MOOSE JAW — Calgary businessmen Charlie Pastuszka and Josh Fong recently experienced some of Moose Jaw’s friendly hospitality after their airplane developed engine trouble and they were forced to land at the municipal airport.

Pastuszka and Fong purchased a second-hand 1965-era Citabria plane in Winnipeg on May 5 and, after fuelling up, began what they thought would be an uneventful flight to Cowtown, with a visit to Regina for their only fuel stop.

“I should have clued in then by the small drips of oil from the drain tube that something might be amiss,” Pastuszka told the Express by email. “However, the aircraft had not flown much in the last year, which sometimes produces some drips, so I thought nothing of it.

“Unfortunately for us, this was a tell-tale sale of bigger problems to come.”

The duo had a tailwind leaving Regina, which helped them reach and pass the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport quickly. However, they noticed that the plane’s engine oil temperature was rising and the oil pressure was dropping. This indicated either an internal engine problem or a lack of engine oil.

Pastuszka and Fong reviewed a map and discussed whether they should continue flying to Swift Current or divert back to Moose Jaw; they chose the latter option.

After what seemed like an eternity since the men were more than 100 kilometres from the airport and flying into a fierce headwind, they landed uneventfully.

“The next sequence of events that unfolded was a true testament to the kindness and generosity of the community of Moose Jaw,” said Pastuszka.

He recalled that since it was Sunday, Provincial Airways’ maintenance shop was closed, forcing them to call the after-hours phone line. They reached one of Airways’ mechanics, who was enjoying the afternoon with his family at Buffalo Pound. However, he offered to help while driving back into Moose Jaw.

 The mechanic spent an hour fixing the plane’s problem, an oil drain plug issue. Thanking the man, Pastuszka and Fong took to the Prairie skies, but the same problem reared its head, and they decided — based on their combined 26 years of flying — to return to Moose Jaw.

They returned and parked their plane just as the sun was setting, which dashed their hopes of reaching Calgary that day. Pastuszka also connected with John Humbert, an aircraft mechanic with decades of experience working on civilian and military machines. The mechanic agreed to help them.

The airport had a courtesy car available, which the two businessmen appreciated since they drove to a hotel for the night “and enjoyed a much-needed debriefing beer.”

The next day, a windy and rainy day, Humbert met the businessmen at the airport, where he had organized a hangar spot for their plane for repairs. Scott Anicknap, a hangar tenant, allowed some planes to be moved into his hangar and offered the Calgarians a fair rental rate.

By May 7, Humbert, Fong and Pastuszka had removed the airplane’s engine and put it on a pallet to ship to an engine shop in Calgary. The two businessmen then received a ride from a Provincial Airways employee to Regina and flew home commercially.

A few weeks later, the plane was partially disassembled and shipped to Alberta, where it received a new engine. Mechanics discovered that the original engine had a catastrophic failure and would have completely failed with a few more hours of operation.

“Reflecting on these events over the last few months, I can’t help but think that it wasn’t ‘Will anyone help us?,’ (but) it was ‘Who wouldn’t help us?’” said Pastuszka.

“Everyone that we spoke to or dealt with at the Moose Jaw (Municipal) Airport was empathetic to our situation and wanted to do what they could to make sure that the two of us — three if you count our airplane! — were taken care of.”

Pastuszka thanked Moose Jaw for its hospitality, which was comforting during a stressful time. Even before the men began removing the engine, other hangar tenants were inviting them for “hangar chats” — sharing stories and forming relationships with other pilots.

“You all made a bad situation have a bright side and attested to the kindness of your community, which I will never forget,” he added.