John O'Brien - Chaos

“Nic, can you hear me?” I say through the mic.

“I hear you, Dad,” she responds.

“Okay, we’re ready to start. Once I get the first engine online, I’ll have you disconnect and then you two push the cart to the back. Make sure you don’t go past the ramp to the right side.”

“Okay, Dad.”

“Everything clear on the right?” I ask Robert. He leans forward and looks out of the right windows. “It’s clear,” he answers.

“Bri, make sure the engines are feeding out of the main tanks.”

“They are, Dad,” she responds back. I peek back up over my shoulder. All crossfeed switches are closed and the boost pumps are on.

“Good job Bri.”

“Number three turning,” I say moving the prop control lever to run, reach up to the #3 engine start button — the inboard one on the right — and depress the button.

Out of my line of sight, the propeller begins to turn; the only indication is a rise in the instrument readings. The fuel flow gauge immediately rises. By the time the RPM reaches 25 percent, the turbine inlet temp gauge begins to increase showing that ignition has occurred. I release the start button at 60 percent and monitor the gauges. The aircraft vibrates as if alive as the engine comes up to speed and a dull, deep, throaty roar is heard throughout the aircraft and only slightly minimized by the helmets. I bring the engine generators online and switch the electrical system to the internal power.

“Okay, Nic. Disconnect. See you inside.”

“Okay, Da…” I guess she was in a rush to disconnect as the last part didn’t come through. I look down through the windows and see Nicole and Michelle pulling the cords loose from the aircraft and disappear as they push the cart beyond my field of vision. I start engine number 4 in the same manner.

“Robert, go back and help them with the cart and secure it in the back.”

“Okay,” he says disconnecting from the seat and heads into the back.

“All done,” Robert says reappearing after several minutes with Nicole and Michelle in tow.

“Nic, hon, Michelle, good job. Take the Nav seat there and Michelle can take the pull-down seat beside it. Robert, show them how to put on their helmets, buckle in, and plug into the radio.”

With everyone in their seats, I tell Robert where the ramp controls are and we close the cargo ramp before I start the remaining two engines on the left.

“Alrighty then. I haven’t blown us up yet,” I say finishing up with the before taxi checklist and advance the throttles to start us moving. I also show Robert how to taxi with the taxi wheel rather than the rudders. Looking at the windsock, I taxi to the north runway completing the various checks along the way.

Verifying flaps at fifty percent, I maneuver out onto the runway. This part is easy , I think lining up with the center line. It’s the getting down part that gets tricky . I run the throttles smoothly up to max ensuring I don’t over torque and the 130 starts down the runway. The muted throaty roar of the engines permeates the interior, memories of how much I loved rolling down the runway washes over and through me. Easing back on the control wheel with a hand on the throttles, the nose wheel lifts off the ground followed by the main gear a short time later. The VVI –Vertical Velocity Indicator — jumps up; we are airborne. What an awesome feeling!!! The events that have transpired are momentarily swept away as we leave the earthly bonds. That is one thing I loved about flying, once the wheels are up, all worries leave and a peace settles inside.

“Gear up,” I call over the mic.

Robert reaches over to the gear handle and yanks it upward as I turn off the landing lights. A loud rumble courses through the aircraft as the gear are drawn upward.

“Flaps up,” I say almost immediately as the airspeed increases.

He reaches over and moves the flap lever up. I reset the trim as the aircraft becomes heavier, wanting to settle back with the change in configuration. We climb up to 5,000 feet turning over Puget Sound in the cloudless, blue sky.

“Everyone alright?” I ask looking back and getting thumbs up from everyone. “You can unbuckle and look around if you want.”

Nic and Michelle move over to the windows, staring out from behind the pilot seats. Bri stays in her seat being able to see the blue water of the Puget Sound sliding along beneath us from her position. The Olympic Mountains rise majestically in the distance ahead. A quick glance behind through the windows and across the wing on my side shows Mount Rainier overlooking Tacoma and the Cascade Range.

“Okay Bri, lets switch to the external tanks now,” I say looking back inside to monitor her moves. She does perfectly, turning on the external boost pumps and opening the valves before switching off the main boost pumps.

I spend about thirty minutes flying around getting used to the feel of the aircraft once again, letting Robert fly for a bit; his excitement and enthusiasm radiates. We switch to the main tanks before heading back.

“Everyone buckle back up,” I say banking back toward the field. “We’re going to see if I can remember how to land this elephant.”

Completing the checklists, I start my descent. Approaching the airfield, Robert blasts out, “Holy shit!”

“What?” I say in response, everyone sitting up a little straighter.

“I think I see a car driving below us.”

“Where?”

“In the mall parking lot.”

I bank the aircraft around so the parking lot is on my side and look down. Sure enough, there is a red car driving in the lot. It comes to a stop and a door opens as I continue to circle around. Someone gets out and gazes up at us, their hand up shielding their eyes. I continue circling as I write a note on the tablet on my knee. ‘McChord. You’ll see us parked on north end. Meet us there,’ it says.

“Robert, go back into the cargo area storage and see if you can find something fairly heavy. Michelle, go get two toilet paper rolls, rope, and the duct tape and bring them up here please.”

They unbuckle and head into the back as I circle around the mall, keeping the car and person in sight. They wave as I circle around. A few minutes later, Robert and Michelle return; Robert with a large wrench he found somewhere and Michelle with the items I asked for. I wrap the note inside another sheet of paper and duct tape it to the wrench. I cut off a section of rope and put it through the two rolls of toilet paper, tying both ends to the wrench and taping it in place. I flip the parachute door air deflectors to the open position after slowing the aircraft down and trimming it up.

“Robert, can you keep us here while I head into the back?” I ask. His head swivels over to me with his eyes opening wide and eyebrows raised with the rest of our little group mimicking the look.

“I think so,” he responds back.

“Dad, are you sure this is a good idea?” Bri asks behind me.

“Shut up Bri!” Robert answers instead.

“Easy,” I say.

“Okay, you have the aircraft,” and transfer control to him. I sit there for a bit watching to make sure he does okay. “I’m going into the back and toss this out of the door. Robert, when I say that I’m ready, I want you to tell me when we’re coming to the north end of the lot.”

“Okay, Dad.”

I unbuckle and take my contraption to the rear parachute door unraveling a large part of the toilet paper rolls and bunching them up. “Can you hear me?” I say plugging into the intercom system and attaching the safety line at the left door.

“I hear you,” I hear through the helmet speakers.

I swing the door open and am greeted by the rush and roar of the wind outside, protected from the blast by the shield doors extending out into the slipstream. The ground looms outside and I have an unrestricted view of the roads, buildings, and greenery below. The angle of bank is altering and the nose rising and descending.