Chapter 8

"There is one problem though," McIntyre was apologetic.

"What's that?" asked Connie, thinking, 'Problems have a way of multiplying.'

"All our basic training is done at Pensacola Florida ... we don't have a basic trainer here. We have a couple of old Tweets for proficiency and we still have the SNJ that Wendy volunteered us ... it's flyable ... but,"

"I can understand that ... I'm going to buy an aircraft and I have one in mind ... it's a side by side and retractable. The Aermacchi M-290 TP RediGO ... it's pretty cheap and handles like a ME 108 ... or so they say."

"Never heard of it ... Italian? What else did you look at?"

"Embraer Super Tucano, 12 million, too expensive ... way too expensive. KAI KT-1 Korean 7 million and also expensive. PAC MFI-17 Mushshak That's Pakistani and I don't agree with their government. PZL-130 Orlik, I like it ... I really like the radial engined job but I don't like tandem seating. Short Tucano, it's another of those multi million dollar jobs ... too expensive. T-37 Tweet ... a jet. One of the best... 52 years ... but the Airforce scrapped them. TAI Hürkuş, there's only two ... and Turkish politics.

"The M-290 is side by side ... you can slap my hand if I get it wrong."

"Why not one of ours?"

"Beech might build them but they didn't design them ... we buy too much crap from people who hate us."

"But you like the Italian?"

"Uh huh ... it's Swedish."

"Swede? Now you lost me."

"The 70 and the 90 are Swedish designed and built ... but the Americans screwed up the Swede's economy, and put Saab out of business. Italy bought the design."

"So the 290 works for you?"

"Yes ... their military use it as a basic/primary/light attack trainer/fighter/bomber."

"When did you do your research?"

"Well ... while I was flying here ... I searched on the internet ... Google."

"On the way here?"

"Yes."

"When on the way here?"

"While I was waiting for you guys to fix it."

"On one engine?"

"Well ... I needed something to do ... or come apart at the seams ... productivity, Captain. Productivity ... it's better than trying it by myself. I'm sure I could have landed ... it might not have been pretty ... but I think i could get it on the ground. Oh ... don't look at me like that, Captain ... I've been studying sea gulls since before I could walk."

"Sea Gulls?!?"

"Well ... yes ... they have their own peculiar way of landing ... but it looks to me like the aircraft and the land need to be moving pretty much at the same speed when you stop."

"I can not wait to teach you how to fly."

"I can do that ... it's the up and down ... I already have one more landing than takeoffs." She chuckled, "If I get in trouble I'll just have to take a mulligan."