“Hello, hello. Nice to meet everybody. How can we help DIA?” asked Andrew. “Mr. Abbott shared with us earlier you may need to be flown someplace?”
“Again, thanks, Andrew… and Lurch. Yes, we need, first off, complete sensitivity to us being here. Complete secrecy. Complete sensitivity. In fact, before we go any further, you also need to know that this mission does involve some high risk. And as a result, we can compensate you each $10,000 for your time. As a bonus. All we ask is you sign a non-disclosure form, which obligates you, for life, to never disclose this event,” Robert explained.
“Ohh, reminds me of the Flying Leatherneck days! Love the excitement. I’m in,” Lurch said.
Both men took pens from their shirt pocket, read the paperwork quickly, and signed the document. This wasn’t the first time they flew a DIA mission, but it would definitely be the first one like this. Of such a unique nature.
“I’m Mark, and thanks. Thank you. So, here’s what the plan is. This gent right here is Ford Stevens, and he is an Air Force pilot. Has flown fighters and bombers, balloons and gliders. He’s also a parachutist. Only thing he isn’t, is an astronaut. The three of you will fly to China, with Ford as your passenger. Upon reaching a certain geographic location, one of you will lower a custom made ramp that will soon be installed in the back of your jet, by Gulfstream, and Ford will jump out with a parachute on. You two pilots will continue to fly, land the jet in China, and can carry on with your business as usual,” Mark said.
There was silence in the room.
“Corning would need to cook up a standard business trip that they have surely done before to make it look normal,” Emily added.
“That’s pretty cool,” Andrew said. “What kind of a ramp?”
“You two gents,” nodding to the pilots, “along with Robert, will take the jet down to Savannah tomorrow, where they are waiting to modify the rear of the jet. We just came from there, and the CEO has his top folks standing-by for you guys to arrive. They even remembered your tail number. Gulfstream is going to cut a hole in the airframe to make a ramp that will lower for Ford to exit, then retract, all without anyone noticing the mod in the airframe,” Mark said.
“Very extraordinary. Wow. Well, we’re prepared to support. Can leave when you’re ready, Robert,” Lurch said.
John Abbott stood up and made his way towards the window, looking to the jet sitting in the hangar. She was parked in there, stair way was down, and the hangar doors were still closed from the elements of the Western New York weather. The bright lights suspended in the ceiling made the gloss white floor electrifyingly bright, helping to illuminate the large space. On each side of the Gulfstream were red, portable tool boxes, along with a few carts on wheels that held laptops, spare parts, containers of fluids like hydraulic, and engine oil.
John suggested they all take a look at the jet up close, just to ensure it was the right choice for their mission, before they ended the meeting. He led the way, bringing everyone out through the length of the meeting room. John and the pilots were far enough ahead to that the DIA crew could get in a second of mischief. Mark pretended to throw a billiard ball at Robert on the way out, and Robert threatened him appropriately. Then, Ford took a pool cue stick and hit Emily on the butt, which she pushed away with her hand and told him quietly to cut it out.
“Keep it up, Ford. Keep up your shenanigans and I’ll never kiss you again,” she told him with sarcasm.
The Gulfstream 650ER was much bigger than any of the DIA team expected, with a few ‘wows’ overheard by John as he stopped in front of the left wing of the white jet. Painted on the nose at a 45-degree angle were two thick stripes of blue, one light baby blue stripe and one dark navy blue stripe, representing the corporate logo colors of Corning. Painted on the tail section in baby blue color was the official tail number of the jet, N788CG, used on all written flight plans world-wide for radar identification and flight following. The transponder also emitted the tail number, transmitting to all radar systems its altitude, airspeed, and heading, helping air traffic controllers keep them safe in congested airspace. The pilots also used N788CG on the radio frequencies to talk with the controllers verbally.
“This… is November 788 Charlie Gulf,” John said, pointing his arm out, presenting it to the DIA team like he was a game show host. Mark laughed under his breath, and whispered to Emily, “Weirdo… just kidding.” Andrew and Lurch stood over near John, beaming with pride on their newest jet to the Corning fleet.
“Andrew, why don’t you share some of the facts about the 650, so our friends know what they are dealing with?” John asked.
“Yes, sir. Would be happy to,” Andrew answered, clearing his throat, and stepping out a few feet in front. “This is the flagship jet at Gulfstream, bought by Corning recently. A 2016 model. It has ultra-long range legs at top speeds. It recently logged the single-longest nonstop flight in the airframe’s history, with a trip of 8,010 nautical miles. It traveled from Singapore’s Changi Airport to McCarran International in Las Vegas with four passengers and three crew, at an average speed of Mach 0.85.”
Ford was impressed, and raised his eye brows in amazement. “Very cool,” he said out loud.
Andrew walked around towards the stairs and the DIA team followed.
“You can see in the rear that we have two large and powerful engines. They provide an efficient thrust that can power us around the globe with the fuel burn needed to not have to stop and gas up. Certainly it could depend on the winds at altitude and overall weather, but it’s a gem to fly. Let’s jump inside,” Andrew commented as he led the way up the stairs.
“This special cabin reflects the ultimate plan of arrangement, function and efficiency, with the tech for the executive passengers, as well up there in the cockpit, ahh, flight deck. Think of ‘high-speed performance’,” Andrew said, sitting in the cabin in a large, white leather seat. Everyone followed, and took a seat.
Displayed on the shelves that lined the fuselage was fresh fruit, some large coffee table art books, vases of freshly cut assorted flowers, current fashion magazines written in French, unread copies of the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and UK’s The Telegraph, as well as crystal glasses for drinking. A pop-up flat panel screen was making its way vertically upwards from a pocket/hidden area, displaying the Corning logo on its screen, as well as a menu of sorts. There was also a galley that rivaled most kitchens in private homes, complete with a wine refrigerator, more fresh flowers, a wine rack, and tremendous food storage capability.
Each Captain’s Leather chair could rotate, and each section of chairs in the cabin could face each other as needed for conversation or work. There were also portable tables that pulled out from the wall, hidden behind beautiful dark wood-grained and glossed detailed woodwork that lined the cabin bulkheads as far as the eye could see. Robert and Mark sat looking in awe at the ‘Elite Cabin,’ sitting on the long leather couch, complete with Corning embroidered blankets and pillows.
“Ummm, we don’t have any of this in our jets,” said Ford, which made everyone laugh.
“Understand, Ford,” Andrew said, amused. “This fuselage keeps the jet ovoid-shaped and not perfectly round. That’s why it gives us big guys the shoulder and headroom needed in either the rear, here, or up front. I don’t have to hunch over when standing. Take a peek outside.”
Robert and Mark shared a window, and leaned behind the couch at the circular windows. Ford had his own, as did Emily.
“Those big, clean wings, and the T-tail in the rear are aerodynamically engineered by our friends down in Georgia to provide a mixture of speed, distance and range, and the take-off and landing performance needed for world-wide flying. Those large Rolls Royce engines I pointed out earlier give it the kick you’ll feel on take-off.”