MAYDAY! MAYDAY! - Part 2

A young pilot returns to flying having been wounded, shot down and losing his navigator.

 HIGH AS A KITE AGAIN

 

‘Hullo Zero this is Romeo Four One...unable to extract personnel...enemy ground forces closing in...over.’ The helicopter pilot’s frustration was evident in his voice.

‘Zero, roger...how close are they to your casualties...over.’

‘Romeo Four One, approximately ten ‘clicks’. We must have air support or we’ll lose these guys one way or the other...over.’ The helicopter pilot waited patiently for a further response from his control station, but meanwhile...

 

Over one hundred ‘clicks’, or kilometres away, at a height of 5000 feet, a pair of fighter bombers were conducting an escort task with a Hercules heavy transport plane. It was being used on this occasion to evacuate diplomats from the country’s capital. 

            The navigator of one of the fighters flicked to intercom to speak to his pilot, ‘Jamie, why don’t air traffic control request one of us to get in there and help?’

            ‘Simply because of the passengers in that big beast we’re escorting.’ Jamie replied.

            Dave, the navigator piped up again, ‘What about that callsign, Romeo Four One, that’s a rescue crew isn’t it, probably a Puma. Those guys must be desperate.’

            Jamie thought about his experience only three months earlier with a rescue chopper plucking him out of the desert. He had an extensive operation to remove the large calibre round from his thigh, then as part of his convalescence he had counselling sessions. It was the reason they had him on ‘escort’ duties now and he knew it. They didn’t trust him yet. He glanced at his gauges, then out at the Hercules. A flick of the intercom switch and he said,

‘If you’re up for it Dave, we go, but I know you’ve not seen action yet mate so it’s up to you.’

            Dave, who was only just turned twenty five didn’t hesitate. He’d heard the stories about how good Jamie was, and he also knew about him being shot down by ground fire, but he had to feel the rush, and more importantly he wanted to help the casualties. 

            ‘We’ve got enough fuel, we’ve got plenty of ammunition.’ Dave said, ‘but we don’t have permission or enough time to wait, and neither do those guys a hundred clicks away across this wasteland.’

            ‘Plot us a bearing mate.’ Jamie said, then flicked the intercom to radio. ‘Hullo Echo One and Foxtrot One, this is Foxtrot Two.’ He paused, ‘Have you guys picked up on that call from the rescue helicopter...over.’

            ‘Foxtrot One, affirmative...over.’ The reply came immediately from the other escort.

            ‘Echo One, affirmative,’ The Hercules pilot answered then said, ‘if you want to go and help out...go ahead, we can go on without you for a while. Those guys need help now...go on, we’ll be fine...over.’

            ‘Foxtrot Two roger,’ Jamie acknowledged and even as he spoke he banked his aircraft over to port and picked up speed as he descended rapidly to a much lower flight path. Before he had been out of formation for more than a few seconds there was an agitated voice calling from the flight control room at base. 

            ‘Foxtrot Two this is Zero, return to your task, return to your task...you have not been given orders to take on new missions at your own discretion...’

            Jamie pressed and let go the pressel switch on his radio and interrupted. ‘Hullo unknown callsign this is Foxtrot Two...you are breaking up...please make contact via Foxtrot One...out.’ Jamie then ignored the voices he could hear screaming at him from miles away.

 

As soon as he was content that he was now travelling at a good rate of knots and making a beeline for the trouble spot he called the Puma pilot. 

‘Hullo Romeo Four One this is Foxtrot Two...over,’

            The helicopter pilot had his wits about him. ‘Romeo Four One, we understand you are heading this way.  What can we do to help...over.’ He sounded relieved. 

            ‘Foxtrot Two, use your other frequency to let your casualties know we are on the way...ETA...three minutes, and I need to know of any other friendly forces and what strength and type of enemy forces...over.’

            ‘Romeo Four One, roger. Only friendly forces in area are the casualties and their damaged vehicle. Enemy forces are travelling in a three vehicle convoy, all-terrain type vehicles, and they are only four or five clicks from our lads. They can see them already. The enemy vehicles are full of armed infantry...over.’

            ‘Foxtrot Two roger,’ Jamie replied and felt totally at ease with the situation now. ‘Listen carefully. We are approaching low and fast on a bearing of one eight zero degrees. I say again, one, eight, zero degrees. Keep your aircraft a distance of at least two clicks from the hot zone...over.’

            ‘Romeo Four One roger...I readback...approaching low and fast on bearing of one eight zero degrees...my distance away to be two clicks...over.’

            ‘Foxtrot Two correct...and one other thing mate...tell the lads on the ground, if they have any earplugs...put them in now...out.’

 

            Jamie continued with the descent on approaching the target area, but didn’t ease off with his speed. He levelled the aircraft at 100ft, skimming across the desert terrain in excess of 500 knots. Dave forgot himself and quietly said, ‘Jeez...’ Prior to becoming navigator on Jamie’s flight, though Dave had heard the stories he now sat watching the ground skimming along below him. If he had never needed confidence in another human being before, he needed it now. He had to concentrate to do his job now more than ever. The two aviators could see the thin plume of smoke rising from the still burning British vehicle and used it as a focal point on the approach. A short distance from the smoke was a dust cloud rising from the enemy convoy as it raced to the beleaguered soldiers. 

            Small flashes were appearing from the direction of the enemy convoy. They knew there was a remote chance of hitting the plane, but they knew it might put the pilot off. 

Not this pilot. Not today. Jamie’s mind flashed back to the flight when he lost his navigator and best friend. The muscle below the scar tissue on his thigh gave a twinge. The Squadron Commander had only let Jamie fly again so soon because he agreed to stay on mundane tasks like escort duties. He had bluffed his psychiatrist and counsellor that he would be able to deal with that.

            In his heart, Jamie was a fast jet pilot and for him that meant bombing runs and firing at things. It was what his government had paid a lot of money to train him for. 

More importantly, it was what he wanted to do.

 

            ‘Locked on!’ Dave called into his intercom. 

            Jamie flicked a safety cover and sent two rockets to the small convoy. Immediately after, as a precaution he also sent a burst of a hundred rounds from his machine guns. The speeding aircraft went low over the friendly forces then what was left of the enemy convoy. A tight high turn and they were racing back to the scene from behind. Jamie and Dave were both satisfied that nothing survived their run – except their own guys.

            The small group of injured soldiers waved salutes at the aircraft as it screamed towards them and beyond. In time honoured fashion, as they went overhead Jamie dipped the plane’s wings to left then right in salute to his countrymen, then he started to climb. 

 

            ‘Hullo Foxtrot Two this is Romeo Four One,’ the Puma pilot called, ‘impressive display my friend...thank you on behalf of the guys on the ground, over.’

            ‘Foxtrot Two,’ Jamie replied, ‘our pleasure...have a safe flight home, out.’ To his navigator via intercom Jamie said, ‘Well done Dave, let’s get back to work...’

Both men laughed briefly at the weak joke as the aircraft continued to climb.

 

 

to be continued...

Author's Note

Not essential, but a good idea to read the first episode. MAYDAY! MAYDAY!
There is a third and final part.

Reviews

[SR Urie]

Hi Tom,

Great story. Military politics fly from the wings as air to ground missiles to protect countrymen and thump the enemy in appropriate disregard for orders from above the line. Dave isn't driving but is a driving force to complete the task he was trained for and what his inner character dictates. Hopefully his wings and pilot quals will survive as readily as his mates on the ground as there is no proplem risking his career and his life to save theirs. You're opening your story for a lot of consequences in the next segment; lots of dialogue with the air boss, the ground troops' commanders, and the late shipmate's memory who's job Dave completed so well while his current pilot, Jaimie, found success where Dave did not in the previous mission.

Great story, man. A tad of constructive criticism if you don't mind. When relating a tactical account the text would flow better if you speak in a way that the person reading the story is familiar with the technical aspects, is also a pilot or a navigator or an officer ground grunt that understands the gravity of the situation. It's important to use words to describe the setting and the characters the best you can, like a painter uses his brush and colors to depict the lines of a woman's figure, and you've done that well. I reccomend that you work on keeping your statements straight to the point and avoid using flowery interjections like 'simply because' and 'on this occasion' except when necessary, when it completes a sentence or it is really needed to complete the topic you're relating. Keep it up, Tom! I'm looking forward to the next chapter, bro! BZ