Chapter 20

“So how’s spring training?”

“Not bad. A bit disappointed in the poor conditioning of my team mates.”

“Yeah? Would’ve thought professional athletes would be working it out during the off-season. What the fuck is their problem?”

“They cannot understand the transient nature of their position. Not to sound arrogant, but few professional athletes have the background to understand, much less manage wealth.”

“Maybe. But what ‘bout me? In an interval of a few years, I went from living outa my truck to being a filthy rich millionaire. I’m still working at my trade.”

“Yourself and Janice represent a sample of one. Or as you like to say, ‘N=1 is shit data’. Many professional athletes worked hard through their youth to achieve a certain level of success. So they see their position in professional sports as a permanently earned situation.”

“Maybe that’s it. I don’t see nothing as permanent, or as inherently earned ... Uh, you good with the pressure setting? Feeling okay?”

“I’m good. Why?”

“For Janice, I set it to seven thousand. She starts gettin weird and sick over eight. I have cabin pressure set at nine. The airplane can do about 5.5 psi differential max, so at 25,000 feet, we’ll have a nine thousand cabin. Which is why I only fly at the max rated ceiling when by myself.”

“Why bother with max altitude?”

“Range and efficiency. And that I can fly over most weather problems.”

“Piper four six echo hotel, contact Seattle Center on one two four point eight five.”

“Center on four eight five. Have a good one, six echo hotel ... Seatle Center, Piper Four six echo hotel with you at flight level two five zero.”

“Piper four six echo hotel, turn left to 275.”

“Left to 275. Six echo hotel.”

“We’re gonna get one more handoff, then we’ll be vectored down for, hopefully, a visual ... ya fly this same route with your father?”

“His Cessna 340 does not have your airplane’s ceiling or range or speed. So we typically had to fly an indirect route over the mountains, then follow the coast north.”

“That’s something I don’t understand. Your father was a hot stick; the man flew jets in combat missions. Why the fuck does he fly a little twin-engine prop?”

“I thought you knew. He lost his medical. Heart and eye issues. He has a company pilot.”

“They why didn’t you have this company pilot just fly your big ass out here.”

“He is much too busy to be my driver, Mark.”

“Say what? What else would the company pilot do?”

“My father’s pilot is a principal on the colonel’s main security team. Norm Nandry.”

“No shit?! Nandry was an air force jock?”

“Yes, He flew F4s in Viet Nam. You have met him?”

“Yep. We had a little shooting competition on the rifle range last week.”

“I will have to suppose that was a humbling experience.”

“It was, at least for him.”

“You beat him on the rifle range?”

“Yep. And he has not paid up. The man owes me one hundred.”

“Amazing ... almost unbelievable.”

“Yeah, know what ya mean. I sorta thought the guy would pay up on the spot. Shit, I had my hundred ready.”

“That is not what I meant, Mark. Norm Handry attended the FBI sniper school at Quantico. It is quite incredible that you, a non-professional shooter, bested the man.”

“Not really. I only beat him because his choice of rifle was absolutely stupid. Fucking AR15 at 500 meters against an M1 Garand? Even my dog is not that stupid. In any case, like I told Janice, I sure as fuck would not want that man shooting at me.”

“You and Janice have been very good for Sandy. Is Sandy helping you?”

“Your sister, when she’s not being a total pain in the ass, really has her shit together. I was thinking ‘bout that the other day. Ya know, she has real business smarts. She should be the heir apparent CEO for Hats Industries.”

“I do not disagree, but I doubt that she would want to assume that job. She was happy to be a teacher, at least until you came to work for Dad.”

“Shit, did I fuck things up for her?!”

“Not at all. From what she tells me, it is clear that she loves working for you. She immensely respects you and very much likes you. And Janice has become her confidante.”

“Yeah, about that confidante shit. Your sister is always ratting me out to Janice. But I do like Sandy and Janice being good buds and...”

“Piper four six echo hotel, contact center on Oakland Radio one two two point three zero.”

“Seattle for Oakland Radio on twenty two three. See ya. Four six echo hotel.

“Something is not right, man. This is not the hand-off I was expecting ... Center this is Piper four six echo hotel at two five zero.”

“Piper four six echo hotel, this is Oakland Radio. Descend and maintain flight level one eight zero. Standby for further instructions.”

“Uh, going down to one eight zero. Four six echo hotel.”

“Really fucking weird, man. Never seen this...”

“Piper four six echo hotel, say fuel time on board.”

“Uh, standby, center. Four six echo hotel.”

“I’m gonna guess that someone has problems so they’re clearing the area ... Or the system has crashed.”

Where’s my calculator? Let’s see, I’m down to eighteen per side, at 16.5 rate, increasing, with thirty one total usable remaining, set for 76%, that’s gonna come to about 120 mike with IFR reserves, including both alternates, but let’s assume KFOT remains well above minimums.

“Oakland Radio, we have 110 minutes per IFR minimums, sir. Four six echo hotel.”

“Four six echo hotel, we may have a down aircraft. Can we get you to do a pass over the ridge between the Trinity river south fork and Ruth Reservoir?”

“Uh, Oakland Radio, unknown. Any recent pireps on the cloud base for the area? Six echo hotel.”

“Roger, Six Echo Hotel. Standby ... we have ten thousand five hundred for Ruth, Tango forty two; and eleven thousand two hundred for Dinsmore, delta six three.”

“Oakland radio, I’ll take a look. Give me vectors. Four six echo hotel.”

“Four six echo hotel, turn left heading 290. Descend and maintain one four thousand. Altimeter is three zero one four. Please monitor Guard and advise. Oakland.”

“Down to fourteen thousand, zero one four on the altimeter. I’ll be listening. Six echo hotel.”

Shit. This is gonna be all visual. I’ll transition around ten thousand. Where’s the fuckin sectional? Yeah, its mostly northwest/southeast, so I’ll stay windward going north, cross the ridge, than stay west of leeward downdrafts

“Tighten your belts, Bill, may get a bit messy. And I’m gonna need your eyes, Bill.”

“I’ll do my best. You ever done this before?”

“Nada, man. Pretty wild, huh?”

“Oakland Radio, six echo hotel. Request vectors to search pattern to east of Trinity river, for terrain clearance to transit into the valley to VFR.”

“Four six echo hotel, turn right heading one three five, descend and maintain one one thousand. Cleared to enter Maxwell MOA at your discretion.”

“Roger, Oakland. Down to eleven thousand, heading one thirty five. Uh, what about government search aircraft? Six echo hotel.”

“Four six echo hotel, Coast Guard helo will be in area in fifty to seventy minutes. Will advise.”

Fuckin wonderful. I’m the bird dog. I’m still in the soup. Looks like its breaking up a little.

“Four six echo hotel, let’s change to Garberbille RCO on one two two point three.”

“Uh, going to twenty two three zero. Six echo hotel ... Four six echo hotel with you at eleven thousand. Uh, while we can still receive Redding and Furtona VORs, need to find cloud base to see if I can do a search.”

“Four six echo hotel, squawk ident, two three one three.”

“Garber Radio, two three one three.”

“six echo hotel, You are five east of Tango four two, Ruth. Descend and maintain nine thousand.”

“Down to nine thousand, six echo hotel.”

“Bill, need you to keep your eyes outside. We should be at least fifteen hundred above any terrain, but look for mountains anyway. For right now, let me know when we break out of this shit.”

“Understood, Mark.”

Don’t feel nothing bad in the way of drafting turbulence. If its okay both lee and windward, I’ll do one pass to north and one to south. After that, that coastie sure as fuck better be on station. Ain’t gonna run my tanks dry for no one.

“I can see the ground, Mark. Trinity river is off to my right.”

“Keep looking.”

Maybe a quick glance up. Doc Handron would go absolutely bug-fuck over this ... Another 100 feet and I’ll clear of the scud.

“Garberville Radio, I am clear at nine thousand six hundred. Cancel IFR. I’m gonna make one run north and one run south. Will advise on any contact and fuel status. Six echo hotel.”

Gotta slow this puppy down. Ten flaps and 85 should be okay.