High Flyer

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 Directed by
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## Briefing

Jon's has to deal with a teenager who has a crush on on him and also happens to be a neighbour. It's Ponch's turn to fly in the helicopter and he concocts many excuses to prevent himself from going. A gang of car thieves operate in the area stealing high end parts or cars.

## Report

Jon and Ponch are on patrol and they're buzzed by a passing helicopter. Ponch tells Jon it's his turn tomorrow and Jon comments that he thought he was afraid of flying.

A woman has her car parked off the freeway and a van stops to help her. One of the men tells her her rotor is broken and points to a call box further down the freeway. She walks off towards the callbox and the men watch her leave. They hang around long enough for her to be far enough away and begin removing her engine.

The woman walks back to her car and the men in the van finish loading her engine in the van and drive off waving to the woman as they pass her. She goes to her car and is shocked her engine is missing.

The woman spots Jon and Ponch passing and flags them down, she's frantic and shows them her car. She describes as much as she can about the men who did it and what they were driving.

The driver of the van notices Jon and Ponch in the rear view mirror so they speed off. The van narrowly misses a group of children and speeds off. Jon and Ponch lose them.

Ponch arrives back at Jon's place with his pick up, he's helping Carol with her shopping. Jon is fixing Ponch's car with Carol's daughter. Jon thinks he's fixed the problem and tells him to start the car up. Kim tells Jon she wants to and she knows how. Jon tells her it's okay and Jon tells her to make sure she checks she's in the right gear and the brakes applied. He tells her to fire it up and it purrs beautifully. Carol invites them for dinner, and Jon tells her he'll be up in a minute. Kim stays with Jon and she's already cleared away his tools for him. Jon tells her she needs to help her mother with dinner, he has to get dessert from his place first and tells her to tell her mother that he'll be there in 10 minutes. Kim smiles at Jon and waves goodbye.

The car thieves are in their garage working when their boss, Bates comes in. He tells them what he needs and Tony tells him it's going to take them all day long. Bates tells them it's alright and if it takes all night then so be it. Tony tells him they're not ready and the vans still not painted yet. Bates tells them they have 2 hours to paint the van, a murmur of discontent is heard. Bates tells them to paint the van and doesn't want them coming back until the van is full.

At Central, Ponch is talking all nasally. Jon comments on how he doesn't sound too good. Ponch is excited to be flying with Patterson today. Getraer asks if he has a cold. Ponch tells him it's nothing and he feels great. Patterson tells Ponch he can't take him up in case he passes out. Getraer tells Ponch his turn will be tomorrow and tells Patterson to take Grossie.

Outside, Ponch's cold has immediately cleared and he tells Jon it's a fine day for flying. Jon questions the cold he had, Ponch tells him he never said he had one, it was Getraer who said he had a cold. Ponch told everyone he feels fine. Ponch waves to Grossie who's getting in the chopper.

The car thieves are stealing radials and an APB goes out, Jon responds.

The driver Sammy tells Tony he thinks the cops are the same ones who chased them the other day. Tony and Paul throw the tires out the back causing Ponch to crash into the wall. Jon tells Ponch the van is the same one they chased the other day only repainted and using the same escape route. Ponch tells Jon he's starting to get mad at them. Jon reminds him he could be up in the wild blue yonder. Ponch tells him he's not that mad yet.

Carol arrives home to find Kim putting on her roller skates. She's received a call at work from her counselor that she's neglecting her studies. Carol prevents Kim from going out and tells her she's going to study for the rest of the week.

Later that night, Jon is woken up by the building superintendent ringing the doorbell as well as knocking. Mr Carter tells Jon that Kim knocked on his door asking for him. Jon asks her why she's there and she tells him she's there to tell him something. Jon invites her in and goes to get changed while Mr Carter stays at the door. Kim stares at Mr Cater and finally tells him there's nothing wrong and shuts the door on him. Jon comes out of his bedroom with a blue dressing gown on and opens the front door and peeks outside, he then asks Kim why she's come, and leaves the front door ajar. Kim tells him that she usually sees him when he comes home from work but tells her mother she's going out with her friend Gary. However, she missed him this time around as her mother's grounded her. Jon asks her if it was because she wasn't telling the truth, and Kim tells him it was because she's not been doing her homework. Kim tells Jon that her mother doesn't know about them and that she doesn't know she meets him after work. Jon tells her there's nothing wrong with it, and before Kim can respond any further, Jon offers her some hot chocolate.

Kim talks to Jon about her now deceased father who was in Vietnam, and how his death made her grow up faster. She asks Jon if she seems older to him, and Jon responds by telling her she seems very grown up. Jon asks Kim to promise him something, and she tells him she promises to keep up with her homework. Jon also tells her she needs to tell her mother the truth because if there's any trouble she'll know where she is. Jon tells her one of them is going to call her mother, drink the hot chocolate and then he'll walk her home. Kim tells her her mother's asleep and she doesn't want her to know. Jon tells her it's not very grown up. Kim relents and calls her mother.

During briefing, Getraer is going on about the car thieves, they seem to steal parts from high end cars. Afterwards, Getraer calls Ponch and Ponch raises his voice to him and Patterson. Getraer asks Ponch if he has a problem with his hearing and Ponch tells him he has a little ear ache but it's nothing. Paterson tells him it'll keep him out of the air. Ponch is disappointed he can't fly and Getraer tells him he can't fly anyway since the weather's going to be bad, all routine flights are grounded. Jon is waiting for Ponch and Ponch asks him if he knew. Jon tells him he knew he'd be up to something.

Carol leaves for work but not before telling Kim she has to do her work. Kim tells her that Jon doesn't think she's a nuisance. Carol tells her that this is her home, and she'll abide by her rules until she's old enough to get out. Kim tells her she'll get out. Carol tells her not to be silly and leaves for work.

The car thieves are stripping the radials off a car. An alert goes out that they may have been spotted. Jon responds to the call. They chase after the van. Tony and Paul crash the van due to an oncoming lorry at a crossroads. The van bursts into flames as soon as it comes to a stop on it's side. Jon runs to the van while Ponch calls it in. The boys manage to climb out of the burning vehicle with the help of a worker who was nearby as well as Jon and Ponch.

Jon returns home with Ponch to get his basketball shoes, Kim is waiting outside his room with a suitcase. She tells Jon that her mother threw her out. Jon tells her it's not true and Kim tells her if he takes her back she'll scream and then she'll run away so they can't find her.

Carol is on the phone to one of Kim's friends asking if they see her to tell her. There's a knock at the door and it's Jon and Ponch. Carol fears the worst, but Ponch tells her not to worry. Jon tells her she's at his place. Carol tells them that she came home and Kim was meant to be doing her homework but she wasn't there so she's been calling everyone she could think of. Jon tells Carol that he thought she had everything under control when he brought Kimmy home the previous night. Carol tells him she was calm that night but because she couldn't sleep it stewed on her mind and by the time morning came she said some hideous things to Kim. Jon tells her it's understandable. Jon wants to ask Carol something and wants an honest answer. He asks her if she trusts him enough to deal with Kim without her help. Carol asks if he means interfering and Jon nods. Carol tells him she does trust him. Jon tells her to stay home and leave her alone and just be ready for her when she comes home. She thanks Jon and hugs him before they leave.

Outside Carol's apartment Jon doesn't know how to let Kim down gently. Ponch tells him at the moment he's her knight in shining armour. Jon tells Ponch he wishes he had some of Poncherello's school of charm.

While on patrol Jon and Ponch notice a van weaving about on the freeway. As they get closer there's pom poms being waved out the window and a lot of girls inside. Jon tells them to pull over. When the van stops more than a dozen cheerleaders spill out. One of the cheerleaders explains that their bus broke down and Mr Affelrod kindly gave them a lift. Ponch notices that they're the cheerleaders for the LA Rams. Jon tells Mr Affelrod that the vehicles overloaded and he's going to let him go with a warning and 12 cheerleaders. All the girls complain that they can't do that. Jon shouts for silence and tells him that he can only take 12 passengers and anymore than that interferes with his driving. Mr Appleton tells the girls to decide which ones will travel with him. Ponch asks how many and one tells him 20. Ponch believes 2 patrol cars will do and tells Jon to call in for transportation.

Back at Central Ponch returns without Jon, he notices Sindy in the report room and goes up to her. Ponch compliments her. Sindy asks what he wants. Ponch tells her he was complimenting her. Sindy asks why it feels like he's after something. Ponch tells her it's because he doesn't know him. She tells him she knows him well enough. Ponch tells Sindy he's got a problem and he needs her. Ponch tells Sindy that everyone knows she doesn't date cops and asks her if she can be a nice cops lady just for one night. Sindy apologises that she's not a very good actress. Ponch tells her it's for Jon, but not really for Jon and tells her they're trying to help out a little girl. Sindy walks out of the break room.

Jon returns home to find Kim's things strewn around the apartment and the table set. Kim comes out in a nice dress and puts down plates on the table. She tells Jon she'll make anything he wants. Later Jon is sitting down reading through Kim's homework. Kim asks Jon if he's glad shes there. Jon tells her she's made the best of herself today and he'd think that no matter where she is. Kim closes in on Jon and puts her hand on his arm and tells him he doesn't have any slippers. Kim tells him it would be nice he she put them out ready for him when he gets home from work. The doorbell rings and Jon tells her it's probably Ponch, he goes to answer the door. When he opens the door, Sindy is there with Ponch, she's carrying a shirt from the dry cleaners and calls Jon sweetheart and when she enters she kisses Jon. Jon has a bewildered look on his face, Sindy tells him she's late because the cleaners lost his favourite shirt and she waited until they found it before she came which is why she's late. Kim is watching the situation unfold. Ponch compliments Kim, but Kim is looking heartbroken. Jon introduces Sindy to Kim. Sindy notices the table's been set and questions the candles, Kim tells her she did it and Sindy tells her it's obviously a woman's touch and asks what's for diner. Kim, feeling like a fifth wheel tells everyone she needs to go. Jon tells Kim he wants to talk to her before she goes. Kim starts picking up her homework and Jon tells Sindy and Ponch to put his things in his bedroom.

Jon tells her that he knows she and her mother said some things that they're both sorry for. Kim wonders why Jon spoke to her mother about her. Jon tells her he had to tell her where she was and that she was safe. Kim who's crying tells Jon she doesn't care and hasn't even called once. Jon admits that's his doing and wanted to make sure things were cool between them. Jon tells her if she needs a guy to rap to, he's her guy. And as long as she has her mothers permission she can come over anytime and make it her second home. Kim asks if he means coming over to cook and clean for him. Jon asks her if she'd be rather doing that or rollerskating. Kim shakes her head. Jon tells her to enjoy her youth while she can. They hug.

Jon goes to him room to give the all clear, Kim is on the phone to her mother.

The next day, Grossie is giving Ponch some health tips, but Ponch tells him he's in perfect physical condition. Getraer over hears him and shouts for him.

Ponch is finally up in the air. Patterson asks if this is the first time he's flown, and Ponch tells him it's not. Patterson asks him he's terrifed of flying. Ponch tells him he's not afraid of flying, he's afraid of crashing.

Bates has his eye on a car and he's with Sammy. Ponch recognises the van. Bates hears the chopper and tells Sammy to drive off in the stolen car. Ponch radios anyone in the vicinity to respond to a GTA. Jon is in the area and responds.

Jon arrives at the place where the GTA took place, the van is still there and Jon approaches with caution. Bates makes a run for it out the back of the van and Jon runs after him and catches him.

Ponch chases after the stolen vehicle. Using the chopper they hound Sammy until he comes to a stop and they hound him on the ground. Ponch gets out of the chopper and arrests Sammy.

Back at Central everyone is in their civvies except Ponch, Ponch is going out again in the chopper with Patterson. Jon tries to tell Ponch something but keeps getting interrupted by him. Ponch tells him he's going to the airport. Everyone chase after Ponch and ask him why he's heading for the airport. Ponch tells them he's going for flying lessons. Jon tries to talk to Ponch again but Ponch interrupts him again telling him he has no time. As soon as Ponch leaves, Jon tells the girls to come on, some of the LA Rams cheerleaders are there. Ponch notices them through the glass. Jon invites Getraer to the game since there's a spare ticket as well as a cheerleader. Getraer tells him his wife wouldn't let him. Ponch can only stare through the window.

## Notes

* Jon is working on Ponch's firebird that's still showing signs of fire damage (Neighborhood Watch).

* There is no explanation why Ponch is afraid of flying, since in season 1 he was perfectly fine to get in a helicopter.

* When Jon and Ponch are chasing the van for a second time, the gang throw tires out the back of the van to try and stop Jon and Ponch. Although Ponch is the only one meant to fall off his bike, Jon (stuntman) is seen falling off his bike and falls against the wall at the start of the scene. Then when Ponch hits the wall Jon immediately comes up after him on his bike.
* Carol's apartment is just Jon's apartment re purposed to look like another apartment, even the corridors the same.
* Jon's apartment seems to have become bigger since the first season.
* Jon's apartment number is 302.
* When Carol hugs Jon, she goes to hug Ponch but he doesn't reciprocate and all she does is kiss him on the cheek.
* When Jon tells the van full of cheerleaders to pull over, the embankment is sloping downwards, but when the van stops there's no downward slope.
* Throughout the episode the same van is used for every car stripping and GTA, the van suffers a crash when Jon and Ponch chase after it, however later on the van appears towards the end.

### Codes Used

* 10-78
* GTA - Grand Theft Auto

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Larry Wilcox: Jon Baker
* Erik Estrada: Frank Poncherello
* Robert Pine: Joe Getraer

### Recurring

* Brodie Greer: Baricza
* Paul Linke: Grossman
* Brianne Leary: Sindy

### Guest Star

* Mary Louise Weller: Carol
* Cindi Bain: Kim
* John Ericson: Bob Patterson
* Lee de Broux: Bates

### Others

* David Roy Chandler: Sammy
* Grand Bush: Paul
* Ty Henderson: Tony
* Harvey J. Goldenberg: Mr Affelrod
* Vern Rowe: Mr Carter
* Jenilee Harrison: Cheerleader
* Lisa Benson: Cheerleader