Desert Air - 6. DA Ch 6 - Wet Christmas

“I know I had his wife on the phone not long ago telling me about it, and that you did some barrel rolls after taking off,” Mum said with a frown, and I just laughed, “well if he wasn’t going to enjoy it, why can’t I?” I responded.

During the next few days, Dad and Wynn headed south to do water and stock checks, while Rhodes and I headed north, as we would be taking a few days off for Christmas celebrations, which would include a trip to visit the graveyard. Mum’s roses were doing very well this year, so she agreed to let Mary and Julia to pick some of them to put on our grandparents graves.

Late in the night on Christmas Eve, Mum, Dad and I were putting extra treats in the Christmas socks, when I remembered about the signs I saw the other day. “What’s this about opening the project by July next year?” I asked in a whisper.

“Oh yes, we forgot to tell you the big news, we have been updating the Defence Minister on the progress of the restoration project, and he is so impressed that he has agreed to pay half of the cost of the purchase of the Liberator, and the cost for it to be transported here, which will be in a giant RAAF Globemaster transport plane, with a team of RAAF engineers, who will put the plane back together in record time for the official opening of the Project, by the Minister himself four days later.

There will be about six dignitaries, yet to be decided, plus they have asked if you can have your biplane on display, since it is from about the same era,” Dad said to me. “That sounds great, but have you considered that I will be in my final year at Uni and be up to my ears, in Exam preparations,” I whispered. “That is why we set the date for mid July, in the middle of your semester holidays,” Mum whispered back.

“How are we supposed to accommodate all of these people?” I asked, “The Airforce personnel will bring all of their supplies in the Globemaster, including tents, which almost look simular to those back in the days of the war, so it will add to the atmosphere of the event.

All dignitaries will arrive in a executive jet, landing at Corunna Downs’s airfield, which the Parkinson’s will have freshly graded a few days before, plus we will have SES units from three locations that will be doing traffic management, camping at their designated spot overnight before.

“You will need to have the Biplane at the project no later than two days before, as the air traffic will be heavily restricted after that, with a no fly zone for an area between highway 95 to the west and south to Newman, and Highway 138 to the north and east,” Dad announced.

“Wow, that is a lot or airspace to cover, the dignitaries must be important,” I commented, “I am not sure, they are keeping that very quiet at the moment, all I know is that you need to get your plane there before they shut down that airspace,” Dad commented.

“Do you have any thoughts on where we should house this Liberator plane?” I asked, “Yes I have completed clearing out the first aircraft pit on the west side, and the Airforce will be bringing a camouflage net to cover over it, once we have the plane together and moved into the pit,” Dad replied, “How are we supposed to move such a monstrosity into the pit?” I asked.

“Easy, we will have a plane tow vehicle on loan from the Port Hedland Airport for the one day, they will transport it to the project two days after the plane arrives,” Dad replied. “For the official opening, why don’t we have it about 150 metres from the north end of Runway 2, so it looks like it has just arrived and heading for the workshops, and I could put my plane on the taxiway heading away from the workshops,” I suggested to my parents.

“Very good idea, that way it looks real and that the Liberator is actually operational,” Dad said smiling. “What about the workers campsite, will we keep it there?” I asked.

“Yes, at least until we know what is happening with the planning of the event which is out of our hands, apart from selecting the date,” dad responded.

I woke at sunrise on Christmas morning, and I went for a walk to the airfield to check on my plane, which I had forgotten to strap it down for the night.

I took some time making sure that it was secured, before walking back home, where there was a lot of noise coming from the lounge area, with wrapping paper flying everywhere, and I headed out onto the verandah to wait for the noise to reduce a bit. When I did, I found a pile of presents with my name on it, and I carefully began to unwrap each one, thanking each person, who had given me the present.

Once all the excitement was over, we headed to the dining room and Mum and the girls began to serve our Christmas breakfast, which is the same as any workday breakfast on the station, with a few extras like Ham steaks with pineapple, and fruit punch to drink.

After breakfast, I organised the boys to help me cleanup the mess in the lounge room, whole Mum and the girls began clearing the table and washing, before we headed out for our traditional family game of cricket on the back lawn.

Mr and Mrs Parkinson would be joining us for Christmas Lunch this year, as their children are with their partner’s families for Christmas, and they would be driving over, arriving at 12.30, with lunch starting at about 1 pm, as we usually do, and our cricket match came to a stop when a thunderstorm arrived, with drenching rain.

By 10 am, it had not stopped raining, and I was starting to wonder about the Parkinson’s, when Mum walked to the phone and dialled a number. “Oh hi, Amanda here, I was hoping that you had not left yet, is it raining as heavily as it is here?” we heard our Mum say, as she listened to the other end of the conversation, with the Parkinson’s.

“Good, I have discussed it with Flint, we are going to send Jexon over in his plane to collect you both, bring some luggage for overnight, in case the airfield gets too slippery later, you are both most welcome to stay here, as we have plenty of space, and don’t worry, I will make sure there are no barrel rolls,” she said into the phone.

“Looks like I am back in the cottage again,” I commented to my sisters who were also in the kitchen, and I stood up and headed for my room, to get my oilskin jacket, my hat and boots, and I nearly slammed into Rhodes as I came out of my room.

“Sorry bud, were you looking for me?” I asked, “Yes, Dad wants a chat with you, and can I come with you to Corunna Downs?” Rhodes asked me, “You will have to ask Dad about that one mate,” I responded, as I headed for the kitchen.

“I heard Mum’s end of the conversation, I will head over there now, can you call them back and have them park their vehicle on the north side of the east end of their runway, facing down the runway with the head lights on, so I can see it, and same for here north side of the eastern end of the runway, with head lights on facing down the runway,” I said as I entered the kitchen.

“Good thinking, I will do that, take care now and be extra careful please,” Mum said to me, as she pulled me into a hug, and I softly shook my head no as I looked at Rhodes, who understood the message that he would not be coming with me.

When I arrived at Corunna Downs, I circled first, to get a clear view of the vehicles direction, although with the heavy rain, it was very hard to see it and the lights, as I prepared to land, and I received a bit of a fright, when I slowly pressed on the brake peddles and nothing was happening.

I looked out of the windscreen and saw the homestead lights off to the right, meaning I was on the much longer runway, which I was pleased about, as it gave me a lot more room to stop, as I pressed down on the breaks again, and I could feel the plane slowing a little, and by the time I reached the end, I was at taxi speed as I turned onto the other runway, and taxied towards the homestead.

Once I had stopped I shut off the engine, and the vehicle that was beside the other runway, drove past went around the yards, through the open gate and stopped at the bottom of the stairs of the homestead. I watched as Mr Parkinson collected the two suitcases from the verandah and loaded them into his vehicle, going back to collect the crate, just as Mrs Parkinson appeared and she closed the door behind her, before making a dash for the vehicle.

Once they had parked near the plane, I climbed out of the plane, and helped load the luggage into the small storage compartment in the tail, before assisting them both up and into the plane, and quickly closing the canopy, to keep them dry, before I jumped into my seat and closed my canopy, even though I was now drenched with rain.

“Can you find your seatbelts, there is one over each shoulder, they strap in between your legs,” I called out to my passengers. “In front of you there are headsets with microphones, put them on so we can talk,” I instructed once I saw that they were strapped in, with the help of my very small rear view mirror.

“Can you hear us?” Mr Parkinson said a little to loudly, “Yes, just talk in a normal voice, please make sure that your seatbelts are properly secure, I have already secured the latch to you canopy, just one thing, do not what ever you do, touch the red lever down by your left knee, that is the emergency release lever for the canopy, we want to stay as dry and warm as possible for the trip back to Hillside,” I said.

“Right got that, thankyou,” Mrs Parkinson replied, before I checked all my instruments, then hit the start button for the engine, which at first was a little reluctant to start, but I managed to get it going, and spun around to face the runway, deciding that I need to get back in a hurry, or I may have troubles landing, so I began to move along the shorter runway, and soon realised that I wont have enough room, so I slowed down and turned onto the main runway and gave her full power.

Once in the air, I turned south-west for home, Port Hedland Air Control, this is Tango Juliet 1957 leaving Corunna Downs, heading for Hillside Station, I said into the radio, and I received a response from the control tower, instructing me to remain at 4,000 feet for the short trip of twenty five minutes, and I let Air Traffic Control that I was descending for approach to Hillside Station.

The rain had lightened a little as I spotted the vehicle and I went into land on the longer runway, and when I reached taxi speed, I turned the plane around and she skidded a little as I attempted to slow the turn, but soon had it on a correct heading towards the shorter runway, and I decided to use the road to get closer to the homestead, and I parked near the machinery shed, before stopping the engines.

Once the Parkinson’s were in the vehicle, I began to strap down the plane, with a heavy hammer and pegs always stored away in the side locker, and once I was happy that the plane was secure, I trudged over to the cottage, now absolutely soaked through.

Stripping down to my underwear, on the patio, I headed for the bathroom for a very hot shower to warm me up, glad that I had left some clothes stored away in the cottage. Once I was warm and dry again, I sat down in the lounge.

I wondered about how I was going to get over to the homestead, even though it was just fifteen metres away, it was far enough to get soaked through again, and my oilskin was too wet to put on again, so I decided to wait it out for a while.