Guest Host: Chris Epting
Chris Epting is the author of 26 travel/history books, including James Dean Died Here (Santa Monica Press), Roadside Baseball (McGraw Hill), Hello It’s Me, Dispatches From a Pop Culture Junkie (Santa Monica Press) and many others. He is also an award-winning travel writer and has contributed articles for such publications as the Los Angeles Times, Westways and Travel + Lesiure magazine, among other publications. In addition, Chris is a veteran music journalist and recently co-wrote Def Leppard’s Phil Collen’s memoir, “Adrenalized.” Originally from New York, Chris now lives in Huntington Beach, California with his wife and their two children.
Summary
Vern tells the Ramp Supervisor the engines are running, burning fuel.
“Precious fuel we’ll need in the air tonight,” says Vern.
“I know, Captain,” says the Ramp Supervisor.
“Now,” says Vern, “Unless this plane leaves right now, I’m going to shut everything down, and we’ll send for Fueling to top off our tanks, so you make up your mind.”
“But it’ll only take another few minutes or so!” says the Ramp Supervisor.
“And I’ll tell you something else,” says Vern. “Tower just told us they have a temporary gap, so if we taxi out right away we can take off fast. But five minutes from now may mean a half-hour delay. So, you take the responsibility: what do we do?”
The Ramp Supervisor turns to Gwen, “Cancel the ticket re-check,” he says, and hands Gwen the flight manifest. He turns back to Vern. “Okay,” he says, “You’re leaving now.”
Meanwhile, Inez is running a gauntlet of slow-moving pedestrians in the terminal.
Back on Flight Two, Ruth is still working the ticket re-check. She’s at Row 23, and has just asked the man in 23-C for his ticket. Ada is hyper-focusing on her Vogue Magazine. Just as Ruth is about to ask Ada for her ticket, she’s interrupted.
“Ruth,” says Gwen, “cancel the ticket check! We’re leaving.”
“Fine,” says Ruth, and walks toward the aft galley. Ada returns to her magazine after breathing a quiet sigh.
Outside, one of the ground operations crew stands in front of the 707, keeping an eye on the Number Two engine.
In this minute
Dean Martin as Vernon Demerest
Barry Nelson as Anson Harris
Gary Collins as Cy Jordan
Maureen Stapleton as Inez Guerrero
Helen Hayes as Ada Quonsett
Whit Bissell as Mr. Davidson
Ena Hartman as Ruth
Jacqueline Bisset as Gwen Meighen
Lew Brown as Ramp Supervisor Reynolds
