Sad Story, Happy Ending

[Bill Jolliff]

My son Matt got my wife and me tickets to join him, his wife Jessica and son Oliver to attend the “Wings Over Batavia (NY) Airshow” on Saturday September 2nd. The airshow started at 5:00 PM and ended at 9:00 PM or a little later. So, much of the airshow was done during darkness.

Of course, Batavia was home to Baker Gun and Forge Company back in the early 1900’s.

I should mention that my son Matt along with his son Oliver, our grandson, spend some of their free time at the Batavia Airport which is close by and he got to know much of what goes on there and the people who do it.

We had our folding lawn chairs to sit in during the airshow and we were seated on pavement just in front of a hanger that was converted to The Hospitality Hanger.

It was a fantastic airshow that started at 5:00 PM and was reasonably comfortable but windy. As the show progressed into darkness, it got colder and I noticed with my cold hands my wedding ring was pretty loose.

The show ends and we walk back to the car and that’s when I noticed my ring was no longer on my finger. I lost it somewhere. I wasn’t too upset but my son Matt was and insisted we got back and try to find it – in the dark.

We used the flashlight feature on his and my wife’s cell phone (mine doesn’t have one) to look. We looked at all the places we were and found nothing. A man asked if we were looking for something and I told him and he made notes on his phone in case someone finds it. I asked if he worked at the show, yeah, he was the show director – Dennis who also directs other airshows, including Oshkosh.

One week later I get a phone call and was asked if I lost a ring at the airshow. I told him yes and described it. It was mine. He had found it two days earlier in front of his hanger. WOW!

I asked when I could get it and asked if I may give him a reward. He said NO to the reward and said he would be available at the airport the next day Sunday around 2:00 PM and would not be available after that. He was going to Florida and Texas on Monday.

He gave me his name, Peter X, and his phone number to call on Sunday to tell us where he would be. I’m not using his full name because I do not have his permission to and don’t want to offend him. PM me if you’d like to know.

I then called my son Matt to tell him the good news and had the guy’s name and phone number. He asked who called, I said it was Peter X. He asked, Peter X called you? Yes, I said. He found your ring? Yes, I said.

Turns out Peter X is very well known in a very favorable way in Genesee County and the city of Batavia. He owns 3 hangers at the airport and owns several airplanes – including a P51 Mustang that’s been converted to a two seater so his wife can fly with him.

So, next day I call Peter and arrange for Matt and me to meet him at one of his hangers and get my ring. And we did.

He gave me my ring and I got a picture of me in front of his P51.

Sad story, happy ending.