During the height of the pandemic, we were asked to weigh and de-refuel a business jet at the airport in Lyon. Thanks to our special exemption, we could continue supporting our clients around the globe, so we enthusiastically accepted the job. We drove out there, together with the de-refuel truck,excited for the weight and balance task ahead, completely unaware of what we would encounter!
Upon arriving, we quickly realized that the entire airport was closed. Not a soul in sight. As we stepped out of our converted camper-van, a man approached us at the entrance and handed us the keys to the airport! Yes, you read that right-keys to the whole place.
He said, "here you go and before you start defueling the aircraft, call this number for the fire department. Once you weighed the jet and refueled it again, you can leave the keys in the special mailbox over there. Good luck, and I hope you manage just fine!"
We looked at each other, thinking, "Is this for real? Are we actually supposed to walk through that door and head to the back to weigh the business jet?" It felt so surreal that we could hardly contain our laughter. But we were up for an adventure, so off we went!
When we arrived at the business jet, we thought we had already encountered the biggest surprise. Little did we know, things were about to get even more bizarre! The cabin was absolutely packed with everything you could imagine: large bottles of water, vodka, soda,beer, towels, life vests, snacks, tissues, and some medications scattered about. We exchanged glances, and it felt like we had stepped into a movie scene—a party that we hadn’t been invited to but that was somehow still going to be a lot of fun!
Now, we had the task to get clearance on the config, which is no small feat. We had no choice but to check every nook and cranny of the aircraft. We meticulously documented everything, taking photos of the contents to ensure we had a record of what was inside before we could do the weighing.
Of course, we made sure to put everything back neatly, even tidier than we found it (haha!). As we looked around, we couldn’t help but think, “This feels like a prank, and any moment now, someone will pop out and tell us this is all a big joke!” It truly was a bizarre day that we absolutely will never forget.
We captured plenty of moments on camera because some experiences are just too memorable to let slip away. After we finished our tasks, we returned the keys as instructed. While we didn’t actually take a flight, we definitely felt like we had just attended a lavish party on a business jet, soaking in the after-party vibes
So here’s to the unexpected adventures that life throws our way! Cheers! 🥳
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