The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1945-01-25
CHAPTER TX

"Sir, this is Aviation Cadet
Dowd. Glass 1O-D, flying an s.
NV, number 131, from Squadron
12-A. I was working on field 80
when the fog came in, and !
thought it imprudent to continue"
I stopped and wished had not
said 'simprudent." There was a
pause as both parties took up
slack. Then the Chief of Opera
tons opened.
s'Dowd, that's splendid. could
Mt ask for more"
THANK you, SIR" I said. "Any-
one would of done the same"
ssNo." insisted Mr.. Kenwood
"It was the 'unpredictable' and
you handled yourself like vet
eran, indeed you did,"
THANK you, sir. With such
training I couldn't help myself,
I added, as long as we were roll
ling about together on the warm
sands of mutual esteem.
well, we give it to you pretty
fast, know. When one of you
responds like this, it is very graf
flying to us old timers, very graf
flying indeed"
eyes, sir"
'sYou see, you showed style
The fog came in; you came down
That's the way we hope you'll
act in the 'unpredictable.'
'Thank you. sir"
s'Stay there for a while. The
weather report says it will be
clear shortly"
''Aye, aye, sir"
'tAnd Dowd, you behaved like
veteran boy"
''Thank you, sir"
7 hung up and was conscious OF
the warm, glowing feeling that
comes from standing just close
enough to large fire. I walked
to the shack's door and looked
out. There was the plane, idling
and facing into the wind as
had left it. That was style. A
good thing, style. Stamps fell
low. Marks him from the rest
And it is routine that in stills
style. Good thing, routine. Think
if I were running the Navy.
should insist on it even more
than they do. A very good thing
indeed.
In little while the fog began
to lift. I got back into the plane
to warm it up and be ready tc
take off when the ceiling permit
ted. I started to taxi to the 9TH
er end of the field. But the plane
would not move. Perhaps the
ground was soft. It had not rain,
ed in months, but there is no &C,
counting for soft ground. I ap'
piled a generous amount of throt'
tie, but the plane would not move
More throttle. This had no more
effect than before. However, the
tailpiece rose gamely three OF
four feet, and I maintained this
attitude for several minutes, pray
ing that the wheels would take
a hint. There was no sign of for
ward motion. I knew the brake:
were locked.
I knew this because I had lock
ed them before leaving the plane
All veterans do so. What I die
not know was how to unlock
them. I had never been told how
to unlock the brakes. The me
chanic always did this on the
line, and I never asked how.
shivered. It was the ''unpredict.
able" in its corniest form. I push.
ed all the buttons on the dash
board, beat on the floor, and ther
fell back on the throttle again
The tail rose CALAMITY once more
and the plane simulated an over
grown weather-vane on a quiet
day. I suddenly remembered {
movie in which Jeanette Mac
Donald had opened a william vault
in a pyramid by hitting high c
With little hope of success,
strove for perfect pitch. The
Nile is a land Of mystery; some.
where around the Second Catar.
act high c is probably law, but
our country is too young for that
It was time for productive re-
Election. The skies were clea1
again. Soon other planes woulc
Ne overhead and someone anxiou:
III improve his style was certain
~ report me forced down. Re-
i lrting a plane forced down II
squadron that strove for tech
nique was next to knowing Shell
ley. In my new exalted statu!
of veteran, I could not afford tt
be caught with my brakes lock