Chapter 15

Dan Richards’ turn:

I was in my office, a new station drawing on my big monitor. The phone rang. I checked the display. It was the phone in the office at the airfield, Wally’s office.

“This is Dan,” I said when I picked it up.

“Hey, Dan,” Wally said. “I got myself in a bind. I wanna run something by you before I go any further.”

My mind went into a higher speed. The corporation, actually 3S Transport, owns the airfield. Wally’s lease is nominal. Thing is, ever since we moved to Auburn, Wally’s been a huge part of the 3Sigma crowd, so... “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“Tony Watts broke ‘is ankle.” Tony was Wally’s #2 pilot, Wally being #1 for their two-plane agricultural aviation operation. Now I’m thinking ‘This is where Captain Smith sees the ice on the deck of the Titanic but hey, I’m a big boy, so, ‘

“And...”

“I’m short a pilot. I got a backlog, I got a guy coming in from out of state, but he won’t be here for three or four days. I got clients...”

I sighed. “And you need a pilot...”

“Yeah...”

“And we both KNOW a pilot who’s qualified in your Air Tractor and who’s actually DONE a job and who’s holding a commercial license and an ag applicator certificate...”

“Dan, I don’t wanna piss YOU off.”

“You haven’t told Cindy. Otherwise she’d be running up and down the hall, giggling.”

“Wanted to run it by you first.”

“I appreciate that.”

“If you don’t okay it, it stays between us. I’ll bite the bullet and wait for the other guy to show up.”

I sighed. “Wally, are you SURE she can do this? I mean, she’s flown ONE job...”

“You ARE the Dan who’s married to Cindy, right?”

“Yeah ... I know. Stupid question. But some of those jobs...”

“I already thought it out. I’m gonna give ‘er the easy ones. A couple out of home field to get her feet back on the ground, then a few out in the boonies, but nothing where she has to play around transmission lines or treelines or houses.”

“I appreciate that. Cindy will see right through it, though. You sure? Nobody else?”

“Everybody in the area that CAN do it is already working,” he sighed. “I wouldn’t ask, but...”

“Oh, you KNOW how she’s gonna react...”

“Yeah. I’m even giving her the new plane. The BIG one.”

The ‘big’ plane was an AT-602. Wasn’t the biggest Air Tractor, but it was a thousand horsepower, and Cindy’d always had the itch. Wally’d let her fly a couple of circuits for the fun of it.

“Wally, don’t you kill my wife.”

“Dan, it’s your fault for marryin’ an Alabama aviation legend. So you’re okay with it?”

“She’s got her own schedule, but I’m thinking she’d ditch a trip to the White House for this one.”

“Thanks, bud...”

Okay, he’s gonna call Cindy next. I can sit on the story. When Cindy gets it, it’ll be sufficiently spread. Fast.

Cindy’s turn:

I can see why Dan thinks that accountants are minor minions of Satan, along with lawyers. I’m in my cubicle in the building that houses 3Sigma Robotics and instead of thinking about new software or hardware, I’m running my eyes down columns of numbers that denote the money in versus the money out. Fortunately the income exceeds the outgo by substantial amounts. The extra money gets transferred to R&D, at least some of it. Some, naturally goes back into the bucket, where it’s handed over to another set of imps – one, actually – who invest it so that idle money is actually MAKING money.

I’m gonna do this for five more minutes and then I’m gonna go out and see what the munchkins are doing.

It’s not just the munchkins any more. We’ve got two mechanical engineers, one of whom is on short leash to Terri. We’ve got several technicians – people who can take designs from computer files to actual materials, and we’ve got four programmers. And we cycle Auburn students in and out all the time.

Nikki’s over there getting the good stuff – she and Rachel and apprentice munchkin Derek are running simulations on a new control module.

My phone goes “Bink!” Incoming text of indeterminate origin. I pick it up. Wally. Not one of my regular correspondents. “Cindy – I know you’re working today. Call me when you get a chance.”

I see this as the break I need, so I dial him up. He answers.

“Hey, Wally! What’s up?”

“Punkinhead,” he says, “Tony Watts broke his ankle on his daughter’s trampoline. He can’t fly.”

Okay, I can only HOPE I know where this is going. “And...”

“And I got another pilot coming in from Texas, but he won’t be here for three or four days. I need a pilot...”

I really should show some self-restraint. My squeal stops work within earshot. Heads turned. But it’s a happy squeal. They know that an upset Cindy is silent.

“You want ME? I gotta talk to Dan...”

“I called ‘im first,” Wally told me. “It’s between you two, and I didn’t want to offer it to you if it was gonna upset him.”

“Upset?!? Jealous, maybe...”

“That, too. But I know you have a schedule...”

“Three or four days? I’m here, I am connected, and Nikki’s certainly capable...”

“Yeah, I imagine so,” Wally laughed. “Last time they got brains like that in one place, they invented the atomic bomb.”

“So what time?”

“Tomorrow morning. I’m gonna hang around later here, though. You know, in case you need a refresher on the 602.”

Okay, this phone call’s turned into a two-squealer. By now I’m gathering an audience. Nikki first, then Terri.

“The 602? Really?!?”

“Don’t bend it, redhead,” he said. “I’ll see you when you get here...”

“Gee, Uncle Wally,” I smirked. “Thanks!”

“Wally?” Nikki asked. “All that squealing for Wally?”

I flopped back, rocking my chair back. “Wally wants me to fly for him for a few days. Tony broke ‘is foot.”

Terri didn’t miss a beat. “I’d hold out for the 602,” she said.

“He gave it to me up front. Didn’t even have to ask.”

“Lucky!” Terri blurted. By now others had shown up, asking questions.

“Cindy’s gonna fly for Wally for three days,” Terri announced. “She’s so darned lucky.”

“Be careful when you call me lucky, Terri. I’m doing it because Mister Wally’s in a bind. Mister Tony broke his foot on a trampoline. Unfortunate.”

By this time Jerry had joined, well, Terri. “What’s up?” he asked nobody in general.

“Cindy’s gonna fly that big yellow Air Tractor for Wally for a few days,” Terri said. She skewered poor Jerry with a look. “YOU need to get your license...”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jerry answered. “But now my instructor’s busy...”

Yeah, I’m sort of the community flight instructor now. Takes the load off Wally, who managed to shoehorn us in between his real flying jobs.

After the crowd went back to work, I called Dan.

“Did Wally get you?”

“Yes, baby. Thank you!” I said with a giggle.

“If I didn’t think you could handle it, I would’ve said no. But first, I think you are more than capable and second, I couldn’t live with myself if I denied you the opportunity for something you’d really relish.”

“I appreciate that. I’m gonna get out of here a bit early and go talk with him, though. Refresher on the 602, talk about what I’m supposed to be doing tomorrow...”

“You know the hours...”

“Yeah. Can ‘til can’t. I’ve watched ‘em fly.”

“Do NOT deny me a lifetime with you, princess,” Dan said.

“Baby, I can do this. Really. And I’ll be safe.”

“I know you will, baby. I’ll see you this evening.”

“I love you, Daniel,” I said.

“I love you too, Cynthia.”

Another hour and I begged off at the lab, heading back to the airfield. Wally’d just landed a few minutes before. A couple of the ground crew were washing the big yellow and blue airplane. Wally saw me driving up. When I got out, he made a big deal of telling them to make it extra clean since I was flying it tomorrow.

“We’ll put a doily on the dashboard,” big ol’ Bubba hollered back.

“Thank you, Bubba,” I said.

We went into the office. I let Wally have enough time to do a nature call. When he came out, I handed him a bottled water.

“Thanks, punkin,” he said. “You sure you’re good for this?”

“You know better,” I said. “Three days of it? Yes, very much yes.”

“You want a refresher?”

“Nope,” I said. “I’m still giddy from the last flight.”

“Let’s just go over things one more time. Help me sleep better.”

“Hai, sensei,” I said, bowing at the waist.

“You’re still quite a little bit of attitude, ain’t you?”

All I could do was smile.

We climbed on a wing, I jumped in MY seat, he called out controls, I put my hands on them. He asked about speeds. I recited them – loaded stall – 86 knots with no flaps, 71 knots with ‘em down, sixty knots empty. I know it handles a LOT different full than empty, but really, it’s a nice airplane that gives good feedback when it’s getting uncomfortable about flying under different conditions.

“You’ll do good, Cindy,” he said. “It’s gonna be a long day, though, and this is a whole lot more work than driving the twin cross-country. If you get too tired, stop, okay?”

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll drink lots of fluids...”

“Well, tomorrow that’ll work. You can hop out and come in here. The next couple of days, though, you’re going offsite and they don’t have facilities.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Won’t be the first time I had to go behind a bush. Bubba’ll be my security.” I looked at Bubba standing on the ground near us. “Right, Bubba?”

“Damned straight, Cindy.”

“See?”

“Yeah, okay,” Wally said. “Here. 0630.”

“I’ll be here.”

I bounced out of the cockpit and jumped from the wing to the ground. I don’t know if my feet actually touched.

Weeknight. Dan and I did our own thing for dinner. One thing we’ve learned in the over four years we’ve been together is how to insure a good night’s sleep to get ready for a big day tomorrow.

0545 I was out of bed, quick shower ... Dan watched me.

“You’re giddy,” he grinned.

“Baby,” I said, “I love my life. D’ya realize that less than five years ago I was WATCHING these things? I never imagined in my wildest dreams.”

“I’m sure, Doctor Richards.”

“That too, baby. Didn’t know what to dream until we got together.”

I ate a light breakfast, took my travel mug of coffee with me and let Dan drive me to Wally’s office.

When I got there, Wally was already out, the plane was sitting there in the early morning light, Bubba and two other guys were filling the hopper.

There was a guy standing with Wally. I didn’t recognize him, but I took a last sip of coffee, left the mug in our SUV and walked towards MY plane.

Wally pointed me out to the guy with him.

“THAT’S my pilot?” the older guy said.

“Your pilot is the only PhD I ever met who’s also a licensed ag pilot. You see that big twin-engined plane over there? Hers. Uh, do you watch the news?”

“Yeah, most times, anyway.”

“Remember back during last football season, they had a story about a pilot having a heart attack and the plane landed in Birmingham?”