A&W Papa Burgers: The choice of Griffon pilots everywhere

[Occam]

Military chopper lands for Kenora burger takeout

Original link

Last Updated: Friday, October 2, 2009 | 11:56 AM ET

A Canadian military helicopter pilot with a sudden hankering for hamburgers set his aircraft down on a Kenora, Ont., baseball diamond, and walked into an A&W restaurant across the street for a takeout order.

"He ordered four papa burgers with cheese combos and two papa burgers on the side," server Stacey Hawes told CBC News on Thursday.

The pilot was nice and polite, and made it seem as if he was just driving a regular car, she added.

Laura Madison was in her house in Kenora when she heard the whirring noise of the helicopter blades just down the street. When she looked out her window, she couldn't believe her eyes.

"It's a huge double-door … helicopter, which you don't see landing in the middle of town every day," Madison said. "He went in and got some A&W takeout and took off. So we're laughing because it was the strangest drive-thru we've ever seen."

 

[MARS]

hahahahahahahaha...

Will be interesting to find out the background to this.  Although not the oddest looking photo on the site, it might make for part of the army.ca headlines thread perhaps?

My favourite comments from the CBC website are the following:

"A real pilot would have hovered in the drive through....."; and

"This is very appropriate use of a military aircraft. Being able to land in any location is an important skill to be practicing. I commend the pilot in combining the lunch run with his training, thereby negating the necessity to drive an automobile there, thus reducing greenhouse gases."

 

[Occam]

I recall instances in the past where Sea Kings have landed in unusual locations such as this.  Never did hear if it was frowned upon or not.

I'm in awe at the overwhelming support of the commentors!  I would have expected a lot more griping, but it's nice to see the public realize that it's not exactly like a junket to Florida in a CF-18 for a round of golf. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

Careful, or the other fast food outlets'll get jealous, with hypothetical signs* like the attached....  ;D

* - this is NOT a real sign, just one made up at a cool web page:
http://www.says-it.com

 

[Colin Parkinson]

At least it wasn't a pub like some Harrier pilots apparently did in Germany.

It also explains the small payload of the Griffion, after you calculate in the pilots and numerous papaburgers...... ;D

 

[BlueJingo]

For some reason when i first read the post my immediate thought was hmm... perhaps it's a female pilot...possibly having a craving... then logic kicked in... stupid Air Factor you can't be a preggo pilot...

But man those A&W Burgers are so gooood... i don't know what it is about them... but i could use one right now!

 

[COBRA-6]

Kenora? Maybe they were on a long-range flight and decided the box lunches were just not cutting it?

I doubt the sole purpose of the flight was to hit up the A&W and return to base!

 

[medicineman]

I can see it now - A&W:Official Artery Clogger of Canada's Air Force  ;D.

As an addendum, I'm wondering if they stopped off at Kenora Regional Hospital after for another unannounced stop... :.

MM

 

[Blackadder1916]

There are a few more details in this article.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Forces+chopper+pilot+with+munchies+makes+stop+burgers/2060426/story.html

Forces' chopper pilot with the munchies makes stop for burgers

By Linda Nguyen, Canwest News Service October 2, 2009 3:57 PM

A fast-food restaurant in this western Ontario city served cheeseburgers to a Canadian Forces pilot Thursday — while his helicopter was parked outside.

Michelle Patterson said Friday she thought something was wrong when she looked out one of the windows of the A&W restaurant. All she saw was flying dust.

"I thought, 'Oh gee,' and I went over to the side of our building and there was a helicopter there with a police car," she said.

Moments later, the helicopter pilot walks into the restaurant.

"He said he was here to pick up some supper before taking off again," said Patterson. "He joked about wanting to come through the drive-thru but he couldn't fit. Then I told him I would've delivered."

Patterson said the pilot ordered enough cheeseburgers, fries and root beer for six people. He said he was going to feed the other pilots at the airport before they refuelled and fly to Thunder Bay, Ont., and eventually back to Quebec.

After the pilot paid for his takeout, he walked back across the street to the parking lot of a baseball diamond where he had parked his helicopter and took off.

"The whole thing took no more than eight minutes, then he was gone," she said.

Patterson has worked at the fast-food restaurant for 16 years. The last odd mode of transportation she's seen a customer arrive in? A motorized scooter.

A spokeswoman for Defence Minister Peter MacKay has yet to issue a comment about the unscheduled takeout order.

Kenora is 500 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay.

A fast-food restaurant in Kenora, Ont., served cheeseburgers to a Canadian Forces pilot Thursday — while his helicopter was parked outside. Patron Michelle Patterson looked out the windows to a scene of flying dust. Moments later, a helicopter pilot walked in. 'He said he was here to pick up some supper before taking off again,' she said.
Photograph by: Provided, Randy Nickle

While CF aircraft are exempt from the CARs that would be (if it were not a DND a/c) applicable in this incident (such as 602.13) are there military flying regulations that similarly govern the conduct of "Take-offs, Approaches and Landings within Built-up Areas of Cities and Towns"?  Perhaps one of the flying types can respond.

 

[COBRA-6]

I can see it now - A&W:Official Artery Clogger of Canada's Air Force  ;D.

"And in other CF news, the Chinook community, refusing to be outdone, sling loaded a 5T bucket of KFC back to base. Later today, the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps and DLR held a joint press conference to announce the LEO2 Deep Fryer variant. Meanwhile, CMS staff refuse to comment on reports of an imminent amendment to the JSS SOR which specifies the capability to store and transfer "no less than 50,000lbs of Swiss Chalet Sauce".

 

[kratz]

:rofl: That post came out fast. It was worth a laugh.

 

[chrisf]

I'm impressed this is "news"... how many green vehicles have been crammed into the empty parking lot across from the tim's in Wainwright? A battle group worth?

 

[proudnurse]

If you're hungry.. you're hungry. You gotta do what you gotta do right? the burgers at A&W are not too bad at all.. haven't had one in a while, I might have done the same thing had the chance arrived. Now imagine if he took the helicopter to one of the A&W cruise nights with the classic cars?

It's nice to see this story.. put a on my face.

 

[COBRA-6]

:rofl: That post came out fast. It was worth a laugh.

Admit it, you kinda hope the chalet sauce part is true! I'd transfer to the Navy if it meant an unlimited supply of delicious chalet sauce... mmmm! 

 

[the 48th regulator]

Admit it, you kinda hope the chalet sauce part is true! I'd transfer to the Navy if it meant an unlimited supply of delicious chalet sauce... mmmm! 

However,

The KFC jab would have been more believable had you talked about a fellow coming out of a carrier, with an eight pointed star on his beret....


Zoinks!!!  Where is the I am outta here smiley??

dileas

tess

 

[kratz]

Hey, who can turn down duty free chalet suace during stand easy?  ;D

 

[proudnurse]

Hey, who can turn down duty free chalet suace during stand easy?  ;D

You can actually order poutine at Swiss Chalet now, where they use the chalet sauce instead of gravy. Last time I took my daughter there for dinner.. we tried it. It's quite good! I don't know how long they've had that.. but it sure is worth a try.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I'm impressed this is "news"... how many green vehicles have been crammed into the empty parking lot across from the tim's in Wainwright? A battle group worth?

To be fair to reporters (that I'm happy to bitch about if needed), one of the elements of newsworthiness is "peculiarity", or "is this out of the ordinary?".  How often do CF Griffons stop for A&W takeout in Kenora?  I'm guessing the vehicles at Wainwright's Tim's are there more frequently than choppers in Kenora, so they're not as "peculiar".

 

[Nfld Sapper]

However,

The KFC jab would have been more believable had you talked about a fellow coming out of a carrier, with an eight pointed star on his beret....


Zoinks!!!  Where is the I am outta here smiley??

dileas

tess

Wouldn't that be soul food for them?


;D

 

[VIChris]

As much as I'm impressed by the whole landing a chopper at A&W thing, this caught me right of guard:

"The whole thing took no more than eight minutes, then he was gone,"

I'd like to forward this to all the A&Ws in Victoria, as I've yet to get an order in less than ten minutes, and it's generally wrong.