Another Old Story

After I got out of the service in 1945 I went to work for the Gulf Oil Co. as a radar ground station crewman. They were making an aerial survey of the state of Florida and our ground station was located in a temporary spot near Belle Glade , Florida, just south of Lake Okachobee. We were eating dinner at a small dirty little restaurant when the sound of an airplane ripped the air as it flew over the town very low. We ran out to see what it was but were greeted by a shower of blue-green dust. We could figure out what was happening because the town was suffering from an infestation of giant water bugs that were crawling all over everything in sight. When we went back to finish our meal the waiter said, " That was old man Hughes dusting the town."
Whatever " Old man Hughes" was flying was powered by a 200HP Continental radial from the sound of it. We asked where the airport was and the waiter told us that it was just to the right of the bridge going over the canal north of town. Just to the RIGHT of a bridge?
Okay, we had to check that out after we quickly finished our meal. By that time the sun had set and it was dark but we found the bridge in time to hear an airplane coming from our left. No nav lights but we could see the flash of a blue exhaust flame coming in low toward the bridge. To the right was a black hole as far as we were concerned but we could see a light on the front of a building. The airplane kept coming and skimmed over the bridge and settled down into the dark hole to a perfect landing. We could hardly see the airplane as it taxied up to the hangar and the single light finally illuminated a Waco CSO.
We quickly drove down to the " airport" which was nothing but a grass strip parallel to and below the levy along the canal. Getting out of the cockpit was a white haired man in his 70's, an old duster pilot. " Hi, I'm Jack Hughes. What can I do for you?" After telling him that we were only interested in his operation and after we helped him put the airplane into the old wooden hangar, I asked him how he managed to land on the dark strip without any lighting, he pointed up to the front of the hangar at the single dim bulb and said, " I have a light."
I realized then that I wasn't the pilot that I thought that I was.
Switches

 

Great story -

BTW - did whatever Jack was spraying change the taste of the chili?

 

My partner and I were having scrambled eggs and sweetbreads at the time. Didn't dare to try the chili.
Switches

 

The old wooden hangar in which Hughes kept his airplanes was ancient and housed two other Wacos. The walls were covered not with calendar girls or posters but with uncovered spare wings and a collection of struts, tail feathers and an occasional wheel. The overhead displayed to or three fuselage frames hanging from the rafters. We learned that this old pilot was the sole operator of his business and as he put it, " Fixed what he broke." A place and a man that has forever passed from the aviation scene .
Switches

 

I remember seeing similar sights in "barn" hangars all over Alabama and Mississippi back in the 70s even. I suspect they are all gone as well.

 

Yes, I used to see a lot of them too. A shed roof, three sides, and backed into the wind if they didn't have a front door/s.
I have to correct the spelling of that big lake in Florida, Lake Okeechobee. Then there is Pahokee, Mickanopee, Talavast, and many others down there.
Switches

 

Just for fun I Googled the town of Belle Glade and sure enough the main street goes north and crosses a canal street that I must assume parallels the canal. Not enough detail to determine if the canal is still there and I doubt that the landing strip is there.
Switches

 

Go to Real Estate Valuations, Homes for Sale, Free Real Estate Information | Zillow Real Estate and put in "Belle Glade, FL"

The strip is just NE of the intersection of Hwy 80 and Ave L.

You can even make out the make and model Ag planes.

 

Thanks for clueing me in on the Zillow thing. I looked at it and it's fantastic to see so much detail that I could remember. The restaurant to which I referred was on So. Main St. about two blocks south of the bridge. Old Man Hughes's strip was just east of the canal bridge and on the south of and parallel to the canal itself. From the contemporary image of that area, his strip is no longer there and has been replaced by a large building . Belle Glade wasn't much of a town then ( 62 years ago ) and probably had a pop. of no more than 3 to 4 thousand at most and surrounded by sugar cane fields.
Switches