Valentine's Dinner?

48. To Franschhoek

Donovan greeted the group of six when they arrived at the helicopter base, and he introduced Valerie and Chloe to Lisa. As they shook hands, Valerie said, "Thank you, Lisa. We are grateful for your skill."

Lisa shrugged. "It's part of the job."

"Yeah, so I've heard. Any idea what had caused the engine to fail?"

"Could have been clogged fuel filters, but I suspect a duff fuel pump."

"Aren't there backups for every system?"

"Where it's possible, yes. There are two electric boost pumps as well as the engine-driven one. The problem is, the electrical ones feed the mechanical pump on the engine, and if it fails, we have a flame-out.

"Flame out?"

"The term for a turbine engine failure." She snapped her fingers. "The flame goes out."

Valerie patted Chloe's shoulder. "Be fun for you to read up on this, Sweetheart, then explain it to me." Distract her from boy parts — for a bit. 

Lisa smiled at Chloe. "I'm told you're the one who sorted out where we were. How would you like sit up front beside me? I'll be flying over the site on the way in, and I'll explain to you what I did."

"Oh, may I? I'd love to. Would that be okay, Mummy?"

"Yes, that would be fine. Just don't touch anything."

Lisa watched Chloe bounce with joy. "I took two mechanics and a pilot in a while ago with lots of tools and spares. It's better to troubleshoot and repair there than to have to hire a lift from Titan."

Valerie tilted her head. "Titan?"

"They operate a fleet of heavy-lift choppers."

"Yeah, flying out would be easier, wouldn't it? And less expensive."

"Most of these arisings are simple fixes. This design originated in the early sixties, and a lot of the systems are repairable in the field; not like modern systems." She chuckled. "Those need high-salaried men in lab coats with banks of electronic gizmos to sort them out."

Donovan spoke up. "You should board now." He motioned to the door. "For weight and balance, we need you on the far side aft, Valerie." He pointed, then he designated seats for the others.

After the door had been closed, Walter explained, "With Chloe in the left front, we need the lightest weight in the right aft to balance the load. The rest of us were seated where we are for similar reasons."

"There's a lot to this that I've..." She paused when the whine of the turbine drowned her voice. Lorne lifted a headset off the bulkhead hook and adjusted it over Valerie's ears, kissing her lightly on the lips before he put on his own. The engine sound reduced to quiet background, and she listened to Lisa talking to Air Traffic Control.

A short while later, Valerie felt the craft wobble, then they were airborne and skimming a few feet above the ground as the vibration and speed increased. Then she was pressed down into her seat as they quickly rose.

Lisa finished talking with ground control, then using the intercom, she explained what she was doing. "For safety, we fly just above the ground, gaining safe flying speed before we begin our ascent. As I explained to the men yesterday, in an engine failure situation, forward speed can be converted to lift enabling a safe autorotation. It's best not to gain altitude without ground speed."

Valerie chuckled to herself. I'm sure Chloe has all of this figured out, and all the theory behind it. She looked out the window at the city shrinking beneath her, then she laid a hand on Lorne's thigh, gently kneading as she sighed, her mind wandering to recent events and decisions.

"We're not allowed to fly over downtown." Lisa's voice pulled Valerie out of her thoughts. "Nor over Table Mountain, so we're skirting around to the north, over the airport."

What? Over the airport? What about air traffic? Valerie's questioning stopped when Lisa continued.

"This keeps us clear of the landing and take-off paths."

Yes, of course. She bobbed her head. And Chloe would have had that all figured out. Have to find a way to get her mind off sex. Don't want her to think it's bad or taboo. Or dirty as it used to be taught. Still is in many places. She turned ideas over in her mind as she looked out of focus at the scene passing below through the window.

"That's Stellenbosch coming up, Chloe. We'll bypass it to its south. You see the gap between the peaks ahead? That's our route; over that pass."

Valerie listened to Lisa's detailed monologue to Chloe, describing each point of interest and every action in flying the machine. I'm sure she's in heaven. Maybe I can distract her with researching flying. Her mind spun with ways it could work, and she was surprised by the sudden change in motion and sound, and then by the crackle of a male voice.

"You were right, Lisa. Fuel pump. They're almost done exchanging. Likely be out of here in half an hour."

Lisa finished her VHF with the downed chopper, then she switched back to intercom. "You all heard that? It'll fly out on its own." There was a pause in Valerie's headset, then Lisa continued. "See the gravel bar in the stream down there, Chloe? That was my alternate spot. It's vital always to have backups - alternates. Things always change, and we need to accept that and adapt. Always be ready for the unexpected."

Valerie leaned closer to the window as they made a slow circle, and she spotted the chopper on the ground. She patted Lorne's thigh to catch his attention, then she jogged her finger, pointing down beside the bulkhead as she mouthed, "Your chopper."

Lorne nodded and pointed to Valerie, mouthing "My forever love."

Oh, God! Yeah, out there doesn't matter. She twisted in her seat, then leaned and reached a hand up to cup the back of his head, pulling his face to hers for a lingering kiss before laying her head on his shoulder.

A short while later, the rapidly increasing air pressure caused Valerie to swallow to clear her ears. Then she focused on Lisa's words. "We're going down. Remain as still as possible. Ensure your seatbelts are secure."