chocks before climbing up inside and into the cockpit, shutting the front door behind me.
“Robert, you are in the co seat and Bri, you sit here in the flight engineer seat. Bri, I want you to study the fuel panel here for a bit and get acquainted with it, that’s going to be your job,” I tell her pointing to the panel mounted in the center above.
The panel itself is pretty self-explanatory with the valve switches aligning with lines marking fuel pathways. The switch either blocks the flow or aligns with it. Much like a maze puzzle. The electrical panel by it is in much the same manner.
“Robert, you’ll have the gear, flaps, and, if we need it, the radios. The gear is easy, up or down. You know three green means down with the handle down. I will call ‘gear up’ or ‘gear down’. The flaps here are in ten percent increments so I will call out a percentage or ‘flaps up’ or ‘full flaps.’” I show them both how to operate the radio panels at their stations.
“Okay, Bri,” I say leaning back to her station. “It’s pretty self-explanatory,” and continue to show her how the system and switches work. “Make sure you turn the pump on and the switch allowing fuel to feed from the tank you are switching to before closing the switch from the tank you are switching from or you’ll get the chance to see just how quick I can go through an engine restart.” We practice switching tank feeds until she has several flawless changes including the fuselage tanks which is located on a different panel.
I show them how to buckle in and slide into my seat. We slip on the helmets and plug into the radio consoles. Bri’s is a bit loose but stays on for the most part without sliding completely over her eyes. Hearing the power cart start up outside, I reach up and switch the AC switches to external power and the DC to battery. The cockpit starts coming alive, the gyros spinning up as I complete the preflight and before starting engine checklists talking to Robert and Bri about what I’m doing.
“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.
“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
