In the late ‘70s/early 80s I flew for a company “Agency Records Control” . (They did Insurance Agency accounting on tape-drive computers.) I flew the company plane which was a Hawker Jet painted in the CEO’s favorite colors.. overall While with accent stripes in Sky Blue and Gloss Black. The tail-number was 21AR because the parent company plane was 20HF the year of birth and initials of the “Big Guy” …. and my boss was CEO of the subsidiary company “Agency Records”…and he wanted to “suck-up” to the parent-company Chairman…so he selected the next integer of “21” anyway….this’ll make sense shortly…
I was staying overnight in the Nashville, TN Hilton and had previously purchased a ‘78 F150 Ranger Lariat….and I decided to use an oil which came out of the can…yes…oil was in cans back then… it poured out pure BLACK when new…because it was ARCO-Graphite brand of oil.…a new product on the market. It had graphite suspended in the oil and promised super duper lubrication, longevity, and a great sex life among other things. (NorthwoodsLife comment on black oil made me remember this event)
Anyway, at the hotel breakfast table … I overheard a conversation at the adjacent table… It was an Atlantic Richfield sales rep trying to up-sale the local oil distributor on his products. I eventually offered my experience with the ARCO-Graphite product…. Praising it…because after the first thousand miles…I changed the factory oil to ARCO-Graphite…and about 500 miles later I had to reduce the idle speed about 50 rpm to keep the truck from trying to roll-away when sitting at traffic lights.
About another 100 miles I had to do it again…. IN fact, I had to reduce the idle speed of that engine Three times…because it kept creeping higher and higher… I was CERTAIN it was a combination of new engine break-in Complimented by that Super Duper Friction-Reducing ARCO-Graphite Motor Oil!
I offered all this to the two guys at the next table….and the local oil distributor was so impressed by my testimonial…. he promised the Atlantic Richfield guy he’d make a Big Order of the stuff to distribute in the Nashville area.
I paid my hotel bill and got on the hotel courtesy van for the ride to the airport for my workday.
My copilot was already finished with his walk-around the airplane and asked if I was ready to have it pulled up front of the passenger-lounge to be ready when the “boss” arrived. I said “yes”…and when it was properly chocked …. I walked out with a cup of coffee to prepare the cockpit and start the APU, obtain a clearance, etc etc….
After those preparations… I stepped back off the plane….and only a few steps away Ran Into that Local Oil Distributor walking out to his little Cessna. I nodded at him…he nodded back….then his eyes drifted toward the jet I was clearly operating…to see a Blue/Black/White corporate jet with the tail number which Ended in “AR”.… He then gave me a rolling eyes
look…as-if to acknowledge He had-Been HAD …. by a “shill” at the next breakfast table.
He wouldn’t even give me time to explain that I DID NOT FLY for ATLANTIC-RICHFIELD.