Wicked Comet part 7
1 hour after take-off
The Comet cruised at high speed through the skies above Oz. Inside, Elphaba, Glinda and Rich were all becoming more and more excited as the time went on. The Comet would soon land in the Emerald City and the next phase of their lives would begin! Elphaba had taken the opportunity to change into a completely black dress that covered every inch of her up to the bottom of her neck and the tops of her ankles, leaving her boots, neck, head and hands visible and making sure she was presentable for meeting the Wizard, she also wore the black, pointy hat that Glinda had given her. Glinda had also gotten changed after Elphaba; Glinda was now wearing a yellow summer dress with matching shoes. Rich however hadn't left his seat in the cockpit the whole time, despite Glinda's protests. Rich was the only one in the whole of Oz who knew how to fly the Comet.
Right at this moment, Elphaba and Glinda were relaxing in the Comet's comfortable seats in the new and tastefully decorated Passenger Cabin which Glinda had designed herself. Both were staring out of the windows in excitement as the Land of Oz passed swiftly under the Comet. The sound of the engines was barely noticeable in the cabin and only the slightest vibrations could be felt, a testament to Rich's brilliant engineering that went into the Comet.
"Oh, I can't wait to see the Emerald city!" Glinda said in excitement.
"I know. I am excited myself" Elphaba replied.
Rich then shouted from the cockpit back towards Elphaba and Glinda,
"You two better not get your hopes up. We don't know what the runway that the Wizard has built in the Emerald city is like. It might be too dangerous to land!" He warned them.
But as he said this, a bright glow slowly appeared out of the horizon, Elphaba, Glinda and Rich all looked at it as the Comet rapidly approached. Slowly, but surely, the glow took on an emerald green tint and it instantly became clear where the Emerald Glow was coming from.
"The Emerald City!" Glinda gasped.
"I knew it was green but I wasn't expecting that!" Rich added.
The Emerald city was huge and grand; the light shining off of it making the whole place look like it was made of actual emeralds. Slowly, but surely, Rich lowered the Comet's altitude until it skimmed the tallest roof-tops of the city. The view from this height was breath-taking. Rich, Glinda and Elphaba could all see the streets below in detail, despite the Comet's high speed.
It took a while to find the runway that the Wizard had built, but when they did, Rich gasped. The runway was perfect in every way, a long ribbon of yellow tarmac that stretched out in a central part of the Emerald city with enough room all around to make a shallow descent before landing and shallow climb out after take-off.
There was also a large parking area aligned with one end of the runway and would only be a short walk from there to the Emerald City Palace. A large crowd of people had already gathered and Rich, Elphaba and Glinda noticed this.
"Well then, let's not mess this up." Rich said to both himself and Elphaba and Glinda.
"Shall we take our seats for landing?" Glinda asked.
"Yes" Rich replied.
Both Elphaba and Glinda took their seats in the cockpit as Rich began the final descent to land in the Emerald city. Lower and Lower the Comet flew and making several tight turns, the Comet finally was aligned with the runway and approaching fast.
"Elphaba, could you reach over and grab the checklist book, turn it to landing checklist and read it to me so I can concentrate on landing?" Rich called out to Elphaba.
"Where is it?" Elphaba asked.
"Should be just behind my seat on the left" Rich replied.
Elphaba then reached out and grabbed the Checklist book which Rich had written himself, opened the book at the correct checklist and said,
"Ready when you are Rich"
Rich just nodded at this, so Elphaba took this as her cue to start reading.
"Lights?" She asked, whilst reading from the book.
Rich immediately flicked several switches on the cockpit's overhead panel before he said
"All lights are on"
"Speed below 300 knots?"
Rich drew back the throttles and as the Comet slowed down he replied "Speed down to below 300 knots"
"Pressurisation?"
"Off"
"Flaps set for landing?"
Rich pulled back the flap extension lever all the way to the fully extended position.
"Maximum flaps are set"
"Gear?"
Rich moved the landing gear lever down and the sound of electrical motors could be heard before three loud clunks were heard and the green landing gear down lights glowed on.
"Gear is down and locked" He replied.
"Trim?"
Rich pulled back a wheel on his side of the cockpit until he was satisfied.
"Set" He replied.
"Then landing checklist is complete." Elphaba said in a relieved tone of voice.
"How did you manage to come up with and write all of that during the weeks you were flight testing the Comet?" Glinda asked.
"Trial and Error Glinda, Trial and Error" Rich replied, which made Glinda and Elphaba gulp nervously.
Now the Comet was approaching the runway at what seemed like a much higher speed but Elphaba and Glinda both guessed that it was just their nerves, this was their first flight in the Comet after all.
Slowly the Comet descended even further and just before touchdown, Rich pulled back the control column gently, making the nose of the Comet rise slightly before the Comet's main landing gear landed with a thud which shook the entire airframe. The Nose of the Comet then lowered until it too touched the runway, it was then that Rich applied the brakes. Slowly, but with Rapid urgency, the Comet slowed down until it was at a fast walking pace. It was at this speed that Rich turned off the runway and taxied the Comet over to the parking area that He, Elphaba and Glinda had seen from the air.
Once Rich taxied over to an appropriate spot, he stopped the aircraft, applied the parking brake and shut down the engines. Once the engines wound down to a stop, all Elphaba, Rich and Glinda could hear were their own breathing and the thunderous applause and cheering from the gathered crowd outside the parking area.
All three of them just sat there in the silent Cockpit for a long moment before Glinda got up and said,
"Well, let's go. We've got a lot of people to meet and the entire emerald city to explore!"
And at that, Elphaba, Rich and Glinda got up and walked out of the cockpit, down the extendable ladder and into the Emerald city.