BAR STORY #4: The following stories about Bill Medcalf was sent to me by Renee (Barron) Thompson and reprinted here with her and Captain Hugh Barron's permission ....
This is Renee (Barron) Thompson and I sent my Dad, Hugh Barron your email
about Bill Medcalf and he was so sad. My Dad writes to all of us (his five kids)
from time to time his thoughts and I thought I would share this with you. It
brought both a smile and a tear………….
Bill Medcalf................rugged outdoorsman,
We both flew for Central Airlines. The typical Central pilot was as untypical as
any group of men you have ever seen. Bill was about my size but strong as a bull.
He was once seen in a fist fight with Carl Ade (about 6'3") that started in the Gar
Hole, a bar in our Little Rock Hotel ..... worked its way through the lobby and
into the elevator and up to the upper floors. I don't know who won but I bet it
wasn't Carl.
Being the outdoors man he was prompted to write a book (ala Robert Ruark)
about some of his experiences.
He bought a wild life noisemaker designed to lure raccoons. Bill had climbed
over a barbed wire fence and proceeded to operate the lure. From out of
nowhere about 6 coons pounced on him and nearly ate him alive. He had to have
the dreaded series of rabies shots.
He was a bow hunter. One day he was firing at a target and the arrow broke while
bow was fully flexed and he promptly shot the broken arrow through his wrist.
So he goes to the hospital looking like Steve Martin with an arrow sticking out
both sides of his wrist. It is nearly impossible to shoot yourself with a bow and
arrow.
Once in the DC-3 he had his hunting dog with him all day long on the way to
Kansas City. The pup had to poop and did it into the Co-pilot's flight bag. Yuk
He went to Alaska to hunt with one of his best friends. The bush plane flew them
and all their gear to a remote lake and planned to pick them up in a week. The
first night, Bill's partner wandered away from camp and never returned. Bill
searched for him for a week and never found him.
After going back to Keller, he could not rest and took a couple of his buddies
back to Alaska and searched again. After a couple of days they found the
remains of his buddy minus what the bear had eaten.
He was reparing a leaky roof on the top of his camper. He accidently fell off and
lay on his back for hours with broken bones until Nan found him.
Bill was generous as any person I know. Greg and I took advantage of his
generousity for about a year. Bill rented his airplane to us for $8 dollars per hour.
I know he lost on that deal.
He landed at the wrong Airport going into Salt Lake one low visibility day. Things
were never the same for Bill after that.
Bill died yesterday.
