Chapter 29

Miniature: 86% scale. One foot is .86 foot. The stock Pitts has a 20 foot span. The model isn’t small.

So ... the 4 year old looked inside the miniature Pitts ... sat in it ... wiggled the stick and pushed the pedals...

“I fit,” she said.

“So did I,” Junior said. “We built this just for me when I was 10. I don’t know if you’ve noticed ... I’m short for 18 and remember what the Lieutenant said about you... ‘You can not be younger than 8.’ You’re very tall for four.”

“Why the pipe-frame?”

“Radio Controlled. You sit in the frame and fly the plane. We ... the family ... tried to crash the model bad enough to break it. It’s carbon fiber reenforced Kevlar over a foam core ... I think I bought six propellers learning to keep the nose out of the dirt. Propellers are expensive.

“So ... while you are learning ... the pipe is what you get.”

“By the way... 70 pounds is as heavy as the pilot can be. You’ll find out why. Get out of my plane.”

Tyche looked disappointed but she deplaned.

“Get in the pipe ... strap in ... tight. Switch on. The plane is off. Play with the stick and pedals.”

The pipe frame is on gimbals ... before she knew what was happening ... Tyche was upside down.

“Ooo ... cool...”

Junior left. “I’m heading for town.”

“Wait ... how do I get down?”

“Figure it out,” Junior shouted. “You’re supposed to be smart.”

Zoe laughed and left the 4 year old hanging. “Banana splits?”

“Mom!”

“Lieutenant? You too. I’m buying.”

“What about... ?”

“Ice cream, Lieutenant. Ice cream.”

We all left ... walking towards The House of Flavors, a Ludington staple since 1948. These guys KNOW ice cream!

It’s NOT Leon’s ... but we’re not in Milwaukee.

About Loomis and William, Tyche caught up. She slipped her hand in Zo’s and said, “Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla banana split ... whipped cream, three cherries ... no nuts please.”

“You can’t eat all that,” Zo said.

“Probably not ... but I can try.”

“Did you shut down the pipe?” asked Junior.

Tyche nodded, “And plugged it in. I plugged in the airplane too. The ‘LOW BATTERY’ light was blinking.”

“How did you get out?”

“Remembered what I did and did it backwards.”

“Okay ... Sunday we’ll go flying.”

“Really?”

“I said it ... we’ll go.”

Tyche skipped all the way to The House of Flavors.