“View from Altitude - I”

“Conflict at Rotate!”

It was a cold almost snowing South Dakota wintry morning as I walked toward Base Operations.  The temperature had dropped overnight well below freezing.  Though it had warmed up some, still in all it was cold and the wind.  Oh, the wind. It was howling and gusting out of the north—the north of Canada that is.  It blew south as if it had made its journey with me in its sights.  My flight suit and jacket did little to stop it—forget the flight gloves.

“Hoser 54, taxi and hold short of the active for traffic on final.”  It was now three hours after I had arrived at base ops.  As I sat there in the jump seat watching, it always fascinated me to watch the pilots as we had taxied and now were waiting for takeoff.

Pre-flight

I had joined the aircrew at the weather brief.  Weather had reported “Temperature is 35, with winds out of the North at 15.  Snow is in the forecast but should not get here until 2000 this evening.  It may be a bit bumpy as you climb out as there are winds aloft.  No weather at altitude in route or on the refueling track.” The sergeant continued, “Any questions?”  There were none.

The pilot that had the takeoff, in this case the aircraft commander gave a quick brief that included take off speeds, mission, refueling track, etc.  It concluded with, “…if we have problems after pickle we will rotate and work our problems in the air.”  Then we boarded the crew bus and headed out to the airframe.  It was a KC 135 R Model.

As we exited the crew bus into the cold wind, we were met with the sound of the AGE equipment as it had been supplying power to the airplane so maintenance could do their pre-flight checks.  It was cold and so once the airplane was loaded, it was a relief to climb the crew entry ladder and get out of the wind.  Soon there was engine start, the crew ladder was pulled up, the crew entry door closed and sealed, and the grate over the entryway dropped into place.  We were as they say, "Buttoned up."  There I was center and back of the two pilots where I had a clear view of the panel.

Taxiing

After a short while we taxied out of our parking spot and bumped our way down the taxiway toward the active runway.  If there ever was anything that said an airplane is built for the air and not the ground, taxing proved the point.  Then came the radios call, “Hoser 54, hold short of the active for traffic on final.”

We taxied off of the taxiway, made the turn onto the hammer head and held there waiting for clearance.  The four CFM-56 engines are now at idle.  We waited for the traffic to land and clear the active runway.  I sat feeling privileged to be sitting on the cold wood of the jump seat.  The cushion had long ago been lost.  I listened on the inner-phone as there was the normal chit-chat banter and talk of the mission.  It was a great day to be a “blue suited” chaplain in “jet jammies” riding along with an aircrew on an aerial refueling mission.

Take Off!!

Soon the call came, “Hoser 54 cleared for takeoff.”  The aircraft commander acknowledged the call, kicked off the brakes, and advanced the throttles.  The sound of the engines spindling up was noticeable.  The flight deck grew quiet except for the creaks and cracks of an airframe built before the aircrew had been born.  We made the turn onto center line of the active runway and began our takeoff roll.

Soon the aircraft commander would further advanced the throttles and the airframe gathered more and more speed.  The pilot in the right seat called out speeds.  “S1,” “Pickle,” then it came, “Rotate.”   It was then that the aircraft commander pulled back on the yoke and….

Abort, Abort, Abort

No, the takeoff was not aborted.  It was too late for that anyhow as we had passed, “pickle.”  However, for a minute let us abort the story and consider that in the moment of rotate there came a conflict.  Not among the air crew, though I have seen such happen.  There came a conflict between two warriors, each of whom would contend with the other in order to win the battle for the airplane.

On one side was a warrior, her name was Gravity.  At her disposal were all of her laws and physics.  Now she was quite happy when we went through all the crew briefings, road the crew bus, started engines, taxied, and rolled out onto the active.  She had absolutely no problem with any of what we had done because she was in complete control.  However when we achieved “rotate” and the aircraft commander pulled back on the yoke, she suddenly came alive because another warrior showed up to try to take control.

The other warrior was named Aeronautics.  At her disposal were all of her laws and physics.  Now she too did not care much when we were on the ground but when we hit “rotate” she decided to take charge.  Problem was that that the two warriors, Gravity and Aeronautics were each trying to be in control. 

Both warriors were determined to win the conflict.  Both fought their battle valiantly, one to maintain control and the other to gain control.  Only one could win.

Life’s Conflicts

Such is so with many of the dichotomies of life.  There is the difference and even conflict between,

What we want and what we know is right.

What was done and what should have been done.

What we find pleasurable and what we find productive.

What is in the immediate and what is in the long-term.

What we understanding by reason and what we understand by faith.

This also is the difficulty with coming to faith in Jesus Christ.  There is one who seeks to keep control of each of us usually with incorrect thoughts, weak resolve, sometimes with appetites run rampant, emotions that inflame, and so much more but control none the less.  He does not give up easily. 

However, there is another who comes only by invitation and with permission.  It is He who seeks to come into one’s life to provide healing, help, and hope.  The conflict between the two is the conflict of the ages.  It has lasted longer than any other conflict in history.  It is the battle for the soul of man and mankind.  No one is exempted from the conflict.

View from Altitude – II

The second post is forthcoming in a day or two.  It poses the question, “Pain with Purpose” or “Pain without Purpose?”