Riga 309 Despondent

 

Riga 309 Despondent

Riga flew her Messerschmitt 309 in a curve. She tilted the stick to the left and fed in left rudder. Her plane described part of a huge circle in the sky. The sky was grey. Here I am. Riga the pilot. Only me up here. Free for a few hours that I have fuel for. On patrol looking for enemy planes. Their bombers are dangerous, their spy planes more so. Yet they or the war take nothing away of the beauty up here. Look at the sunbeams flashing through the clouds there. It’s like the sky is alive. So very pretty. Only I see it. Pedro would like this. Oh! Where are you now Pedro? I am sorry for banishing you from my life…

  

Just then Riga’s engine stopped. The roaring noise ceased. Silence. Fucking Hell! The oil pressure immediately dropped to zero. She small gal was snapped from her reverie. Her hands and mind were quick. She feathered the prop and stilled the wind milling blades. She extended her flaps and switched the engine off. Monitored the displays and gauges. Then she checked her location and height. Next, she radioed base.

 

“This is Riga. I am on patrol in Quadrant 3. I have an emergency! Inflight engine failure. Oil pressure is zero. I cannot maintain flight or height. I will attempt to force land. Am sending my co-ordinates now. I need to find a landing place. I am declaring a Mayday. Standby for co-ords…”

 

“Base Control acknowledges. We hear you Riga. We see you on radar and will send the rescue chopper. Get down safely. Radio back if you get down ok. Happy landings! Base out.”

 

Riga adjusted her seat straps. They were tight. As was her helmet strap. She lifted up the tinted visor and lowered the clear visor. She fiddled with her glasses. Excellent vision was needed now. Her eyes scanned the terrain twelve thousand feet below. It was flat and semi-desert. This part of China was big. She reversed course and glided in the direction of her base. How far was it? There was no way an engineless plane would reach it. If she landed well and they sent mechanics maybe, just maybe she could fly out again. Maybe. The next few minutes would tell. Her third forced landing. She thought of Pedro. How to get him back.