Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the twentyfifteen domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /chroot/home/a6f7779a/9d7429a5d9.nxcli.io/html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6170 {"id":945,"date":"2017-08-01T21:29:17","date_gmt":"2017-08-02T02:29:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=945"},"modified":"2017-08-01T21:29:17","modified_gmt":"2017-08-02T02:29:17","slug":"texas-part-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=945","title":{"rendered":"Texas–Part Three"},"content":{"rendered":"

Texas \u2013 Part Three<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bakers and Lungs<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

One afternoon, not long after Kaz and I had decided that to even consider flying lessons I would need a part-time job, we went out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant which had been recommended to us by the apartment complex manager.\u00a0 It was a small place\u2014maybe six or seven tables\u2014and it was located outside a cozy residential area just north of where we lived.\u00a0 The food was good, and even better, the prices were very reasonable.\u00a0 The only problem was their apparent lack of a waitress, as the same man who seated us was manning the register, taking the orders, and bussing the tables.<\/p>\n

During our meal, I casually mentioned to Kaz that if she was willing to work for Chinese people she should probably apply for a job here.\u00a0 She laughed, saying that if she applied to work here she\u2019d only want to be the cashier.<\/p>\n

By the end of our meal, and after discussing this issue at length, Kaz had decided that if there was indeed a vacancy for a cashier at this restaurant she wouldn\u2019t mind working here.\u00a0 As we paid for our meal we asked about this.\u00a0 The man who\u2019d served us was now also working the register and said that if she was interested he\u2019d be happy to take her application.\u00a0 The only thing though, he advised, was that he didn\u2019t need a cashier.\u00a0 What he needed was a waitress.\u00a0 He handed Kaz an application form and told her to call him for an interview if she thought she\u2019d be interested.<\/p>\n

On the way home we talked about it, and although she wasn\u2019t crazy about waitressing, thought that if the hourly pay was good she was willing to work there.\u00a0 Besides, she surmised, the extra money would come in handy for paying off our furniture debt; plus, because she had no friends or family here in Austin, her days at home were long and lonely.\u00a0 It would do her good to get out and work outside the home.<\/p>\n

Since neither of us had previously considered her getting a job\u2014our discussions had always centered on me getting a part-time job\u2014we hadn\u2019t figured out the logistics of her also working.\u00a0 Since Kaz didn\u2019t know how to drive (and even if she did, we only had one car) I wasn\u2019t sure how this was going to work out.\u00a0 Regardless, once we got home Kaz got busy filling out the application.\u00a0 Just as she started another problem surfaced.\u00a0 She had no Social Security card.<\/p>\n

After we\u2019d married on Okinawa, and before we\u2019d departed for the states, she had applied for a Permanent Residence Card\u2014commonly known as a \u2018Green Card\u2019, but not a Social Security card\u2014as we had not anticipated her having to work once in the state.\u00a0 But without one I doubted that she could apply for any job.<\/p>\n

The wait for the Social Security card wasn\u2019t as bad as I thought it was going to be, so about a month later Kaz was ready to work.\u00a0 She called the Chinese restaurant and was told that the cashier position was still open.\u00a0 Now, all we had to do was figure out how she was going to get to and from the job.<\/p>\n

We decided that the only way this was going to work was to have her start her shift sometime during my two-hour lunch break.\u00a0 That way I could leave the base, take her to work, then by the time her shift was over I would be off work and would be able to pick her up.\u00a0 She discussed this with the owner of the restaurant and he said he\u2019d be fine with that as long as she could be there not later than twelve noon.\u00a0 It would be close, but if I took off for lunch at eleven-thirty, I could have her there by noon.<\/p>\n

Now that Kaz had secured a job it was my turn to look for something.\u00a0 Besides the crappy restaurant and poultry processing jobs I\u2019d had in high school, the gas stations in Winnemucca and Olathe, I didn\u2019t have outside experience in much else.\u00a0 Besides, I was burned out on these types of jobs and I wanted to try something else.<\/p>\n

One day, as I was dropping off some of Kaz\u2019s stuff at a laundry and dry cleaners located in the Capital Plaza mall across the street from our apartment, I noticed that the customer in front of me was a young black man who was dressed in a very stylish suit and a very expensive-looking pair of shoes.\u00a0 As he engaged the clerk behind the counter they began to chat.\u00a0 The waiting area was small and not very private so I couldn\u2019t help but overhear their conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, Eddie,\u201d the clerk asked, \u201chow\u2019s the shoe business nowadays?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you know\u2014runs hot and cold,\u201d the black man replied.\u00a0 \u201cBut for me, it\u2019s always hot\u2014if you know what I mean!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you must be doing well considering these two new suits you\u2019re picking up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about knowing how to sell,\u201d Eddie said, with a little chuckle.\u00a0 With that, the clerk hung two expensive and very stylish suits on the bar and Eddie pulled out some bills to settle the bill.<\/p>\n

Pocketing his change and pulling the plastic-bagged suits off the bar, Eddie turned.\u00a0 \u201cExcuse me,\u201d he said, as he walked around me.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, where do you work?\u201d\u00a0 I asked as he started towards the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u00a0 Oh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I said, apologetically, \u201cI couldn\u2019t help hearing what you said about selling shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem.\u00a0 I work just a couple of store fronts down.\u00a0 Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no reason.\u00a0 Just curious I guess.\u00a0 I never thought selling shoes would be so profitable.\u00a0 Those are some really nice clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks!\u201d he said, smiling widely.\u00a0 He seemed to be in his mid-twenties and was very good looking.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all about the smile!\u00a0 The ladies like that, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLadies?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I work at Baker\u2019s Shoes.\u00a0 A ladies\u2019 shoe store.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should bring your wife or girlfriend in.\u00a0 We have the latest styles at half of department store prices.\u00a0 If you do decide to come in, be sure to ask for Eddie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eddie smiled, turned, and smoothly walked out the door.\u00a0 As I completed my transaction with the clerk, I wondered what it would be like to work somewhere where you wore a nice suit and tie.\u00a0 Up to this point in my life, the only time I\u2019d ever worn a suit was at our wedding on Okinawa; and I just couldn\u2019t see wearing it again at someplace I worked.<\/p>\n

That evening, over dinner, I brought the subject up to Kaz.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to work selling woman shoes?\u201d she asked, twisting her head in that inquisitive way and wrinkling her nose.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 All I\u2019ve ever done is work at gas stations and that drive-in in Kansas.\u00a0 It would certainly be different to work in a nice clean store for a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what you know about selling shoes to woman?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing!\u00a0 But how hard could it be?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWoman very picky.\u00a0 Not like filling car with gas or making hamburger.\u00a0 Woman never know what she want to buy.\u00a0 Especially shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, I guess that\u2019s true\u2014but I think I\u2019ll drop by tomorrow anyway and fill out an application.\u00a0 Can\u2019t hurt, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm.\u00a0 Do what you want, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

A couple of days after submitting an application I was called in to meet with the store manager.\u00a0 He was a small man, about five feet four inches, probably in his early fifties, and wore his lightly-graying brown hair slicked back.\u00a0 His name was Arthur Mims, and he\u2019d been in the shoe-selling business for over thirty years.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m a licensed chiropractor,\u201d he told me, \u201cbut early on I decided that I liked selling much better than I did cracking bones.\u00a0 Never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was constantly moving around\u2014crossing and re-crossing his legs, popping his knuckles, readjusting his tie\u2014so maybe he wouldn\u2019t have done well as a chiropractor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen can you start?\u201d he asked, looking over my application.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll have to buy a couple of suits, since I only have one\u2014so maybe this coming weekend?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you make it Friday evening?\u00a0 Say around four or five?\u00a0 That\u2019s when the walk-ins start filing in, so I could use another set of feet on the floor.\u00a0 Eddie will show you the ropes\u2026I think you met him already, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, at the cleaners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh sure.\u00a0 He\u2019s my top salesman, so you\u2019ll have a good teacher.\u00a0 Any questions?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what about the pay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll work on commission\u2026so the more you sell, the more you make.\u00a0 Plus, add-ons like buckles, shoe polish, purses, all add up, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if I could ask\u2014how much is the commission?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll earn eight percent for each pair of shoes you sell.\u00a0 Add-ons are twenty-five percent.\u00a0 So, you\u2019ll want to sell, sell, sell!\u201d\u00a0 He punctuated the last three words by snapping his fingers as he spit them out.\u00a0 I would soon learn that that was one of his annoying little habits.\u00a0 If he caught you lounging or day-dreaming, or letting customers just mill about the store, he\u2019d sneak up behind you and hiss: \u201cSell (snap), sell (snap), sell (snap)!\u201d<\/p>\n

On the way out of the store, I stopped to look at the shoes arranged inside of the display windows.\u00a0 I was startled to see that the cheapest shoes (sandals) were $3.99, and the most expensive shoes (fancy patent-leather dress pumps) were priced at $9.99.\u00a0 At eight percent, I\u2019d have to sell a whole hell of a lot of shoes just to make up for the price of the two suits I was about to buy.<\/p>\n

By that first weekend, both Kaz and I were gainfully employed at our new jobs.\u00a0 She, cashiering part-time and bussing tables at Lungs Chinese Restaurant; and I, an apprentice working evenings from five to nine, and weekends from eight in the morning until ten at night, at Baker\u2019s Shoe Store.\u00a0 There I was going to try my hand at selling shoes to what seemed like hundreds of women who seemed to want to try on dozens of pairs of shoes, and usually ended up leaving without buying a thing.<\/p>\n

My dream of learning to fly suddenly seemed much further away now than when I didn\u2019t have a part-time job.<\/p>\n

Hits and Misses<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Working part time at Baker\u2019s Shoes was all at once interesting, boring, confusing, and stressful.\u00a0 Not ever having worked for a retail company, and never on commission, I experienced a steep learning curve for the first four or five weeks of my employment.\u00a0 I quickly discovered that this type of work was extremely competitive, and if I wanted to make any money at it I would have to quickly learn how to outmaneuver my four other co-workers on a daily, if not hourly, basis.<\/p>\n

When I\u2019d had my final interview with Mr. Sims the week before, I was told that for the first two months my pay would be based on a \u201cdraw\u201d; that is, for that period of time I would be guaranteed a monthly salary of three hundred dollars a month, or seventy-five dollars a week, if my commissioned sales total remained below that threshold.\u00a0 However, if my paid commissions met or exceeded that amount, the draw would become moot and I would receive my actual earnings\u2014minus deductions for federal withholding taxes, of course.\u00a0 After a quick mental calculation, I determined that based on an eight percent commission, to even meet the monthly draw I would have to sell almost four hundred pairs of the store\u2019s highest priced $9.99 shoes.\u00a0 I further calculated that the odds of my accomplishing that feat (no pun intended), working four hours each weekday evening and full days over the weekend, were very long indeed.<\/p>\n

I also learned that customer contact was determined by what was described as \u201cups\u201d.\u00a0 Each morning (for those salesmen who worked full-time) the first customer of the day belonged to whoever sold the most shoes the day before, the second customer belonged to the next highest salesman, and so forth until everyone on the floor had had the opportunity to contact a customer.\u00a0 Each customer contact opportunity was known as an \u201cup\u201d, so whenever a customer came into the store and it was my turn to wait on her, Eddie, or whoever noticed her entering, would say, \u201cFrank, it\u2019s your up.\u201d\u00a0 I soon learned not to depend on someone else (especially Eddie) to notice when a new customer entered the store.\u00a0 Several times, during my first few weeks, I was cheated out of my ups because I was not paying attention to the front door.\u00a0 Before I knew it, Eddie or one of the other salesmen were waiting on two or three customers while I had none.\u00a0 When I complained to Mr. Sims about this,s his dole reply was, \u201cThe eager bird gets the worm, and you gotta learn how to sell, sell, sell.\u201d<\/p>\n

My first week began on a Monday evening when I reported to the shoe store at five o\u2019clock.\u00a0 After having put in a full day at the base, I hurried home to shower and change into one of the new suits I had bought on credit the previous weekend.\u00a0 Because I hadn\u2019t had a chance to eat dinner, I hurried over to the mall and visited the full-line buffet offered at a Mervyn\u2019s department store just a few storefronts down from the shoe store.<\/p>\n

After getting briefed on how to document each shoe sale on the little sales pad and ensuring I understood that I had to turn in the carbon copies to the cashier, he turned me loose on the floor.\u00a0 Naturally, I was lost.<\/p>\n

I did an absolute disservice to my first few customers who had to tolerate my not knowing what they were talking about when they described a particular style of shoe they were interested in\u2014finally giving up after I had brought out the wrong thing\u2014and taking me out to the display window to show me the exact shoe.\u00a0 Then they were forced to wait forever while I bumbled around in the storage room trying in vain to find the right box in the exact style and size before finally giving up and bringing out something completely different for them to try on.<\/p>\n

But little by little I started getting comfortable in the job, and against all odds, that first month I missed meeting my draw by a hundred dollars.\u00a0 When Mr. Sims handed me that first paycheck I promised him that from then on I would exceed my draw.\u00a0 And I did\u2014significantly.\u00a0 I had to\u2026that\u2019s how much I wanted to learn how to fly.<\/p>\n

To her misfortune, Kaz was not having the same kind of success at Lungs as I was at Bakers.\u00a0 Although the owner had promised that she was being hired as a cashier, she ended up doing that job only when the restaurant was virtually empty.\u00a0 During the lunch and dinner rushes she wound up doing nothing but waiting on tables then bussing them up once the customers left, while the owner worked the register.\u00a0 Worse, a few times she was even asked to help out in the dish washing area when the little guy working back there got a little bit behind.<\/p>\n

Tips were split up among the employees and typically were very low.\u00a0 So given the time and effort she was putting in at the restaurant compared to what she was bringing home, it was not a good deal for her at all.\u00a0 Two months after starting she came home disgusted and suggested that perhaps she should be looking for something else to do.<\/p>\n

One day while I was driving Kaz to work I mentioned the buffet bar at Mervyns.\u00a0 I told her I\u2019d stopped by there a couple of times for a quick bite before heading to the shoe store.\u00a0 It was quick and cheap\u2014all you could eat for $1.99\u2014and the food was decent.\u00a0 Almost as an afterthought she said that maybe she should look into getting a job there.\u00a0 \u201cAnything would be better than working at that Chinese place,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cNot only don\u2019t I like the owner but he very cheap.\u00a0 You know, when I clean up table he order me to not throw away any food left on plate if customer not eat it.\u00a0 \u2018Save it.\u2019 He tells me.\u00a0 \u2018Maybe warm it up again if another customer order same thing.\u00a0 Or maybe you can eat it for your lunch so cook doesn\u2019t have to cook fresh for you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?!\u201d I said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s disgusting.\u00a0 He can\u2019t do that!\u00a0 I think if the health department found out they\u2019d close him down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, they should.\u00a0 He also make us save and re-serve butter not used by customer\u2014and rolls too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, that\u2019s it!\u201d I said forcefully.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you just call in sick today and I\u2019ll drop you off at the buffet where you can ask if they need help.\u00a0 If so, then you can put in your application while you\u2019re there.\u00a0 Besides, if you get a job there it\u2019ll be so much more convenient\u2014it being just across the street from where we live, and all.\u00a0 What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK with me.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to go to Chinese restaurant to work anymore anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

So that was that.\u00a0 We turned around and I drove Kaz back to the apartment so she could change clothes.\u00a0 That afternoon when I got back from the base to get ready to go to the shoe store Kaz cheerfully informed me that she had indeed been hired at the buffet and would start work the next day.\u00a0 She would be training for a couple of weeks keeping the buffet stocked with fresh food, and because she had previous experience operating a cash register the manager assured her that she\u2019d have first shot at an upcoming vacancy.<\/p>\n

Because she didn\u2019t bother to give the Lungs Restaurant manager the required two-week notice that she was quitting, he told her he\u2019d just keep her last check.<\/p>\n

TAC, Selling Techniques, and Pre-flight Prep<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

If I ever thought I had been busy before, I was sadly mistaken.\u00a0 Going to work every morning and discharging my TAC (Tactical Air Command) duties, and attending ground school and meteorological classes, while still selling shoes every evening and on Saturdays and Sundays didn\u2019t allow me too much time for anything else.<\/p>\n

As luck would have it the Air Force had sent down a directive dictating that TAC squadrons increase their field set-ups from one about every month to one every two weeks.\u00a0 Apparently, our times had been lagging in getting our equipment set up and operating during our drills, so the brass in Washington decided that we needed more practice.<\/p>\n

Besides being physically exhausting, the time from start to finish easily consumed a twelve-hour day\u2014leaving me no time to put in even a few hours at the shoe store.\u00a0 Worse, our breaks\u2014but most importantly our two-hour lunches\u2014were all but eliminated.\u00a0 While in the field we were provided box lunches and canned soft drinks by the base chow halls, and those were consumed between the times we set up and tore down our tents and equipment.<\/p>\n

Somehow and luckily, our field exercises just happened to fall on days when I had no scheduled ground school or meteorological classes, so I was able to complete them successfully and without interruption.<\/p>\n

Kaz was almost as busy\u2014spending long hours at the buffet at Mervyns and trying to keep up with the small amount of housework in the apartment.\u00a0 When we did finally find ourselves at home together for a few hours we were too tired to do anything else but collapse from sheer exhaustion.\u00a0 And I hadn\u2019t even started to fly yet!<\/p>\n

By late July I had finally completed all my pre-flight classes, which I had been taking during my long lunch breaks, and I was ready to take to the air.\u00a0 By this time we\u2019d saved enough money to comfortably defray my flight time, fuel costs, and instructor time\u2014so now it was just a matter of trying to find the time that would actually allow me to take an airplane up into the air while still working two jobs.<\/p>\n

That problem was solved one day as I was paying off my aviation class fees at the Aero Club and my future flight instructor, Captain Norgaard walked in.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d he said, cheerfully as he walked up to the weather briefing desk.\u00a0 \u201cI hear you passed your Ground School and Meteorology classes with flying colors and are ready to get some flying lessons under your belt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u00a0 Now all I have to do is find the time to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u00a0 You can get plenty of time during the weekends\u2026money permitting, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf only.\u00a0 I work all day on Saturdays and Sundays.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? Here on the base?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I work part time at Bakers Shoe Store at Capital Plaza.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost.\u00a0 I work from five during the weekday evenings until ten\u2014an hour after we close; then, from eight in the morning until ten at night on Saturdays and Sundays.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShit!\u00a0 Selling shoes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen\u2019s shoes,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you kidding me?\u00a0 When do you get any time off?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t have much of that, and my wife works too.\u00a0 She\u2019s putting in twelve-hour days over at Mervyn\u2019s at the same mall working on their cafeteria\u2019s buffet line.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus!\u00a0 You guys are insane.\u00a0 Why\u2019re you doing all of that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we decided that for me to have a career in aviation we\u2019d have to work hard and save enough money to finance that.\u00a0 So that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing.\u00a0 The only problem now is that I don\u2019t know where I\u2019m going to fit in any actual flying time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s the reason you were doing your ground classes during your lunch time, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMakes sense.\u00a0 So why couldn\u2019t you do your flying during the same time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2026I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s legal for me to do that.\u00a0 Technically, I\u2019m on duty with the Air Force, so I don\u2019t know if I can be actually flying when I\u2019m on duty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long you get for lunch?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnywhere from ninety minutes to two hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, when we\u2019re not deployed in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShit, that\u2019s more than enough time then.\u00a0 OK, how about I talk to your squadron commander and get his OK for you to take flying lessons during your time off for lunch?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou would do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u00a0 I\u2019d do anything to get me some more flying hours logged.\u00a0 You don\u2019t think I\u2019m gonna spend my time flying these damned F-4s all my life, do you?\u00a0 I got a couple of more years in this man\u2019s Air Force then I\u2019m gonna go fly me some commercial jets.\u00a0 Gotta have plenty of hours in my log book to make it easier for me to get hired.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, well I guess if the commander thinks it\u2019s OK I can come up and take my flying lessons during my lunch time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine!\u00a0 I\u2019ll give you a call when that\u2019s done.\u00a0 But for now, let\u2019s look at the flight schedule and see if we can reserve one of the Cherokees for the next couple of days so we can get you up into the air\u2014whaddya think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine by me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow you know you\u2019ll be paying the \u2018wet rate\u2019 (flight time plus fuel), plus my instructor fee, right for your hours flown, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, just so you understand that it\u2019s gonna be a little steep, financially, in the beginning.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be cheaper once you solo.\u00a0 Then you won\u2019t be paying me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow many hours before I solo?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat depends on you.\u00a0 Normally, it takes at least ten or 12 hours for a student to solo.\u00a0 Sometimes it takes longer, occasionally a student does it in less.\u00a0 But it\u2019ll depend on how good a pilot you turn out to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTen or twelve hours\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like a lot of time, but it\u2019ll go faster than you think.\u00a0 I\u2019ll let you know how it goes with your commander.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long after that before I\u2019ll be ready for a check ride\u2026you know, to get my license.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa there partner!\u00a0 Let\u2019s get you in the air before we start thinking about a certification.\u00a0 But, to answer your question, you can expect to go forty or more hours before being recommended for a check ride.\u00a0 Then, a good percentage of students don\u2019t make it the first time.\u00a0 So let\u2019s just concentrate on you learning how to handle the airplane, OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, OK.\u201d\u00a0 But in my mind, I kept thinking, \u2018\u2026forty hours\u2026or more\u2026\u2019.<\/p>\n

I walked out of the Aero Club, my head swimming.\u00a0 I was thinking of the expense I had just taken on, the time it may take me to complete the program, and the amount of effort that I\u2019d have to devote to this endeavor.\u00a0 I worried if I\u2019d bitten off more than I could chew.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

On the other hand, things at the shoe store were going pretty smoothly, all things considered.\u00a0 I had quickly learned that to be successful in selling there were a set behaviors that I would have to develop and strictly adhere to. \u00a0First, I was to always maintain a strict watch on the entrance door.\u00a0 Just because it was my up meant nothing to the rest of my co-workers\u2014especially Eddie.\u00a0 If a customer or customers were loitering outside by the display windows checking out the different styles of shoes, one had to be extremely vigilant, if not clairvoyant, to determine just exactly when they were going to break towards the entrance door.\u00a0 If I was up, I had to make sure that I was positioned at just the right area of the store\u2014not too close to the door, but close enough for me to meet and instantly greet the customers as they entered.\u00a0 Just as important, while lurking close to the door one must appear to be totally disinterested in said customer.<\/p>\n

I developed a style that proved to be extremely successful.\u00a0 I would position myself at the center aisle of the store, about twenty or thirty feet from the front door, and busy myself with rearranging some shoes on display tables near the center of the store\u2014all the while keeping the customers in view out of the corner of my eye.\u00a0 As they started to break for the door I would casually walk toward the front, careful not to make eye contact, but timing my stride so as to arrive at the entrance area at about the same time that they entered.\u00a0 If for some reason they changed their minds and stopped just short of the door or U-turned back out to the exterior walkway, I would nonchalantly direct my attention to the pole just to the left of the door on which display purses were hung and give them a good straightening out.\u00a0 If the customer or customers walked in they would instantly become the extreme focus of my attention.\u00a0 A big smile, a cheery greeting, and welcome was just the beginning of the outpouring of charm that I was about to bestow on them.<\/p>\n

I found that solid and steady eye-to-eye contact was mandatory, coupled with a soft vocal manner, maybe a couple of registers higher than a normal male business voice.\u00a0 Lastly, and maybe most importantly, making them truly believe that they had just become the very center of my personal universe.<\/p>\n

My trips to the back storeroom had to be short.\u00a0 Any more than a minute and the thick helping of charisma that I had shed all over them would slowly begin to dissipate.\u00a0 If I didn\u2019t find the exact style that they\u2019d asked for in their size, I would quickly grab three other similar styles or colors and bring them out.\u00a0 I would explain that not having their size in their requested style\/color was really fortunate because, \u201c\u2026I think these styles\/colors just look so much better on you because of the lovely shape of your foot, your magnificent skin tone\/shade, or how this shoe accentuates the shape of your legs\/calf.\u201d\u00a0 The trick was to have them try them on and walk around near the mirrors.\u00a0 I would float around them being sure to compliment them how this shoe just transformed them and made them taller, shorter, or thinner.\u00a0\u00a0 Of course, all this charm would not always work, but it never ceased to surprise me just how often it did.<\/p>\n

Next, never be satisfied in just selling the customer one pair of shoes.\u00a0 If she came in looking for a dress shoe, also show her a pair of sandals or casual loafers.\u00a0 If it was casual she was looking for, also show her a dress pump\u2014and be sure to add a nice matching purse and maybe a bow clip to accentuate the style.\u00a0 More often than not, a customer that walked in looking for a particular pair of shoes walked out with three or four pairs, a purse or two, and a set of nice add-on bows or clips for those nice black patent leather opera pumps.\u00a0 So, a $9.99 shoe sale could easily be catapulted into a $60 purchase just for one customer if one tried hard enough.\u00a0 (Sell, sell, sell!).<\/p>\n

The real money was made when the store had enough customers for me to wait on two, three or four customers at the same time.\u00a0 Of course, some women didn\u2019t react well to the charm routine so for them I would be sure to display a serious businesslike tone.\u00a0 When waiting on multiple customers I would have to adjust and change my character as I floated among them.\u00a0 At first, I found it difficult to do that, but the more I worked at it the better I got.<\/p>\n

Touch was another aspect of the shoe sales game that I had to learn carefully.\u00a0 Eddie had advised that most women did not mind being touched if it was done impersonally and in a complimentary fashion.\u00a0 For example, if the customer was standing facing one of the full-length mirrors while looking down at the shoes I\u2019d just placed on her feet, he suggested standing just off to the side, looking where she was looking.\u00a0 He suggested displaying a serious contemplative look, maybe left arm folded over midsection supporting the right elbow.\u00a0 The right arm should be extended up to one\u2019s face, index finger curled across lips, shoulders back and head nodding approvingly.<\/p>\n

I should then say, \u201cLet\u2019s see how these look from the back\u2026\u201d, and just gently touch her shoulder with one finger, lightly guiding her around so that her back was now to the mirror.\u00a0 Naturally, she\u2019d look over a shoulder to see how the shoes would look from the back, and I, after quickly removing the finger, stepping back\u2014and reassuming the previous contemplative stance\u2014then say something like, \u201cOh my\u2026just look at that!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think they look nice?\u201d she might ask.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, your husband\/boyfriend may not say anything out loud, but trust me, he would most certainly think so.\u00a0 Oh yes, most definitely.\u201d<\/p>\n

After that initial impersonal touch, which by the way would probably be categorized as sexual assault by today\u2019s standards, she would usually become more amenable to one casually draping a purse over her shoulder, slipping a new pair of hose or socks on her feet, and so forth.\u00a0 That first delicate soup\u00e7on of physical attention would somehow transform the relationship from salesman\/customer to personal advisor\/woman.<\/p>\n

I also learned from Eddie that the sales goal to set for oneself for a twelve-hour day was a thousand dollars in sales.\u00a0 If that goal was met I stood to earn a commission close to, or just over, eighty dollars a day\u2014pretty good money in those days.\u00a0 After the first month, I found myself in direct competition with him and we ended up being the store\u2019s dynamic duo\u2014once exceeding twelve-hundred dollars each in sales on a very busy Saturday.\u00a0 Of course, because I was not putting in as many hours as the rest of the full-time salesmen, I was never able to match what the others were making.\u00a0 I just hoped it would be enough to cover my flight expenses.<\/p>\n

Kaz was much happier working at the Mervyn\u2019s cafeteria buffet than she\u2019d ever been at Lungs.\u00a0 Soon she was not only keeping the buffet trays full but being a quick study and learning the price of each buffet item, she had been elevated to a part-time cashier.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long before we had saved enough money for me to begin my flight training.<\/p>\n

Taking to the Skies<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

My first flying day started with a weather briefing commencing shortly after I entered the Aero Club at 11 AM, right at the beginning of my lunch period.\u00a0 The previous day, Sergeant Kent had given me a letter from the base commander granting me permission to \u201cparticipate in any and all Bergstrom Aero Club activities, including active flight, during non-assigned work hours, as long as my dues were paid and remained a member in good standing\u201d.<\/p>\n

After receiving the weather briefing from the Austin Flight Service Station, via telephone, Marshall, my flight instructor and I, proceeded out to the flight line to conduct my first-ever pre-flight walk-around aircraft inspection.<\/p>\n

I was assigned a yellow and white Cherokee Model 140, equipped with a 150-horsepower Lycoming four-cylinder engine; tail number N8461R.\u00a0 It was probably four or five years old, but it looked brand-new to me.<\/p>\n

Prior to arriving at the Aero Club, I had been asked to bring along my copy of the Cherokee Model 140 flight manual\u2014a sort of owners\u2019 manual\u2014as I was to refer to it as we visually checked the fuel level in each of the aircraft\u2019s two-wing tanks; drew a sample of the fuel to ensure that it had not been contaminated with water and did not contain any type of residue; check the level and viscosity of the oil in the engine\u2019s crankcase; visually check and physically pull on the belt attached to the spool on the oil pump; visually check and ensure solid connectivity of each magneto wire (spark plug wires), and look carefully at the engine looking for leaks or drips of any kind.<\/p>\n

Next, I was taught to run my hands over the propeller to make sure it didn\u2019t have any nicks or dings and to make sure it was solidly connected to the propeller shaft.\u00a0 From here we proceeded to the wings and manually moved the ailerons to ensure their travel was unimpeded and did the same thing at the tail section to the rudder and the elevators.<\/p>\n

Finally, suppressing the urge to kick them, I was to make sure all three landing gear tires were inflated and pointed in the right direction.\u00a0 By the time I climbed up to the wing and squeezed myself into the port side (left) pilot\u2019s seat I was sweating in spite of the cool weather.<\/p>\n

I was instructed to close the door, but not lock it (one of the last items on the pre-takeoff checklist), and refer to the pre-start checklist prior to turning the ignition key.<\/p>\n

There was a different checklist for everything\u2014each one laminated and attached to a small steel ring, and once completed they were all to be stored in a small rectangular compartment located on the right side of my seat cushion. \u00a0I was asked to also put my little owners\u2019 manual in there this time because before our next flight I was expected to have all the pertinent information memorized, so I wouldn\u2019t need it.<\/p>\n

After engine start-up, I was briefed on what the rudders at my feet did (not much until we actually reached 35 or 40 mph), and the brakes, located on top of each rudder pedal and activated by pivoting the foot forward (learn to push on the brakes without also pushing on the rudders).\u00a0 Steering, after moving the aircraft by gently pushing in on a small plunger-like throttle with a red knob and accelerating the engine, was accomplished by pushing on the respective rudder pedal\u2014when under flying speed right rudder turned the plane right and left rudder turned it left.\u00a0 I also had to suppress a desire to turn the yoke (steering wheel) since doing so had absolutely no effect on steering the plane on the ground.<\/p>\n

After receiving clearance from the tower, Marshall instructed me to taxi the plane to what was called the \u201crun-up area\u201d, and I did so in a rather crazy zigzag manner.\u00a0 I recall that the word I uttered most on that first taxi was, \u201coops\u201d.<\/p>\n

While stopped at the run-up area, Marshall explained that while holding the aircraft steady by pushing and locking the brakes (push hard with the toes until they click), bring the engine up to 2000 RPM.\u00a0 Then I was to turn the ignition key two clicks to the left, shutting off one set of magnetos, then two clicks to the right.\u00a0 Next, turn the key one click to the left, shutting off the second set of magnetos.\u00a0 He pointed out that each time I shut off a set of magnetos the engine\u2019s RPM decreased slightly.\u00a0 This was normal and was the expected result.\u00a0 I was then asked to pull the power lever back to achieve normal RPM.<\/p>\n

After asking for and receiving clearance to taxi to the active runway and I pushed hard with my toes and unlocked the brakes, and the plane lurched forward.\u00a0 I zigzagged onto the runway.\u00a0 Within a few seconds, I heard the tower clear us for takeoff.<\/p>\n

So, on Tuesday, August 13, 1968, at 11:28 am, I introduced power to the little engine up to 2500 RPM, and accelerated down runway 36 at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas.\u00a0 The day was what pilots referred to as \u201csevere clear\u201d, with a light quartering breeze from the north, and the temperature was in the mid-eighties, extremely mild for central Texas at that time of the year.\u00a0 As the plane lurched into the bright blue sky at about sixty miles an hour, a feeling of exhilaration flooded my body.\u00a0 I would experience that same feeling from then on, every time I took to the air.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

My first flight lasted just a few minutes less than one hour (.9 hours on the Hobbs meter).\u00a0 After takeoff, I was shown how to set the plane up for a climb then how to level off at altitude.\u00a0 The rest of the time was spent familiarizing me with the various instruments on the panel and how to use them to fly with the nose steady and the wings straight and level.\u00a0 Trust me, it was harder than it sounds.<\/p>\n

I remember thinking how much work it was just to keep up with such a small plane.\u00a0 In spite of the cool air circulating the cockpit I was drenched in sweat, although I assume most of that could probably be attributed to a slight case of nerves.<\/p>\n

After Marshall was satisfied that I could keep the plane reasonably level and on a steady heading, he directed me to what was described as the \u201ctraining area\u201d.\u00a0 This was a slice of airspace about 15 to 20 miles east of the airport where most potentially dangerous traversing air traffic was mostly non-existent.\u00a0 Once there, I was taught and practiced a few turns\u2014learning to keep the nose above the horizon during the turn to maintain a steady altitude\u2014as all aircraft tend to want to dive when one wing is lower than the other.\u00a0 \u201cThis,\u201d the captain explained, \u201cis known as a coordinated turn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before I knew it, we were headed back to the airport to line up for a landing. \u00a0By the time we\u2019d taxied back to the Aero Club flight line and had gassed and secured the aircraft it was time for me to return to duty.<\/p>\n

As we entered the club, Marshall asked if I was interested in flying again tomorrow.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like to introduce you to multiple landings if you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeck yes, I\u2019ll be here,\u201d I said, feeling a little flutter of excitement at the thought of going up again.<\/p>\n

To be continued\u2026<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"