Chapter 29
Jesse and Hans were seated in the overstuffed chairs near the tower, reviewing the fourth in a series of instructor training flights. Jesse was determined to ensure that Hans could train other pilots as well as he could fly himself. Otherwise, the growth of the Air Force would be limited to the strength of Jesse’s back. Which, he reflected, isn’t any too strong, now that cooler weather is settling in.
On this flight, Jesse had played the part of a particularly dense student, unable to properly combine the use of rudder with ailerons. Hans was patiently explaining the theory and feel of coordinated flight when Woody, the tower duty officer, leaned over the rail and yelled down.
“Colonel Wood! Telephone!”
Jesse reflected that an extension phone on the ground floor would be handy, as he ran up the rickety stairs of the tower. He stepped inside and noted Woody standing at attention.
“At ease. Who is it?”
“The operator at Government House, sir,” the young officer replied. “A message from the President, he said.”
Jesse picked up the phone. “This is Colonel Wood.”
“Colonel Wood, this is Capitol,” came the immediate response. “Be advised that President Stearns requires immediate transportation to Magdeburg.”
“Understood, Capitol. Transportation to Magdeburg. Anything else?”
“No, that’s it. He’s on his way now.”
Jesse nodded at the duty officer and burst out the door. Hans was standing below looking up at the tower.
“Lieutenant Richter!” he bellowed. “The Belle II should be fully fueled. Go preflight her. The President is going flying.”
Fifteen minutes later, Jesse had told Kathy where he was going, grabbed his homemade aeronautical chart, and reached the Belle II. He noted gratefully that Hans had already started the engine, as concerned as his commander that the cold engine might balk with the President looking on. Jesse returned the thumbs-up Hans threw him and saw the President’s pickup pull into the yard.
Mike Stearns was obviously in a hurry. He ran up to the aircraft.
“Hello, Jesse,” he said, shaking the pilot’s hand. “Are we ready to go? Simpson swears he’s got the landing strip shipshape and ready for us.”
Jesse nodded. He and Hans had both made the Magdeburg trip twice—once together, once each solo. He didn’t doubt that Simpson had the landing strip “shipshape.” From what Jesse could tell, Simpson had a fetish about always having everything shipshape, and at all times.
The man probably has an exact routine for how he folds toilet paper. But Jesse let the thought drop, almost as quickly as it formed. Partly because a considerable part of him—certainly the part which was going to have to land a plane in Magdeburg before too long—actually approved of Simpson’s precision. Mostly, though, because Jesse didn’t like to think about toilet paper. Or, more precisely, its absence.
“Let me get in and then you take the right seat,” he told Mike. “Mind the prop, okay?”
A minute later, Jesse began to taxi as the President struggled to strap himself in. The radio was already on Tower frequency.
“Grantville Tower, this is Belle II. Check that, Tower, this is Air Force One taxiing for takeoff.”
“Roger, uh, Air Force One. Cleared for immediate takeoff. Wind is three-four-oh at twelve knots.”
After takeoff, Jesse turned right and began to climb. Magnetic heading of 025 for now, he thought to himself.
Leveling off above scattered clouds at six thousand feet, he checked his chart. Yeah, 028 degrees to Halle, no wind. But not today. He peered at the scudding clouds and noted his cowling string inclined to the right. At least seven or eight degrees right drift.
He settled the aircraft heading on approximately 020 degrees by his whiskey compass and set 75-percent power for high cruise. The airspeed settled on a steady 95 knots. He noted they were abeam Weimar and hacked the clock. Only then did he look over at his passenger. He was puzzled to see Mike Stearns chuckling.
“Damn, this is a real aircraft, isn’t it?” Mike said.
“Well, yeah. And I’m a real pilot and everything.” Jesse was suddenly irritated. “What did you think it was?”
“No offense, Jesse. It’s just that I haven’t given much thought to the reality of what you and Hal have done. Sure, I get the reports, but there’s nothing like the real thing. And Simpson doesn’t think much of the Air Force. I can see he’s mistaken.”