Pitons unveil the new Roundball One....
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Pistons' new plane, 3 years in the making, ready for takeoff
BY VINCE ELLIS
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
If the economic climate a few years ago was anything close to what the Pistons are experiencing nowadays, there is no way the team would be scheduled to take the maiden flight on the latest Roundball next month.
But since the OK was given three years ago, the organization went all out in putting together a first-class aircraft to transport players, coaches, team front-office personnel, TV media and guests.
Sitting in a hangar a short distance from Detroit Metro Airport, the white MD-83 with red-and-blue trim is waiting final FAA approval before taking to the skies. The Free Press was allowed an exclusive tour of the plane last Monday.
Featuring tall and roomy seats around big tables, the plane is a result of the ingenuity of project manager Dewey Norton and cost about $6 million-$7 million.
"I can provide an environment for these guys that is like their home away from home," Norton said. "They can leave their stuff onboard the airplane and it's always there when they come back. They can have a seat that they know that's the seat that they're comfortable in."
You would think a plane that seats 42 would be plenty big enough to transport a basketball team.
Heck, you could even tack on wives and girlfriends and still have room left over in the DC 9-30 that the Pistons currently use.
Late Pistons owner Bill Davidson was the first to buy a plane to fly his team around the country back when the Bad Boys were winning titles in the early ’90s. But the Pistons’ travel party has grown to around 30-to-40 passengers, so the current Roundball (actually the second team plane) is too small — especially when you consider sponsors and suite-holders are among the passengers from time to time.
Pistons CEO Tom Wilson compared getting a new Roundball to when the team refurbished its practice facility before last season.
“We built it for a time when you had 12 players and two coaches or three coaches or something like that,” Wilson said last Sunday before the Pistons’ loss to the Lakers. “One video guy, one trainer and then suddenly you wake up and you have to expand your facility because there are just so many more bodies.
“It’s the same sort of thing here now.”
So Davidson gave the OK three years ago — setting in motion a process that is nearing completion.
First step...
Buying a plane
Roundball project manager Dewey Norton, who has worked for the Pistons and Guardian Industries for more than 30 years, was in charge of getting the plane.
He had to travel to Jakarta to pick up the second Roundball, but the third one was found nearby — just around the corner.
Spirit Airlines had grounded a fleet of MD-83s, and several of them were parked at Metro Airport. So Norton just rode over and inquired about the availability of one of those planes. He also talked to mechanics to get an idea which one was the most reliable.
After negotiating a price, the Pistons bought the new Roundball. But it wasn’t close to being ready to serve the Pistons.
The MD-83 was designed to fly roughly 150 passengers and the plane’s main routes were from Metro Airport to Florida. Most seats were a tight fit for normal-size guys, so to make it comfortable for basketball players, a lot of work had to be done.
Next step ...
Getting her ready
The plane was gutted down to where all that was left was the frame and then refurbished.
In came the large seats. Tables were installed where passengers can eat a meal just as if they were sitting at the dinner table at home — not those small trays found on common commercial aircrafts.
And the plane now features a wealth of entertainment options.
“The whole object of this airplane was to be able to give them something that a charter airplane couldn’t give them,” Norton said. “Namely, it’s the entertainment, the size of the seats, sitting at a table and eating off a plate and not a tray and having a series of main courses available to you so that you can take care of yourself on the way home from the West Coast.”
There was minimal input from the players as Norton relied upon a wealth of information gleaned in putting together the first two planes. And if something came up where he needed input, Pistons president Joe Dumars was there with an opinion.
Like the plane’s paint job.
“Joe wanted the design of the plane to let people know the Pistons were in town, but not be the loudest around,” Norton said.
and then...
The final product
Dumars got his wish. The white plane has a very clean design with red-and-blue trim. The team logo is splashed across the engines and near the nose three championship trophies adorn the plane. The logo is also a common feature in the interior.
The plane sits in the hangar with the current Roundball, two other planes and a helicopter. Norton had to expand the hangar to accommodate the new Roundball.
It’s ready to fly as it awaits final FAA approval. And besides the obvious benefits, Wilson said there is thought of holding lotteries to give season-ticket holders the opportunity to win a flight on one of the trips.
“When you make an investment like that, especially at a time like this, you have to figure out how we can make this thing kind of work for us and kill a lot of birds and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Wilson said.
But the primary job is flying players.
While they have yet to walk through the new Roundball, the Pistons appreciate the comfort of a private plane.
“It’s great having that convenience there,” Charlie Villanueva said. “That’s our plane. We are the only ones that are going to be there, and it’s made for our comfort, so that’s definitely a good thing.”
