Fromage sacré bleu! You are absolutely correct. (I guess I didn’t retain much from my half-semester of French in college.)
Back in the old days, I used to fly a very fancy, corporate-equipped, leather-lined Shrike Commander with just four club chairs in the cabin and a full wet bar between them. I was making a personal trip with my girlfriend at the time as my passenger. She had to pee. I was at FL180 with a nice tailwind and had no intention of giving it all up so she could use an airport restroom, so I told her to pee in the bar’s ice bucket, which she did.
Forever after, it amused me to hear my legitimate pax in the back saying, “Another Scotch, Ed, On the rocks?”
My first biological emergency almost five decades ago involved the FAA, fire trucks, an ambulance, the state police, and many hundreds of witnesses.
It was almost noon on a beautiful fall day with no wind or clouds. Chugging along in my tandem Taylorcraft, a weakening bladder compelled me to land on a deserted gravel road not too far from Dallas Center, Iowa. The landing was easy, but as the problem with my bladder was going to be resolved in just a few seconds, I decided to exit my airplane with the engine running. In a desperate hurry, I attempted to climb from my war-surplus tandem Taylorcraft, which even under the best of circumstances took a bit of flexibility.
On this hurried day, with my right foot firmly on the ground, I accidentally kicked the side-mounted throttle wide open with my left foot, and the Taylorcraft roared into action. I grabbed the nearest wing strut, but even with the added weight of a completely full bladder, I could not restrain my airplane, and my Taylorcraft took off, perfectly willing to prove to me that she could fly just as well without my help.
Well, that didn’t workout for either of us, and seconds latter, she was resting on her nose in a shallow, water-filled ditch. It got perfectly quiet after that. I looked about, not a soul could be seen across that flat, treeless prairie horizon, but within the shortest amount of time a parade of vehicles with flashing red lights arrived, accompanied by an army of the curious.
To make a long story short. I walked a block or two up the road and sat down, trying to hide from the crowd, bladder still full. Eventually a man in a dark suit walked up to me and sat down in the grass, introducing himself as being from the FAA. He asked what happened. I told him. He nodded in apparent understanding, went back to my airplane, took off his jacket, and organized the firemen into a team to rescue my Tayorcraft from the ditch. Afterwards, he gave it a quick inspection, removed a dented wheel pant and put it in the back seat and then explained to me that I had experienced a miracle and that my airplane appeared to have escaped any serious harm. The powers that be then cleared the road, the FAA man swung my propeller, and I flew on to my destination, bladder issue still unresolved but smarter for the experience.
Good morning.
Really nice article. Maybe I read about Ann Pellegreno a while back, it seems so, but it’s an amazing story anyway.
My Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award seems to be missing a few things: A round the world trip, tail wheel endorsement, back yard airport ……probably a few other items. Well, my first lessons were in a Cub!
Thanks
David Grimm
Paul,
Thanks for one of the best articles I’ve read on AVWeb! Wonderful story as I had never heard of Anne. The best part is getting to the end of your story to hear she is still alive. As soon as I started reading, I assumed she had just died or something, which is usually the case when these sort of amazing articles come out. Like many, I have never heard of her. It will now be my mission in life to meet her. Not sure how I’m going to make that happen, but I am going to try. Thanks again for a fantastic piece of writing!
Thanks for sharing that Paul. Great story. Reminds me of so many amazing folks from the world of aviation that have paraded through my life. Also awaiting nomination for the Wright Brothers’ Master Pilot Award. Otherwise qualified but, truth is, it honestly doesn’t mater. All I need is the aviation peeps that I know or have met.
Another great article, Paul! Entertaining and informative, as always 
Thanks for another superb story, Paul. Great to find out Ann is still writing. I remember Ann’s world flight as written up by herself in Sport Aviation soon after her return. As a kid, I thought everybody involved with EAA - style aviation knew who everybody else was and what they had done. I learned it’s hard to keep up. I also learned about those friendships practiced once a year at various aviation events.
Ann Pellegreno answered my fan letter in the mid to late 80s (I still have it) when I was belatedly trying to raise a sponsor to duplicate the Earhart flight. What red blooded male pilot wouldn’t fall head over heels for her?
Great story thanks for sharing. Sounds like a very humble woman with great achievements.
Paul, so glad you paid tribute to the Pellegrenos! Very entertaining writing!
Yes, a number of us women pilots know of Ann’s daring round-the-world trip, duplicating and completing AE’s last adventure. I look forward to getting a copy of “The Sky and I”. If anyone else is interested, a great way to introduce students to aviation, is to purchase and donate a book to a school library.
Having been around the Pellegrenos a few times your description is most accurate. Ann is very modest and very passionate. Will never forget a Saturday afternoon spent with her at an antique fly in in Ranger, Texas or lunch at a Ladies Love Tail Draggers fly-in. She is a class act.
Last year I bought my wife a delightful book by Gene Nora Jensen. The title was “Flight of the Three Musketeers”
It was a funny but eye opening account of being a woman pilot in the early 1960’s. I would highly recommend it.
Edit I missed spelled the author’s last name it is Jessen
Great story, Paul. And a perfect example of the rule I formulated from too many “Do you know who that was?” queries after a casual conversation with yet another aviation hoi polloi.
At the close of my second Oshkosh, I was patiently waiting on a bench outside of the on-field FSS, waiting for the line shorten so I could get in and get a departure briefing. A pleasant older lady sat down on the other end and starting chatting, asking me about myself, my airplane, and just being friendly. A few minutes later, her husband came out of the FSS with his briefing, and she said, “Ray, come over here and meet Chip.” I stood up and shook his hand, “Ray Stitts, nice to meet you, son.”
The “Oshkosh Rule” is, “Everyone you meet at Oshkosh is bigger than you think.”
The “Oshkosh Rule” definitely applies to Ann! You can frequently find her at Oshkosh on the porch of the Red Barn during AirVenture. Thank you, Paul, for this wonderful and factual article about one of the true pioneers among women in aviation – and a genuinely nice lady, too!
She’s on my reading list!
Two others of writing merit are Ernest K. Gann (Fate Is The Hunter, Island In The Sky) and Antoine de Saint-Exupery (Wind, Sand and Stars, Night Flight, and The Little Prince). And the Misters Berge and Bertorelli.
Wonderful story. The kind that creates a gentle smile. Thanks Paul Berge.
You might not win any FAA awards, but you certainly deserve awards for writing! And Ann deserves an honorable mention for introducing you to that editor.
What a great article. I’m going to get Mrs. Pellegreno’s book and give to my 18 year old granddaughter who recently soloed and will be entering the Aviation program at Middle Tennessee State University in the fall. She wants to be a commercial pilot and I think she’ll be greatly inspired by a woman of many accomplishments.