Waiting room at the 1970s airport
- Thread starter andynap
- Start date
stbartshopper
Senior Insider
What were the airlines that served the island back then?
mattdinzey
SBH Member
I remember Winair, of course, but Air Guadeloupe was around back then. Winair had a mix of Twin Otters and Islanders, and AG had Otters and later on a Dornier. There was also a charter operation based in St. Thomas called Virgin Air. They flew Piper Aztec twins.
JEK
Senior Insider
Metro Briefing | New York: Pilot Dies In Crash After Taking Off From Hamptons
By The Associated Press
- Oct. 15, 2003
Authorities have identified a pilot who died on Monday when his small plane crashed near Charleston, S.C., apparently after taking off from the Hamptons. The pilot, Larry Gray, 55, died on impact about 8:30 p.m. after losing contact with air traffic controllers at Charleston International Airport during his landing approach, said the Berkeley County chief deputy coroner, Bill Salisbury, according to The Post and Courier of Charleston. Mr. Gray owned the plane, a Piper Aztec used in Charter Air Mango, based in St.-Barthélemy in the French West Indies. Paul Wikander, the owner of Air St. Thomas, at the same address as Air Mango, said Mr. Gray was originally from the New York area and had moved to St.-Barthélemy. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was thought to have departed from East Hampton, N.Y. Mr. Salisbury said the plane left New York about 4 p.m. on Monday.
JEK
Senior Insider
mattdinzey
SBH Member
TJH
SBH Insider
Apologies for taking this thread off-topic, but if you missed Jimmy Buffet's quarantine video project with his daughter Delaney, "Songs You Don't Know By Heart", this episode's worth a watch. "The Night I Painted the Sky" with memories of lighting fireworks in Gustavia with Groovy. Jimmy's pretty emotional throughout the song, understandably so. Those of us who've watched the hillside light afire can picture the night he's remembering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnRMe5Z5oQQ
I hardly knew Groovy, but met him a number of times in the 80s . . . at Le Select and the legendary Autour du Rocher. He was indescribably easy -- and fun! -- to talk to . . . gracious, contagiously cordial, and an unrestrained teller of colorful stories.
The nearby hillside fires of Gustavia fireworks were legendarily part of local fetes . . . and the celebrations in those "coconut telegraph," pre-telephone days were vital in defining a St. Barths . . . albeit, if only in memories.
I hardly knew Groovy, but met him a number of times in the 80s . . . at Le Select and the legendary Autour du Rocher. He was indescribably easy -- and fun! -- to talk to . . . gracious, contagiously cordial, and an unrestrained teller of colorful stories.
The emotion in JB's musical recollection, of course, captures a sense of the period with heartfelt feeling.
