Chapter 12

(Day 8, Walker Lake, in Alaska's Brook Range)

After an early start, they group got underway, and made the slight detour to Walker Lake. There, they circled the lake three times waiting for Jeff Owens to catch up, before Grif set the Caravan down and taxied to the southeast end where the cache tower was, and the base camp had been. Sheila wanted to make sure that was where she wanted to build, and decided that Grif and Tara had indeed picked the ideal spot. Grif knew it was, since it naturally lent itself to the use of the almost level area for an airstrip.

Jeff Owens concurred on that when he and Nina arrived and began taking pictures and driving stakes. Once the permit was in hand, the survey crew would fly out, and the materials ordered from Anchorage. There was an area sufficient to make a 3000-foot gravel runway, and parking area.

Although Grif and Tara had been there hundreds of times before, and once dreamt of the same thing on a smaller scale, the spot still moved them. Now satisfied that everything was to be as she wished, Sheila herded everyone aboard the Caravan so that they could meet the Park Ranger in Bettles for the permit. One stipulation was that they build a Ranger station close by to keep tabs on the operation. Other than that it was pretty much whatever Sheila and Tracy wanted that didn't pollute or poison the environment.

Sheila then called Rudy Smith about the Walker Lake name. Once he agreed to there being no conflict over the name, Sheila asked if there was any way that her pilots could get their checks then instead of Friday, since there was still much to do before they returned to New York Friday night. It was then that Rudy had to admit that he didn't have the money to buy Tara's share back out of the Skywagon.

Rudy explained, "I have the plane up for sale, but they want either the Super Cub or my Beaver. The Super Cub is the only thing I have now that Tara is gone that can land on snow or ice."

Sheila asked, "Why not just take the floats off the 185, and put the wheels and skis back on it?"

"Because I traded them in when I got the floats," Rudy admitted. "That would be more money I don't have. I really am sorry I behaved so poorly."

Sheila said it was Tara and Grif who deserved the apology. Rudy agreed and humbled himself before them. Rudy's apology was accepted, although the hurt of his betrayal remained.

Sheila then offered, "We will be doing a lot of travel on the outside this winter, and I will need someone to go check on the construction, take pictures, and then e-mail them to us. Are you booked up for the winter?"

"Not hardly," replied Rudy. "Are you talking about hiring me to pay them back?"

"No," answered Sheila, "If I buy the little yellow plane from you, at the fair going rate for that kind, so that you can pay Grif and Tara, do you agree to fly it for us to be the onsite coordinator over the winter? You will be paid for your time of course, just like you paid Grif. Then by next summer, you can have the wheels put back on the other plane."

Rudy asked, "What happens come summer?"

"That depends on if you three can be friends again," Sheila said. "If so, we will be able to use you and your planes too. If not then I am sure there will still be plenty of work for you, just not with Walker Lake Lodge, or Chena River Lodge, which by the way is where we are staying tonight. Let me know, okay?"

"No, now is good," replied Rudy, "I want everything to be done and be past. Grif and Tara are my friends, or they were. I want them to be. Do you want the Super Cub hangared?"

"Yes, I do, Rudy, and you will be compensated for fuel, maintenance and storage," Sheila instructed. The AVWCC is going to be doing the work, and in about a week they told me they would have the sub-flooring and septic system in. I would like you to check on it at least every few days, and report to us. Both Tracy's number and mine are on this card. I will pay Tara for her share in the Cessna, and write you a check for the balance."

At least the three were speaking to each other. The group boarded the Caravan once again and continued on to Chena Hot Springs, and the Chena River Lodge, as the Inn would become. There the agreement was signed, and Tracy insisted on keeping as many of the help that wanted to stay, since the Inn was run enough to their satisfaction to buy it. A few had found jobs in other parts of the state or outside, and were leaving in September. The Chena Hot Springs Airport could not accommodate the big Caravan Amphibian with the 2000-foot runway being a dirt and grass strip. It was definitely more suited to Tara's Maule or a wheel equipped bush plane.

Thus, they parked the plane at Bradley Sky Ranch, in North Pole, Alaska, while Grif drove to Chena Hot Springs with his vehicle. It took just one trip from North Pole, because of the Inn's courtesy van, but they would have Grif's GMC Jimmy there if they needed it. There it would stay, being more suitable to the winter roads than the van that the inn used.

(Day 9, evening at the Chena River Inn, northeast of Fairbanks)

Grif and Tara sat in their room at the Inn, surfing the aerotraderonline.com site, while Tracy and Sheila hashed out the nickels and dimes of the Chena River Inn sale. A small tap came on the door, and Tara opened the door to find Bonnie standing there looking forlorn. Tara asked what was wrong, and Bonnie said that she was just sad about going home even though they got to stay in White Plains instead of being sent off to the boarding school.

"Mom said that you need to go to whatcha call Kansas or someplace and learn about her jet, Bonnie complained.

"You mean Wichita?" Tara asked.

"I think that must be it," the girl replied. "She said that she would just send you and they would make it and you could fly it to pick up her and Aunt Tracy."

"I don't think it works quite that way," explained Grif. "Even if you order a plane, unless they have one made, you will wait months for it to be finished. Those Citation Sovereigns are not even coming off the assembly line before next month. Even if I order one of those little Cessna's like I flew yesterday where we went, it won't be ready for five months."

"So what do we do?" Bonnie wondered. "Mom seems to think she can use her influence to get one of those jets. I feel funny when she does that. It is almost saying she doesn't have to wait her turn because she is rich."

"She is still undergoing grief over your father, Bonnie," Tara suggested.

Bonnie made a face, and said; "I don't think that is it. She and Aunt Tracy have always been like that. She was leaving Dad when we got home anyway, I know. I am a little sad that you won't be my new Dad, but Mom wouldn't have treated you right. I will still be your little girl in my heart though, Mr. and Mrs. Walker, for all that you have done for us."

Sheila came to find Bonnie and asked if she was bothering them. Tara said that she wasn't and they enjoyed her visit. Sheila noticed that Grif was looking at airplanes.

Those looked more like the ones that he flew at the Owens' lodge than her jet.

"Have you found a jet like we want yet?" asked Sheila.

"Not a Sovereign," Grif admitted. "You need to order those, because this is the first year they will make them. I don't even know if the production models are ready yet, and it will be another year before yours would be ready."

"That's no good," Sheila proclaimed. "Find me something else then. What else do they have?"

Grif showed her a couple of Citation Excels and a Citation Encore. As soon as she saw that it was in Connecticut, she said, "There! We will buy that one Saturday when we get home."

Grif was looking through the specs about how much the maintenance was and what the cost per hour of operation was, and came to the part where the previous owner was paying his pilot $83,500 annual salary. Sheila saw it too, and quickly remarked, "Yes but the copilot is less so it averages out. Besides, you won't be flying the jet all the time. Shoot them an e-mail to call me tomorrow on my cell, and tell them we will come for it Saturday."

"I hate to ask this Sheila," Tara said, but did ask anyway, "How many hours per week are we to be at your beckon call?"

Sheila paused, and realized that they had parts of two days, and the one Sunday off since they began that trip including the evening they were married. She apologized and asked what they thought of having Rudy share more of the other duties. Grif said it was fine with him and Tara concurred.

"Okay, once we get to New York, we will have a lot to do that you would be sitting around waiting for," Sheila admitted. "We will get the jet, and bring it back to Westchester County Airport, and then you can find your plane and fly it back to Anchorage while we do the funeral, and probate dance. It will be about two weeks, and then I will need you to come and get me and fly us back up. It will probably be just Tracy and myself."

Tara said, "Look here, there's one like Gary and Gina have and it's in Philadelphia. It is a lot cheaper to operate than the others, but it is smaller."

Sheila asked, "How much smaller?"

"Seven passengers tops," replied Grif, "but it is rated for single-pilot operation. That means you don't need two pilots in the cockpit."

"So another person could ride in the right seat, theoretically?" wondered Sheila. "It's just about the same price as the new Caravan floatplane was. It is older, so how bad is that?"

"It looks like it was rebuilt in 2002," Tara found. "So it isn't that bad. You still do not want to buy it without flying it."

"That isn't a problem," Sheila offered, "When you bring the family up next summer, you can just each make a trip. I don't want to fly commercial any more than I have to with all those hijackers just waiting to get another jet to crash into something."

Grif replied, "I can't say I blame you there. You know how many planes were hijacked last week and crashed into buildings?"

Sheila looked deadly serious, "No, how many?"

"Almost as many as the week before," Tara teased.

"That isn't one bit funny," Sheila snapped back. "We knew people affected by 9-11!"

Grif concurred, "I don't like flying commercial because I am not in control. Nor do I like the hassle of getting there hours before the plane leaves, so that you will be hungry enough to buy a $12 hamburger!"

"This comes from a former airline pilot," laughed Tara.

"Okay, I tell you what then," said Sheila, "come back with us and check out the plane, and then if you find something, ask your buddy to fly down and bring it back for you. No, I'll let you take it back yourself, but you will have to get there and back to New York on your own."

"Okay," Grif replied, "Thanks. We will be ready. Before you go, maybe you might consider a fast turboprop commuter airliner that can be converted to your needs?"

"How fast?" Sheila asked. "Or how much slower are we talking about, and will it be any cheaper to operate?"

"In terms that you would understand," Grif explained, "instead of an eight-hour flight, it would be an eleven-hour one. That would be about like most jets with stopping to change planes, and we won't lose your luggage! Not only that, it can be brought into the Chena Airstrip."