Lady Flyer, page 4
Father snapped a glance at her, and a line appeared between his brows. “So soon?”
“School’s starting in a few weeks, Daddy, so there’s no time to waste.”
The next day, Nancy wore one of Jimmy’s flight coveralls over her clothing to minimize the grease stains. She soloed after only four hours and thirty minutes of total flying time. Her logbook confirmed it, along with the personal note from Jimmy that he scrawled at the front of the book: To Nancy, With best wishes for Happy Landings, Jimmy.
When Nancy’s father picked her up at the airfield later that afternoon, she couldn’t wait to tell him. She hurried to his car, where he was leaning against the frame. “I soloed, and in a few days, we’re doing a cross-country trip.”
Two lines appeared on her father’s forehead as he scrutinized the airfield. “Where?”
“Escanaba.” It was a city in upper Michigan, and Nancy couldn’t wait.
Father’s breath released slowly as he set his hands on his hips, surveying her. “Well, Nance, you’d better inform your mother.”
Nancy grinned. “Thank you, Daddy.” She flung her arms about his neck, and he hugged her briefly.
“Your mother’s going to be complaining all night about the grease stains in our clothing.”
Nancy pulled away, sheepish. Her father’s nice suit wasn’t as disposable as her flying coveralls. “I’ll tell her it’s my fault.”
Her father winked. “Jump in the car. Let’s head home.”
As they drove, Nancy thought of how her mother had grown used to the idea of her daughter flying planes—well, at least training to fly planes. She’d be surprised at how quickly Nancy had soloed. In the air, things like parental tension didn’t bother Nancy much because she knew one thing: flying was her destiny.
She hated the thought of going back to boarding school and sitting at a desk with solid flooring beneath her feet and nothing to look at but a chalkboard. But she’d made a deal with her father. She had to stay in school to keep flying, and she never wanted to stop flying, so she’d be a diligent student even when it irked her.
When their car pulled up to the house, Mother was standing on the porch, hands on her hips.
“What’s going on?” Nancy asked, cutting a glance to her father. “Is Mother upset?”
“I have no idea,” Father said, but she heard the trepidation in his voice.
Nancy’s stomach plummeted, and not like the dizzy feeling in the biplane. Mother had that expression on her face—the one where you had to listen to her or pay the consequences.
Nancy walked slowly to the wide porch. “I soloed today,” she said just to get it out and in the hope that it would ease the knotting of her stomach.
Mother’s gaze was steady on hers. “I want you to see something.”
Nancy and Father followed her into the house. Mother showed them the newspaper, pointing at an article about a small plane crash. The headline seemed to leap off the page.
“How do I know this won’t happen to you, Nancy?” Mother’s question came out stern, almost angry, but Nancy knew it was masking her mother’s fear.
Nancy had felt her own rush of fear when she’d soloed today, knowing that there had been no backup instructor if she’d made an error and also knowing that planes did have mechanical errors—some of them unrecoverable. But she’d also paid attention to every word Jimmy had spoken, had spent extra time in precheck, and hadn’t been about to hotdog while flying.
“I’m being careful, Mother,” she said. “If I didn’t think the plane was safe, I wouldn’t go up in it. I don’t have a death wish.”
Mother released a thready breath as she studied her closely. “Teenagers can be impulsive and not understand the value of life until it’s too late.”
“I promise I’ll be safe—always—no matter what. Even if I have to turn down a flight.”
Mother’s sculpted brows were still pulled together, but the lines about her mouth eased. “Can you promise me that, Nancy? Promise to never take a flight where you have any doubts.”
It wasn’t hard to promise. “I promise.”
Mother’s eyes filled with tears, but she nodded. Turning, she headed down the hallway and quietly shut the door to her bedroom.
Nancy remained in the middle of the kitchen, a knot pressing into her chest. She felt unsure of what to do, as the scent of bubbling stew from the stove and fresh-baked rolls surrounded her. Her mother hadn’t asked her to stop flying, but Mother’s emotions were, nonetheless, like a vice on Nancy’s heart.
Father’s hand settled on her shoulder, his grip steady. “Your mother’s concerns are valid, my dear. We both want you to be safe. Jimmy told me you’re very thorough and an excellent student.”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes burning.
“Flying is fun and exhilarating, but it also carries many risks,” he continued in a low tone.
“I know, Daddy,” she whispered, swallowing painfully.
He moved in front of her and met her watery gaze. “Your parents worry about you, as any parents might about their little girl, but mostly, we’re proud of you.”
She saw it then. The light in his eyes that was much stronger than the worry. He was supporting her wholeheartedly. “Thanks, Daddy.” She stepped into her father’s embrace, and he pulled her close. Inhaling his clean scent of Ivory soap, she closed her eyes.
“What did I miss?” Robert’s voice cut in as he walked into the kitchen.
Nancy released her father and wiped her eyes. “Mom just gave me the what-for about flying.”
Robert paused in his step, his eyes widening as he took in the whole of Nancy—from her rat’s-nest hair to her grease-stained knuckles. “She’s making you quit?”
“No. She’s worried about my safety, that’s all.”
Her brother’s eyebrows popped. He opened the bread box and pulled out a loaf of bread. “No one’s worried about my safety?” he teased as he deftly sliced a piece of bread. “I don’t see anyone crying about me flying.”
Nancy scoffed. The tears were gone now. “I guess you’re not their precious angel daughter.”
Robert found the jam jar in the refrigerator, his mouth pulled into a comical frown, but his eyes were laughing. “Good to know my place in the family.”
Her brother’s teasing had eased the pang in her heart, and she was suddenly very glad he came home on the weekends.
Over the next days, thoughts of flying consumed her night and day, and when she reported to the airfield for her cross-country flight with Jimmy, Mother was the one to drive her.
She didn’t say much on the drive, but her stoic stillness was palpable between them. Her mother’s careful coif and elegant makeup wouldn’t last more than a handful of minutes at an airfield.
Which contributed to the rightness of Nancy flying—she didn’t care much for fashion and all the fancy stuff her mother and some of her friends cared about.
When Mother stopped the car, she didn’t get out but simply said, “I’ll wait here for your return. Be safe.”
“I will.” Nancy leaned over and kissed her mother’s cheek. She snatched the laundered coveralls from the back seat and climbed out of the car.
Her heart soared at the sight of Jimmy already at the side of the biplane, checking things out.
“Your mother?” he asked as she neared.
“Yes, she’s going to wait for us to return.”
Jimmy nodded, his eyes silently saying he understood. “Now, I did a precheck, but I want you to demonstrate for me. Make sure everything looks good.”
She’d done prechecks before, of course, but knowing they’d be flying much farther than Houghton and landing at an unfamiliar airfield, she found herself double-checking everything.
“Ready,” she said after a good thirty minutes.
Jimmy pulled on his helmet. “Let’s go check out Escanaba, then.”
Nancy grinned and turned to wave at her mother. She’d climbed out of the car after all, the breeze tugging at the pin curls beneath her hat as she leaned against the car.
Mother waved back. Nancy climbed into the plane and took off, leaving the place where she’d grown up—by air. This day might be even better than the day she’d flown stunts with the barnstormer.
Chapter Four
“The women, well aware of the odds against them, met late that year in New York to organize. ‘For our own protection, we must learn to think for ourselves, rely on ourselves, and do as much work as possible on our planes.’”
—Opal Kunz, original Ninety-Niner
November 1930—Milton Academy, Massachusetts
“Come on, it will be fun,” Nancy said. “And perfectly safe.”
Three of her friends at Milton Academy—the girls’ prep school in Milton, Massachusetts—stared back at her. Rachel was always up for something fun, her red hair and snappy personality a testament to that. Beth was quieter but smarter than anyone in the group. Her green eyes were calculating. Pauly’s face had paled, two bright spots on her cheeks.
“I have a private pilot’s license now—my own mother took me to take the test, if that tells you anything.” That early day in November had been a red-banner day in Nancy’s mind. Mother had driven her to Chicago, where she’d taken the exam, then to Milwaukee for the flight test. Nancy had been as nervous as a rabbit during hunting season, but she’d felt exhilarated. No one could discredit her qualifications now. She had a letter from the Department of Commerce, Aeronautics Branch, out of Washington, DC, to prove her certification.
“We could drive to Vassar College,” Pauly suggested, smoothing her blonde hair.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Nancy countered immediately. “Flying to the Poughkeepsie airfield in New York will be much more exciting, and we’ll be the coolest girls of the school.”
Rachel released a light laugh, absently braiding her red locks. “Don’t need a plane to do that, sis.”
But Beth rose to her feet, her green eyes flashing. “I’ll go, even though I don’t care about cool points. I need to borrow a pair of breeches though.”
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
Rachel stood, too, hands on hips. “Well, I can’t let quiet Beth one-up me.”
Pauly’s pert nose scrunched. “You’re acting like a boy. I’m not going to get into any plane with a sixteen-year-old girl pilot.”
Nancy didn’t take offense, exactly, although annoyance stirred in her belly. “I think you’re the one acting like a boy, Pauly. I might be young, but female pilots are just as good as males. We all have to pass the same tests.” Her face might be getting hot, but she kept her voice level. Pauly wasn’t her best friend, but they were in the same friend circle.
Pauly tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “What’s the point of even learning to fly? It’s not like you can ever work as a pilot, not if you want to get married.”
Everyone fell silent.
Nancy swallowed down the steam rising in her throat and said in a steady voice, “I want to get married like all of you. But why should I sit around waiting for some boy to notice me? Why can’t I have my own life? Besides, I’ve already decided that my husband is going to be very happy he married a pilot.”
Rachel covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
“Go have your fun, then,” Pauly shot out and strode out of the room.
“I guess that’s her answer,” Rachel said with a sly grin. “Let’s go. What kind of plane did you rent?”
“It’s a surprise,” Nancy said, letting Pauly’s comments slide off her shoulders. Not every girl in the school had to like flying or be happy with Nancy’s accomplishment. And not every girl could imagine or hope for a future other than marriage and children. Besides, she’d soloed fifteen hours now, and she was just getting started.
The three of them headed out of the residence hall together. The sky was clear, pale blue, the wind not even brisk enough to blow a seeded dandelion. Perfect weather, in Nancy’s opinion.
They took off from the East Boston airport, and although the plane was a bigger model than Nancy was used to, she didn’t want to change her mind. She’d flown more than one type of plane, and besides, the precheck didn’t show any issues. Keeping her promise to her mother was always on the forefront of her mind.
Behind her, Rachel and Beth exclaimed over the scenery below. The copilot seat next to Nancy was piled with their luggage.
The bravado that Nancy had been feeling while putting this excursion together started to fade as she scrutinized the earth below. She’d mapped out the route from Boston to Poughkeepsie, but there were plenty of landmarks she didn’t recognize.
And the compass, which was supposed to direct her—she didn’t know how to read this particular aircraft’s. A sinking feeling started low in her stomach, rising and rising until her throat felt uncomfortably tight. When flying cross-country with Jimmy, he’d already known the route, had already flown it.
Alarm flooded through Nancy. She tightened her hold on the control stick, and she inched up in her seat. She knew the general direction, and as long as she held steady, it would be fine, right?
Rachel and Beth were still chatting behind her, oblivious that their pilot was one green sixteen-year-old and that this plane was bigger and more complicated and that Nancy’s confidence of only an hour before was fleeing like sand in an hourglass.
Taking slow, measured breaths, she focused on what she did know how to do: flying steady and keeping her eyes peeled.
That was when she noticed clouds coming in from the west. They weren’t wispy or a friendly white either. The slate gray, bubbling concoction was moving fast. Another knot tightened in her chest. Jimmy had never let her fly in a storm. And smaller planes stayed grounded in bad weather.
Could she beat the clouds? Would they fizzle out?
Even as she wished it, they seemed to be increasing and boiling over by the second.
Still, Rachel and Beth seemed oblivious to the impending danger, and Nancy wasn’t about to tell them she’d broken into a full-body sweat.
It wasn’t like she could turn around now since, according to the time on her watch, they were more than halfway to their destination. But she had to make some sort of decision. The sky had grown murky all around her, and Nancy blinked rapidly, trying to focus to see better.
In her mind, she sorted through the emergency procedures Jimmy had reviewed with her. The dark cumulonimbus clouds in the distance were still heading her way. Still rapidly.
“Reduce the throttle and continue maintaining altitude,” she imagined Jimmy instructing. She didn’t want to fly too low, or she’d literally be in danger of buzzing the tops of roofs. But thankfully, for now, there was a patchwork of fields below.
“Oh, are those rain clouds?” Rachel said.
Before Nancy could answer, the plane began to bump with turbulence. Something black sprayed across the windscreen. “Oh no!” Nancy blurted.
A bird had struck. No . . . it was oil. Black, not red.
“What’s happened?” one of her friends cried out.
“The oil gauge broke, I think,” Nancy called back to them. What else could it be? She’d checked the oil level preflight, of course, but she hadn’t noticed a crack in the gauge. There was no other option but to do a forced landing.
The plane bumped more, like they were driving over a bed of boulders in the sky. Nancy was pretty sure she’d flown straight into a cloud, but the oil smearing the windscreen made visibility nil. She opened the side window and stuck out her head. Her breath swept away with the fierce, cold wind, yet it was her only option to see where they were going.
Her friends squealed as the air rushed in, and they threw out panicked words, but Nancy couldn’t distinguish them over the whoosh of the wind.
Frantically, she scanned the terrain below. There was a farm . . . a field between a couple of farmhouses . . . Was it big enough? Should she keep flying to find a larger field? She couldn’t keep this up for long. If the oil gauge was leaking, would the engine cut out completely? Would they stall in the air, then plummet to the earth? Would her mother’s deepest fears come true?
“We’re landing,” she called out, although she was pretty sure her friends couldn’t hear anything she said. She was past the first field now. Desperately, she searched the ground below for another place to land. Houses, buildings, roads, fields . . . Yes, there was a field that appeared flat enough. Thankfully it was winter, and she wouldn’t be bulldozing some farmer’s new crops.
“Steady, easy,” Nancy told herself. The engine sounded fine—right now—but that could change at any moment. She had to get the plane down. She had to get her friends out.
Nancy pulled back on the throttle, slowing the engine even more, and the plane descended. Within moments, the wheels touched the frozen dirt. They bumped hard, then bounced along the deep ruts. She pressed her feet on the brakes until the plane came to a jolting stop. They were safe, but Nancy’s heart had climbed into her throat.
She took a breath and another. “Here we are, girls,” she said with calm that she didn’t feel. “I guess we’re taking a bus the rest of the way?”
She turned around to see Rachel and Beth clutching at each other, expressions rigid.
“Things like this happen sometimes,” Nancy continued as her heart rate slowed, her voice growing more steady. “Good news is that we’re all fine and the plane just needs a minor repair.”
Rachel’s and Beth’s features slowly relaxed.
“Right.” Rachel released her death grip on Beth. “Maybe we should head back to Milton. We’ll be too late if we take a bus both ways.”
“Whatever you say.” Nancy took another thready breath, forcing the trembling to stop. “Let’s find a phone, call the airport to come get their plane, then we’ll see about a bus back to Milton.”
