Sometimes Rep. Chuck Fleischmann takes a direct flight from Chattanooga to Washington when he is heading to the nation’s capital for his work as the representative of Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District.
But on Tuesday, he flew out of Atlanta and witnessed an encounter that brought him a dose of perspective.
U.S. Congressman Chuck FleischmannBefore the Boeing 757 took off, Secret Service agents boarded the plane. Behind them came Jimmy Carter, the 91-year-old former president who is battling cancer.
Carter’s seat was in the front, but he walked the entire length of the packed aircraft, shaking hands with passengers, including some politicians who were onboard.
“I thought it was a wonderful, warm moment to see random passengers on an airplane and a former president reaching out to them at a time when he is facing tremendous physical adversity,” said Fleischmann, a Republican from Ooltewah.
When Carter returned to his seat, Fleischmann said Carter received a strong ovation from the entire plane.
“It was one of those really nice, touching moments that puts things in perspective,” Fleischmann said.
Carter, a Democrat from Georgia, was president from 1977-81.
Fleischmann said Carter recognized his pin identifying him as a congressman and they chatted for a few minutes.
The two had talked on a plane about two years ago, and they recalled that chat as they spoke on Tuesday.
“He looked well,” Fleischmann said. “He was very vibrant.”
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.