

Right after the turn of the century the least expensive route was Northwest Airlines to Detroit then a SAAB turboprop to Binghamton. Detroit's airport hospitality was somewhat lacking, as were the passenger comforts in the SAAB.

An interesting combination of circumstances about that time left me part owner of a pressurized, turbocharged, Cessna 337. When Cessna designed the 337 the idea was to take the danger out of small multi-engine aircraft by putting both powerplants on the centerline.

This eliminated the "yaw" with one engine inoperative and occasional "stall/spin" accidents, but the 337 has a bunch of other issues, taking off with only the front engine running being the most dangerous.

Since the pilot can't see the rear propeller, the standard procedure is to start the back engine first. Holding the brakes and advancing the back engine to full power before the front one is common practice for taking off.

All Cessna 337s need to be babied some, but the pressurized version is a great traveling machine. At 16,000 or 17,000 feet it will do 185 knots with the cabin 10,000 feet lower. It has a weird looking "airstair" door making it easy to get in and out of. For a light twin, the 337 is easy on fuel.

I took my brief ownership opportunity for a trip to Binghamton. My youngest daughter was a precautious teenager and would be the co-pilot. My lovely wife was a tolerant passenger.

This Cessna 337 had a Garmin navigator so we could go direct. It was about 4 hours no wind, but with a decent tailwind non-stop was a good possibility. Saginaw, Michigan, was about halfway if a stop became necessary.

The daughter enthusiastically helped with the flight planning and we determined that about 10 minutes before starting the descent for Saginaw we would decide on the necessity of stopping for fuel. The wife was fully briefed.

Over the middle of lower Michigan, we decided a non-stop trip was possible. The Skymaster had a four-place intercom. When I last checked the back seat, the wife was happily reading a book.

Unfortunately, she'd become bored with the radio chatter and (unknown to me) unplugged her headset.

After negotiating direct Binghamton with ATC, I heard the unmistakable crackle of her reconnecting to the intercom, then she said "I have to pee."

Using the two magic words needed for a long and happy marriage I said, "Yes, dear," so Saginaw was back on the agenda.

Saginaw's FBO was very accommodating with fueling and a potty break, but a new flight plan and weather briefing took some time. When we got to Binghamton, we were hungry.

After landing, we collected the rental car and went looking for food. An unexpected road detour took us by Sharkey's. I said, "Let's get some Spiedies." The place was a time machine. Nothing had changed except the usual fug of cigarette smoke I remembered from the 1960s was gone.

The same bar, linoleum and furniture where there, and I swear the same three guys were still sitting at the end of the bar telling stories and nursing their beers.

After a wonderful visit, the trip home was uneventful. This time we stopped in Saginaw for fuel and a potty break just to be safe.