PILOTS ANDY AND BUCK

by Marvin Arnold

 

The pilot, Andy, turns to his co-pilot and says, “Beautiful day for flying, don’t you think, Buck?”

Buck, adjusting the power settings on the throttle, “Yes, and this baby cruises real fine at thirty thousand feet.

The view from up here is awesome.”

Andy leans over to check the engine instruments, “Isn’t that oil pressure running a little high on the right engine?”

Buck, looking intently at the gauges, “Yes and the RPM on the turbine is falling off too.”

Andy seeing the flashing red light on the instrument panel, “Damn it, there goes the right engine warning light.”

Buck, retarding the throttle on the right engine says, “It’s a fire in the compressor section.”

Andy starts an immediate descent, “If we can’t get the turbine speed down, she’s going to explode. Keep

trying to shut her down.”

Buck is worried now, “Get this baby on the ground if you can. We’re also loosing pressurization in the cabin.”

Andy, fighting the controls as the giant jet begins to fishtail sideways from loss of the engine, “I can’t worry

about that now. The worse that will happen is some of them will pass out. Hit the emergency oxygen mask release

switch for the cabin.”

Buck adjusts his seat forward to help Andy hold the rudder controls, “You know we’re doing about 4,000 feet

a minute rate of descent now, don’t you?”

Andy shakes his head, “Yes, there’s an airfield just the on other side of that large forest area ahead. I’m

going to try and make a landing there.”

Buck exclaims, “Those trees are coming up fast, we’re not going to make it, Andy!”

Just then, the cabin door opens and a young man in blue overhauls says, “You two guys will have to get out of

the flight simulator now, we’ve got some maintenance work to do.”