"P. A.:" "Attention." "Attention, please." "Continental Airlines announces the departure... of flight three for Los Angeles and Honolulu at gate 28- the blue concourse." "Global 45, Lincoln Tower." "Clear to land." "Runway two-niner." "Wind: 15, gusting 25." "Roger." "Cleared to land." "Runway in sight." "Lincoln Tower from Global 45." "We cut the taxiway short." "We're stuck in the snow." "Please notify company dispatch." "We'll need assistance." "We've got a condition four on two-niner at taxiway Echo." "Change traffic to runway 22." "Two-niner's closed." "Trans World 729, a change." "Taxi to runway 22." "Runway two-niner is closed." "Air Canada ninety-niner, hold short of taxiway Bravo." "Emergency equipment will pass to your left." "Runway two-niner closed account of disabled aircraft." "22." "Approach." "Runway two-niner is closed." "We'll stay with 22 with everything." "Global 10, clear for takeoff." "For this food and your bounteous goodness, we give thanks to thee in the name of-Jesus Christ!" "Mel, I'm glad I caught you before you got away." "Yeah." "We just lost runway two-niner." "Tail's sticking out on the runway 20 yards." "I don't know." "Could be a long time." "I'll go out there." "Bakersfeld." "Mel, Tanya." "How about some coffee?" "I just found something." "I just lost something." "Runway two-niner." "Oh, no." "Snow?" "One of your jockeys missed a turnoff, buried the wheel." "No one told us." "It just happened." "I'm on my way." "Any casualties?" "Just me." "There's bound to be a $50 wrenched back." "I'd better bring some release forms... and plenty of sympathy and understanding." "May I ride with you?" "See you downstairs." "P. A.:" "Mr. Bakersfeld, white phone." "Urgent." "Bakersfeld." "Where the hell are you?" "We've got an emergency on the field." "You said you'd be home at 6:00." "You promised me a week ago you wouldn't miss this dinner." "I didn't know we'd have the worst storm in six years." "You've always got some damn excuse." "I'll call you back." "Let me take that, ma'am." "You'll be warmer in the bus." "I'm sorry this happened." "Captain wants to take off all the weight, hook the nose gear, and tow it out." "The nose gear would never stand the strain." "That's what I said." "Maybe use pneumatic bags and lift the wings." "Could take until tomorrow." "I want it cleared tonight." "Tonight?" "Look, I know you're trying, but if I can get Patroni from TA, will you object?" "Joe can have all the tries he wants." "Mr. Bakersfeld!" "Yes?" "Snow desk!" "Yes, Danny?" "I'm calling Patroni." "Stand by on mobile phone." "Roger." "Hello, Joe." "Hi, Mel." "Danny gave me the poop." "Tonight I am not available." "Joe, I got 14 on the ground and 18 stacked upstairs." "I've got 5 kids at my mother's so me and Marie could be alone." "Tell Marie I'm sorry, but I need two-niner badly." "Can't Global handle it?" "They're deciding now what to do, but I need somebody who knows, a genius like Patroni." "Hold the whipped cream." "I've just had dessert." "All right, I'll be there." "Good." "In the meantime, give everybody a shovel." "Start digging an incline in front of the wheels." "Right." "Out." "Aw, Joe." "Do you have to go to work tonight?" "They're not called emergencies anymore." "They're called Patronis." "I suppose you'll be late, huh?" "I'll be back in time." "I'll pull that plane out with my teeth." "What's this you've found?" "Your brother-in-law was on the snow clearance committee." "Here's the report." "It says the airport, meaning me, has been inefficient..." "in snow clearance" "Grossly inefficient." "causing flight delays, loss of revenue to airlines, et cetera." "Signed Captain Vernon Demerest, Chairman." "How can he say this?" "Because he's a no-good, irresponsible louse... who'll take every opportunity to knife me." "Mobile One, snow desk." "Where are you?" "At the ramp." "Mel, Commissioner Ackerman wants you at the terminal." "Trouble." "I'm on my way." "Close down runway 22." "Close down runway 22." "Keep moving, please." "Close down runway 22." "Keep moving, please." "Close down runway 22." "They'll break it up after the TV cameras get a few shots." "TV?" "A lawyer arranged for news coverage." "That's all we need." "I'd better get in touch with the other commissioners." "Afterwards you and I will meet and figure something out... to calm those people down." "I'll call you." "WOMel!" "Hi, Sis." "I thought Vern was on flight two." "He is." "Sure here early enough." "With the weather and traffic, Vernon didn't want to be late, but we just sailed right along." "I thought they were pilots picketing you." "I was set to join them." "I heard about your report." "Besides everything else, now you're an authority on snow clearance?" "I call them as I see them." "You need an eye check." "Clearing those runways and taxiways is the equivalent... of 700 miles of two-lane highway." "And I'll bet you measured every foot of it all by yourself." "We've had 10 inches of snow in 24 hours." "Anchorage had twice as much, and they're clean." "They've got twice the equipment." "Then get some more." "This isn't Alaska." "You don't spend $2 million... for machinery you'd use once in 10 years." "You buy for average snowfall." "In an emergency, you work around the clock." "Sitting behind that desk, you think like a bookkeeper." "I didn't always fly a desk." "All right, Daddy, tell me all about when you were a war hero." "You flew pursuit and could land in a parking lot." "When I'm setting down over 200,000 pounds of 707," "I want something under my wheels that's plenty long and dry." "It'll be dry tonight, but not too long." "29 is closed." "The pilot from your flight made a shortcut across the field." "He didn't make it." "What are you doing?" "When the snow melts, we'll get it out." "What do you think I'm doing?" "!" "Now, stop that, both of you!" "It's a waste of time arguing with a penguin." "Good-bye." "Have a good flight." "What should I bring you from Rome?" "Just yourself." "If you have time, I could use some white gloves." "Size 61/2, right?" "No." "I'm the one who wears size 71/2." "Hey, that's a good idea, Mel- using little old ladies for skycaps." "You're doing a good job." "Mel." "For my sake, be patient with him, hmm?" "How can you live with that overage juvenile delinquent?" "If I left him, what would I have?" "What if he decided to leave you?" "He won't." "A girl gets serious, he waves his wedding ring like a flag." "I'm his disaster insurance." "More like group insurance." "Thanks for caring, Mel." "Don't worry." "Someday he'll come home... for something other than a change of clothes." "I hope so." "That's for me." "Good-bye." "Bakersfeld." "No, no." "I'll take care of it." "Vern!" "We don't have time." "I have a cab." "We can make the airport in 15 minutes." "The driver will wait." "His meter's running, and so is mine." "I must finish packing." "Getting me up to full throttle, then throwing me into reverse... could damage my engine." "We'll be in Rome tomorrow." "We'll have three days." "Try a little patience." "Or a cold shower." "Think about something else." "That I like." "You can see right through it." "Who's in the righthand seat?" "I am." "Demoted?" "It's a pilot check flight." "I'm checking Anson Harris." "He's been a captain for years." "So have I." "You're checked out every six months... to make sure you don't pick up any bad habits." "Such as nuzzling stewardesses?" "Mm-hmm." "Does he hold on to the control too firmly?" "Or can he coax them along with just his fingers?" "Ohh!" "We still have to" "Go wash it." "When he's stacked up and can't get clearance to land, how does he take it?" "You and your roommate have enough china, glasses, and booze for a round trip to Australia." "That's not all our loot." "The girls in the building have contributed." "Grace is getting married." "We're having a party." "You could hijack a 707 and start your own airline." "We thought of that, but none of us has a pilot's license." "With the kind of fringe benefits you girls can offer," "I could get you a crew right now." "Mel, Joe." "I'm stuck in traffic... on Carden Road, just east of Mannheim." "A tractor trailer jackknifed." "It's on its side like a drunken dinosaur." "I need two-niner awful bad." "If you're not out soon, I'll get the Highway Patrol." "What else can go wrong?" "I better check the snow desk." "I'll be back soon." "You're exhausted." "You've been rushing around for three days." "I've got to go." "Why do everything yourself?" "You've got an assistant." "Let Mike do it." "Sit down and relax." "I'll fix you coffee and a sandwich." "Oh... one thing you should do." "You promised to call your wife back." "Bakersfeld residence, Libby speaking." "This is Mr. Bakersfeld talking." "Daddy!" "Isn't the snow super?" "Baby, it's cool, real cool." "Robbie!" "Daddy's on the phone!" "Hello, Dad." "Hi, Robbie." "Are you coming home tonight?" "Honey, I'm not so sure." "You see, I" "Say good night, girls." "Mommy wants to talk." "Good night, Daddy." "Good night, Dad." "You hung up on me before." "Don't do that again." "I'm sorry." "I was rushing to the field." "All right." "We don't have time to argue." "You have a dinner jacket there." "Meet me at the hotel." "I can't make it." "We've got an emergency." "I have to stay here all night." "You can't." "You can't keep doing this to me." "Listen to me, Cindy." "In the past month, you've scheduled me for seven charity wingdings." "I've made four." "That's not a bad batting average." "I'm not a ball game where you keep score." "I'm your wife." "Then try to think of my position for a change." "I'm only thinking about you." "This isn't just another dinner." "Dad wants to talk to you." "He's been talking and I've been saying no for 15 years." "Then why?" "It's a wonderful opportunity." "You two should have gotten the message." "I'm not interested in your father's job." "I've been in navigation for 20 years." "That's what I like, and that's my life." "Yes." "What kind of a life?" "This would give you regular hours." "We could be together and with our children." "Your income would be three times what it is." "Sure." "We can join the country club." "And what's wrong with that?" "Let's get something straight." "I'll support my family on the income from my job." "You don't give a damn about our future." "I'm just trying to survive the present." "Well, maybe you won't have to." "What the hell does that mean?" "Figure it out." "Why don't you have your coffee in here and lie down?" "Guess what." "They just picked up a stowaway from L. A. on flight 86." "That's four this month." "BOAC had one on Monday, a 16-year-old." "If you're wondering, we didn't have another fight." "It's a continuation of the same one." "But I'm as much to blame." "She's right." "I look for excuses not to go home." "Hello, Joe?" "Oh, Harry." "All right, I'll be right there." "Get on the nose wheels." "How deep should we go?" "You've got about three feet at the wheels." "The forecast is for it to go on like this for days." "We need a lot more men." "I'll try to round up some." "Maybe there's an easier way." "Captain Demerest has a good idea." "Captain!" "Tell Mr. Bakersfeld." "My idea will make you aviation man of the year, and Captain Benson agrees with me." "Put pneumatic jacks under the jacking plates and lift her." "Then you fill in, plank over, and roll her off on the flat." "If every jack isn't absolutely level, she'll slide off, and you'll have a hole." "I'll stick with Patroni's judgment." "Do it the hard way, but you better move this." "I'm not taking off on 22." "You'll use what's available." "If it's 22, I'm not cutting back on power over those houses." "Unless you want a bill... for cracked plaster and broken dishes, you'd better move this." "Keep digging." "Another pilot gets an idea, hand him a shovel." "Yes, Peter?" "Uh, Mrs. Livingston, I've got that stowaway... that Mr. Miller told you about." "Bring him in." "Hello." "I'm Mrs. Ada Quonsett." "I'm Mrs. Livingston." "Pleased to" "I mean, won't you- Sit down." "Thank you." "It was a long walk from that gate." "We've got some talking to do." "Lock that door." "You've done this sort of thing before." "Yes, my dear." "It's illegal." "Why do you do it?" "I'm a widow and have a married daughter in New York." "Sometimes I get lonely for her and the grandchildren, so I go to Los Angeles and get on a plane going to New York." "When I'm ready to go home, it's, well, vice versa." "Without a ticket?" "I couldn't possibly afford a ticket." "I just have my social security... and the small pension my late husband left me." "Have you stowed away on other airlines?" "Oh, yes, but I like Trans Global the best." "Well, it's nice to meet a satisfied customer." "How about Patroni?" "Highway Patrol's bringing him in." "How long before he's here?" "Half an hour." "Good." "Now I'll have that sandwich." "I'm starving." "I haven't eaten since about-Oh, I'm sorry." "No, don't go away." "I'd like you to meet Mrs. Quonsett, the stowaway I was talking about before." "This is Mr. Bakersfeld, General Manager of the airport." "Well, how do you do?" "It's a pleasure to meet someone so important." "Pleased to meet you, ma'am." "Don't go." "Come sit with us." "Have a cup of coffee and a sandwich." "Perhaps Mr. Bakersfeld could impress upon Mrs. Quonsett... that this isn't a nice thing to do." "Mrs. Livingston hasn't been able to." "Uh, yes." "Uh... uh, Mrs. Quonsett, uh, what you've done is, uh, is dishonest." "You've broken the law." "You defrauded Trans Global." "They can prosecute you." "But they wouldn't, would they?" "It wouldn't be very good public relations to prosecute a little old lady because she wanted to visit her daughter." "May I have one?" "Well, sure." "On the plane, the beef was a little too well done, and the salad dressing had garlic in it." "You should tell them, my dear, that very often elderly people can't tolerate garlic." "Gives them gas." "Well, I'll certainly mention it to our chef." "Thank you." "Not at all." "Look, Mrs. Quonsett, since you've had so much free travel from Trans Global, at least you could tell us how you get aboard." "Well, I use many methods, but I like to be in the airport... early enough to get a boarding pass." "But our boarding passes are ticket folders." "I know." "I go to a counter and say I've lost mine and need another one." "The clerks are busy, and lots of people are waiting." "They always give me one." "It's just a blank folder." "It isn't made out as a pass." "I do that myself in the ladies room." "I know just what to write." "I carry one of these black pencils like the airlines use." "See?" "Yes, I do." "I'll keep that if you don't mind." "It's really mine, but if you want it," "I can get another one." "So now you have a boarding pass." "What then?" "Then I go to the departure gate." "Coffee?" "No, thank you." "I wait till the man checking tickets is busy." "Then I walk past and onto the plane." "Do you hear that, Mr. Coakley?" "No one stops you, not even the stewardesses?" "If you get on late, they're hanging up coats and talking to the men, and I just show them my folder quickly, you see, like" "I'll keep that, too." "But I'm sure you don't always use a boarding pass." "No." "Sometimes I tell them that my son has gone aboard... but he dropped his wallet." "I carry a man's wallet in my hand..." "That works best of all." "I must say, Mrs. Quonsett, you have everything figured out very carefully." "My late husband taught me to be thorough." "He was a teacher of geometry." "My late husband was a lawyer, and he always said," "Now I understand what he meant." "You're a widow, too." "Oh, I'm sorry, my dear, but you're young and attractive, and I'm sure" "Let's confine the conversation to you, Mrs. Quonsett." "We're sending you back to Los Angeles on the next flight." "Yes, I was afraid of that." "I would like a cup of tea first, so I'll go now." "When do you want me back?" "Oh, no, you're not going anywhere alone." "Mrs. Quonsett will be on flight 103." "Stick with her every second until departure." "Don't lose sight of her." "Ma'am, she'll need a ticket." "Yes." "That will be a change, won't it?" "I'll make out an order." "May I please have my tea now?" "Yes, you-Where are you going?" "In the Commander's Club." "Mrs. Quonsett, that's for members only." "But I have a card." "This card says Mrs. Henry Jackson." "My friend Gertrude lets me use it when I'm traveling." "We'll send it back to Gertrude with a very strong letter." "We'll go this way, Mrs. Quonsett." "Good-bye." "Good-bye, ma'am." "You have been very nice." "Thank you." "I don't believe it." "I just don't believe it." "You were a big help giving her that VIP treatment- deference, courtesy, sandwiches." "Why not break open a bottle of champagne?" "If we had one, I would have." "She's fabulous." "She just laughed at us." "Take it easy." "There have been stowaways... ever since the Egyptians sailed the Red Sea." "When they caught them, they tossed them overboard." "The airlines won't do a thing, and she knows it." "Crafty little old biddy." "Come on." "Relax." "She only stole a ride, not a plane." "I know, but..." "Mel, they've been pressuring me... about that transfer to San Francisco." "I think I'll take it." "The pay is better." "The climate will do me good." "No snow." "Yes." "It's a beautiful city." "I'll miss you." "Will you... enough not to let me go?" "I'm sorry." "You've been honest with me from the beginning- no false hopes, no promises." "I'm not as honest as you think." "I said I invented excuses not to go home." "But I didn't mention why I stay." "I tell myself I've got to hold things together... for the children's sake." "But I'm not sure that's true or even kind." "They know what's going on, and it's hurting them, especially Roberta." "I think about my mother and father, and..." "God knows they had their ups and downs." "But somehow they..." "somehow they worked it out." "I feel I should do the same, or else I've failed." "I don't like to fail." "I don't know what to do." "Maybe you love your wife more than you realize." "No." "No." "Not for a long time." "The only thing we've got in common is our address." "I'm not pressing you, Mel." "I wouldn't play that kind of game." "But I better take that job in San Francisco." "Mrs. Livingston." "Yes?" "Excuse me, Mrs. Livingston, but customs just called." "The chief wants you." "He says it's important." "All right." "One of our passengers is demanding... to speak to someone in authority from Trans Global." "Will you explain to this man that this isn't the Dark Ages, that nowadays stores in this country... import clothes from France?" "If you'd look, you'd see the Bergdorf Goodman labels." "Oh, I did look, madam, rather closely, and I find the sewing of the labels... isn't up to Bergdorf's usual standard." "They're always very professional, very neat." "As you can see, that's..." "that's a pretty sloppy job." "But I suppose everybody's having trouble getting... good help these days." "Especially the customs service." "Well, what's the matter, boy?" "Is there something the matter?" "Huh?" "Oh, your collar's too tight." "Officer, about the fur and the dresses, perhaps I made a mistake." "I did buy them there, and there are some other..." "I'm sorry, madam." "Check everything else very carefully." "Inspect the lining of the bags and the cases." "Make a list." "Yes, sir." "Sorry, fella." "I'd like to change that declaration, please, officer." "I beg of you." "My husband will" "Madam, please sit down." "This might take some time." "When will they learn?" "The duty would have been 1/10 of the fine." "You are amazing." "I never would have suspected her." "Well, after 30 years, you kind of know." "First I look in their eyes, then the luggage." "Thanks for coming." "Now, may I ask you another favor?" "If you want me to smuggle anything, the answer is no." "No." "My sister's girl, Judy Barton, will be on your number two flight to Rome tonight." "Can she have a window seat?" "I'm sure of it." "Good." "Oh, uh, Mrs. Livingston." "Yes?" "Will it get off on time?" "Flight two, the Golden Argosy, will depart for Rome on schedule." "Good." "Fine." "Thank you." "I thought you were leaving tomorrow." "No." "I have to start work tomorrow." "I got to be in Milwaukee tonight." "Remember?" "Is this another one of those hello/good-bye jobs?" "I talked to Mr. Williams himself." "175 a week." "Look, this is a 30-story building." "The job will last, uh..." "eight months at least." "I hope so." "This time do me one favor." "If your boss says two and two is six, agree with him." "Whatever way he wants to do anything, that's my way." "Don't lose your temper." "And Williams said that after the job in Milwaukee, they're building in Detroit, and he said they may subcontract the excavating to me." "Be satisfied that you're working." "I am, but you'll see." "Everything will be fine, the way it used to be." "Nothing's the way it used to be, but I'm not complaining." "You never do." "How you could stick with me after" ""ffor better or for worse. "F I meant what I said." "It will be better again." "I promise." "I've got an idea the kids won't have to live... with your sister anymore and you'll have money... and a nice home and clothes." "Dom, stop dreaming." "Just hold on to the job." "I'll do it right this time." "I won't mess it up." "How will you get to Milwaukee?" "The bus." "It leaves in a few minutes." "I've got enough for that." "Then I can draw in advance... on my salary tomorrow." "But I will need something for a hotel room tonight." "If you could" "All I've got is enough for the rent." "Yeah." "All right." "Dom... the silverware is gone." "My watch is gone." "My mother's ring- don't pawn that." "Here." "I can give the landlord another hard-luck story." "Good-bye, Dom." "Inez..." "I haven't been a very good provider, but I will be." "I promise you that." "Good-bye, Inez." "I love you." "I want you to always remember that." "Good-bye." "$2.00." "It's highway robbery." "Why the airlines don't provide free transportation..." "I'll never know." "Mister, I just drive the bus." "You're holding up the line." "Here, here." "Hi, Anson." "Why are you here so early?" "Trying to impress me?" "How about an "FA"F for effort?" "We're using 324 tonight." "On her last flight, number two engine gave them trouble." "I wondered what maintenance did about it." "I hope we got a new one." "They even replaced the wiring to be on the safe side." "That's the side I like." "What's the matter?" "The last time you checked me out, you marked me for not wearing a regulation shirt." "I was hoping to get even." "Not a chance." "Knowing how tough you can be, tonight I even polished my wings." "Thanks, fellas!" "I tried to get more help, Joe, but I only got 20 men." "I did a little phoning from my car." "I got 50." "Where'd you get them from?" "Braniff, Delta, Continental." "We're not like those front office stiffs... who wear ties and steal passengers from each other." "Maintenance-it's like a circus." "One of us gets in trouble, they all come running." "Let's go." "I got a beautiful dame waiting for me." "We should be above this in about 20 minutes." "Let's hope." "Forget something?" "No." "Just checking the Rome weather." "It's not too cold and sunny." "As usual, I've brought the wrong clothes." "I don't have a thing to wear." "Great." "I'll have this mother out by midnight, so stop worrying." "The party starts at 12:01." "I'll settle for a box of cigars." "See you later." "You keep leaning on that shovel, Jack, you're going to freeze solid like Lot's wife." "We want to move this airplane before it becomes obsolete." "The way you guys keep heading for this bus... looks like you got a broad stashed in there!" "Out!" "Everybody out!" "P. A.:" "Attention." "Attention, please, ladies and gentlemen." "Trans Global Airlines regrets to announce... that the Golden Argosy flight two to Rome... will not depart until 11 p. m." "We are indeed sorry, but this is due solely... to the condition of the highways, which is causing unavoidable delays... in ground transportation." "Those of you on flight two to Rome, don't worry." "They're going to hold the plane." "Just relax." "I'll get you there in time." "They could have decided that before we left the terminal." "Making us sit here and worry- it's inexcusable." "Go away." "Your nose is running." "No!" "Of course, if it's not crowded, I..." "Here's the ticket." "It's flight 103." "Oh, thank you." "Oh, no, you don't." "My, she has a suspicious nature." "Well, go on." "You were saying... you prefer the flights that aren't direct." "Yes." "That's why your flight 86 is my favorite" "St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago." "Yes, but I should think they check... at all the intermediate stops." "I pretend to be asleep." "Usually they don't disturb me." "But this time they caught you." "It was that man sitting next to me." "I confided in him, and he betrayed me to the stewardess." "He was a policeman from San Diego." "I think they should make them always wear their uniforms." "Otherwise, how's a person to know?" "Hi, Mel." "I was just going to have you paged." "I had to go out in the field." "We got trouble, Mel." "I talked to the lawyer for those Meadowood people, and he says unless we stop planes... from taking off over their houses by midnight, he's starting a damage suit... first thing in the morning for $10 million." "That's a nice round figure." "He hasn't got a prayer." "He might not win, but he can sue." "Any legal action will only make... our public relations worse than they already are, and that's something the other commissioners and I... don't want to risk." "What do you propose to do about it?" "Well, there's only one answer- shut down runway 22... and cut out the noise over Meadowood." "And with two-niner out, that means closing down the airport completely." "Only until morning." "After all, you've promised them dozens of times... you wouldn't disturb their sleep." "I promised we wouldn't take off over their houses... unless there was an emergency, and I promised them something else:" "In the foreseeable future, the noise problem would not get any better." "If you don't want to spend a couple of months in court, you better start conning them a little." "You think lying to them is the answer?" "Oh, Mel." "There's your answer." "A modern expanded airport big and efficient enough... to take anything the designers can throw at us." "That means buying off Meadowood... and rezoning it for industrial use... so the noise won't make any difference." "I didn't come here to talk about the future of aviation." "Well, you better start, and you better start looking ahead a few years." "What are we going to do... about these jumbos that seat 500 passengers?" "How will we get people to and from the airport?" "Save that for the women's clubs and the Rotary luncheons." "We've got to be practical." "Sure, sure, ignore it." "Don't stick your neck out." "It's about time that you and the other commissioners... began fighting for a bond issue... to finance this kind of an airport... instead of running around... checking to see if the toilets flush." "I don't think insulting me is going to solve anything, so let's get back to our immediate problem." "We've got to make a decision about tonight!" "I've made it." "The airport's staying open." "Mel, stop being so bullheaded." "Think of the consequences." "Don't talk to me about consequences." "When Congress voted to cut airport appropriations, you never even sent in a letter of protest." "Where were you when the airlines and the pilots... and the rest of us were pleading... for more airports and better traffic control?" "You were picking out the colors in the ladies lounge." "So now you've got your consequences- congested air traffic where Sunday pilots hold up... airliners with thousands of people aboard... and force us to stack up planes bound for New York... as far away as Denver." "When it comes to politics, you're a child." "Two of our councilmen live in Meadowood." "Think what they could do to us downtown!" "I'm thinking of those pilots upstairs waiting to land, flying blind in that muck... and circling in holding patterns and praying to God... that some tired, overworked, underpaid controller... in the tower... doesn't have another plane on the same course." "You can call it pigheaded." "Call it anything you want." "As long as we're not below F. A. A. minimums, we're not closing down." "All right, if that's the way you want it." "I'm calling the other commissioners, and I'll let you know what our decision is... within an hour." "That's your privilege." "You hired me, and you've got the right to fire me, but until you do, this airport is staying open." "Do you wish to make a reservation?" "No, I don't." "Could you please tell me... if there's a flight to Rome tonight?" "Yes, our Golden Argosy flight two." "It departs at 10 p. m." "Only tonight, it's delayed one hour... due to weather conditions." "Well, could you- it's very important to me... to find out if somebody's on that flight." "His name is D. O. Guerrero." "I'm terribly sorry." "We're not allowed to give out that information." "You don't understand." "The person I'm asking about is my husband." "I am sorry, but it's a company rule." "You might go out to the airport." "If you can get there before they board the flight, you could see your husband if he's there." "I see." "Well, if that's the only way, I suppose." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Thank you for calling Trans Global." "Why didn't you tell me this before?" "I tried, but we were in a hurry, and..." "You're sure?" "Do you mean am I sure I'm pregnant... or am I sure you're the father?" "Come on, Gwen." "I didn't" "The answer to both questions is yes." "You know I wasn't asking" "You have a perfect right to." "I want you to know something, Vern... that there hasn't been anyone else but you." "You see, there couldn't be." "I happen to love you." "I'm afraid I was careless." "I stopped taking the pills... because they were making me gain weight, so instead of being plump, I'm pregnant." "Stop twisting your wedding ring." "I know you've got a wife." "I know you can't marry me." "I knew it in the beginning." "I won't make things difficult for you." "I'll work it out myself." "Don't be ridiculous, Gwen." "You don't think I'd walk out and ignore the whole thing?" "I'll take care of you." "I'll make sure you don't go... to some butcher two flights up over a drugstore." "I hear Sweden's the best place." "Good doctors, good hospitals, medically safe." "Very quick, very simple." "One minute you have it, next minute you don't." "There's no danger of complications." "That is, no physical complications." "I'm not so sure about the moral ones." "You have religious scruples?" "No, no... but the strangest thing happened to me today... when the doctor told me." "I've known other girls in the same situation... toss it off with bad jokes... like "Fl've got a bun in the oven... "F or "FCaptain, we've got an extra passenger on board. "F" "I knew I'd react the same way... very modern, very sophisticated." "But I certainly didn't." "I was suddenly filled with a sense of wonder and awe." "I don't want to sound mystical or anything, but I am carrying someone who's part of us." "I'm not so sure I want to lose it." "And if you have the baby, then what?" "Well, I suppose adoption would be the answer." "They're very careful nowadays." "They find the right family." "They're very careful, and all the arrangements are made beforehand... and the records are kept secret, you know... and you'll never see the baby." "I suppose in time I'll be sensible, but I've got to have time to think." "Vern, thank you for caring." "Most men would have said, "fso long, girl." "Tough luck. "F" "Not this one." "You know, I think you really do love me a little." "It makes it harder to decide... but easier to bear." "Is something wrong, Gwen?" "The air vent was stuck." "The captain fixed it." "Oh." "Full throttle!" "All the way!" "You chickened out on me." "I said I wanted all the power you got." "At full throttle, this plane would be standing on its nose." "You might fly these things, but I take them apart... and put them back together again." "If you had any guts, we'd be on the runway by now." "You felt it vibrating." "Another 10 seconds, we'd have had structural damage." "You're not talking to some kid that fixes bicycles." "I know every inch of the 707." "Take the wings off this, and you could use it as a tank." "This plane is built to withstand anything... except a bad pilot." "All right, hold it." "This kind of talk will get us nowhere." "You might tell your mechanic..." "I've got over three million miles in the air." "And 21/2 feet in the ground." "Let's stop wasting time!" "What do we do now?" "Now we got to dig a lot deeper, put lumber under the wheels, but the next time we try, since he's afraid, I'll drive it out." "I'm not turning this ship over to anybody... without authorization from our chief pilot." "I phoned Kettering, but there's no answer." "We'll just sit here and wait till you get him." "No, we don't." "We haven't got time." "You're not in the air, Captain." "You're on the ground- my ground- and you're blocking my primary runway." "I'm not using full power." "It's too risky." "Then I'll make the decision." "I'll take the responsibility for the aircraft." "Mr. Patroni is licensed to taxi." "He'll take over." "If he tears this ship apart, you better have eight million to pay for it." "Joe, my neck's out about 14 feet." "Sure it will work?" "Buzz, put it this way." "You promised me a box of cigars if I pull this off." "What are you standing here for?" "Go get them." "Bus from the downtown terminal is just coming in." "P. A.:" "Your attention, please." "Trans Global Airlines' the Golden Argosy... flight two nonstop to Rome is now ready for boarding." "All passengers holding confirmed reservations, please proceed to gate 33, green concourse "FD."F" "Oh, Rome." "The Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel... the Catacombs." "My dear late husband and I always planned to visit there." ""FSee Rome and die,"F he always said... but he died just when we were packing." "Oh, gee, that's too bad." "Yes." "So near, and yet so far." "What's wrong?" "Oh, dear." "Oh, dear." "What is it, Mrs. Quonsett?" "Oh, I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm afraid I'm having one of my spells." "I'll get help." "I'll call for a doctor." "Oh, it's-I'll be all right." "I've had them for years." "It will pass." "Oh, dear!" "If I could just lie down for a little while." "I saw a cot in the ladies room a little while ago." "I'll help you." "Come on." "Take it easy." "Are you sure you're going to be all right?" "Sit down along the way if you're not." "You'll be all right." "We'll be there in a second." "I'm much better-much better." "Are you sure you don't want me to call for the doctor?" "Oh, no." "I'm in enough trouble already." "But-but don't go away." "You will stay right here like you did before, won't you?" "Oh, certainly." "I'll stay right here." "Perhaps you're right." "You better get a doctor." "Of course, right away." "But don't worry." "I'll be all right." "There's an attendant in there." "She'll take care of you." "I won't be a minute." "Thank you." "Uh, that is E-R-O." "And what amount policy were you considering, Mr. Guerrero?" "Uh, 150,000." "That will be $5.00." "Yes, I know." "But for $2.50 more, you could take out 225,000." "It isn't much extra for all that protection." "I don't know if I have that much left" "American money." "I exchanged all my dollars to lira." "Oh, we accept foreign currency." "Yeah, well, I've got that all in big bills." "We'll take a personal check if you like." "No." "When I go to Europe," "I always leave my checkbook at home." "You know, it's too much of a temptation." "Oh, wait a minute." "I may have enough." "I didn't mean to push you, but we're having a sales contest, and I've got a chance for the prize." "Every little bit helps." "Yeah." "Could you hurry that up, please?" "They've already called my flight." "Oh, just the first call." "You still have time." "But I distinctly asked for the fourth row." "I'm terribly sorry." "This is the best we can do." "Well, give it to me." "Did you say this is some kind of exchange program?" "Yes." "You see, the Italian girl would be living with my folks, and then I'll be living with them." "Oh, well, that should be quite an experience." "I'm sorry." "Could you hurry, please?" "There's the terminal, lady, over there." "Just be a couple more minutes now." "How about letting me buy you a cup of coffee?" "Good." "Mr. Bakersfeld's in there having dinner." "We can join him." "Let me check the calendar first." "Right." "Here you are, sir." "Seat 23A." "Have a good flight." "Thank you." "Just two no-shows in first class, huh?" "They've been waiting in the Commander's Club." "Oh, no." "No." "I'm just a visitor." "I work downstairs." "Oh." "Sorry." "Ready?" "Did you see that man with the attaché case just now?" "No." "Well, if he were coming in from abroad instead of going out," "I'd want to inspect it." "Do you think he's smuggling?" "It was the way he held the case, the look in his eye." "He tried to hand me his ticket..." "Sorry about the delay, Mr. Donovan." "That's all right, Mike." "Excuse me, young man." "My son dropped this." "All his money's in it." "He just went on board." "Blond hair, no hat, camel's hair coat." "I wonder" "I'm not allowed to accept a wallet." "See the stewardess about it, please." "Oh." "But, you see, if someone is smuggling, they usually start to get nervous when they land, not before they take off." "This guy was really shaky." "If it's contraband and he's a trembler," "Italian customs will nail him." "There's not much we can do about it here." "I don't know." "I think somebody ought to." "Maybe you should tell your boss, in case he wants to notify the captain." "I guess you're right." "Be right back." "P. A.:" "Braniff International flight 49 for Dallas... now boarding at gate 19, the red concourse." "All passengers holding confirmed reservations... please proceed to gate 19, the red concourse." "23B?" "Oh, yes." "Right here." "What are you doing here?" "She got away." "She what?" "Well, what she did was- we were" "I don't care how she got away." "Get on that phone and call every airline." "I'll see if security can round her up." "Forward jetway still in place." "Your decision, Captain." "Make some noise." "Miss Meighen?" "Yes, Captain?" "What's the delay?" "The tourist head count won't tally." "Where's the ramp supervisor?" "He's back there counting." "Get him." "The plane to Rome- is it gone yet?" "No, but hurry." "Which way?" "Go through there and turn right." "Green concourse, gate 33." "Thank you." "I know you got problems, and so have we, but how long will we sit here?" "I've just ordered a ticket recheck." "We should have 81." "It seems we've got 82." "Every second, we're burning fuel on three and four- which you gave the OK to start- precious fuel that we'll need tonight." "I know, Captain, but" "Unless this plane leaves right now," "I'm going to shut everything down... and send for fueling to top off our tanks, so make up your mind." "It'll only take another few minutes or so." "And something else- the tower just told us there's a temporary gap, so if we taxi out right away, we could take off fast." "But five minutes may mean a half-hour delay, so you take the responsibility." "What do we do?" "Cancel that ticket recheck." "OK." "You're leaving now." "May I see your ticket, please?" "Thank you." "Ruth!" "Cancel the ticket check." "We're leaving." "Fine." "C. B.:" "Commander, start two." "Turning two." "OKto start one?" "P. A.:" "Braniff International flight 252 from Houston... now arriving at gate 10, the red concourse." "22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30," "31, 32, 33, 34, 35" "Excuse me." "I'd like to find out if the- my husband's on that flight that left." "I" "I'm sorry." "I'm not allowed to give that information." "He hasn't been well lately." "I just wanted to make sure he got on board safely." "His name is D. O. Guerrero." "All right." "Yes." "He's aboard." "19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29..." "Life rafts are located in the ceiling storage compartments." "In addition to the doors, there are emergency exits located over both wings." "For more information concerning these items, please look in the seat pocket in front of you." "We suggest you read it sometime during the flight." "Don't worry." "If you take one of these, you won't get airsick at all." "Thank you, Doctor." "Global two, Lincoln Tower." "You're clear for takeoff." "Global two rolling." "On top at 7,000." "Clear above." "Visibility unlimited." "Proceeding on course." "We'll report passing Cleveland." "Now, there's nothing to be nervous about." "I've flown thousands of miles, and I can tell you, it's a lot safer than crossing a street." "P. A.:... now in the final stages of departure... at gate 41-A, the green concourse." "Yeah, she was here." "I saw her go on." "But did you see her get off?" "No, but I'm almost certain she did." "Her son dropped his wallet." "She went on to return it." "The wallet gag." "She's on the plane." "Maybe that's why the head count didn't tally." "Speaking of head counts, have you counted yours lately?" "I'm sure you've got at least two." "Should I send word to the captain to verify?" "Yeah." "Have flight dispatch call... on the company frequency to keep it private." "Our ground speed is 620 miles per hour." "We've reached our cruising altitude of 33,000 feet, and the temperature outside... is a pleasant 50 degrees below zero." "Our route tonight will take us over Toronto, Montreal," "Cape Ray, St. John, Newfoundland, across the Atlantic, reaching the European coastline just north of Lisbon, and on into Rome on schedule." "The weather in Rome is a lot better... than what we left behind in Chicago." "If there's anything we can do to make your flight more enjoyable, please let us know." "Thank you." "This is Global two." "Flight two, Cleveland." "I have a message from Lincoln." "Advise when ready to copy." "Go ahead, Cleveland." "We're ready." "Practically certain you have a stowaway on board" "Caucasian... female... approximately five feet, 100 pounds... age about 70... wearing a brown hat with a brown pompom, tweed coat with black velvet collar." "Name-Mrs." "Ada Quonsett." "Determine and confirm." "We'll check and advise." "I don't believe it." "Oh, I believe it." "Those penguins on the ground are idiots." "Now the guy in 21D says it's too hot." "You want a laugh?" "Have you seen her?" "Well, she's not in first." "I've hardly checked the tourist section yet." "Well, go back and see if the old biddy's there, huh?" "If so, what do I do?" "Nothing." "Just come back and report." "How about that, huh?" "Little old lady just walks on... like she's walking into an elevator." "Excuse me." "There you are." "WOMiss, the captain said we'd arrive on schedule." "That means we'll make up for the hour's delay." "Father, with a ground speed of 620 miles per hour and a distance of 4,817 miles, it's a physical impossibility." "Your son is right." "The captain was referring to scheduled flying time." "It will be approximately 71/2 hours from takeoff." "Oh, excuse me." "Oh, I see you've got a boyfriend." "Yes." "He's invited me to Rome to a nightclub." "Miss!" "Miss!" "These nuts are stale." "I'm sorry." "I'll try and find you some fresher ones." "$474, and they give you stale nuts." "So you play the oboe." "My late husband played the violin." "Not professionally, but he was very good." "He once played the "FMinute Waltz"F in 58 seconds." "There you are." "Thank you so much." "Nuts to the man in 21D." "You said it." "May I treat you to another sherry?" "Oh, no, really." "One is all I ever" "Well, thank you." "You're very kind." "She's there, all right." "23B." "That's why the head count was wrong." "What should I do?" "Nothing." "If you start questioning her now, there's bound to be tears, and" "We were asked to check and report, that's all." "They'll grab her in Rome, so until then, why make the old girl miserable?" "You know, Captain, you're a real nice person." "I didn't know you were so fond of old women." "Oh, I prefer the younger ones." "So I heard." "But opportunities, you know, don't last forever." "Pretty soon, we'll have to settle... for the not-so-young ones." "Well, I already have for quite some time." "That's right." "You always played it straight down the line." "No mucking around on layovers." "Ellen was a stewardess flying DC-4s." "That's how we met." "She knew what was going on, so when we got married," "I made her a promise- the obvious one." "Always kept it." "I guess all those kids you had helped." "Yeah." "Maybe." "How many have you got?" "Six?" "No." "Seven." "Four we planned." "Three we didn't." "The ones you didn't plan- did you ever consider... doing anything about them before they were born?" "No." "Let me tell you something." "I love all seven of them, but the three we didn't plan... boy, they turned out to be something real special." "Detain on board... after landing." "Release only... to station manager Roth." "I'm going to flight dispatch." "I'll take it." "I'll take it for you, Mr. Weatherby." "No, thank you." "It'll wind up in the ladies room." "What about the man, Mr. Weatherby, the one with the attaché case?" "If Standish wants to find out what he's smuggling, let him get Italian customs to check." "I won't offend a paying passenger... with something that's none of our business." "I was wondering, what if he isn't smuggling?" "What if" "Forget it." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Livingston, that he got mad at you." "It was all my fault." "Never mind." "He'll get over it." "That man was one of the last to go aboard, so he probably was on that bus that was late." "Randall." "John, this is Tanya Livingston." "Do me a favor." "Read me the passengers on flight two... who came out on the bus." "Yeah." "Hang on." "I've got it right here." "Never mind the women." "Just the men." "OK. "FRathbone, Marcus J."F" ""FBinelli, Luigi. "F" ""FGuerrero, D. O."F" ""FYates, Robert. "F" "She stood us up, that's all." "I hope that's all." "You or me?" "You." "Bakersfeld." "Your wife insisted that I page you." "She's waiting for you in your office." "Thanks." "P. A.:" "Delta Air Lines flight 76 for Atlanta... now departing at gate 12." "Oh, Mrs. Livingston!" "I'm sorry to bother you, but one of my men found this woman... wandering aimlessly about the terminal." "Seems terribly upset about something." "She should see the doctor." "She doesn't want to." "I think what's worrying her most... is she has no money to get back to town." "I'd like to help, but" "She let me go through her purse." "I thought I'd find... a little address book or something, call somebody, but there was nothing in it but this." "I thought since her husband bought a ticket on Global, you might want to give her bus fare." "$5.00 would do it." "You just take it easy, ma'am." "Everything will be fine." "Guerrero." "And we don't have a home anymore." "We have a waiting room, where I walk the floor... and wonder whether you will leave this damn airport... long enough to drop by for a few minutes!" "Why you have to pick tonight to come and fight with me." "I came here to tell you that Roberta left home!" "What do you mean, left home?" "When?" "I called from the banquet, and I spoke to Libby." "Roberta, she said, told her that she couldn't stand... our fighting any longer, that she couldn't stand the atmosphere of hate." "And that's a direct quote." "Where is she?" "Did Libby say?" "She's going to spend the night at Sally Bolton's house." "I spoke to her." "Cindy, we can't do this to the kids." "We've got to call a truce, even if it's a pretense." "We've got to start being civil to each other." "And add hypocrisy to the problem?" "They'd see through that." "That's not the answer." "Well, we've got to do something." "You're right." "And the only answer is a divorce." "You think that will make them feel more secure?" "A broken home?" "It's better to come from a broken home... than to live in one." "You may be right." "And you may be right about me, too." "I'm suppose I'm like a lot of men-a bigamist, married to both a woman and a job." "And I can't be number-two wife any longer." "Yes, Danny?" "Patroni wants a skip-loader." "Get one from the lot." "We've got to get that plane out." "And, Danny, keep 29 clean so it'll be operational." "That's what I mean." "Those things are more important than we are." "No, not more important, but at the moment, more imperative." "We're in a hell of a mess." "We certainly are." "It's a big step, Cindy." "Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" "No." "It's too late, Mel." "And it's not just the girls I'm thinking of." "There's someone else, Mel." "There has been for quite a while." "Someone who makes me feel wanted occasionally." "You had no idea, had you?" "Too busy to even consider the possibility." "Mel?" "Mr. Bakersfeld, I'm sorry." "I didn't know you were busy." "Cindy, uh, Mrs. Livingston." "Mrs. Bakersfeld." "How do you do?" "How do you do?" "I have information on that man with the attaché case." "I'll talk to you about it in a little while." "Certainly." "Are you sure?" "Are you really sure?" "Yes." "When we tell the children, we must do it together." "Of course, and I promise there won't be any trouble." "You may see the girls as often as you wish." "Thanks." "As a matter of fact, you'll probably see them more often." "Ex-husbands always seem to make a special effort." "Bakersfeld." "Hang on a sec." "Ned, I'll be right with you." "OK, Hank." "Go ahead." "Yes." "That's all right." "Put it in warehouse 12." "Well, get the trucks out." "They're not supposed to be blocking that area." "Right." "What's up, Ned?" "No, no, no, no." "Let the city police handle it." "Now, you stay right here." "I'll just be a minute." "The downtown terminal said they remembered... a man with an attaché case." "They must have seen 10 men with attaché cases." "But this one held it under his arm." "When the agent tried to put a tag on it, he pulled away and insisted on putting it on himself." "That's why they remembered him." "And it was Guerrero." "I can't get anything out of his wife, except a blank stare." "Maybe you can make her talk." "Please try." "I have a horrible feeling." "All right." "Bring her in." "Mrs. Guerrero?" "She's gone." "Hold it." "Yes, sir?" "Remember the woman you turned over to Mrs. Livingston?" "She's given us the slip." "She's probably still in the terminal." "You've got to find her, Ned." "We'll try." "Will you round up our boys?" "We'll announce from here." "You do it." "I'll call the insurance counter." "What's the security code?" "Lester Mean-Wearing." "Attention, please." "Attention, please." "For Mr. Lester Mean-Wearing's party" "Mr. Mean-Wearing requests... that all members of his travel group... report immediately to the main terminal entrance." "To the main terminal entrance." "Yes." "Here it is, Mr. Bakersfeld." ""FD." "O. Guerrero. "F It's for 225,000." "Yes, I remember him." "Yes, sir." "He was a little nervous." "Aside from that, did you notice anything unusual about him?" "Well, just one thing." "For somebody going to Europe, he didn't seem to have much money." "He paid me with six $1.00 bills... and the rest in change, mostly nickels and dimes." "It seemed to be just about all he had." "Thanks." "You've been so busy, we just haven't had a chance to chat." "I'm Ada Quonsett." "How do you do?" "What's your name, sir?" "Guerrero." "Guerrero?" "That's Spanish, isn't it?" "Yes, but way back." "You look more Irish." "So did my mother." "I've been fascinated by that figuring... you've been doing on the map." "I said to Mr. Davidson I was sure you would win." "The contest." "The one that comes the closest to guessing... our time of arrival wins a sightseeing trip." "Oh, no." "I didn't-no." "I just do this as sort of a hobby." "I like to see if I can... calculate where we are all the time." "Now, that's" "If you'll excuse me," "I think I'll take a little nap." ""FApproach with extreme caution." "His seat assignment is 23A."F" "Have the dispatcher send it on the company frequency- probably New York." "They're out of the Cleveland area by now." "Maybe the man is just an ordinary eccentric." "Maybe all he's got in there are important papers." "I don't think so." "I wish I did." "I have a niece aboard that flight." "All right." "Suppose he has got a bomb." "They've been up there over an hour." "Why hasn't he let it go?" "I don't know." "Maybe he's waiting until they get out over the ocean." "The Atlantic doesn't leave traces." "We just found the Guerrero woman." "One of my men is bringing her." "Hold that call." "We may have something else." "I'll call you right back." "Now they say it's too cold." "Oh, he has fainting spells." "When he feels one coming on, he takes a whiff of oxygen." "Sometimes it helps." "Don't let him kid you." "It's an F. A. A. regulation." "Over 25,000, if one of us leaves the flight deck, the other one must go on oxygen." "It's just a precaution." "Thanks." "Why didn't you ring?" "I could have brought you that." "Up there, I'd have to be formal." "Up there, I couldn't tell you, uh... how sorry I am." "How do you feel?" "I feel great, Vern." "No fainting spells." "No craving for pickles." "No morning sickness." "It's funny." "I didn't think you were the kind of a guy... who would worry about a thing like this." "Neither did I. You know, before, you said that you thought I loved you just a little." "You're wrong." "I-I love you a lot more than just a little." "I didn't know he was going to Rome." "He said he was going to Milwaukee." "Here, Inez." "Take another sip of this." "But this was in your purse." "You must have known." "It just came tonight, special." "I only saw it after he left." "Does your husband have business in Italy?" "What is your husband's business?" "Oh, he's, uh, he was... he did excavations for buildings." "You've said "Fwas. "F He's not in that business anymore?" "Things... went wrong." "Financial trouble?" "Yes." "Bad trouble?" "Broke?" "In debt?" "Then how did he pay for his ticket?" "I think, uh... he pawned my mother's wedding ring." "When I looked tonight in the case, it was empty." "He-he just... can't seem to hold a job lately." "Why not?" "He gets in arguments." "They fire him." "It's his temper." "He's been like that... ever since he got out of the hospital." "What sort of hospital?" "Army hospital." "Yes, but, uh, I mean, what was he in the hospital for?" "He, uh... was sick." "Mental patient?" "Mrs. Guerrero, what did your husband do in the army?" "He was a demolition expert." "And I suppose in his excavation work, he used explosives?" "He, um..." "You were about to say something." "His last job-they fired him." "Something... was missing." "Some dynamite." "What we need is an unlisted number." "This is Global two." "Global two, New York." "We have an important message for you." "Advise when ready to copy." "OK, New York." "Go ahead." "Strong probability- repeat, strong probability exists... that passenger D. O. Guerrero, seat assignment 23A, may have an explosive device in attaché-type briefcase." "Passenger purchased excessive insurance, mentally disturbed, and desperate." "Approach with extreme caution." "Right." "Tell him another section of 3-by-12s laid crosswise." "Will do." "They need you?" "No." "It won't be ready to drive for a half-hour." "Ingram knows what to do in the meantime." "OK." "So we know the kook is sitting in 23A." "That's here." "That's right." "What's your opinion?" "My opinion is they should get back here as fast as they can." "If he lets go, could the plane stand the explosion?" "We got one break-he's not sitting in an aisle seat, so first, it'll blow out a hunk of the fuselage here." "What kind of structural damage would that cause?" "There's nothing but skin on the sides." "All the control cables run here, so if it's not too big a hole, she might still fly, but the sudden decompression at 30,000 feet... is something you got to see to believe." "He'll get sucked out, won't he?" "So will anybody next to him." "Until that pressure equalizes, everything within 20 feet of him that's not nailed down... is going to get sucked out." "Is it that powerful?" "Are you sure?" "Huh." "Yeah, I'm sure." "As a mechanic in the Air Force," "I was being transferred on a MATS plane." "At 20,000 feet, one of the windows shattered." "The guy sitting next to it was about 170 pounds." "He went through that space like hamburger going down a disposal." "Right after him, coats, pillows, blankets, cups, saucers... yeah, I'm sure." "Takes about three seconds, doesn't it?" "Three, four, five." "Depends on the size of the hole." "Everything fogs up just like that, and then, watch out." "That altitude, you can't breathe, so unless they get on oxygen in 45 seconds, it's good-bye." "We'll turn back, but I'm going to make a wide, slow turn." "That way, the passengers might not notice." "Toronto Center, this is Global two." "Seem to have a problem here." "Request clearance back to Lincoln at a lower altitude." "Roger, Global two." "Turn left, heading 2-7-0." "Descend and maintain flight level 2-8-0." "Are you declaring an emergency?" "Possible emergency." "We might have a disturbed passenger." "There's no mistake." "He's in 23A." "Fits the description perfectly." "When did you see him?" "When I was boarding Mrs. Quonsett." "He's sitting right next to her." "Did you notice the attaché case?" "It's on his lap, and he won't put it down." "Ruth told me that when she was serving the snacks, he wouldn't use the pull-down table." "He insisted on putting his tray on top of his case." "Sounds as if that's where he's got it." "Then he must have a trigger on the outside of the case." "Is anyone sitting on the other side of the old lady?" "A man." "Then I'd have to lean over two people." "I couldn't surprise him." "OK if I go take a look?" "Sure." "Not too close a look." "He might suspect something." "No." "I'll do one of those smiling, good evening walk-throughs." "If anybody catches the fact that we're turning around," "I'll give some double-talk." "Toronto Center, Global two starting to turn." "Would like to make it wide and gradual." "Global two, wide turn approved." "Will alert other sectors to your problem." "So delay serving dinner." "Put every bottle, cup, glass, and everything else away... and lock it up." "Right." "Be careful, Vernon." "All right." "I'll tell the girls in tourist." "Oh." "Oh, Captain." "Our son has a question to ask you." "Schuyler, here's our captain." "Before, Virgo and Leo were right there, sir." "Now I'm beginning to see Ursa Minor and Cassiopeia." "We must be turning around." "You have a young navigator here." "I'll tell you, son, due to a setzle wind, distors vexered us into a 360 tarsan of slower traffic." "We'll maintain this borton hold... until we get fortomagnus clearance from Malnix." "Oh." "Yes, of course." "What did he mean by that, son?" "Never mind, Father." "I'll tell you later." "Enjoying your trip?" "Very much." "I was telling my wife how smooth it is." "A little while ago, I put my drink on the armrest, and there wasn't even a ripple." "Didn't lose a drop." "Hi, girls." "Slumming, Captain?" "No." "We got some bumpy weather ahead, so don't serve dinner yet." "Keep everything in the drawers." "OK." "Doug, are you getting plane-to-ground direct?" "Affirmative." "They've turned around and started a slow descent." "What's the frequency?" "132.0." "I'm sorry to have to put this on you, but if I go back there a second time, he might get suspicious." "Don't worry." "I think I can handle it." "Excuse me, madam." "May I see your ticket?" "My ticket?" "That nice young man at the gate took it." "He wouldn't do that." "If it was a round-trip ticket, you still have the return flight coupon." "If it was one-way, you have the ticket stub and boarding folder." "You're English, aren't you?" "I knew it the moment you started to talk." "You make our language sound so delightful." "My late husband said" "Never mind what he said." "What about your ticket?" "I'll look, dear, but I'm sure" "Why don't you stop wasting my time, Mrs. Quonsett?" "You are Mrs. Ada Quonsett, aren't you?" "Since you're aware of who I am, there's no use denying it, is there?" "If there's some misunderstanding, I can help." "There's no misunderstanding." "Are you traveling with her?" "No." "Then it's not your business." "This woman is a stowaway." "Are we going to turn back?" "You're not that important." "When we land in Rome, you'll be handed over to the authorities." "Come with me." "The captain has to make a report on you, but first he'd like to see you." "Let this lady out, please." "The captain wants to see me?" "He doesn't like to wait." "Don't treat her like a criminal." "That's what she is." "Shoving an old lady like that!" "I've never seen the like." "Mrs. Quonsett," "I'm Captain Demerest." "This is Captain Harris." "Would you come forward as far as you can?" "Oh, Captain" "Please sit down, Mrs. Quonsett." "I'm sorry to be a trouble to you, but I was going to New York to visit my poor daughter" "Why'd you get on this flight?" "Because according to the schedule, the next flight back from Rome is to New York-your number 5- and I thought they'd want to get rid of me quickly, so they'd put me on that plane." "If you help us, I promise you, you'll get to take trips to New York, first class." "Oh." "Thank you." "But how can I help?" "Mrs. Quonsett, now, whatever happened back there, you can forget." "That's not why you were brought here." "Mrs. Quonsett, I hope I didn't hurt you." "No, no... not much." "Are you frightened easily?" "No." "I get nervous sometimes, but not as much as I used to." "When you get older, there isn't a lot left to be frightened of." "Good." "All right, now..." "you listen very carefully." "C. B.:" "Global two, this is Toronto Center." "Your position is 15 miles east of Klineberg intersection." "Say altitude." "Level at 2-8-0." "Request continued slow descent." "Roger, Global two." "What altitude do you wish?" "Request flight level 2-1-0." "Roger." "Continue slow descent." "Maintain flight level 2-1-0." "Mel, I just talked to the other commissioners, and they all agree with me." "So as not to have more trouble with Meadowood residents," "I'm instructing you to shut the airport down until 7 a. m." "Read this... dispatch we just sent." "The plane's on its way back." "You still want us to shut down?" "Under the circumstances, I, uh, I..." "Global two, this is Toronto Center." "Continue slow descent." "Whatever she's done, you don't have to be so rough." "Don't interfere." "Ask the captain to reconsider." "I don't want to be handed over to the Italian police!" "It's too late." "Get in your seat." "All I ask is to be sent back." "Please, don't hand me over in a foreign country." "Can't you see she's upset?" "I told you to keep out of this." "Sit down and be quiet." "You hurt me!" "You hurt me." "Stop it!" "You're hysterical." "Oh, help me!" "Please, help me." "Help me!" "No!" "No." "That's his personal property." "You can't take it!" "No!" "No!" "You stay where you are!" "Don't try to get any closer." "Guerrero, listen to me." "Do you hear me?" "Listen." "They know about you on the ground." "Your insurance is no good." "It's canceled." "It's worthless." "No one has ever gotten away with a thing like this." "No one has collected a penny." "You won't help your family." "You'll only hurt them." "You'll kill yourself for nothing if you explode that bomb." "Stay where you are!" "Your family will be hounded and blamed." "Listen to me." "Think." "Guerrero, let these people sit down, and we'll talk." "I promise, until you're ready, no one will come close." "Sit down, please." "Guerrero, you know now that you've failed." "The only way you can help your family is to give me that case." "Give me the case." "If you do, I promise, no one on this plane will hurt you." "Grab him!" "He's got a bomb!" "Get on oxygen!" "Mayday!" "Mayday!" "Trans Global two." "Decompression." "Making emergency descent." "Request 10,000." "Roger." "Descend and maintain 10,000." "Report your intentions when ready." "Global two, Toronto Center." "We're level at 10,000." "Returning to heading 2-7-0." "We have damage due to explosion." "Extent unknown." "Turn on all the heat you've got." "Can we maintain control?" "The rudder's heavy, and the stabilizer trim won't respond, but at least the tail didn't fall off." "Where'd he pull the trigger?" "In the starboard can." "Go back and check the damage and report by interphone." "According to the manifest, there's three doctors aboard." "Let's hope they're not dentists." "They're probably pitching in already." "Get anybody else that can help." "And find out about Gwen." "I'm so cold." "I'm terribly cold." "Put him on the walk-around." "I'm cutting off the oxygen." "All right." "You can breathe normally." "You can take off the masks." "Fasten your seat belts." "Fasten your seat belts." "Fasten your seat belts." "Stewardess, if there's any brandy on board, pass it out." "Are you a doctor?" "Yes, sister." "Press that hard." "Are you all right?" "May I help you?" "I'm all right, thank you." "Take care of that man behind me." "How is her pulse, sister?" "Weak." "I have some adrenaline syringes." "Would you prepare a shot?" "Will it hold?" "SECOND After I get this blanket wedged in here." "Joan." "As soon as they're patched up, move them forward." "Stow the center armrests." "Put four people in three seats." "Right." "Go ahead." "The hole's about three to four feet." "What about control surfaces?" "Can you see anything?" "Possible damage to rudder power, and it looks like we have stabilizer problems." "Most of the glass, thank God, went sideways." "Can we stay in the air an hour?" "Hard to tell." "There's a tear in the ceiling from the hole... over to the port side." "Think there's a rupture in the outer skin?" "I don't know." "Could be." "What about the passengers?" "I can't say anything definite." "I checked the structural damage first, but what I did see was less than I expected- some cuts and bruises and shock and puking." "Medical help good." "I'm going to cut off the passenger oxygen." "How's Gwen?" "Pretty bad shape." "The doctor's working on her." "I'll report when I can." "Sounds like the break is this side of the tail." "Better sit down as fast as we can, if we can." "Right." "Toronto Center, Global two." "Have structural damage." "Would like to land nearest available airport." "Global two, Toronto Center." "Everything east of Lincoln on your course... is closed due to weather or field conditions." "However, if you are declaring an emergency, Detroit possible." "They report five inches of snow over ice, but they will try to clear." "Request detour." "Stand by in case of any change in condition." "We'll try for Lincoln." "Roger, Global two." "You are leaving my area." "Contact Cleveland Center, 117.5." "Good luck." "Roger, Toronto." "Cleveland Center, Global two on your frequency." "Global two, this is Cleveland Center." "Radar contact." "Turn right, heading 2-8-0." "Maintain 10,000." "Lincoln weather: sky obscured, visibility 1 mile, blowing snow." "Runway two-niner still closed." "But we have control damage which makes landing on 29 imperative." "Repeat: imperative!" "Roger, Global two." "We'll relay your condition and request." "Keep monitoring." "I'll be in Mobile One." "If there's any change, call me." "Global two, this is Cleveland Center." "All eyeglasses off." "Eyeglasses off." "All eyeglasses off." "Take off your eyeglasses and return your seats to their upright position." "Take off your eyeglasses and return your seats to their upright position." "The captain deliberately struck me across the face!" "Unless you shut up, the second officer's going to do the same." "Is there anything I can do to help?" "Yes, Father." "I'm putting you in charge of praying." "If that's an order, you're 30 minutes too late, son." "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Demerest." "I want to thank you for moving forward in an orderly manner." "I think it'll be warmer for you this way, and it'll help us in controlling the plane during landing." "You know we've all had trouble, bad trouble." "I won't attempt to minimize it, but we've all gone through an experience... that none of us has ever had before, and thank God we have come through." "We have the airplane under control." "We estimate landing in about 25 minutes." "I won't kid you-we still have a few problems ahead of us." "Now, there are two thoughts that should comfort you." "First, you're in one of the best-constructed planes... that there is." "Second... tonight, instead of one experienced captain, you have two- Captain Harris and myself." "Between us, we have more flying years than we..." "I'm giving you something for the pain, but don't move your head." "Later on, Second Officer Jordon... will give you instructions on landing procedure." "Please do exactly as he says, and I promise you, we'll all come through this together safely." "Thank you." "Global two, Cleveland Center." "Lincoln advises runway two-niner still closed." "They are attempting to clear, but failing that, plan landing on 22." "Roger." "Want me to take over a while?" "Yeah, thanks." "Ground, Mobile One." "Yes, Mel?" "Tell the chief to take position between runway 29 and 22... so they can move either way." "We'll notify which runway later." "Roger." "Turn left, heading 2-0-5." "At pilot's discretion, descend and maintain 6,000." "Report leaving 10,000." "Global two turning left, heading 2-0-5, leaving 10,000 now." "Mr. Jordan said you wanted to see me again, Captain." "We radioed ahead, and they'll have all the equipment that you asked for." "Oh, good." "You'd better call again." "Ask the airport doctor to have an ophthalmic surgeon stand by." "For Miss Meighen?" "Yes." "Besides the other injuries I mentioned," "I'm afraid her right eye has splinters." "Whether they're wood or metal, I have no way of knowing." "Her left eye, as far as I can tell, is unharmed." "Of course, it's too early to draw conclusions." "Modern ophthalmic surgery can do extraordinary things." "I'd better get back to her" "Doctor?" "Gwen-Miss Meighen- she's pregnant." "Does that make a difference?" "I had no way of knowing." "Her pregnancy can't be very far advanced." "No, it isn't." "She wasn't deprived of oxygen long enough to harm the child." "No one was." "If there are no abdominal injuries and she survives, chances are good that the baby should be born normally." "Global two leaving 8,000." "Advise Lincoln doctor to have ophthalmic surgeon available." "Roger, Global two." "Will notify." "I'll take over now." "Vern, I guess you know how badly I feel about Gwen." "What's between you two, that's none of my business, but if there's anything I can do as a friend..." "You already have." "Mobile One, ground control." "Yes, Doug." "This is Mel." "Cleveland just handed off flight two to Chicago Center." "The aircraft transmissions aren't exactly regulation." "The captain's blowing a fuse." "I'd like to monitor." "What's the frequency?" "117.1." "We need answers, not questions." "Are you guys sleeping down there?" "Why aren't we getting any action?" "We need help!" "Global two, this is the Chicago Center watch supervisor." "Please understand we're doing everything we can." "We're holding other traffic and giving you priority." "What type of approach do you wish?" "Chicago supervisor, listen carefully." "Any approach is no damned good if it ends on runway 22." "We need two-niner." "We've got an unserviceable stabilizer trim, doubtful rudder control, and structural damage." "If we're brought in on 22, there'll be a broken airplane and a lot of dead people, so you call Lincoln and turn the screws." "You tell the Lincoln manager to get off his butt... and clear that runway!" "Snow desk, Mobile One." "This is snow desk." "Go ahead, Mel." "Danny, listen carefully." "Break the conga line." "Send the heavy plows across to runway two-niner." "They're to head for stuck airplane and await instruction." "Roger." "Conga leader, snow desk." "Yeah, that's it." "On this side, get close under the wheel." "Whack it on the other side." "Keep monitoring Chicago Central and ground control." "If you hear anything important, honk." "Right." "What's with the plows?" "If you can't move this plane, they will." "Shove an undamaged airplane with snowplows?" "Are you out of your mind?" "No." "I'm out of runways." "Think of what this baby costs." "I'm thinking of that planeload of people." "This runway is their only hope." "If those snowplows rip it apart, chunks of fuselage will be everywhere." "It's a chance I've got to take." "OK, but you keep those toys out of my hair... and away from this airplane for 15 minutes." "Maybe less." "I'll drive it out." "Joe, let's get one thing straight." "When tower says time is running out, that's it, no arguments." "Plows will move on my order." "Get everybody and everything out of the way." "We're starting." "Get me somebody that's cockpit-qualified." "All right, everybody, we're clearing out!" "And Chicago Center expects to hand over in 12 minutes." "After that, our approach control has the flight for 8-10 minutes." "We figure touchdown at 1:28." "That's less time than we figured." "Also, the runway choice must be made... no later than five minutes before landing." "After that, they're committed." "They can't turn them." "What'll we do now?" "Get out of the way and wait." "And holding 6,000 on heading 205." "What's the status on runway two-niner?" "No change." "We'll keep you advised." "Roger." "Mobile One, snow desk." "Go ahead, Danny." "The equipment is in position, standing by, ready to move." "Roger." "But be clear- if the plows go in," "I'll give the order- no one else." "Right." "Better you than me." "You'll do a hatchet job on that plane." "Then the owners will do the same to you." "If the owners were on the plane, they'd agree with me." "Roger." "Standing by." "Mobile One, ground control." "The Center estimates hand-off to Lincoln approach control at 17." "This gives you 11 minutes to make a decision." "I must be kept informed of exact status of approaching flight." "Can we hold this frequency clear?" "Affirmative." "We've moved regular traffic to another frequency." "Can you also put stuck 707 on same frequency so I can monitor?" "Roger." "May I speak to Patroni?" "That's OK." "Approach control, who's taking the hand-off?" "Frank has east arrivals." "Continental 73, due to emergency, continue to hold at Joliet." "Maintain 8,000." "The Center will hand off Global two in three minutes." "He's all yours." "Stick with it." "We'll take everything else." "You'll have the runway as soon as we know." "Right." "OK, son..." "let's get going." "Ready to start." "Pressurize." "Light on number three." "30 miles east of the airport, contact Lincoln approach control. 118 point niner." "Good luck." "Roger." "Lincoln approach, Global two." "Global two, Lincoln approach control." "We're still hoping for runway two-niner." "We should know in three to five minutes." "Roger, Lincoln." "Keep us advised." "Global two, 25 miles east of outer marker, turn right, heading 260." "Begin descent at your discretion to 2,000." "Hold it, Doug." "Don't commit that flight to runway 22." "There'll be a change in two-niner's status any moment." "Roger." "Snow desk, Mobile One." "Go ahead, Mel." "Start the plows." "Roger." "Conga leader, snow desk." "Move." "Joe, this is Mel." "There's no more time." "Stop all engines." "Get out." "Repeat." "Stop all engines." "Mr. Patroni, she won't take much more." "Well, anyway, she's going to get it." "Joe, the plows are moving." "Shut down and hold on!" "Joe Patroni, do you read me?" "Acknowledge." "Joe, shut down!" "Don't you hear?" "We have to shut down!" "Can't hear a thing." "There's too much noise." "Hold on!" "We're going for broke." "The instruction book said that was impossible." "That's one nice thing about the 707." "It can do everything but read." "Light up two-niner." "Instructing aircraft remove from runway two-niner." "I'm inspecting for debris." "Roger." "Standing by." "Runway two-niner clear and open." "Global two, turn right, heading 285." "Runway two-niner is now open." "Roger, Lincoln." "You've just freed the slaves again." "Request P. A. R. approach." "Global two, Roger." "This will be a precision radar approach to runway two-niner." "Stand by." "We'll pick you up on another scope." "How's it handling?" "Real sluggish." "What was that?" "A bump!" "Now shut up and move over!" "One bounce, we might leave the tail behind." "Heads down!" "Keep your arms under your pillow!" "Heads down!" "We're going to crash!" "We'll be killed!" "I know we're all" "Ohh!" "Maintain heading 285." "Position:" "8 miles from the airport." "Final approach turn in one mile." "Maintain 2,000 feet." "You need not acknowledge further transmissions." "Global two, turn right, heading two-niner-five." "Approaching glidepath in one mile." "You're cleared to land runway two-niner." "Wind 300 degrees." "30, gusting 35." "Now intercepting glidepath." "Begin normal rate of descent." "On course." "If no transmissions received for five seconds on final, abandon radar approach and make straight-in I. L. S. approach." "Now six miles from touchdown." "Course and glidepath good." "Now drifting left." "Turn further right, heading 305." "Slightly high on glidepath." "Adjust your descent." "Keep your head down!" "Passing five miles from touchdown." "Going through glidepath." "Adjust your descent." "Now 100 feet low." "Ease your aircraft up." "Four miles from touchdown." "Turn left, heading 301, returning to glidepath." "Now on glidepath." "Check wheels down and locked." "Cleared to land." "Three miles from touchdown." "Course good." "Slightly low on glidepath." "Ease it up a little." "Surface wind gusting to 35 knots." "Two miles from touchdown." "Course good." "Glidepath good." "Looks OK." "Advise when approach lights in sight." "We've got the lights." "Roger." "Good luck." "Checklist complete?" "Checklist complete." "I'll need help with the rudder." "Right." "Right rudder." "OK if Jordon watches the right side for a minute?" "I'll be right back." "Global two, welcome home." "Need a tow, or can you taxi?" "Over." "Global two, again, need a tow or can you taxi?" "We can taxi." "How is she?" "I think she'll be all right." "Can I speak to her?" "Go ahead." "Gwen... it's Vern." "Can you hear me?" "If you can, squeeze my hand." "Hold on." "You'll be all right." "We're going to make it." "P. A.:" "Please do not obstruct the tourist jetway." "Open the gate." "Get that down here!" "Mel!" "They're down." "Everything's fine." "I was watching television" "I know." "The news picked up the mayday and flashed it everywhere." "They're all right." "P. A.:" "All passengers will deplane... through the first-class jetway." "Come on." "Stand back, please." "Let us through here." "I'd like a statement." "I'll have one later." "You can talk to the captain, too." "Please stand back." "This is too important." "We need a wheelchair." "A wheelchair!" "I'm Mrs. Demerest." "Is Captain" "He's coming off that jetway." "Thank you." "Move back." "Let these folks through." "Get these people over there." "Step back, please." "Step back." "Those of you who aren't helping, step back." "Sit down in a central area." "Sit down right here." "Sit down right here, please." "We'll notify your families." "Judy!" "Oh, thank God!" "Stay in this area, senora... in this area." "Oh, madam." "Oh, oh!" "I'm sorry, but that's my coat." "I'm sorry, too." "Come on, let's move back." "Let's move back, please." "Hey!" "I'm so sorry!" "He didn't mean it." "He-he-he didn't mean it." "I'm sorry!" "I'm so sor" "Inez." "I'm sorry!" "I'm Dr. Nash, airport physician." "I'm Dr. Compagno." "A stewardess has splinters in her eye." "They may have penetrated." "An ambulance is waiting to take her to the hospital." "An ophthalmic surgeon's waiting." "Any other complications?" "She has a fractured right arm." "They'll probably use a general." "Before they decide which type of anesthesia, tell them she's pregnant." "Here she comes." "It's all right." "We'll take care of her." "I'm going with her." "Nice going, sweetheart." "Remind me to send a thank-you to Mr. Boeing." "Good morning." "First class or economy?" "First class." "You know, it was much more fun the other way." "I'm too keyed up to sleep." "What about breakfast?" "Good idea." "Where should we go?" "Your apartment." "Well, you've been bragging about your scrambled eggs." "It's time I found out how good they are." "Mr. Bakersfeld?" "Maintenance just called." "The snow blowers got damaged." "Mike wants you to decide whether to work overtime to repair them." "Tell him to do it himself." "Yes, sir."