Joey Jet wrote...

"The Book On Flying A Learjet"

Joey Jet's Memories

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Jackie Mason - excerpt from the book...

One door closes and another opens . . . or at least that is what I was told. The charter company I worked for in Fort Lauderdale, Florida folded and I found myself flying a Learjet 31 out of Miami, Florida. The jet was based at the Opa Locka Airport, basically the Miami Executive Airport. Opa Locka translated means, "airport in bad neighborhood." This is a standard joke about this airport, but, if you have ever been there you would understand completely.

     Well, one evening we repositioned to the West Palm Beach Airport, roughly forty-five miles away and an eight minute flight from the Opa Locka Airport. That night we would be flying stand-up comedian and movie actor, none other than Jackie Mason.

I waited at the FBO with my copilot and could hardly believe my eyes when Jackie Mason arrived. This man was one of my favorite entertainers for years and years. As a matter of fact, I remember watching him on our black and white television set when he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show Sunday nights in the 1960s.

One New Year’s Eve, Jackie Mason performed at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Just after midnight, my phone rang.  I  thought one of my wacky friends might be calling to wish me a Happy New Year!  It was my crazy friend Howie. He told me his wife saw Jackie Mason at this hotel, found out his room number, and  had Jackie Mason on the phone doing a three way prank call routine.

Amazingly enough Jackie Mason answered the phone. "Hello . . ." His voice was not to be mistaken, and they had my complete attention. My friend’s wife did all the talking with him. She wished Jackie a Happy New Year! Then, she asked Jackie if he could do a comedy routine for us. Jackie responded by saying, "At these prices, I don't do routines . . ." He was gracious enough though, and we laughed about it for years. Poor Jackie . . .

Well, Jackie Mason was now standing alongside me at the  West Palm Beach FBO, chatting away like we knew each other forever. He can't help it . . . He is just a funny guy. He asked me, "Joey, are you a married man?" I said, “Yes.” He rolled his eyes and said, "Oy!" His timing is impeccable.

We walked out to the airplane and got ready for our flight to, where else? You guessed it: Teterboro, New Jersey. Jackie put one foot on the aircraft's first step and stopped. He looked at me, and said in his very famous tone and mannerism, "This plane. . . was not designed . . . for the Jewish people . . ." Who knows why he said that, but it was funny as hell!

I guess Jackie Mason’s in person humor distracted me, and I forgot  all about mentioning our New Year's Eve call to him years earlier.

Jackie Mason with Joey Jet