"Nope," he said, moving his uncovered left eye close to the scope.
"Nothing under the crosshairs. I get a blank screen when I tune out terrain."
"Assume the computers are bad. You should be able to break out a runway within thirty miles. Just keep tuning. "He stooped down, checked Luger's straps and harnesses.
snug?"
"I still don't want to do this," Luger said.
"It's my fault you're even on this plane," McLanahan quickly "It's my fault you got hurt. At least I want you to a chance to get out of it if something goes wrong."
"Thanks, buddy, but I'd like to think my so-called profesionalism helped get me a ticket on this ride. I wouldn't missed it for anything.
Well, almost anything."
"Check. I'll buy you a beer back at my place," McLanateha'n asked. "Or a vodka. I guess that would be more appropria McLanahan thumped his long-time partner on the back, grabbed Luger's tactical chart and made his way upstairs, where he strapped himself into a spare parachute and fastened his seatbelt.
"Forty miles," Luger announced. "Clear of terrain for fifty miles.
"We'll have enough gas for one low approach," Ormack asked. "We've got fuel low-pressure lights on all four mains.
One pass clean, then a left turn into a visual overhead for landing.
"Crew, listen up," Elliott asked. "If we pick up ground fire we'll break out of the pattern and climb out as fast as we can.
We'll level off at fifteen thousand and go straight ahead until we flame out. Jump ut on my command, but if you see the red light don't wait for my command. After you land use your survival radios on the discrete channel and we'll try to locate n up.
everyone and fort "Thirty miles," Luger reported. "High terrain at two o'clock. Shouldn't be a factor. Looks reasonably clear for a left-hand traffic pattern."
"We're setting up on a sort of extended base leg, Luger," Ormack said.
"That airfield will be moving off to your left."
" Rog.""Descent and penetration checklist, crew," Ormack called out.
"We've got twenty thousand pounds of fuel, nav.
Approach speed and emergency landing data?"
Luger called up the landing data on a computer terminal in the downstairs compartment. "Two engines out on one sideapproach speed is less than minimum maneuvering speed, so minimum maneuvering speed takes precedence," Luger read. "Minimum maneuvering speed is one-twenty-eight with full flaps-, plus twenty-five with less than full rudder authority. One hundred and sixty-eight knots. Go-around E.P.R setting, three point zero, rnilita6 power on symmetric engines only.
Touchdown speed one-forty-eight. Brake energy limited one-fifty to the bottom of the danger zone, one-thirty to the bottom of the caution zone.
Max drag chute speed one-thirty-five.
"There may not be a go-around," Ormack said, checking the fuel gauges.
He continued the lengthy series of checklists, letting the Old Dog's on-board computer display each checklist on Ormack's display in the cockpit. It seemed the Old Dog one huge emergency procedure. Ormack reviewed check for fuel leaks on landing, double engine-out, engine fire, parachute failure.hydraulic failure, overrunning the rum landing on ice and snow, strange field procedures, ejection emergency aircraft evacuation. When he finished, Li announced that they were less than twenty miles from Anadyr Far East Fighter-Interceptor Airbase.
Elliott and Ormack began a gradual descent to fifteen hundred feet above the field's elevation.
"Clear of terrain for thirty miles," Luger said.
nothing on radar.
McLanahan had already double-checked that Angelina Wendy were secure in their ejection seats. Now he made his way forward to the cockpit and slipped into the steel instructor pilot's jumpseat. "Need an extra set of eyes?" he asked Elliott. "What the hell are you doing up here?"
"Dave's got the left seat downstairs. I'll help you loo I k the runway, then I'll go aft and help Wendy and Angelina their seats in case "Patrick, that's suicide. Get your butt back to your semi "Dave doesn't have an ejection seat, sir," McLanahan said quietly. "One of the details we never got around to.
"I didn't know "Forget it. Dave's as good on the radar as I am. If something goes wrong I'll try to make sure Wendy and Angelina get clear.
Meanwhile I'll help find that runway."
"This whole deal is still crazy…"Ormack mutter "Maintain the element of surprise," McLanahan said, "We've kept the whole Russian air force off our backs confusing 'em. This is just the next step. "And over interphone he asked, "Dave" Anything?"
"It all looks the same," Luger told him, sounding increasingly frustrated.
"Keep tuning, you'll find it, Remember, we're setting Up a base-leg, not a straight-in. Don't just rely on the computers-check shorter ranges."
"Rog," Luger said.retuning the scope once more.
"We'll stay unconfigured at two hundred and fifty kr until we see the runway," Elliott asked. "We'll turn final check the runway and base and make a decision to land. T we'll turn onto the downwind, configure and-" "I've got it," Luger suddenly announced. "Six miles, eleven o'clock.:, "Six milesT Ormack said.
"The navigation computer must be way off," McLanahan told him. All three heads in the cockpit swung to the left.
Elliott found it immediately. "Got it," he asked. "We're right on top of it… we'll never get configured fast enough. Let's go on straight ahead, check out the base from the end of the runway, then make a turn into a right downwind for landing."
"Roger," Ormack asked. "I've got the airplane. You check out the base. "He turned the cockpit lights down to bare AA minimum to make it easier to see the runway.
Elliott muttered unhappily as the runway moved to his left window.
"That runway looks like the rest of the tundra. Some of those snow drifts out there must be ten feet high.
"No signals," Wendy reported. "Still a clear threat-scope.
Not even any radio transmissions."
It was a small, almost obscure base in a mountain valley that reminded McLanahan of Hill Air Force Base in Utah, with snowy mountain peaks peering down from the sky. The most noticeable feature of the base was the "Christmas tree"-alert parking area at the end of the runway-two rows of six parking areas for Russian fighters, staggered on each side so that all twelve fighters could move at once and line up on the runway.
Fortunately the parking areas were empty-more than empty, they appeared not to have been plowed out for quite a while.
Some of the Quonset hut fighter shelters were partially dismantled, with snow piled in deep drifts everywhere.
A big problem was the tiny village nearby, which McLanahan could see out Ormack's right cockpit window. It was about ten miles from the base, but a B-52 made a lot of racket and would attract attention.
What the villagers would do about the noise was another question. Did people in Russia complain about military planes waking them up at night?McLanahan prayed they didn't.
"The base isn't completely deserted," Elliott said as the runway moved out of view. "I saw some trucks parked out in front of a building near the main taxiway. They looked military."
The crew was suddenly quiet. Ormack started a slow, wide turn to the right to parallel the runway.
Wendy said, "If it's not deserted, they could have troc there "Fifteen minutes of fuel left," Ormack asked. "I guess we can make it back above ten thousand feet for ejection, but then-" "If they had a military force there, there'd be more than a couple of trucks," McLanahan said, liking his logic but not altogether believing it.
"Agreed," Elliott said quickly. "Besides, the runway looked closed and the buildings looked deserted. And, we don't have any choice. "He turned to Ormack. "Let's do it. I'll take the airplane. Run the landing checklists."
McLanahan patted Elliott on the shoulder. "Good luck, you guys in Russia."he said, and made his way back to defense instructor's seat and strapped in. "Next stop, Jach beautiful downtown Anadyr.