Chapter XIV
Up, Up and Away!
Andy was more than happy to take Clark and Lex up in a plane. He refused Lex's offer to pay him, explaining that he didn't have a Commercial Endorsement on his pilot's license, but he gladly let Lex pay for his and Clark's two-thirds of the aircraft rental and gas.
The plane was a Cessna 172, a little high-wing four-seater just a few years older than Lex. He hated it on sight. Clark spent a long time in the bathroom, probably psyching himself up to go into the air in this tiny rattletrap, while Lex followed Andy around the plane.
Andy had a piece of paper he kept consulting and muttering to himself. Finally Lex couldn't stand it anymore. He asked, "What are you doing?"
"Oh!" Andy said, looking up at him suddenly. It looked like he'd forgotten Lex was there. "I'm going over my checklist for the walkaround pre-flight inspection. I check over the tires and the struts and all the surfaces. I make sure I have all my correct paperwork and charts. I check the fluids -- in fact, I was just going to check the gas now." Andy reached into the back of the plane and got a little container from a plastic bin that was there. It looked like a clear plastic measuring cup with a little spike on it. "See, I reach way under here..." Andy said, reaching under the plane, "and put this thing in this, and fuel comes out." He got back up and showed the fuel to Lex. It was a pale blue color, and it smelled like gasoline. "I want to make sure it's the right color, and it smells okay, and there's no water in it. This looks fine. Then I climb up here..." Andy put his foot on the wing strut and hauled himself up, reaching over the top of the fuselage, "and open this, and check that we're full up, and pour the test sample back in." The pilot matched his actions to his words. "And close the thingie back up tight -- fuel cap." He hopped down.
"Well," Lex said grudgingly, "you *look* like you know what you're doing."
Andy beamed at him. "I *do* know what I'm doing! It'll be great!"
Lex didn't look convinced. "Isn't there a *bigger* plane we could use?" he asked.
"Nope!" Andy answered cheerfully. "The Cessna 172 is the only plane I'm checked-out to fly. Maybe you should go use the restroom, and tell your friend we're about ready to go here."
Lex sighed heavily. Then he was disgusted by the lingering reek of avgas. "Fine," he said, and went to fetch Clark.
Up, Up and Away!
Andy was more than happy to take Clark and Lex up in a plane. He refused Lex's offer to pay him, explaining that he didn't have a Commercial Endorsement on his pilot's license, but he gladly let Lex pay for his and Clark's two-thirds of the aircraft rental and gas.
The plane was a Cessna 172, a little high-wing four-seater just a few years older than Lex. He hated it on sight. Clark spent a long time in the bathroom, probably psyching himself up to go into the air in this tiny rattletrap, while Lex followed Andy around the plane.
Andy had a piece of paper he kept consulting and muttering to himself. Finally Lex couldn't stand it anymore. He asked, "What are you doing?"
"Oh!" Andy said, looking up at him suddenly. It looked like he'd forgotten Lex was there. "I'm going over my checklist for the walkaround pre-flight inspection. I check over the tires and the struts and all the surfaces. I make sure I have all my correct paperwork and charts. I check the fluids -- in fact, I was just going to check the gas now." Andy reached into the back of the plane and got a little container from a plastic bin that was there. It looked like a clear plastic measuring cup with a little spike on it. "See, I reach way under here..." Andy said, reaching under the plane, "and put this thing in this, and fuel comes out." He got back up and showed the fuel to Lex. It was a pale blue color, and it smelled like gasoline. "I want to make sure it's the right color, and it smells okay, and there's no water in it. This looks fine. Then I climb up here..." Andy put his foot on the wing strut and hauled himself up, reaching over the top of the fuselage, "and open this, and check that we're full up, and pour the test sample back in." The pilot matched his actions to his words. "And close the thingie back up tight -- fuel cap." He hopped down.
"Well," Lex said grudgingly, "you *look* like you know what you're doing."
Andy beamed at him. "I *do* know what I'm doing! It'll be great!"
Lex didn't look convinced. "Isn't there a *bigger* plane we could use?" he asked.
"Nope!" Andy answered cheerfully. "The Cessna 172 is the only plane I'm checked-out to fly. Maybe you should go use the restroom, and tell your friend we're about ready to go here."
Lex sighed heavily. Then he was disgusted by the lingering reek of avgas. "Fine," he said, and went to fetch Clark.