Guest Host: Cary Darling
Cary Darling is the Arts Editor and Pop Culture Critic of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Previously, he was the Arts Editor of the Miami Herald, and the Arts Editor/Pop Music Critic of the Orange County Register. You can catch Cary’s critiques of modern pop culture at the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.
Summary
Mel and Tanya are sitting in the MelMobile. Mel is talking to Doug in Lincoln Tower, asking if Doug can put the radio in the stuck 707 on the same frequency so he can listen to Joe’s progress.
“Roger,” says Doug.
“Can I speak directly to Patroni?” asks Mel.
“That’s okay,” says Doug. Doug hangs up the mobile phone, and picks up another phone. “Approach Control,” says Doug, “who’s taking the hand-off?”
“Frank has East Arrivals,” says the Approach Control Manager. He hangs up the phone, and walks over to Frank, who is seated at the radar screen.
“The Center will hand off Global Two in three minutes, ” says the Approach Control Manager. “He’s all yours. Stick with it – – we’ll take everything else off your hands. I’ll give you the runway as soon as we know.”
“Right,” says Frank. He pulls a Marlboro out of a pack with his mouth.
Back at the stuck 707, the crew is buttoning up the ship. Several men on the ground move the step ladder away from the door while someone closes the hatch.
Rollings, the copilot, takes his seat. “Okay, son,” says Patroni, “Let’s get going.” Joe unwraps a fresh cigar and sticks it into his mouth, unlit. He adjusts his chair.
Outside, the jet looks ready to go.
Back in the cockpit, Patroni picks up a microphone.
“Ready to start,” says Joe. “Pressurize.”
The ground service worker pressurizes the Number One engine. The blades begin to spin.
In this minute
George Kennedy as Joe Patroni
Shelly Novack as Rollings
Burt Lancaster as Mel Bakersfeld
Jean Seberg as Tanya Livingston
John Denend as Tower Chief Doug
Larry Delaney as Frank at East Arrivals
Unknown as Toronto Center
Unknown as Approach Control Manager
