Chapter 20

I first became aware of the Beechcraft King Air C-90 when I read an article about it being the plane IBM founder Tom Watson flew with his family. It was considered by many a corporate plane because so many executives chose it over flying commercial airlines. It was a safe and sturdy aircraft that had a useful load more than sufficient for our family. The engines were excellent and parts were easy to find if something were to need replaced.

Beechcraft continued to improve the King Air line of aircraft almost continuously, resulting in numerous designations as it was refined and improved. Cabin pressurization and maximum take-off weight as well as range and speed all factored into my thinking. Ben liked the idea from the beginning and we ordered a new one and bought a used King Air that we could use as our trainer.

It made sense to buy a used plane so it got to take all the bumps and bruises that go along with student pilots. We made arrangements to sell it to the flight school at Winter Haven Airport, at a significant discount, once we were finished beating it up as trainees. We bought it complete with two full time pilots who doubled as flight instructors.

I had a few hills to climb as far as being granted an FAA Pilot Medical Certificate, but the Aviation Medical Examiner saw that my injuries did not imperil safe operation and we started flying lessons once our aircraft was delivered from Colorado where the owners were moving up to a new and faster aircraft.

Ben started flying ahead of me, because I had to spend a little time in the hospital dealing with one of my rebuilt hips. The pain was starting to become too much for me and the bone doctor found some spurs that needed to come out. When they were carefully removed, the pain lessened dramatically. The surgery did nothing to alleviate the weakness throughout my body, but I suspect that my wounds were far worse than pelvic surgery could cure.

Once the wounds healed, I was cleared to try flying our new, well, new to us used plane. Ben fell in love with the trainer we bought and chaffed waiting for the new one to arrive. We had spent whatever the dealer wanted to assure it came with the best interior, instruments and engines. We purchased our own hanger. It was just about five-thousand square feet and that was plenty of room to be customized to fit our need. We outfitted it with two, two-bedroom apartments that overhung the rear of the hanger and for good measure we included independently operated air conditioning. The walls were soundproofed which made it a comfortable living area for our pilots.

Ben needed his own plane because RALICO was growing at an insane pace. His leadership took the company places we hadn’t imagined possible. My contributions were puny compared to his brilliant strategy.

We had long ago figured out that my role was to support Ben, deal with our medium and smaller clients, and generally keep the home office operation running smoothly and efficiently. Not surprisingly, I was good at it. Our Florida based locations maintained a very steady eight to ten percent growth and a very attractive return on investment every year. Several multinational conglomerates looked on us as a good acquisition opportunity and we fought off several takeover attempts.

Alistair had our fortune carefully protected in a new set of trust documents that would take care of all four of my girls for the rest of their lives, no matter what happened to me when the universe next intervened. Tara, Cary, Edwina and Tina were already millionaires. The series of trusts Alistair created protected them individually, as well as in a group.

Tina turned twenty in nineteen seventy-one. Her college record was as perfect as her high school years. We convinced her to attend Webber International University which kept her close to home, but I bought a house just off the campus and had it remodeled top to bottom for her. We gave her a brand new Chevrolet Malibu for graduation and updated it to a new, two-door, Cadillac in time for her to begin classes at Webber.

Tara wondered why I wanted Tina to have a Cadillac when her Malibu was still in perfect condition. “Because I can buy it for her,” was all the answer I provided. Tina was literally a throw away child and anything I could do to make her feel like she was loved, wanted and adored was my intention. Tara didn’t argue. She just wondered if I had a good reason.

We rarely argued. Tara and I were a very good team. We talked through every decision about our lives and family. She helped craft the trusts Alistair for created for the four of them and I often used her for a sounding board on business issues.

Cary and Edwina loved our Tina and the three of them had a standing lunch date every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tara often joined them. They skipped Fridays because she still wanted to be home with us every weekend. I sometimes snuck out of the office and surprised them for lunch. Those lunches were special to all five of us, as well as Eleanor, who stopped by to meet the girls whenever she was free. It was during Tina’s junior year at Webber that I met the boy who would take her away from us.