She Works Hard for the Money

Ahhh... Saturday, All-Day, Workdays... How I've missed you!

The old folk rhyme "Monday's Child" states the following line... "Saturday's child works hard for a living". John Shirley said, " Saturday's are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them." Saturday is the official day of rest in Israel and in Nepal Saturday is the last day of the week, the only official weekly holiday. Saturday is the usual day for elections in Australia and the only day in New Zealand which elections can be held... Jewish are forbidden to work on Saturdays... But, I'm not Jewish...

You can find all kinds of factual information and quotes about Saturday; however, I think Donna Summer describes my Saturday's best when she sings "She Works Hard for the Money!"

Now, I'm certainly not complaining. I've been here since 5:45 (had an extra cup well water coffee) but it is a beautiful day so far at AufderHeide Flying Service. Although the wind is blowing too hard to spray we have about 220,000 pounds of fertilizer to put out today. Lot's of fertilizin' and we're rockin' and rollin'... Hence, the cartoon.... It was in the paper this week and it really cracked me and Matthew up. I've taped it to my computer and I've been dying for a chance to use it all week! Yesterday, was obviously not the day but I'm pretty sure today is... So, if you happen to call me I'll probably be on a roll, doing a little schedulin', wheelin' & deelin'!

She works hard for the money

So hard for it honey

She works hard for the money

So you better treat her right!

Punched in the Face

Mike Tyson once said, "Everybody's got a plan till you get punched in the face".

I think this quote probably best describes our day here at AufderHeide Flying Service... We started this sunny day raring to go! It was calm. It was clear. It was starting to dry up. Perfect day for flying.... However, at the end of Matthew's third load around Lodges Corner he clipped a powerline running to a well in the middle of a rice field... (Minor incident) He was ok and made it back to the airport safe and sound without any major damage.

However, the plane received minor damage. The powerline took a small piece off of the top rudder and it hit the prop. Now I know very little about props and powerlines but apparently it's not a good combination. While things appeared to be ok on the outside, after talking to our mechanic, we decided we'd rather be safe than sorry. We have now pulled the prop and the engine and are sending both to the proper mechanics to get checked out. This was slightly beyond my airport mechanic'in skills...

In the meantime, our great friend, Brandon Everette has come from across the river to help us out for the next few days. He is a fabulous, experienced pilot that has helped us out a few times before. We are very thankful to have his friendship!

Mom's currently on her way to Mountain View to have to prop inspected and our trusty mechanic Robert has delivered our engine to Marianna. If all goes well he should be up and running again Monday afternoon... This is just another reminder that everyday and every load is dangerous as a crop duster. And while it stinks that we are currently grounded, I'm very thankful that it was a minor incident and that Matthew's is safe and sound.

... By the way... Who knew Mike Tyson had so much wisdom???

Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

So there is an old crop dusting folk tale that Matthew and Heath exposed me to this week... Crop dusters apparently can't have little boys, they only have sweet baby girls! At first I thought they were absolutely crazy; but then, after I thought about it a little while, I think they may be on to something...

Of course it isn't always true and there are always a few exceptions to the rule. (Matthew, Daddy, Heath/Cupcake, Daddy & my Uncle Mitch, and David, Danny, & Kaleb Bullock) But it sure is interesting when you start counting the crop dusters with pretty little girls! (Daddy-2 girls, Matthew-2 girls, David Bullock- 2 girls, Brandon Everette-3 girls!, John Trites-2 girls, & Michael Meins-2 girls!)

I could go on but I'll stop there... Plus, I really want to get to the main point of this post and show you pictures of my gorgeous niece on her first trip to the airport yesterday! She is 6 months old and I'm pretty sure she gets her good looks from her Aunt Kat!!! Thank heaven for little girls!

How High's the Water Mama?

How High's the Water Mama? (5ft high and risin')... Ok, so most people know I'm a sucker for Johnny Cash (and Willie Nelson) , so I thought this was an appropriate title after all the ridiculous rain we received this week. My heart goes out to all those who were affected by the storms. So many people lost their lives, homes, and closer to our home... their crops. Matthew & Cupcake went flying yesterday to survey all the damage. (Can't do much crop dusting with all this water) I was supposed to go but the wind picked up to about 30mph and flying in that isn't much fun. Today proved to be much better weather... Low winds and clear, sunny skies! Below are a few pictures from our little adventure!

What a beautiful day for flying! Here we are as we begin our departure down the runway.

This shot was taken right out west of DeWitt. There is still quite a bit of water standing two days after the rains.

This picture was taken right past Gillett near the Arkansas River. Some fields were completely under inches of water.

Very full Arkansas River, spilling over the banks...

All pictures brought to you by your Co-Pilot! Yes, Heath, (a licensed instructor) let go and let me take over the stick for awhile. We had a really good flying lesson! I learned alot about rudders and their involvement in the airplane turning process. (makes it go much smoother) He told me I never scared him, which I'm not exactly sure is the truth, but hey, we made it back to the ground safe and sound. He's even willing to take me again!

Heath Baker, the Candle Stick Maker

Brandon "Heath" "Cupcake" Baker

Cupcake spraying the field next to the airport

This is our buddy, Brandon Heath Cupcake Baker... You see Matthew and most people around the airport call him "Cupcake" (Matthew also calls him Heath Baker the candle stick maker, hence the title), although he doesn't like being called Cupcake. His momma and most everyone else call him by his middle name, Heath. But yet, his real name is Brandon... Confused yet? I kinda feel like I'm writing about "Who's on First"!

Heath is a pilot for the neighboring Bullock Flying Service, so he's pretty much a daily presence at the airport. He's a great pilot and has helped us many times when we were in a pinch. He's from Humphrey originally but during the busy season he lives in a camper right by the hangar. It's really a pretty sweet set up! He has a 16 year old Husky named "Canine" (yes, very creative name) that still gets around pretty good and loves to play with all the other airport pups. Heath's grandpa, dad, and I believe his uncle were all crop dusters at one time or another so he has lots of great old airport stories that I'm sure I'll share in the future.

Matthew's trying to kick me off the computer so he can search for boats on craigslist so I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Cupcake: This discussion involved a recent conversation that he had with his lady friend: "'I done told her "Naw" once and Naw means No, Hell No! hahahahaha! ...That Brandon Heath Cupcake Baker sure is character....

Oh, Henry!

Oh, Henry.... And no, I'm not referring to the pen name of William Porter or the chocolate candy bar...


I've finally made it to the airport and on days like today (after a 10 inch rain) there isn't much going on. I've corrected all my mothers mistakes (she wrote farmer's orders in hot purple and that just won't fly around the airport) and now I have time to sit and ponder about the good old days... And my old special friend, Henry.


You see Henry was a fertilizer truck driver for the local DeWitt co-op... (or maybe at that time is was farmer's supply, they switched names quite a bit) Henry had a small crush on me and I'm pretty sure he would be the first to volunteer to drive a truck out to the airport. Now, usually fertilizer drivers stay outside on the strip with their truck, refilling our loader trucks whenever necessary. However, Henry always found a reason to come inside and talk to me. He would be parched and need a drink of well water from our water fountain (I've already told you how delicious it is). He would need to go to the bathroom. He would need to hand deliver me his ticket order. (Because his boss told him so) Whatever reason he could think of he would use it and then come have a seat in my office.


Henry wasn't a very forward man... He didn't use cheesy pick up lines or compliment my looks... Instead he preferred to woo me with the written word! Everyday that Henry came in the office he would grab the "Lifestyles" section of the Dem Gazette and read me my horoscope. He would tell me about my destiny and read the days I would be most lucky... It was written in the stars he would tell me. Then, on extra special days, Henry would get out the classified and look for me a wedding ring... Apparently, you can find a heck of a deal on an engagement ring in the classifieds! Hahaha! Oh, Henry.


I haven't seen Henry is several years and have no clue where he is now... but every time I come across the horoscopes, I smile and think of old Henry. Ahhh, the special friends you can make at the airport!

Highway to the Danger Zone

After a day and a half vacation at my "city home" in Little Rock, I decided to head back to the old grinding stone... I knew my fearless leader (Matthew) missed me! He even called me at 6am Monday morning to tell me so. Thanks brother.

So after a lovely lunch that didn't involve fried food or hamburgers, I packed the pups in the trusty jeep and headed south. About the time I was entering England my mother called to tell me the mayor had already notified the hospital that there was a 90% chance of tornadoes in DeWitt that afternoon. I also checked out weather.com and the radar on my phone and knew that it wasn't looking too pretty... I was driving right into the thunderstorm; highway to the danger zone!!!

I went through a small hail storm in Allport but made it home safe and sound. Apparently, my mother had sounded the alarm to everyone else in my family because when I pulled up my brother's family was here, my mother had cleaned out the closet under the stairs and we were ready for Tornado Watch Party 2011. We had flashlights, weather radios, and couch cushions all ready for our "safe place". My papa's wife also called from Little Rock to say he was by himself, and he had left the phone off the hook. (haha, this happens ALL the time) So I hopped in the truck, went to his house and invited him over as well!

So the all-AufderHeide Tornado Watch Party 2011 commenced... My brother suggested we make hurricanes (like they do in Louisiana for hurricane watch party's) but the only thing in my mother's liquor cabinet was some peach snaps, probably from 90's. I passed. We feasted on leftover hamburgers and switched back and forth from Ned Perme to the Weather radio. Finally, we realized our watch party was a little over-kill so we just put in a movie then called it a night!

While I'm very thankful that we didn't have any serious damage there are two down sides to all these storms: 1) I'm trapped at my mother's and can't do all my necessary duties at the flying service. As you can see from the picture above, our gravel road is under quite a bit of water, as are the other surrounding gravel roads. Most of my creative juices flow at the airport, so sorry for this kinda lame post. 2) I am VERY disappointed that my old jeep did not sustain major hail damage or just get blown away in general. I left it outside of the garage all night for those two very specific purposes! My papa gave me my jeep in December of my senior year in high school... That's right, I said HIGH SCHOOL! And while we've had alot of great memories and traveled down lots of highways and into many danger zonesm 190k miles later, I think it's time to trade her in... I was just kinda hoping the storm would force me to do it!

*Shout out to Nikki for helping me title this post!

Airport to Mark

Me: "Airport to Mark.... Hey Daddy... DADDY!" Daddy: "Yes, darling" Me: "Whatcha doin"... Daddy: "I'm flying love" Me: "Oh ok, well... (random talk about the airport) This was a very typical everyday conversation on the radio back when I worked at the airport in high school and college. Man, I sure do miss those conversations...

My daddy grew up around the airport and I guess he never really thought about doing much else. He and my mother were middle school sweet hearts and both went to ASU, where daddy played football. He must have been pretty good because the past two times I've seen the Governor he always asks if Mark is my daddy and then talks about what a beast of a football player he was! Ha! After college daddy came back to DeWitt, learned to fly and married my lovely mother Margo. They also had us three fabulous children... I'd say they did an especially great job on the second one!...

Daddy was the hardest worker I believe I have ever known. Some days he would get up at 4:30, get in an airplane at 5 and stay in there working all day till dark around 8:30. He would then do the necessary maintenance odds and ends and not make it home till 9:30 or 10! Other days he would sit at the airport for hours on end reading and just waiting for the wind to change. He would sit there all day just in case the wind switched a few degrees and he could get out a few perfect passes, so as to not disturb a neighboring crop. That's just how he was, he was loyal to his customers and wanted to perform the very best job to please them.

Sure wish I would have inherited that patience... Luckily, I inherited a few other things of his that I will carry on forever... His eyes, his hard work, his determination, his tendency to leave cabinet doors open, his lack of hearing, his habit of leaving empty bottles around the airport, and one of my favorites, his sense of humor! You see my daddy wasn't exactly a social butterfly. He wasn't much for parties, going out to eat, or socializing with lots of people in general. If he wasn't at the airport he was either at home on the couch watching Nascar, football, or our favorite "Swamp People", or he was at David's shop shooting the bull or getting ready to go hunting. And although he wasn't one for entertaining... He was really, really funny. He had a great sarcastic sense of humor and loved a practical joke! He didn't say much so when he did it was usually important or pretty funny! Bless my mother's heart, if she didn't get it from me she would usually get it from him. Even in the last few weeks, I think he helped himself and all of us by continuing to laugh and crack jokes. He would get really tickled when I would help him up and boast about my massive arm strength (or lack there of) and also on a few occasions when he fell he would start laughing and blame it on my mom for pushing him! Hahaha!

My aunt recently said she read the following quote "You can judge the character of a big man, by the way he treats a little man" (or something along those lines) By this definition I think my daddy had a wonderful character. He always treated everyone with decency and respect and was never quick to judge. He always cared about his workers and wanted the very best for them. He loved my mother, his children, and told us often. He worked hard to provide for us and wanted only the best for his children. (He also liked to often tell me that I was his, he bought me and paid for me and had the papers to prove it :)) I am so blessed that he was my father and that I got to spend 26 fabulous year learning from and laughing with him.

My daddy loved his profession and in my opinion was the greatest crop duster AufderHeide Flying Service ever had. On the day of his funeral Heath Baker, David Bullock, Brandon Everette, & John (Dubber) Trites (in an Ag Cat like my daddy used to fly) performed a lovely flyover where Dubber split from the other planes and flew off into the sunset... What a perfect tribute.... I like to think my daddy is up there flying around in heaven, looking down on us and smiling. The airport just isn't the same without him and we miss him every day; however, it's certainly comforting to know that my guardian angel is already so experienced at flying! :)

Rather be Fishin'

This picture is really just a shameless plug to brag on myself and how I caught a bigger fish than Matthew! Look at that Whopper!

Gorgeous Arkansas County skyline

So I let the boys off (for now) while I sit in the office on this beautiful, blustery day! Matthew went home to take a little nap and Shawn started talking about plans to go fishing! Man, how awesome does that sound on a sunny Saturday afternoon? (Well, minus the 25 mph winds)

Although I don't think I'll make it to any muddy waters today, I thought I would brag about myself for just a second and explain my profile picture. (Matthew will roll his eyes as soon as he reads this) See that monstrous catfish up there?... Yeah, I caught that... all by myself! Last fall Matthew, Brent (Matthew's pal), and I went down to the White River (right where it meets the Mississippi) to go Catfishing. Or catfish fishing, since we aren't exactly fishing for cats.... I think Matthew caught 1, Brent caught 2, and I caught 3, including this big ol' beauty!!! It took my entire body strength and maybe a little help from the boys but we got her in the boat and I was grinning ear to ear!

Since this momentous occasion occurred, I've got my sister and every male member in my family a coffee mug with that picture and the phrase "Get 'er Done" on it. :) Matthew told me yesterday he couldn't find his... Maybe I should go ahead and order him three more so he won't have trouble finding them ever again! Muahahahaha!

That'll Put Hair on Your Chest!

The coffee at AufderHeide Flying Service is somewhat of an anomaly... I guess to best describe it, I would first have to start by telling you about the water here.

Our water is supplied by an old (like, really old) well out behind the hangar. The water comes out of the tap or water fountain a little dingy and sort of taste like an old penny. Now the only human that I have known to consume this water and actually enjoy it is my papa. He says it's chock full of iron and all sorts of minerals that are good for ya! Ha. I guess he is used to it after all these years, but to everyone else the water is plain terrible!

We didn't use to drink coffee back when I worked here in high school and college. It was either stop at the gas station and get your own or find your own inner burst of energy on sunshine and jet fumes at 5am. Man, I sure am glad my brother got a coffee pot.

They started out by using filtered water in gallon jugs, but that turned out to be a pain in the rear to keep up with so they finally just started using the tap water... I'll admit I was VERY skeptical about the well water coffee at first but ya know what, it turned out to be not that bad. Heck, it's actually pretty darn good!

Now one more thing about the coffee you should probably know before you come sit and have a cup... It. Is. Strong! My daddy loved a good strong cup of coffee and we do too. I swear Matthew doubles the amount of Folgers. The end result is a strong, bold, cup coffee, that like my momma says, "you could throw a nail in it and it would stick straight up". (You probably actually could throw a nail in it and you wouldn't even notice, it's chocked full of "minerals" remember.) But it sure does the trick at 5am!

The best example to prove our coffee's strength happened yesterday afternoon. We were all sitting around the office, watching the wind blow, shooting the bull, and Matthew said he wasn't feeling too hot. He said he got sick at lunch and just didn't know what was wrong with him... The convo then switched to the second pot of coffee that I made that morning and Matthew's face and all of a sudden lights up. "That's what's wrong with me... I had 4 and a half cups of coffee this morning!" hahahaha Pace yourself there brother bear and now that you know your limits, let's not do that again no matter how good the coffee is!

So, apparently the best part of waking up isn't the just Folgers in your cup. Around here we also like to think it's the "minerals' in your cup! ...And if you need a lil pep in your step, stop by and have a cup of well water coffee... It'll put some hair on your chest!

Thar She Blows....

Ugh. Wind. I hate wind. Or at least today I do... See that windsock sticking straight out? According to my weather channel.com app the wind is currently blowing 22 miles per hour. Gale force winds! Nobody's flying nothing on a day like today. (Yes, mother, I know that is not a proper sentence.) So here we are, pacing back and forth, twiddling our thumbs, with a stack of work piling up on my desk....

And so we tinker... In the picture above Shawn, Matthew, & G.W. (more on G.W. later) are tinkering on a small engine they use for a pump on The Hybrid... At least I think that's what it is. Any who, the wind sucks and its beginning to look like we're working all day tomorrow and maybe a little Easter morning! (If the wind ever dies down) WoooHooo, life of a crop duster!

The Three Musketeers

Kramer, Woodrow, & Turbo (I'm holding food, the only reason they are calm & looking at me)

Playtime along the runway ditch!

When you enter the airport office you are usually met with a barking gang of man's best friends. Don't worry, they are always friendly, especially if you have food or scratch their booty. These are the airport dogs and they are here with us day in and day out.

Turbo (Short for Turbine engine) is the wise one. He's an old airport veteran that started working out here the first day I got him, 9 years ago this May. I had really been wanting a dog and I finally sweet talked my daddy into it. "Well," he said, "I guess you can go down to David's and take a look at his pups." David Neal (my dad's best friend) had a brand new litter of black lab puppies and I really think Daddy was wanting one too!... Turbo is a HUGE lab that now spends most of his day napping under my desk and passing gas. He is also recovering from a recent surgery... We had a scare with male breast cancer (how crazy is it that dogs can get that) but the two cyst turned out to be malignant and he is doing much better, thanks goodness! He's a great dog, always has been.

Kramer is Matthew's mutt dog that just showed up at the airport one day. Matthew's daughter Ashtyn fell in love with him and he instantly became part of the family. Kramer is a quirky, cartoon-like pup that looks like he stuck his finger in a light socket 5 seconds ago... Just like his namesake, Cosmo Kramer. (Seinfeld reference) Kramer loves to run down the runway and stick his head rat holes. (pretty hilarious) He's also allergic to mosquitoes and has to have a shot every month. Talk about high maintenance for an Arkansas County mutt dog!

Last, but certainly not least, there is Woodrow DeWitt. Oh, Woodrow. Woodrow is an one and a half year old large Airedale Terrier that Gabe (my boyfriend) got me last year for Valentines Day. Woodrow is the exit you take to get to my house in Little Rock and we just really liked it as a name. (Sorta regal, don't ya think) DeWitt, well is obviously for DeWitt, and I thought Woodrow DeWitt had a nice ring to it. He is a very energetic puppy to say the least. Remember that Hyper kid in your elementary class that drank too many Mountain Dew's and ate the Cheerios off the picture frame he made for his mom, yeah, that is kinda like Woodrow. Woodrow, just like Kramer, likes running down the runway and sticking his head in rat holes. He loves bringing me dead animals, chewing up ink pens, and rolling in muddy water any chance he gets. (The mud clings to his shaggy coat) He also loves to cuddle, which is very sweet, but it can certainly be a problem if he just got out of a drainage ditch! What a funny dude.

So these are our team mascots... Stinky, Scratchy, & Dirty. Come give them a visit and they'll let you scratch their booty!

"The more I see of man, the more I like dogs." ~Mme. de Stael

AufderHeide Flying is Going Green!

Happy Earth Day!!!! Now, you may be a bit perplexed when I say AufderHeide Flying is service is going green... Especially since half of our business if focused solely on spraying herbicides, fungicides, and pesticide from the sky. We are heavily regulated by the EPA and the tree huggers hate us. Yeah, ok, so maybe we aren't totally going green, BUT we are doing a little part to help save ol' Momma Nature!

About three months ago, when I first started working out here. Matthew made fun of me and said I was acting like Daddy when I had 3 empty water bottles lined up by my desk. (Daddy used to have about 10 or 12 old soda/spit bottles around his chair) I nicely informed my brother that I planned on taking them back to Little Rock to add to my recycle bin. However, the water bottles kept piling up so I asked Shawn to go out to the chemical shed and get me a box.

The end product is shown above, The AufderHeide Flying Recycling Center. A tall crop oil box with built in dividers works perfectly! You may wonder why there is not an aluminum section but there really is not much of a need for one. Matthew and I drink mostly water and Shawn mainly drinks sweet tea from a plastic milk jug. (What a weirdo) Every once in awhile my crazy Uncle Ralph will stop by and add a Diet Mountain Dew can to our collection but that's ok with me. We have also started using coffee filters from 100% recyclable materials!

So, Happy Earth Day, I hope I've inspired you to recycle your coke cans or plant a tree... In the words of Matthew's favorite cartoon character, Captain Planet, "The Power is Yours, Go Planet"!

Just a Lil' Airplane Mechanic'in

Shawn & Robert start to take the back panel off to identify the problem. The small white cone on the top of the plane is the antenna.

Here is the tail of the plane that I climbed around in. I began to the right of this picture and ended up by that red gas tank in the back.

Last week Matthew was having a little trouble with his gps signal coming in and out. Not a major problem on a plane but something that needs to be fixed as soon as possible. We identified the problem last Wednesday evening right before Matthew took off with his last load of chemical. As you can see from the top picture Shawn and Robert (handy airplane mechanic that works next door) are removing the back panel to reset the GPS. We got it working just in time to put out that last load but Robert figured the best solution to our problem was to get a new antenna.

Early Thursday morning, the problem occurred again so Robert flew to Mississippi to get us the new part. That afternoon Matthew and Shawn began working to replace the old antenna. This proved to be a somewhat difficult task for two tall, large, husky guys. You see, to get to the antenna (shown in the first picture) on top of the airplane, you can't go through the fuselage, you have to go through the tail end of the airplane on up! (second picture)...Here lies the problem for these two strong manly men.

This tiny space in the rear part of the airplane is like a jungle gym for Keebler Elves. It was also about as hot a sauna in there on this warm, muggy day (big boys don't do well in hot tiny spaces)... So the boys call me off the bench and into the shop!

First of all, my 5'10 frame is not petite by any means. Secondly, my mechanical knowledge doesn't extend much further than "Lefty Lucy, Righty Tighty" but off I go. I kicked off my shoes and hopped on in, carefully slipping my hiney over one of the cables that Matthew told me not to touch. I was also instructed to try and not step on the bottom of the plane, metal rods only, if possible. So I weave my way up through the plane... I tried to imagine that I was involved in a really expensive jewelery heist and I was avoiding the lasers to set off the alarm, or that I was the Chinese guy in Oceans 12... Alas, I was just in a really hot greasy airplane.

I finally reached my specific destination. I balanced my two bare feet on a half inch bar, held the rest of my body up by wrapping my left arm around another beam and grabbed the designated wrench with my right. My task, you ask? "Lefty lucy, Righty tighty" (My Specialty!) I screwed and unscrewed a few bolts to secure the new antenna. Success! With sweat dripping in my eyes, I again performed my dance and exited the airplane. I was covered with grease, but man, it sure felt good to be an airplane mechanic!

Matthew's gps was ready to go and all was right with the world again at AufderHeide Flying Service. Later that day my friend in Little Rock text me and asked what was going on... "Not much", I said, "Just a lil' airplane mechanic'in." :)

The Troops!

Well... Here we are, in all our glory! Shawn, me (with Turbo), & Matthew. Actually this is a terrible picture. It was taken yesterday by Heath "Cupcake" Baker on a rainy afternoon after we had been working all morning. After four different pictures and Cupcake never figuring out how to not take a blurry picture, I figured I'd let the boys out of there misery and just go with this.

Yes, the boys usually are this dirty looking and no, I usually don't wear make-up to work. My work schedule (which involves waking up at 5am) usually isn't condusive for getting beautiful in the the morning.... Also, Yes, that is an old, giant map of Arkansas County on the wall in my office but, unfortunately, no you may not have it! (Yes, I know you are jealous)

Confucius once said, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life". Well, after working long, hot summers; getting to work at 5:00-5:30 and sometimes not leaving until 9pm, I can assure you it definitely feels like hard work. However, I think I can speak for all three of us when we say I love this job and I love this work. We get to watch the beautful sunsets and sunrises, we get to work with other great, hard working people, we get to watch one of the most dangerous jobs in the world performed with elegance (for Matthew, he actually gets to experience it first hand!), we laugh several times a day, we see the results of our labor, and we have a good time doing it all!

A Special "Air" About Them

My sweet boyfriend took this picture last night in the bathroom of Drake Field in Fayetteville. And how very true it is... Matthew definitely has an, um, "special air" about him!

Sometimes Matthew is full of a lot of hot air, like when we are in a brother-sister argument and he starts making up the wild lies just so he can win. Or like the time we were little and he told me we were going to playing Hide & Seek and the closet was the very best place to hide... Yeah, he just ended up locking me in the closet.

Sometimes he is full of sweet air, like this morning he called and told me sleep in because it was raining. Or when he lets me off on Saturdays so I can go to the horse races. He also always makes the coffee in the morning, which is definitely a plus! (The coffee at AufderHeide Flying Service is a very interesting story, which I'll have to expound upon later)

There is the stinky air... And believe me, there is a lot of stinky working around an airport full of fuel, fertilizer, chemicals, two boys, and three stinky muddy dogs. Sometimes Matthew comes in smelling like the pungent smell of concentrated toxic chemicals. (little overwhelming) Then he may have spilled a little fuel on his shoes, so he comes tromping through the office spreading that aroma everywhere. (I can't lie though... I actually kinda like the smell of airplane fuel) Sometimes he smells like a grease monkey. (And he looks like one too) Ok, I apologize for the corning remark. Lastly there is the boys bathroom... I spare you that description, just know that I rarely go in there without gloves!

Lastly there is my favorite "air" about him that my brother gets... "The Country Boi Air"... Obviously we all have southern accents but my dear brother recently developed a super country accent on a few occasions and it is hilarious. The Country Boi voice usually comes out when he is talking to my grandpa, older farmers, or when he gets really excited. I would compare it to a cross between Boss Hogg and Uncle Jesse on the Dukes of Hazard, sometimes fast, sometime slow, but always REALLY Twangy. I can't really do it justice in type, but here goes: "Yessir, oh yeah boi, you know back up in 'er, woooo boi, ain't dat sumthin, shoot boi you ain't kiddin'" Hahaha It. Is. Awesome!

(Full disclosure: I completely realize my accent is worse than my brothers and it too gets worse when talking to my papa, most all farmers, and after I've had a drink or two. )

The Godfather: Calvin Benjamin AufderHeide

The Man, The Legend

This handsome fella is quite possibly my favorite human on earth! This is my papa Cal that started AufderHeide Flying Service over 60 years ago. He is funny, hard working outgoing, generous, and always knows how to fix something when it's broke. And truth be told, I am probably his favorite person on earth too... For sure his favorite grandchild! Ssshhh don't tell Matthew or Alexis! :)

Papa first came to DeWitt in April of 1948. He was a recent graduate of Spartan College of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma and had taken a job as an instructor for Smith and Jones out west of town. He actually had another instructor position waiting on him at Iowa State University; however, the last day of school he saw the job listing for Smith and Jones in DeWitt, Arkansas on a school bulletin board and figured Arkansas was much warmer than Iowa. Cal grew up with cold Missouri winters and he decided he had had enough.

So off he went to the booming metropolis of DeWitt, Arkansas. The first year at Smith and Jones he was strictly an instructor. Then in 1949 he began crop dusting for the company and stayed on through the the beginning of 1950. His plane was an N-3N. As he explained to me, a N-3N was a bi-winged plane kinda like an Ag-Cat but just a little smaller.

In the hot, mosquito-filled summer of 1950 papa went out on his own and started AufderHeide Flying Service. The first plane he bough was an old Stearman. The Stearman was basically the same thing as an N-3N, the only difference was the Stearman was used as an Army trainer whereas the N-3N was used in Naval training. In 1953, Cal's brother-in-law joined him and the operation became A & M Flying Service. The two crop dusters also established an irrigation company in 70's, but as you can imagine two companies can be quite a bit of work and in the mid 70's Cal and John split up. John took over the irrigation business and Cal resumed sole control of the flying services, re-establishing the name AufderHeide Flying Service.

Papa has a lot of great stories about those first years: One involved a pilot from Pine Bluff named "Booger Red". Booger Red had a J-3 Cub. One day Booger Red was drunk and gambling at the Smith and Jones airstrip, Red ended up loosing the bet and lost his airplane to Jones... Since poppa was the new kid he had to fly Booger Red (half passed out and smoking a cig when he could stay awake) back to Pine Bluff. Pop was terrified that any second the ash would catch the fabric on fire and they would all go up in flames. Booger Red; what an awesome name. Another time Cal and John spent an entire winter in a small hut with only a pot belly stove, working to completely restore an old Stearman. Stearmans were mainly constructed of fabric and held together with a special kind of glue, so this was a very long, tedious process that sometimes ended with them being around fabric glue for a little too long. :) Any who Spring came and they finally completed the magnificent structure... Second load papa takes out he crashed and totally destroyed the plane. He walked away without a scratch and with the determination to start again. :)

In the late 70's, about two years after graduating from Arkansas State University, my Daddy Mark, obtained his commercial license and also joined papa in the flying fleet. The father/son duo worked beside each other along with several great pilots, for many years. Around the 90's Cal turned from pilot to office manager/main mechanic where he remained until just a few years ago. He taught Matthew how to fly and taught me how to run the books; more importantly though, he has taught us the importance of customer service and the value of hard work.

Cal is now in full retirement mode. He takes his camper to Hot Springs every year to watch the horse races (although "they just aren't running right this year") and goes to Branson about once every three months. He's become a pro at "freezing corn", "shuckin' peas", and cooking ribs. He can't stay away from this place for too long though... He came out to today to get a wrench to change his lawn mower tire; however, as you can see he made himself right at home on the couch!

The Hybrid

So when you think of the word "Hybrid" I'm sure an image of a tiny egg-shaped Toyota car that gets like 100 miles per gallon jumps into your head. Umm yeah, that is not exactly the case here....


Dictionary.com has several definitions for both a noun and an adjective for the word "Hybrid"; however, I think the following description best fits OUR situation here at AufderHeide Flying Service: "bred from two distinct races, breeds, varieties, species, or genera".... Please allow me to further explain.

I have nicknamed our new loader truck "The Hybrid". The origin of the hybrid dates back to several years ago when my papa Cal still worked at the flying service. I guess that specific summer we got in a pinch and my papa (Bless his heart) thought it would be a good idea to buy an old cheap Uhaul, tear off the rear, and throw a hopper (upside down pyramid that holds the fertilizer) and an auger (long tube that brings fertilizer from the hopper to the airplane) from a previous loader truck onto the new Uhaul. Sounds like a great idea, huh? Yeah, much easier said than done. First of all it is probably never a good ideal to buy an automobile that is "old and cheap". Secondly, it is almost physically impossible to take a front end of one big truck and a back end of another and meld them together in perfect harmony. I wasn't out here during this process; however, my brother said it was quite trying at times, to say the least. But, it finally worked and the end result is shown above. (That's Shawn our loader truck driver doing a little maintenance)


For the past year The Hybrid has been in the shop getting an internal makeover. (New engine, bells, & whistles) Matthew has been anxiously awaiting her arrival and last Monday he was finally able to bring her home! ... Ain't she a beaut!... With all luck The Hybrid will be rockin' and rollin' all over South Arkansas County in a few weeks. If you happen to come across this orange and white beauty of a beast, be sure to honk and wave. I'm not exactly sure if her horn works but I'm sure Shawn will definitely wave!

AufderHeide Flying Service & the New Blog!

AufderHeide Flying Service was started over 50 years ago by my wonderful Papa, Cal AufderHeide. My sweet daddy, Mark, who recently passed away from cancer, also joined the family biz right out of college in the 70's and flew all the way up until last fall. He was the best crop-duster around and we sure do miss him, but more on that later...

My daddy and momma Margo had three children: Matthew, me, and Alexis. Matthew and I were encouraged/lovingly forced to work at the flying in our early teens on up. Alexis, fortunately for her, is a genius and gets to spend her summers sleeping in and reading. She is currently a freshman on scholarship at UofA... Any who, after a somewhat lengthy stint in college, Matthew also returned to the biz with his sights sets on crop-dusting. He went to commercial pilot school in Louisiana, passed all his test and a few summers ago began flying.

I didn't exactly follow in my brother's footsteps. After graduating with a degree in Public Relations and a minor Ag Business, I was blessed to get a job working for Congressman Marion Berry as a Community Development Liaison. I really believe I had one of the best jobs ever. I had an amazing boss who truly cared about his staff and constituents and coworkers that were supportive, encouraging, and extremely funny! Unfortunately for me and the entire First Congressional District of Arkansas, my boss decided to retire and on January 3rd of 2011 I was unemployed. I'm currently looking for a job in Little Rock and for the time being I'm living in DeWitt during the week and running the flying service!

I'm starting this blog (with Matthew's encouragement) for several reasons a)Help me brush up on my writing skills, which have become somewhat lax b)Document all the amazing/entertaining/interesting things that go on daily at AufderHeide Flying Service c)Allow others (very few others, I'm sure) to enjoy our pictures and stories and to get a better feel about daily life at an airport! Hope you enjoy!

(P.S. Just for full disclosure, I'm sure there will be many misspellings, typos, etc... I apologize in advance)