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do
the pre-flight checks. He worked his way through the list. As he
did he noticed a small gathering of black bodies, first three then
four and soon there were eight. They were watching him with bright
eyes and questions.
    He found
pleasure in their enthusiasm, like when he too was a child at
stations around Alice Springs, remembering these magic machines
come and go. With this came the memory of his first ever helicopter
ride as a child of eight, around the age of this little gang. He
remembered the way the world below had unfolded, as if seen through
the eyes of a bird, a new picture seen from the helicopter that
took him into the sky.
    He looked at
his watch. He had full fuel, more than enough to get to Normanton
where he would top up. He had half an hour free before it was time
to go to the church. He would treat these kids to the same treat he
had been given all those years ago.
    “ Anyone want to go for a ride?”
    All nodded
furiously. He separated them into three groups, two groups of three
smaller children and one group of two larger ones. He told them
they all had to stay together where he could see them, only those
coming for a ride could come closer. He loaded the first three and
started up, going skywards with a cloud of dust. Five minutes a
trip gave him time to fly over the houses, sweep down along the
creek for a mile before coming around over a small hill behind the
yards and setting down again. He swapped the children and did it
twice more. He checked his watch, realizing he would have to hurry
to get to the other end of the town in time for church.
    He remembered
there was a clear area just next to the church. It would be faster
to fly there and it would also speed up his departure. As he came
over he saw the figure of a woman with two small children walking
along the road, coming towards him, a hundred yards away. He landed
and walked to meet them. The greeting was a big smile from one big
and two little faces.
    Jane looked at
him seriously and said, “When I heard your helicopter take off
before I thought you had decided not to wait, I am so glad you are
still here.”
    He shook his
head, “No, I just took a few of my local admirers for a joy flight.
If you have time I hoped you might come for a quick one too before
church begins.”
    Her face came
alive as she nodded. He brought them over and showed them their
seats, strapping David in tight with a belt in the middle while
Jane held Annie on her lap. Then he looked across to her asking if
she was set. Her face was tense but she gave him a mouthed,
“Yes.”
    He pulled a
straight up climb until they reached a couple hundred feet, the
helicopter effortlessly soaring in the cool morning air. He looked
across, she was wide eyed with enthusiasm, so like that day more
than two years ago when he had soared skywards with Susan and Mark.
Just for this instant he had an unshakeable belief that it really
was her. He looked at them all questioningly and asked,
“Ready?”
    “ For what?” she asked.
    “ For the thrill of your life,” he said.
    She nodded;
eyes serious.
    With a flick
of his hand he turned the helicopter sideways and plunged towards
the ground, like a falcon diving. As the ground rushed towards them
he dialled on the power, using all his mustering trick skill to
zoom amongst the trees as if chasing a bull. As he raced forward,
skimming the ground he pulled the stick up, using power and speed
to pull hard into the sky. He felt the weight in his stomach. Then
down amongst the trees again as he wove his way along the creek
before breaking skyward to come back around over the town and land
smoothly alongside the church.
    She was
breathless and flushed. The children were clapping their hands. He
worried he may have scared her. She turned him, eyes glisteningly
bright and oh so blue. Her smile was radiant. “I think that was the
most exciting thing in my life. Thank you so much.”
    Vic took a
deep breath to calm his own breathlessness. “When you