My real name is Rick Blumberg, although I never used that on the on the air,
as Jack Hobbs, the General Manager, wanted me to have a 'colorful' name like
(WBZ's) Joe Green. So they used my initials, RB and I became the 'colorful'
Red Baron. I was always billed as WRKO's Red Baron and did all the publicity
shots with Dale Dorman and Bill Rossi under that name and never my own.
I was WRKO's first pilot/traffic reporter with the morning team of Dale Dorman
and Bill Rossi. We were on the air from 1975-1976. During my tenure at WRKO,
Dale Dorman and I made 'Ripley's Believe it or Not' by doing the longest radio
show 'in the air over Boston.' These were wild and crazy years and among the
best for WRKO. It was the number 1 rated, top 40 station in Boston. I was proud
to be a member of the broadcast team. Other traffic reporters at that time were..
Joe Green (WBZ), Kevin O'Keefe (WEEI) and Officer Bill (WHDH). I flew a Piper
Cherokee 140 at 1,000 feet over Boston. I based the aircraft at Beverly Airport
with the other traffic reporters.
"Triple 59 Uniform taking the active runway at Beverly" were the magic words
that began my odyssey every weekday morning at 6:00 AM. On an early May morning
in 1975, Red Baron, the newest pilot/traffic reporter, took to the skies at
1,000 feet above Boston. As a 24 year old, I considered myself one of the luckiest
people alive! I fulfilled the dream of combining my two loves...flying and broadcasting
for my favorite radio station, WRKO.
I graduated with a degree in journalism and had my commercial pilot license
with instrument and multi-engine ratings. A Piper Cherokee 140 was available
for sale at a local airport, known as Robbins Field (in Danvers). I purchased
the airplane for $8,500 and put a proposal together for Jack Hobbs, General
Manager of WRKO. The RKO lawyers in New York didn't find too many flaws but
insisted that I carry $3 million in liability insurance just in case I flew
into the Prudential Center or the John Hancock building!
WRKO outfitted my aircraft with UHF radio equipment that communicated with a
transceiver and antenna mounted on the Channel 7 television tower in Needham,
Massachusetts. Flight checks proved that we had adequate communication from
the tip of Cape Cod to the borders of New Hampshire and Maine. All tests were
performed at 1,000 feet, which was the altitude fixed wing aircraft were required
to fly within the TCA (terminal control area) of Logan Airport.
I had no idea how difficult and stressful this assignment would become. It took
ten minutes to get the avionics ready before starting the aircraft. My left
earphone listened to air traffic control, while the right earphone listened
to the WRKO newsroom for cues for the traffic reports. My left hand was on the
yoke, my right hand controlled two microphones (air traffic control and the
radio to WRKO) and when free, the throttle! When it was time to do a traffic
report, I switched to the AM radio so that I could hear Dale Dorman or Bill
Rossi throw it up to me. At this point, I was watching for other traffic reporting
aircraft, flight departures from Logan and the tops of the buildings that loomed
just several hundred feet below. But the most important place to look, was down
at the traffic, so I could report it live!
Yes, there were some anxious moments, but 24 years later I am still around to
tell the stories. There are two that come to mind. First, I had some bad gasoline
and lost the engine over the Blue Hills. Fortunately, I landed safely at Norwood
Airport. The other incident was getting caught in turbulence from a jet departure
from Logan while over the Central Artery. I did a complete roll before recovering
at 500 feet. It's no wonder that I would go home drenched in sweat and sleep
for several hours to calm down!
Over the months, flying while broadcasting became second nature. But the reality
of affecting so many listeners became apparent when I asked everyone to flash
their lights on the Southeast Expressway. Words cannot express the instant feedback
that I got. It looked like a Christmas tree during the summer! When you're alone
in the aircraft, it's hard to imagine so many thousands of people tuned to your
radio station.
Beyond the job of traffic reporting, I shall never forget our public service
work. Raising money for Muscular Dystrophy on the telethons, speaking at the
schools, meeting with troubled teens and attending a graduation for the blind
(perhaps our most loyal listeners). I even got a call at home from Tony Conigliaro,
who was no longer able to play baseball, asking if I could help him get his
newly-released single played on WRKO. 1975 and 1976 will always be special years
in my life. I am most grateful to Jack Hobbs for giving this 24 year old his
break in Boston radio.
After leaving WRKO, After leaving WRKO, I flew briefly for the airlines and
spent the last thirty years in the computer industry, most recently as a consultant.
I live in Arizona and still enjoy getting in an aircraft and doing aerobatics.
The only difference now, is that the rolls are under my control! My e-mail
address is
theredbaron@att.net and
I'd enjoy hearing from you!
Best Regards,
Rick "Red Baron" Blumberg
