Maharani Of The Skies Part 6 (Crit Welcome)

The three-day race would be run from Virginia near Durban to Bloemfontein to Standerton and then back again to Virginia. It would, as usual, be based on a handicap system designed to give all types of aircraft a reasonable chance of winning.
The amount of handicap awarded, depended on the estimated average speed of each aircraft. Slower aircraft were only slightly handicapped while faster aircraft were more drastically evaluated. The handicap system was so devised that all aircraft, in theory, to cross the finishing line together.
There had been that one never-to-be-forgotten occasion in 1998, when a microlight aircraft came second on handicap.

The race was scheduled to begin at 7 am every morning and after the evening landing, it was allowable for certain repairs to be carried out during each overnight stop over.
Haya had been allocated a Beech A36 Bonanza which the air force had previously used in the race with moderate success. She had tested the aircraft on several occasions and had begun to wonder if it was not somewhat over handicapped and hence theoretically unable to end up in the first three places.
Haya knew that she had to discover some way of travelling faster than that average speed officially allocated to her type of aircraft. She began to hold a series of discussions with veteran pilots who had extensive flying experience with that type of aircraft. She was looking for a flying technique that would improve her chances of doing well in the race by raising her average speed in some way.

In the meantime, Jason had been invited to join the Special Services of the Defence Force on a full-time basis. In the most recent few months, he had taken part in three secret missions abroad. As he was sworn to strict secrecy he had never spoken to his friends about these activities. All that Haya and Rakesh knew was that they were to do with anti-insurgency actions in a foreign country.
One of his less onerous and short term tasks, one that he felt was a break from his more serious duties, was to act as a special investigator during the Presidents' Air Race. When any aircraft went down for one or other reason, Jason would have to fly to the scene with his team in order to discover the details of the accident and to provide any emergency medical help or whatever other assistance that was required.

On June 14th, the great race began at the Virginia Airport, near Durban. The visitors' area had been packed since early morning.
A large proportion of these had come to see their heroine begin her race. Everyone knew Haya's gold and green coloured aircraft. Then when her turn came to take off a loud cry and applause rang out.  The race had begun for Haya and her navigator Rob.
During the race, the thousands of her fans, who listened to the progress of the race on their TV and radio sets, were initially dumbfounded but soon began to recognise, with some kind of horror, the flying tactics being used by Haya.
They were most unorthodox but nevertheless quite acceptable under the current rules of the controlling body. Wherever it was possible to do so, Haya flew at a remarkably low altitude... perhaps only about three metres above ground level.

She was doing this because of the advice that she had obtained from other experienced pilots and some books on aerodynamics that she had read. They had told her about the strange phenomenon, known as "ground effect". An aircraft flying so close to the ground could receive a bonus lift and forward thrust due to reflected pressure waves which usually added about six to twelve knots to the normal speed of an aircraft. Haya felt that this boost would be enough to make her aircraft far more competitive.
To carry out this flying strategy, she had to use much of her great flying skills. She had to fly under power lines and just over tree tops and houses. There was almost no room for error. Haya knew that a momentary loss in concentration, during the long hours of risky flying, could spell disaster.

By the end of the second day of the race, Haya was lying third on handicap and there was a good chance that she would end up within the first five places, or even higher, at the end of the race on the third day. Her brave effort had been noticed by the general public and she had quickly become the talk of the country.
On the third day, Haya continued with her low flying technique, as before, but suddenly, without any warning, she received an unpleasant shock. It happened just as she approached an overhead high voltage transmission line behind which lay a plantation of tall pine trees.
As the aircraft dipped below the lines and then swiftly rose above the trees, she experienced the sudden sensation of double vision. She shook her head and., fortunately, her vision returned to normal within a second or two.

No sooner had she noticed an open field behind the plantation, then the double vision symptom returned. This time, however, it persisted.
Flying almost entirely by instinct, she carried out a good but high speed emergency landing on a pasture land. God was kind to them and the landing was a good one, under the circumstances.
She slumped back in her seat, unconscious. After a while, Rob, her navigator, stirred opened his eyes and began to look around.

It was morning and Rakesh was riding along one of his farm roads when he heard the loud noise of an aircraft flying low overhead some distance away. Having kept himself fully up to date, he knew that a batch of racing aircraft would soon be passing over his farm.
After looking eagerly out of the window of his 4x4 for a few minutes, he was amazed and overjoyed to see the green gold and green aircraft coming low over the tree tops. He knew that it was Haya's plane. Who else would fly so low when the others were at altitudes of many thousands of feet. He waved frantically but knew that she would be concentrating on her flying and would not see him.
He carried on with his morning inspection until he received a call on his mobile. It was his mother. She was in a state of high excitement.

"Rakesh, Come quickly. There's been an accident. A plane crashed on Gilmore's farm. You must go and help. Go my son. Don't waste any time."
He knew by some intuition who was involved. He spun his vehicle around and raced towards the Gilmore farm about 10 km away. As he drove up to the farm house, someone rushed out pointing and shouting "go over to the cow pasture. A plane has come down there. Hurry."

He immediately headed towards the stranded aircraft. When he arrived there, he saw that someone had already opened the engine canopy and closed the fuel valve to minimise any risk of fire. Some people were at the pilot's cabin door. The pilot was being gently lifted out of the plane and laid down on the grass.
Rakesh had all the time known who the pilot was. Obviously devastated he shouted at no one in particular.
"It's Haya! So it is you. Are you OK? Dear girl, you've crash landed. Can you hear me?" He patted her cheeks and held her hands tightly until he heard her faint mumble. When she opened her eyes and as she focussed on her surroundings, she was taken aback. "Good God, it's you Rakesh. What's happened?" She slurred her words as she spoke.
He anxiously interrupted her. "Never mind that now. Do you feel any pain?"
She had apparently suffered no serious injuries. Then she tried to look around.. "Where's Rob?. Is he OK? I must know."

Rob had by then somewhat recovered and had climbed groggily out of the cabin
He reassured Haya. "It's OK Haya. We made it. You landed perfectly. We're OK but the plane's been wiped out. But please don't even think about that. Let's thank God that you're OK.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Rob. I don't know what happened.".
Rob gave a wry laugh, "Don't worry. That plane had already seen its best days. Time it was scrapped anyway."
Rakesh walked over to him. They introduced themselves and shook hands.
"Man! I don't really know what happened... but it was scary. How is she?"
"She seems to be OK... on the surface. By the way, I know her."
"You know Haya Sankaree? Is she a great pilot. Make no mistake. One of the best. But you probably know that. Well let's go and help her, Rakesh. She needs a doctor, I'm sure."

Rakesh suggested that they take her over to his farm where they could take care of her until help had been summoned. He gently lifted her up and carefully carried her to his vehicle. Within fifteen minutes, the three were in front of his farmhouse.
He opened the front door and shouted: "Mama! Mama! Come quickly! There's been an accident!"
Then he went back to his vehicle, picked up Haya and carried her to the visitor's bedroom where he laid her down gently on the bed.
Almost immediately, his mother walked in and cried out: "Oh my dear God, such a sweet child. Who is the beautiful girl, Rakesh? What happened?"
Her concern was so great that her look at Rakesh was decidedly anxious. "Where did you find her? Tell me everything." Eventually she understood the circumstances. Haya Sankaree was an old school and university friend of Rakesh. She was a pilot taking part in an air race. She had been forced to crash land on a nearby farm.

"Haya. What a sweet name. My child! You're a pilot? A young girl like you? Tell me everything later, my darling. Where does it hurt? Do you feel dizzy? Would you like some tea, my sweetie?"
Haya could only murmur very softly.
"Auntie, I'm OK. I felt dizzy in the plane and so I had to land. I'm so sorry about all this. I may have frightened some cows."
"What? You're worried about the cows and you're lying here injured? Please don't think about it. All that's of no importance. If you felt dizzy then that is a problem. Nothing else matters.
Rakesh, have you called the doctor. Please go and do so at once. He must come at immediately. Go, my son. It's urgent. Every minute counts."
He duly phoned and when the doctor heard who the patient was, he said that he was all the more anxious and said that he would come out immediately.
The doctor's consulting rooms were 40 km away but within a half hour he was in front of the farmhouse. He went quickly up the stairs and began an examination of Haya.

About 40 minutes later Rakesh began to hear the unmistakable whirling sound of whirling helicopter blades. He dashed outside and saw an army helicopter about to land on the front lawn.
After a few moments, a person in uniform descended from the machine and walked, with an athlete's stride, towards him. Rakesh was staggered and then overjoyed to see who it was.
"Jason, it's you? What's happening today? Haya lands in my neighbour's pasture and you, Jason, land on my lawn."
As Jason came up to him he held out his hand.
"Hi Rakesh. What a wonderful blessing that Haya is now here among her best friends. Hello, old friend."

They embraced each other warmly.
"The people on the Gilmore farm told me that she was brought here. Tell me how is she? Dear God, I hope that she's OK."
"She's here and she's fine on the surface. A doctor is here, doing an examination."
"Very good, Rakesh. I'm the investigating official for the air race committee. We lost contact with Haya in this area and so I was sent out to find her and help in any way necessary. Is she conscious?"
"Yes, she has said a few words. She said that she'd become dizzy all of a sudden and had to make a forced landing. Apparently she managed it amazingly well... but come on Jason. Come inside and talk to her yourself."