Flight Into Fantasy - 001

Chris finished his walk around inspection of the Cessna 172. He had made the trip around the small high wing aircraft many times, but his attention never wavered. He knew in his heart how important the ground walk around was to having a safe flight. It was here that he could spot a potential problem before it became a fatal issue at 7,000 feet.

Chris was well aware of the outcomes of not doing a proper preflight. As a 4th year engineering student at Cal-Tech, his major was aeronautical engineering. His goal was to get his private pilot's license before he graduated. It had been tough managing the finances to stay in school and manage flight school, but he had managed it so far.

Inside the aircraft, sitting in the right-hand seat, Fiona Sanderson, watched Chris as he completed his pre-flight walk around of the aircraft. Fiona was a senior flight instructions at Hastings Fixed Based Operations. At 28, she was a couple of years older than Chris and had been a fully qualified flight instructor for over 3 years. Chris had been her student for the past 8 months. She knew he was diligent, but his finances prevented him from flying as often as he wanted. He was also an excellent pilot. Fiona had gotten to know Chris well. She watched as Chris climbed into the cockpit, belted himself in, and put the headset on and then turned to smile at her.

"Ready to go?"

Fiona nodded and sat back to watch Chris do the pre-flight. Even though she knew the pre-flight checklist by heart, she held the clipboard and visually checked each item off on completion. Finally, Chris flipped on the magnetos and hit the starter. The small engine coughed several times before the ignition caught, and the exhaust emitted a throaty roar. With a smile, Chris revved the engine and watched the gauges carefully. With satisfaction, he looked at Fiona.

"I think we are ready."

"Then let's get this bird in the air."

Chris keyed the microphone and contacted ground control, received his instructions, and rolled the aircraft toward the taxiway. Fiona sat relaxed and comfortable, secure, knowing that Chris was more than competent at the controls of the plane. With clearance, Chris pushed the throttle forward and the small plane rolled down the runway.

The instruction flight lasted a little over an hour. Fiona was sitting in the operations office while Chris finished his post flight check and filled out his logbook. He would have to bring all the paperwork to Fiona for her signatures. Fiona was sitting with Bill Hastings, the owner of the business. He was a little grizzled and always seemed to wear a frown. Fiona knew that despite his looks, the older man was a teddy bear at heart. Bill was asking Fiona about the flight they had just completed.

"How much longer are you going to string him along?"

"What do you mean?"

"He has been ready to solo for a couple of weeks. He has all the skills. You keep putting him off. Why?"

"I'm not putting him off, he needs to strengthen a few things. He is still not as comfortable doing stalls and needs more work on emergency power off techniques."

"Bullshit. I watched him doing go-arounds two weeks ago, and you pulled the power three times as he was pulling up off the runway. He recovered all three times without even blinking an eye. What's going on?"

Fiona tensed and looked at Bill.

"If you want to sign off on him, you do it. He is my student and I decide."

Bill looked at her.

"Fiona. If you wish to get to know the guy better, ask him out. Don't keep spending the kid's money, making him put in hours that he doesn't need."

This time Fiona bristled. Bill continued despite her rising anger.

"He is a nice kid. I can see your attraction to him. I have seen the looks. There is nothing wrong with that, but don't abuse your position as his instructor. Get him in the air and let him solo and then move on. You never know, he might have similar interests."

Before Fiona could reply, Chris came in and leaned against the counter, putting his logbook and the post flight incident report beside it. Fiona picked it up and looked at it, adding her initials to the bottom of the form. She spun his logbook around and initialed the entry for today's flight. Closing the logbook, she pushed it back toward him.

"When will you be back?"

"Probably two weeks. I need to save up enough to take my next lesson."

"No more lessons. All you need is to worry about the aircraft rental. Next time you solo."

She watched his face and nearly laughed out loud at his expression. His expression was a combination of absolute glee and terror.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. You are ready."

Bill stood up and stuck his hand across the counter.

"Congratulations. Now you have to think about going on and getting that instrument rating."

"I have that on my mind, but, right now, the only thing on my mind is getting past finals and graduating. Then I have to find a job."

The trio stood and talked about Chris's plans for a few more minutes before Chris made his excuses.

"Thanks for everything you guys have done, but I need to get home and hit the books."

He turned and nearly jogged out of the operations center to his car. Bill watched Fiona, who was watching Chris. Smiling to himself, Bill turned and headed back into his private office.

&&&&&

Two years later, Chris came into the operations office with a wide grin on his face. Fiona was sitting at the desk and grinned as she leapt up and came around the counter to wrap her arms around the young man's neck.

"Hey gorgeous. How's things?"

"Marvelous. I got good news."

"So do I. You go first."

He saw the twinkle in her eye.

"I passed my check ride today. I am officially a commercial pilot. I got checked out on the King Air Turbo Prop. I am official."

Chris picked her up and spun her around, then kissed her.

"Congratulations. I am so proud of you. When do you go to work?"

"Bill says I will get my first charter this week."

"Excellent."

"What is your news?"

Chris looked suddenly serious. Fiona thought it was bad news he was bringing.

"My thesis passed. As of this morning, I officially earned a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering."

Final squealed and jumped up and down. She knew this was the culmination of Chris's dreams.

"What now?"

"Well. My trust fund is just about depleted. I need to get my crap together and hit the streets to find a job."

Fiona knew the job market in the aerospace industries was at the bottom right now. She had a feeling that Chris's best options were going to move away to find a suitable job opening. Her eyes betrayed her feelings.

"What's wrong? I thought you would be thrilled."

"I am, I am so proud of you. But I also know that jobs are tight right now. You will probably need to move to get a job."

"So? You go with me. You can fly out of anywhere."

"I know, but Bill has been better than a father to me. He is making plans on having me in the rotation. He intends to add some additional aircraft. I just can't leave him in the lurch."

"We will talk about it. I haven't even put out a resume' yet."

Fiona hugged him again, and together they walked into Bill's office to tell him their good news.

&&&&&

Ten years later, Fiona was 40 years old and Chris was 38. Chris had scored a job with a local aerospace research and development corporation. Most of their contracts were with the federal government. Chris has promoted regularly and now held the position of lead research engineer working on developing advanced aeronautical components for hypersonic craft.

Fiona had stayed with Bill. Over the past decade, Bill had continued to grow his fleet of charter aircraft and services. Hasting Fixed Based Operations how had a fleet of over 30 planes and pilots. The fleet still included the trustee Cessna 172 to a nearly new Embraer Legacy 650E. It was impressive for a guy who started with a Cessna 152 and an Air Tractor spray plane.

Fiona was checked out on every aircraft in the inventory. Her main charters were now the upper end private jobs, often for well-known Hollywood names or those at the pinnacle of industry. The charters she captained often were multi-day jaunts to foreign destinations.

Chris and Fiona had tied the knot just after Chris joined the aerospace firm. Their careers kept them busy, and they prospered. Bill had given them both the chance to invest in the fixed base operation. Now, Fiona and Chris owned 30 percent of the operation. Things were definitely looking up.

Bill had called Fiona and Chris to the office. As the three sat in the office, Bill explained some fresh developments for the business. Chris could see that Bill was excited. Bill had been slowing down of late, his health was giving him problems, and he could no longer fly. That had been a big disappointment, but he seemed to be past that.

"Things may get a little chaotic around here for a few months."

Chris looked confused.

"How so?"

"I have signed a contract with a new corporate customer. The company is called InPreTech. They are a big mover and shaker in the AI industry in a big way. These guys are real operators and will move people around regularly. They love the Embraer. In fact, they are coming out on Saturday for a test flight. Fiona, I want you to handle that flight."

Fiona grinned.

"Can Chris come along? He has had no stick time on that plane."

"Sure. Chris owns part of it."

"Great. Where are we taking them?"

"I thought we would fly them to Tahoe for dinner and then bring them home late."

"Sounds fun."

Saturday rolled around. Fiona and Chris spent most of the day at the airport. Over the years, Chris had continued to fly and progress through the various levels of licenses. He had finally, after years of steady work, attained his commercial rating and, with Fiona's help, been check-out on most of the planes in their inventory. Chris had spent most of the day on the simulator putting the virtual Embraer through its paces. Fiona was busy filing the flight plan for the trip to Tahoe and the other myriad details such a trip entailed.

The plan was for Fiona to be the captain on this flight, with Chris acting as first officer. They were both wearing the basic uniforms that all the company pilots wore. Chris glanced at his watch, noting that their guests were due to arrive in less than half an hour. He shut down the simulator and headed out to find Fiona and go over the last of the details of the trip.

The itinerary called for them to fly to Tahoe. A limo would be on hand at the airport to pick everyone up and take them to the hotel. They would stay on night and return to Pasadena the next afternoon. It was a quick trip but would allow Chris and Fiona to get to know these new corporate customers and allow them to show off the benefits of the airplane and the crew.

Six of the corporate officers from InPreTech had RSVP'ed for the trip and were due to start arriving at any time. Chris was standing by to help Fiona welcome everyone and get them on board. Fiona, as the Captain of the aircraft, was taking the lead in dealing with the customers. Chris was comfortable in his role as first officer.

Chris heard the voices in the lounge area of the offices. He came through the door and found the six executives crowded around Fiona. Chris stopped to watch for a moment. The young men appeared to be in their late 20s or early 30s. Several of them appeared drunk or high. Chris frowned at the thought of having to deal with six eager young, well-to-do drunks. He took a deep breath and waded into the fray.

Fiona introduced Chris at once. All the younger men looked at him. Chris, now in his late 30s, had a touch of gray at his temples and maintained the quiet, steady gaze of someone who was comfortable being in charge. His neat, crisp uniform displayed his wings and his nameplate, Chris Padgett.

Each of the younger men introduced themselves and shook hands with Chris. Fiona told them all to bring their carry-on bags, and they would get on board and ready to take off. She led them toward the door out onto the tarmac. Chris held back, ready to herd the stragglers along. Two of the men, Jack Peltier and Ross Mason, walked along on each side of him.

"Chris, tell me more about Fiona. Is she really the Captain?"

"That she is. She is fully qualified and is an excellent pilot."

Ross Mason smirked.

"I would like to give her a flight. I bet she can do some loop the loops."

Chris frowned slightly at the man's obvious crass remarks. Jack joined in.

"Yeah. I bet she would be a handful. How is it working with a hot piece like that?"

Chris, doing his best to contain himself, answered quietly.

"She is a superb partner to fly with. You are in excellent hands with her at the controls."

Mason chuckled.

"I hope I get the chance to get her hands on my controls before this weekend is over."

Before Chris could respond, Fiona beckoned and waved them to hurry. She was eager to get in the air.

"Hurry, you three. We are on a schedule here."

The two men on each side of Chris trotted toward the plane and the boarding steps. Chris was still fuming slightly, wondering why these two supposedly professional men would carry on such a demeaning conversation with him. It was only when he looked at Fiona that he realized.

Fiona's name tag read, Fiona Sanderson, her maiden name. There was nothing to associate she and Chris. Fiona still used her maiden name professionally because she got licenses before they were married, and she had never gone to the trouble to change them. Chris made a mental note to make sure they all were aware of his relationship with Fiona.

Chis and Fiona mounted into the airplane. Fiona went directly to the cockpit to begin her pre-flight. Chris closed the cabin door and secured it, then stepped to the cabin, taking the microphone from the holder, and asked everyone to please find a seat, to fasten their seat belts as the plane would roll toward take off in a few minutes. As an afterthought, he announced a bit more to the six in the cabin.

"On behalf of myself and my wife, I want to welcome you to our aircraft. We hope you enjoy this trip and find our services to your liking."

As he turned to the cockpit, he smiled, thinking he had made it well known of the situation with the cockpit crew. He was soon in his seat, working through the pre-flight with Fiona. With clearance from the tower, Fiona deftly maneuvered the sleek aircraft away from the terminal and toward the runway.

The flight was relatively quiet. Chris came back and showed everyone the amenities on the airplane, including the inflight movies, how to access the internet and Wi-Fi, and the onboard bar and kitchen. This was probably the most well-received information on the flight.

Once they landed in Tahoe, Chris took charge of getting the group into a pair of limousines headed to the hotel. Fiona went along to manage the arrival and the reservations at the hotel. She asked Chris to hurry as they had reservations at a rather posh restaurant for the group before they headed to the casino. Chris assured her he would be there in plenty of time to change clothes.

Chris immediately set to work doing the post flight checks, planning with the airport personnel to have the plane refueled and closing out the flight plan. In less than an hour, he headed to the hotel in the courtesy car loaned to him by the fixed base operator. He was whistling and smiling as he drove toward the hotel.

Handing the keys to the loaner car to the valet, he stopped at the front desk and picked up his key card for their room and headed upstairs to change. He expected Fiona to still be in the room, but his watch told him he was running a bit late. He found the room empty, Fiona's suitcase on the bed open and clothing spread across the bed. Finding his civilian clothing, Chris was soon out the door toward the restaurant.

Chris spoke to the Maître' de and who pointed to a small private dining area. Turning into the open doorway, he found Fiona sitting at a large round table. The six men clustered on each side of her, leaving almost half the table empty. One lone chair sat almost directly across the table from Fiona. Every pair of eyes focused on her, and Chris soon saw why.

Fiona had changed out of her flight uniform and into a slinky smoky gray cocktail dress. It showed enough of her cleavage to keep most males enthralled and was short enough to tease at a hint of thigh. She wore a pair of matching 4 inch heals. Chris also saw that she had found the time to arrange her hair and add to her makeup. Stopping at the door, he waited until someone recognized his presence. It was Jack who finally looked up and saw him standing at the door.

"Chris! We thought you got lost. Come on in and have a drink. Dinner is on the way. Fiona has just been telling us about her experiences as a commercial pilot. She is fascinating."

Chris nodded and moved to the lone chair at the table. He didn't move it down toward the others, choosing to sit somewhat alone and segregated. He reached and picked up a glass of water and sipped it as he watched the other end of the table.

"Come on, Chris, lighten up and have a glass of wine."

"Sorry. We are flying again tomorrow, and the crew can't drink 24 hours before flying."

Chris watched as Fiona surreptitiously set the glass of wine in her hand to one side and grabbed a glass of water. The others seemed to pay no attention and were all soon again focused on Fiona.

Dinner was served, and the other six men spread out along the table to have room to eat. Chris said very little, and Fiona seemed a bit more subdued after Chris's arrival. After dinner, the six men made for the casino for some gambling and more drinks. Jack again seemed to be the leader of the group.

"Well. Chris. What's your pleasure? Blackjack or roulette?"

Chris looked at Jack, who, by now, was more than a little drunk."

If I am gambling, my choice is poker. It requires some skill and an understanding of the odds of the game. But tonight, I am going back to my room. It has been a long day and I want to get some rest before the flight back in the morning."

Jack looked a little distressed. He leaned toward Fiona.

"Are you going to be a party pooper as well?"

Fiona looked at Chris.

"Let me talk to Chris first."

"You do that, Captain. Tell your first officer that things will be ok."

Everyone rose to leave. Fiona came down the table, her face with an expression that Chris couldn't fathom.

"Chris. We should at least spend a few hours with our guests. It's our job to give them a good impression of the company."

"It's our job to get them back home safely. You know the rules."

"It's still early. We can go to the casino, socialize a little, and still be back in the room in plenty of time to get our required sleep. Come on. Don't be petty about this."

"I'm not being petty. You surprise me at your willingness to push the regulations. I am going up to the room, relax and get to bed early. Our guests are big boys and can take care of themselves."

Fiona seemed torn. Finally, she offered a compromise.

"I will go with them for an hour. I can then beg off, come up and go straight to bed."

"So much for us having some private time to ourselves."

She smiled.

"Now, Chris. We are on company time. You wouldn't want to be caught doing personal activities on company time, would you?"

"Of course I would."

She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead and turned toward the door. Chris watched as she walked out, her behind doing that little wiggle that always got his attention. He wondered what had gotten into her attitude. Standing, he strolled out and toward the elevators.

The thin line of light around the bathroom door in the hotel room woke Chris. He didn't move, but he could see the illuminated digital clock on the nightstand by the bed. It read 3:40 AM. Fiona had not stayed for an hour after they finished their meal. She had stayed over 7 hours, and it was now into the 12-hour rest time that their company rules dictated a pilot must have before every flight. He still hadn't moved when she came out of the bathroom.