R is for Relative Wind
Windlifter breathed and took a moment to close his eye. The task that was placed before him was a daunting one…one that was should technically be above his ability, but Windlifter has learned long ago that many limits were artificial. He knew that while he usually focused on using brute strength to solve a problem, sometimes it was far better for him to use his brain to discover a solution.
He breathed and he listened. As an aircraft, he had been taught to watch for the subtle signs that showed how the air was moving across the landscape, but Windlifter had learned long ago that sight wasn't the only way to gauge the winds. The sound could tell him information that his eyes couldn't. While many of the quieter whispers of the wind were currently being drowned out by the thunder of his own rotors, he could still glean enough information to allow him to formulate a plan.
He breathed and focused his full attention on the current moment. He scanned his surroundings and made his plan of attack. He was only going to get one chance to do this, so he was determined to do this right.
He breathed and pulled upward, straining to move the mass of steel in place. At first, the whole massive metal tried to ignore his pull upward and tried to stay firmly anchored to the ground, but then Windlifter pivoted the angle of his wide rotor disk taking advantage of the mountain winds that were rushing up the mountain valleys. With the added power of the relative winds, Windlifter was finally able to force the metal frame into the air. With strained precision, the Skycrane maneuvered the metal frame into position before letting it come in contact with the ground again.
"Nice job, Windlifter!" Maru practically beamed up at him. "Now hold it still so that I can weld this in place."
And with that Windlifter breathed, letting go of some of the tension that he had been holding since the operation began. He breathed and knew that he had done his part to make sure that the base would have a functioning air traffic control tower by the time the smokejumpers arrived in the spring.
Term – Relative Wind – Relative wind describes the relationship between airflow and an aircraft's wing. In normal flight, the relative wind is in the opposite to the path of an aircraft. In rare circumstances an aircraft can fly in the same direction as the relative wind it is flying in. This is how the Antonov An-2, a biplane known as an Annie, can fly backward during a stiff wind or how Skycranes can use the wind to help them get loads that should exceed their lift capacity off the ground.
Author's Note - Hello readers, I am just giving you a heads up that this story will not be updated for the next couple of days due to work. As long as I don't get hit by a bus (or high by lightning or eaten by a bear) we will return to our regularly scheduled posting in three days on Friday the 17th. See you all in a couple of days!