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More Adventures in Flightsimming


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As I sat in the cockpit setting the autopilot, I could hear Huey in the back. He was hitting our former pilot, but it didn't sound like he was doing it himself, more like he was using something to hit him.

 

"Tell me where my son is!" he was saying.

 

"I don't know," was the mumbled response.

 

I went back into the cabin. Huey was holding a book which he dropped and strode to the door of the plane. "Well maybe you'll talk if I toss you out."

 

He pulled on the lever to unlock the door, but it wouldn't budge. Here's something most people don't understand. You can't open the door of a plane at altitude, it's impossible. The difference in air pressure makes it so the door weights hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds every inch. Meaning the most powerful person on the planet couldn't budge it. Besides, if Huey threw the guy out, how would that give him the information he wanted?

 

Huey ran into the cockpit and planted himself in the co-pilot's seat. He pulled back hard on the controls, and when nothing happened, he shoved the forward. Seems someone didn't get the concept of the autopilot being in use.

Edited by andyjohnston

Spent way too much time using these sims...

FS 5.1, FS-98, FS-2000, FS-2002, FS-2004, FSX, Flight, FSW, P3Dv3, P3Dv4, MSFS

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Sitting in the pilot's seat of that jet, it was a lot more difficult to spot the shape of a runway than it had been in a tiny aircraft earlier. Looking at the map on the console, I didn't recognize any of the identifiers nearby. Without a lot of choice, I pulled the throttle back and set a deep dive and a steep left turn to head to the closest one that looked like it *might* be big enough to land at. I had no idea what the runway would be like, but then again I had no idea no how much room this aircraft needed to land.

 

It didn't take long to come into view, and we were about perpendicular to the runway. I flew over the field and then turned to the left and flew downwind for a few miles. Then I turned another 180 degrees to line up. As I slowed, I kept an eye on the VASI, until it was half red and half white. Then I pushed forward a little on the yoke while extending the flaps all the way.

 

Now this is not normally the way I would do things, but these were extenuating circumstances.

 

Just as I crossed over the fence a lowered the landing gear and continued to the threshold. Then I held the aircraft just over the surface, pitching up slightly until we finally settled down. I extended the spoilers and pulled the throttle to the reverse position. At around 70 knots, I retracted the flaps and spoilers, and set the throttle to idle just a few seconds later, before exiting to the left.

 

I didn't have to worry about runway length, as I had all sorts of room left.

 

There were a few buildings scattered around and I pulled up to the nearest cluster and then shut everything down. I pushed the door open and the three of us climbed out, pulling our former captor after.

Edited by andyjohnston

Spent way too much time using these sims...

FS 5.1, FS-98, FS-2000, FS-2002, FS-2004, FSX, Flight, FSW, P3Dv3, P3Dv4, MSFS

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"So..." I looked back and forth between Huey and Lumi. I hoped my intension was clear, even if I didn't say it. We're done now right?

 

Huey took another look at the person we'd captured before looking back to me. "They still have our son."

 

Right, I thought. Okay...

 

I wasn't sure what to say, so instead started off across the field. The other three fell in line behind me. I made my way to the outside of a hangar, where a shiny white truboprop sat. I went to the pilot, who was buffing the fuselage under the rudder, and hired (read bribed) him to take us back to Los Angeles.

 

 

2-22-2021-16-02.jpg

Spent way too much time using these sims...

FS 5.1, FS-98, FS-2000, FS-2002, FS-2004, FSX, Flight, FSW, P3Dv3, P3Dv4, MSFS

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In all honesty, it was getting old. By the time we got back to LA, it was after dark and I treated myself to a room in a nice place, the Hilton on Century Boulevard right across from the airport.

 

The next morning I met Huey and Lumi at the airport to rent yet another plane. I knew the route back to the little house by then, and didn't have to spend a lot of time planning. I landed way down the road, much to the consternation of Lumi, who wanted to stop right outside the house.

 

Instead I made them walk while I seriously thought about waiting and letting them handle it. But I had come that far, I might as well see how it would end, so I followed to two as they ducked along the tall grass. Huey turned and waved me back, so I went back to the plane watching them as they receded into the distance.

 

I wasn't willing to just sit there, so I started the plane and swung it around, cutting a lot of grass with the prop as I did. I lined up with the road and stopped for a good several minutes as I thought about what to do next. Finally I screwed up my courage and pushed the throttle lever part way forward. The plane rolled gently down the road and I set the flaps to full.

 

There was something on the road ahead of me and as I got closer, Lumi's form became more distinct. She was half running and half dragging something along behind her, and it took me a few seconds to realize it was their son. Somehow I'd expected a baby, but it was a kid of at least two. I stopped the plane and pulled slightly to the left so that the prop wasn't facing them. Lumi pulled the rear door open and heaved the child in before climbing up too.

 

"Go, go!" she said.

 

"What about Huey?"

 

"Go!" she yelled.

 

I gave the plane full power and we lifted off a few seconds later. I took them back to LA despite wanting to look for Huey. Lumi wouldn't hear of it.

 

I had no idea what happened to him for several days, until I got a fairly cryptic text from him telling me everything had worked out. I was in touch with him for a good several years after that, although he refused to give me any details about what had happened, and it didn't take long to figure out he didn't want to talk about it, so I learned to drop the subject.

 

So that was pretty much the story. Most of my jobs I'd gotten paid for, and but this time I'd taken a good hit. At least I'd helped the family out, gotten to do a few new things, and met a few people in the process.

Spent way too much time using these sims...

FS 5.1, FS-98, FS-2000, FS-2002, FS-2004, FSX, Flight, FSW, P3Dv3, P3Dv4, MSFS

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