Wings of Deceit: A riveting aviation thriller of suspense, longing, lies and a pilot's ailing brain by William Hoffman

Author:William Hoffman
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2019-04-11T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

March 1989 | Washington, District of Columbia

Mac paced Washington’s National Airport Terminal One, parading a union sign:

GOOD PAY

FOR SAFE

TRAVEL!

The heavy afternoon clouds sagged in the sky and his dress shoes were making his feet ache. Banned from picketing inside airports, dozens of pilots were marching outside the terminal among passengers shuffling between taxis and ticket counters. Their future looked bleaker with every passing hour. Not a single Eastern Airlines flight had taken off in over two days and negotiations were locked.

Mac followed the line of pilots lumbering down the long corridor trying to make their pleas. He marched bitterly, knowing this was not what he wanted.

Signs about low pay, cut benefits, and poor management papered the crowd, but the many new low-cost carriers and a tired business model had sealed their fate long before. After only two days, their resolve was fading.

Out of the sea of taxis and exhaust fumes, a brown-suited man in a fedora approached the crop of pilots. He shuffled around passengers swiftly and bounced with each stride. A stack of envelopes appeared from the inside of his blazer and he began passing them without a word.

“What are these?” asked one of the pilots, ripping it open. The man continued as if nothing had been said. One made it into Mac’s hand, and he studied the blue company seal on the front. He shook his head and tore it open, wishing he didn’t already know what was enclosed.

One of the pilots cursed and another began tearing up the paper. Mac read it once then let his arms fall to his sides. He muttered something to himself before reading it again. Around them, passengers shuffled into the terminal unaware of the history being made. The slow and unceremonious arrival of the moment had been long in the making, but Mac didn’t want to believe it was finally here.

Dear valued employee,

We regret to inform you…

…Eastern Airlines will file for bankruptcy…

…your position is terminated effective immediately.

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