Winds are northwest at one-six! We have you on the radar! Emergency crew standing by!”
Tom maneuvered the aircraft east of Enterprises’ huge landing field. He then turned west in order to line up with the landing runway.
28 MEGASCOPE SPACE PROBER
“Swift tower, this is Tom on final approach 1”
“You are cleared to land!”
Tom reduced power slightly for a descent. “We’ll have to come in faster than normal to keep the trim controls effective.”
“Ground’s coming up pretty fast!” Bud warned.
Tom adjusted the elevator-trim-control dial constantly as the plane approached the end of the runway. He increased power momentarily, reduced it again, then turned the trim control to nearly full nose-up position. The plane responded slowly and flared out about fifteen feet above the runway.
“Hold on!” Tom ordered.
A wing dipped. Tom adjusted the aileron-trim control frantically. The plane gradually leveled out. Then the nose began to lower again. He turned the elevator-trim dial to full nose-up and increased power slightly. The aircraft hovered, then dropped hard and fast onto the runway surface. The tires screeched! Tom cut power completely. The plane rolled fast.
“We’re almost out of runway!” Bud murmured.
Tom applied brakes harder and harder. Just short of the boundary, the craft finally stopped.
“Whew!” Bud mopped his forehead, then pumped Tom’s hand. “Nice going, genius boy! You had the plane under control the whole while!”
“Don’t think / wasn’t scared,” Tom retorted.
PILOT FOR VENUS 29
Mr. Swift patted his son quietly on the back. “Well done,” he said.
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