May 3, 2006, 4:49 PM
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Fran's brothel
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In 1978, Fran, the owner of Fran’s Star Ranch & Brothel in Beatty, NV sent letters to pilots and jumpers across the west announcing that she was going to put a mattress in the center of a large star painted in the parking lot and any jumper who could hit the mattress would win a free night with a lady of his choice. On the day of the event, Fran’s ladies were lined up along the runway waving like beacons dressed in spiked heels, fish-net stockings, G-strings, black lace bras, rhinestone chokers, and long capes blowing in the strong wind. The sky was crowded that afternoon as Buster, along with seven passengers, all ready to party, banked his twin Beech D-18 in a circle around the field, adjusted his throttle, trimmed his propellers, lowered his landing gear, put his flaps down, and began his final descent.
The twin Beech is a notoriously complicated aircraft to fly, especially so when landing in a crosswind. Buster would have noticed this if he’d been watching the wind sock. Instead he was gawking at the ladies, his attention only forced back to the runway at touchdown when the crosswind started to weathercock the plane around. He reduced power on his down wind engine, frantically trying to regain control of the aircraft when he realized that he’d forgotten to lock his tail wheel down. The landing gear crumpled and the plane spun like a dust devil toward the edge of the runway, clipped a high line post, and settled in the sage as the ladies watched on. Even though the Beech was a total loss, the passengers survived. A couple of weeks later, Buster returned to salvage the engines and other valuable parts. Fran, who had noticed increased traffic, decided that a crashed plane was good for business and agreed to leave the stripped fuselage where it landed. In 1997, she sold the brothel to Mack and Angel Moore.
Former owners of a chain of funeral homes and active Christians, Mack and Angel see the brothel as a way to help ease suffering. Dave, a long haul trucker and one of the rare customers willing to talk, said,” It’s a lonely life out here on the road and you need to find a place where you feel welcome.” Just after Mack and Angel bought the place, they changed the name to Angel’s Ladies Brothel but they kept the plane which has become a landmark along highway 95.
NTSB Identification: OAK77FVW16 14 CFR Part 91 General Aviation Event occurred Saturday, May 28, 1977 in BEATTY, NV Aircraft: BEECH C-45G, registration: N6065V
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FILE DATE LOCATION AIRCRAFT DATA INJURIES FLIGHT PILOT DATA F S M/N PURPOSE----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3-1799 77/5/28 BEATTY,NV BEECH C-45G CR- 0 0 1 MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL, AGE 43, 2952 TIME - 1120 N6065V PX- 0 0 3 PARAJUMP-SPORT TOTAL HOURS, 548 IN TYPE, DAMAGE-DESTROYED OT- 0 0 0 NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. NAME OF AIRPORT - FRANS STAR RANCH DEPARTURE POINT INTENDED DESTINATION DAVIS,CA BEATTY,NV TYPE OF ACCIDENT PHASE OF OPERATION ENGINE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION LANDING: GO-AROUND COLLIDED WITH: WIRES/POLES LANDING: ROLL PROBABLE CAUSE(S) POWERPLANT - ENGINE STRUCTURE: BLOWER,IMPELLER ASSEMBLY MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - MATERIAL FAILURE TERRAIN - HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS FACTOR(S) WEATHER - HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE COMPLETE POWER LOSS - COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE/FLAMEOUT-1 ENGINE EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES - FORCED LANDING OFF AIRPORT ON LAND SKY CONDITION CEILING AT ACCIDENT SITE CLEAR UNLIMITED VISIBILITY AT ACCIDENT SITE PRECIPITATION AT ACCIDENT SITE 5 OR OVER(UNLIMITED) NONE OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISION AT ACCIDENT SITE TEMPERATURE-F NONE 75 WIND DIRECTION-DEGREES WIND VELOCITY-KNOTS 225 3 TYPE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS TYPE OF FLIGHT PLAN VFR NONE FIRE AFTER IMPACT
The really weird part...in another 10-20 years, someone will take that thing away...AND FIX IT!
Jim I dont think anyones ever gonna fix that airframe. Its pretty trashed. I sat out there on the wing with some friends one night....looked at the stars and got drunk.
The really weird part...in another 10-20 years, someone will take that thing away...AND FIX IT!
Jim I dont think anyones ever gonna fix that airframe. Its pretty trashed. I sat out there on the wing with some friends one night....looked at the stars and got drunk.
bozo
Quote:
At least it's in the dry desert and not under 300 feet of ice!
I've seen some real WTF projects...make it back in the air!
But Yeah...I know...it just the 'wishful thinking' romantic in me!
The pilot was not "Buster " his name is Adrian, Last name is on the right side of the plane near the tail. I was a little too young to go on that trip, dz kid ya know. That was the first twin I ever flew in as an observer, must have been 12 yrs old at the time. By the date on the NTSB report I just turned 15 when it crashed.
(This post was edited by PeteS on May 3, 2006, 10:50 PM)
Hold on a minute, buckaroo! You ain't done tellin' the story yet!
How many jumpers landed on the mattress?
Like I said in the other thread .....some of us are still married.....to the same wife as then. What happens in Vegas (Beatty) Stays in Vegas (Beatty). I have some great photos too.
Hi my name is annette aka miranda @ angel ladies brothel in Beatty NV does anyone have any pics of the plane before it crashed and any stories they would send me at missy412004@yahoo.com we are trying to find out about the plane and other history before and after it was Frans so if anyone has any pics or information would be great Thank You Annette
Adrian Meredith was the pilot. I heard that he was drunk as usual and clipped wires on short approach. It was the main jump ship of Yolo DZ back when George Morare ran it out of the back of his pickup truck. This was back in the Pope Valley Parachute Ranch days way before Skydance took on its Yolo operation. Occasionally, Yolo would jump into PV from their Twin Beech and sometimes us PVPRers would jump in Yolo from our Twin Beech. Adrian was always drunk when he flew from what I remember. Bill
Hello Miranda, kinda funny to see you here in the DZ forum. your pic dont do you justice. You ought to open up the runway again, it could be a good party.
thanks for sharing!!! 
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