What was there about Phil that Angela couldn’t understand. He was a nice enough boy. Although he was a bit on the flip side, he did have a nice personality, and she had to admit it to herself that she sort of liked him. Also he seemed genuinely interested in aviation, not as much as she, but still. But she kept wondering; who was going to fly the airplane? Was his Father going to fly them, or whether he was going to break the law and fly it himself with just the two of them, and did he have the ability to fly such a sophisticated airplane, like a Mooney? She couldn’t wait for tomorrow. These thoughts kept drifting through her mind as she lay restless in her bed trying to get some sleep before the much anticipated event tomorrow. But sleep was pitiful, and it was no time before the alarm woke her.
The shrill sound of the ringing of the telephone startled her. Who could be calling so early in the morning. But it wasn’t that early, 9:30. She must have dozed for awhile after the alarm woke her. “Angela”, called her mother from downstairs, “ it’s for you.” “Hi Angie, said Phil in a rather jubilant voice, “ I just wanted to remind you about this morning. I’ve got the Mooney all gassed up and ready to go.” “Oh hello Phil, No, I didn’t forget, I’ll be there.”
Angela was very comprehensive as she rode her bicycle to the airport. All she could think of who was going to fly the airplane and with whom, But she had earlier decided that she should go along no matter what. She would even fly alone with Steve if his father weren’t there. She had to see for herself if he was foolish enough to risk losing his license and never have the opportunity qualifying for one again. For once a student licensee illegally carries a passenger, he or she cannot ever receive a license again.
“Hi Angie,” called Phil, “real glad that you could make it. Isn’t it a beautiful day? Come on, park your bike by the hangar and let’s go.” Angela looked at the seemingly new Mooney aircraft, colored blue and white, so shiny that she could see her reflection on the fuselage. She marveled at its sleek lines and
Its propeller with 3 blades rather than two as she was used to. She had read a lot about the Mooney and knew something of its characteristics, its retractable landing gear, the variable pitch propeller, and a lot more that her Cessna didn’t have.
“But,” stammered Angela,” I thought that your Dad was going fly with us.” “He was,” replied Phil, He did want to meet you, but he had to go out of town on business, so it’s just the two of us. So let’s go Angie, or are you afraid to fly with me. I assure you that I can fly this thing with no trouble at all.” I’m sure that you can Phil, but you must have at least a Private Pilots license first, before you can carry passengers, and I am a passenger, aren’t I, since I only have a Student license, as you have.” “Now, Angie, you know, don’t you, that I would never get you in trouble. So trust me, and lets go flying while the weather holds out.”
Reluctantly, but for some reason, and she didn’t know why, she trusted Phil and got in the aircraft, attached her seat belt and waited for Phil to remove the chocks from the wheels of the aircraft, do a cursory inspection of the plane and got in the left seat next to Angela. “Ready Angie?” Angela could only nod her head, wondering what she was doing sitting in the seat of such a sophisticated aircraft with a boy who was not authorized to do this. She must be crazy, We’re going to get into all sorts of trouble. Maybe he doesn’t even know how to fly this thing. I know, she thought, he’s just showing off, we’re not really going flying, he’s just going to taxi around the airport, and not really going to take off.
The engine started smoothly, Phil adjusted the controls, checked the ailerons and rudder, and suddenly, “Lancaster tower, this is Mooney ……. at the tie down ready to taxi to the active.” Mooney ……..Lancaster Tower, taxi to Runway three one, wind three two zero degrees at twelve knots, altimeter three zero one zero.” “Roger, taxiing.” Phil started taxiing the Mooney to the active, and Angela had to admit that he seemed to know what he was doing. There were no other aircraft in front of the Mooney, and when the aircraft’s engine had enough revs for take-off. “Tower, Mooney…… ready for take-off.” “Mooney……..Lancaster Tower, cleared for take-off.” Angela still couldn’t believe that Phil was going to fly the airplane, and she still couldn’t believe it when Phil increased the throttle for more power as the aircraft gained speed down the runway and was airborne. A few feet off the runway, Phil smartly retracted the landing gear and adjusted the pitch of the propeller slightly. Angela gazed at the compass heading, 310degrees exactly. She knew that this was a bit difficult with this wind to keep the aircraft flying exactly at the runway heading. Very few students were able to accomplish this as the wind tended to blow the aircraft slightly off course. But Phil’s course did not vary until he turned the aircraft to the left when he reached 1500 feet.
There were no words spoken between the two for several minutes. Finally reaching cruising altitude Phil in his usual jubilant and occasional tantalizing voice said, “Angie, would you like to fly the airplane?” Oh, my gosh, thought Angela, now he wants to get me in trouble. “No thanks Phil, aren’t we in enough trouble already, and I can’t for the life of me, let myself get into this. Here we are, or rather you are flying this sophisticated airplane without a license. But, I have to admit you sure know what you’re doing.” Feeling a bit hurt, Phil said, “But Angie, I do have a license. Did you ever think that I would take the risk of taking you flying if I wasn’t qualified to fly this plane?” “But Phil, you have to have a Private Pilots ticket to carry passengers, and you are carrying a passenger, with only a Student License and that is not allowed.”
“Okay, Angie, I’m sorry, I just plain lied to you, and I could kick myself I n the ….. for not telling you sooner, but I didn’t know how. After the pretense of getting into ground school, and I only did that just to meet you, because, I didn’t know how else to meet you, and I wanted so to do that. I do have a Private Pilots license, which I’ve had for about 4 months now. I’m a bit older than you. Not much, but old enough to have taken and passed my Private when I turned seventeen.” Angela couldn’t speak, she was flabbergasted. ”But why didn’t you tell me, I may have understood. Here you go on pretending, and to be honest with you, you scared the living…….out of me.” I’m sorry, truly sorry,” said Phil, “ but, believe it or not, I’m shy, very shy and I didn’t know how to go about meeting you. All my jubilance is more or less a put on, and I’m really a quiet guy, who so very much wanted to know you better.”
Angela was flattered to think that a boy would go to all this trouble, and with all of Phil’s fibbing, he did mean well. So she turned around to face him, gave him a wee bit of a smile and said, “All right Phil, let me have the controls and I’ll really show you how to fly this airplane.
To be Continued
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