Beatty Airport?

[thomascanty]

One last thread from my trip last week... At the north end of Beatty there's a road branching off Highway 95, heading west. Next to the road is a wreck of an old airplane. I just assumed the road led to a small airport, probably because of the plane. On Thursday I stopped to take a couple pictures of the airplane:

http://www.ldphotography.net/cdpf/beattyairport01.jpg
Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 17-40 f/4L @ 17mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 100

http://www.ldphotography.net/cdpf/beattyairport02.jpg
Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 17-40 f/4L @ 17mm, 1/200s, f/10, ISO 100

Only then did I realize what the sign in front of the plane said:
http://www.ldphotography.net/cdpf/beattyairport03.jpg
Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 17-40 f/4L @ 27mm, 1/250s, f/10, ISO 100, Canon Speedlite 580EX and Lumiquest Softbox

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Ya gotta love Nevada! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[4nR]

LOL, the last pic is great.

[ayotnoms]

See what happens when you don't put tray tables up and return your seatback to the upright position?

8-)

Very very interesting shots. Would love to hear the story of how they ended up there.

[Ballen Photo]

One last thread from my trip last week... At the north end of Beatty there's a road branching off Highway 95, heading west. Next to the road is a wreck of an old airplane. I just assumed the road led to a small airport, probably because of the plane. On Thursday I stopped to take a couple pictures of the airplane.

Only then did I realize what the sign in front of the plane said:
http://www.ldphotography.net/cdpf/beattyairport03.jpg
Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 17-40 f/4L @ 27mm, 1/250s, f/10, ISO 100, Canon Speedlite 580EX and Lumiquest Softbox

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Ya gotta love Nevada! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

They must have changed the name of the Brothel. The last time I went by there, it was "Frans Star Ranch" I believe. They DID offer free coffee back then as well. ;)
-Bruce

[Ballen Photo]

Would love to hear the story of how they ended up there.

That Plane has been sitting there for over 20 years, at least I know I saw it there that long ago when it was Frans Star Ranch, which was also a Brothel. I asked about the plane when I stopped in for coffee, ;) and asked the nice folks inside what the deal with the wrecked airplane outside was.
The "Madam" in charge told me that the pilot and his buddy were both pretty drunk when they decided to drop in at Fran's (for the coffee ;) ), and crash landed the plane. So the story goes, the two managed to go inside and partake
(remember the coffee ;) ) anyway, and afterwards had to call someone from Vegas to come out and get them.
The plane has been a fixture ever since. :lol: :lol: :lol:
-Bruce

[johnleveritt]

They must have changed the name of the Brothel. The last time I went by there, it was "Frans Star Ranch" I believe. They DID offer free coffee back then as well. ;)
-Bruce

Free everything, coffee, pop, beer, liquor, but not the girls. She never bothered to get a vending license, so she couldn't sell it (the coffee, pop, beer, liquor).

Your right it was Frans Star Ranch. And the airplane has been there for at least 29 or 30 years. I had that route for my last employer for 26 years, and I've been retired for 3 years, and that plane was there before me.

If you want a little history, it had just let off some sky divers, and was landing, when it got engine trouble, and you can see the result. The owners of the plane said that they would move it, as insurance paid for it, but Fran said no, leave it there, it will be good for business, and it was, and is.

Fran was and is quite an icon in those parts. Once her cat house (I don't know how else to say it) burned to the ground, and she had helped the town (Beatty) so much with money and donations, that the town folks all got together and rebuilt it all for her, free of charge. She used to have BBQ's all of the time, and everyone was invited, no charge for anything, well almost anything. I lost track of her when she sold out, and I've been retired for 3 years, so I don't know what became of her, but wherever she is, she's loved. :) :)

[Ballen Photo]

Free everything, coffee, pop, beer, liquor, but not the girls. She never bothered to get a vending license, so she couldn't sell it (the coffee, pop, beer, liquor).

Your right it was Frans Star Ranch. And the airplane has been there for at least 29 or 30 years. I had that route for my last employer for 26 years, and I've been retired for 3 years, and that plane was there before me.

If you want a little history, it had just let off some sky divers, and was landing, when it got engine trouble, and you can see the result. The owners of the plane said that they would move it, as insurance paid for it, but Fran said no, leave it there, it will be good for business, and it was, and is.


Ahh, So the story I was told was the "Publicity" version. :lol: It sounded good, anyway.
Thanks for the real deal on the plane. (and here I was 20 years later, still believing that story.) :lol:
-Bruce

[johnleveritt]

Ahh, So the story I was told was the "Publicity" version. :lol: It sounded good, anyway.
Thanks for the real deal on the plane. (and here I was 20 years later, still believing that story.) :lol:
-Bruce

Well, the free coffee part was right.

If you were there 20 years ago, you probably talked to Fran herself (she lived in a room in the back). She pretty much ran things herself. The flowered up version that she gave you was much more believable than the truth. Besides, as I said the plane was a magnet for tourists to go in and ask about it. And telling people that the pilots were drunk, "and" used the services of the house, was just good salesmanship on her part. I wonder how many men plunked down their money after her story was told.

I don't know about now, with the new owners and all, but when Fran was there the towns people may have even stretched the truth a bit, about the plane, just to get business for her. Like I said, she was loved my the community.

Some tourist even stole the license plates (Nevada vanity plates FRAN1) from her car once. I would hate to have been them, if the towns people had gotten a hold of them before the law. I don't know what happened in that case, it was pretty much hushed up.

[Ballen Photo]

Well, the free coffee part was right.

If you were there 20 years ago, you probably talked to Fran herself (she lived in a room in the back). She pretty much ran things herself. The flowered up version that she gave you was much more believable than the truth. Besides, as I said the plane was a magnet for tourists to go in and ask about it. And telling people that the pilots were drunk, "and" used the services of the house, was just good salesmanship on her part. I wonder how many men plunked down their money after her story was told.

I don't know about now, with the new owners and all, but when Fran was there the towns people may have even stretched the truth a bit, about the plane, just to get business for her. Like I said, she was loved my the community.


I think this story just got a WHOLE lot more interesting John. Thanks. :D
That probably was Fran that I talked to inside. She was very friendly, and was insistant that I come back, and bring friends. ;)
-Bruce

[johnleveritt]

I think this story just got a WHOLE lot more interesting John. Thanks. :D
That probably was Fran that I talked to inside. She was very friendly, and was insistant that I come back, and bring friends. ;)
-Bruce

Yes, Fran was friendly to everyone (business). Some would say that it was just business, but it wasn't, she's truly a likable person, she was/is a peach.

B-T-W, all of those decals seen on the plane pictures above, weren't there when the plane went down, they were put there by tourist, and passersby, whether they went in or not. A lot are from Germany, and Japan, as well as the USA. Beatty is where all of the major car manufacturers take their new models in the summer time for heat testing in Death Valley. I know that the ads on TV say that some of them are tested in Arizona, but trust me, it's in Death Valley (below sea level and "HOT"), and the testers stay in Beatty during their off time.

The Germans built an entire auto shop class for the local high school a few years back, with the proviso that they could use it exclusively when in town for testing. So everybody wins, the high school all year around, and the German car manufacturers, when their there testing.

I just noticed that your in Las Vegas, we're pretty close to each other.

[thomascanty]

Thanks for the history! It's always great to know the story behind things like this.

[johnleveritt]

Thanks for the history! It's always great to know the story behind things like this.

My pleasure, your pictures brought back a lot of really good memories.

[Michaelmjc]

Claer for take off on runway 4! that plane looks like its not goin anywhere.

[stoneylonesome]

Great shots. Jeeeez now you're taking "Ghost Airplanes" nice job

[thomascanty]

Great shots. Jeeeez now you're taking "Ghost Airplanes" nice job

lol... Yep, if it's old and abandoned, I'll probably aim a camera at it eventually. :lol:

[Mills]

A link of your pictures that you posted on another forum was on TotalFark.com yesterday. Millions have now seen your shots.

[Gus00]

I love the desert.

[thomascanty]

A link of your pictures that you posted on another forum was on TotalFark.com yesterday. Millions have now seen your shots.

Interesting. I'll bet it was my attorney friend. He hangs out on Fark about as much as I do here.

[froman98]

I just noticed that your in Las Vegas, we're pretty close to each other.

I've been thinking of moving to the Henderson area. I reside in Reno right now.

[johnleveritt]

I've been thinking of moving to the Henderson area. I reside in Reno right now.

The Henderson area is great. There's plenty of work, recreation, and the cost of living is cheaper here than in Reno. The one big difference, is the heat in the summer. It gets hot in the summer (105 - 110 degrees), and you have to be prepared for that, but as we all say "it's a dry heat" ( 5 - 10 percent). One does get acclimated to it, but it may take a year or two.

So, if the heat doesn't bother you, come on down, you'll love it.

[sparker1]

Well, I want to believe all of you guys about stopping for free coffee and nothing else, but....

Great stories to go with Lonnie's photos.

[johnleveritt]

Well, I want to believe all of you guys about stopping for free coffee and nothing else, but....

Great stories to go with Lonnie's photos.

You can believe it. I'm not saying that they won't try and sell some other of their wares (you can always say no, but I'm sure that they wished you didn't), but the coffee is free, with no obligation.

In fact the Cottontail Ranch on Hwy. 95 outside of Goldfield, Nevada is/was the same way. I say is/was, as it sold just after I retired from my job. But when Beverly Harrel (SP), and later after she died her husband Howard owned it, they always offered free coffee. Now they did have vending licenses, so the cola, beer, and liquor weren't free.

If you have a CB radio in your vehicle, give them a shout on ch. 19, they're usually listening, if not talking.