DON Q INN - C97 LANDING.MPG

October 16th, 1977




I watched it land in Dodgeville. My father who was the front desk manager sent Old Joe to come and fetch my brother and I from the house. The waitresses (they were still called waitresses back then) stopped serving customers. They politly stated that they were welcome to join them, but they were not going to miss the historic landing and away the entire staff went to watch the plane land.

It was breath taking, scary and exciting. I was there to witness it all and actually be apart of it all personally.

My father and Don were close friends and I was 9 years old when it landed and started to give tours of the plane.

I was paid $10 a day and made double in tips. I think people were amazed that a kid and more so a girl could remember so much about a plane.

The original intent was to make a coffee shop, but after learning the history of the plane, the decision was to keep it in it's original state.

The Don Q Inn was made of salvaged material throughout the entire property. It started off as a restaruant and then followed by the Hotel. Don was a brilliant man and knew how to present his ideas to make one's jaw drop.

Once he sold the establishment, it lost Don and along went the magic. This post is to try and preserve a little history. And possible create a spot where stories and history can come back to life.

One day myself or my father will write a page on the history of the mastermind of Don Quinn and the Don Q Inn.

He and the place is a favorite memory of mine, even though I got called out of bed at 8am in the morning to bus tables on the FLY-IN Sunday Brunches.
(smile)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• landing
• Don
• Inn
• C97
• Landing
• Dodgeville
• Quinn
• Ron
• Dentinger

[emohatinglaufenberg]

That plane is cool. Was in it today. It's huge

[hoss73ford1]

I just hate it when something like this is put into so called static display. They were meant to be flown and people will always gladly pay to see it fly.  I hate museum pieces!!!

[RonDentinger100]

Thanks for the comment on the Don Q C-97. The video footage is something I've had since the landing. My daughter, Joann, put it on Youtube a few weeks ago. I was on the Unicom when it landed. Here's a cute tidbit. A small plane that was flying into the Don Q for lunch that day found that it was: "#2 in the pattern at Dodgeville...behind a Boeing." Thanks again. Ron

[IntoWisOutdoors]

@RonDentinger100 The sad part though, Who ever repainted the plane painted over Farrah's Autograph! UGH! This video footage is a priceless find! Thank You Yohan for posting this video!

[eclecticdawn]

My father is Richard Schmidt, the captain of this operation. He is the man in the brown leather jacket exiting the plane near the end of the story. It was an exciting event, for sure! He just stopped to visit the ol' bird almost 33 years to the day of when he flew the plane into Dodgeville.

[flyingcheesehead]

Very cool - I just wish the plane was in better shape these days, and I wish the current owners of the Don Q Inn would buy up the airport next door and reopen it, because then it'd make a great stopover or getaway for pilots. And what's this about fly-in Sunday brunches? I'd be there... But the old runway is littered with junked cars by its current owner. :-(

[RonDentinger100]

The late Don Quinn had the C-97 flown from Long Island to Dodgeville where it was put on display in front of the Don Q Inn. I knew Don for about 15 years and I plan to do a website (coming soon) to tell this unique man's story. The Don Q Inn and the big Boeing sitting on the front lawn are just part of the story.

The property changed hands a couple times since Don owned it. I'm happy to say that the new owners have done some major renovations to the inn and they repainted the airplane.