Part 9 (2/2)
”Best experience for landing at Baguio is s on aircraft carrier”
”Thanks,” Rick said ”Any advice?”
”Yes Go to Philippine Air Lines Talk to flight dispatcher PAL flight leaves here ht for you Fly to rendezvous
Pretty soon along coood, Rick realized He could not do better than follow a regular air-line flight into the field He did as directed, ht, a former Filipino pilot in the United States Air Force, and was told the approxiht would pass the Kennon Road horseshoe curve for the Baguio approach
”Follow the Kennon Road,” the pilot advised ”Pick o over the curve You can'telse like it”
While Rick ements, Tony and Scotty loaded their personal suitcases into the luggage coine and checked the plane, so that it hen Rick arrived They took off at once and headed north across the great central plain of Luzon
The landscape beloas flat, cut up by creeks and estuaries It was perfect rice country Later they passed Mount Arayat, once the hide-out of the Hukbalahap--the lawless forces that had been such a threat to Philippine stability Ahead of them rose the mountains of northern Luzon Within those uio and Mountain Province
Rick picked up the Kennon Road without trouble as it wound its way through the foothills Staying high, he followed it until he reached a great switchback curve A car following that road would literally double back on itself, he thought He glanced at his watch The PAL plane would be along in about twotime perfectly Rick cliine transport approaching
The PAL pilot waggled his wings, and Rick followed as the air liner throttled doung between mountain peaks, and threaded its way doide valley Rick gulped A good thing he had had the experienced pilot to follow He would never have found the way alone The peaks were co to someone who had never seen them before
The air liner turned suddenly and Rick's heart leaped into his throat
He thought the PAL plane was flying right into the mountainside But such was not the case The plane settled down on a landing strip that had been hewn from a mountaintop It was obvious what the PAL official had s
Rick followed the PAL plane in, and had to fight down his instinctive feeling to gain altitude when he saw theat hion was down, and he taxied toward the control station
Scotty wiped his brow ”Some field!”
”Next tied ten years”
The Filipino pilot walked to uio airport?”
”I've landed on fields I liked better,” Rick replied ”Thanks for leading us in”
”You're welcoain for a week All I could think of was spreading ers all over the hillside But only the first time is hard We fly in and out of here several times a day, and we've never had a serious accident”
”Your air line doesn't go in for accidents,” Tony Briotti said ”You have a remarkable safety record”
”We do our best,” the pilot said ”Going into town? I aive you a lift”
”Thanks a ements for my plane”