The Flight of Cessna 1701

Copyright 2014 by Chawnaw Hershel Kahn

Also known as Jeffrey H. Kahn
All rights resere!
"t was a pe#$liarly #lo$!less sky aboe a !eep t$r%$oise bl$e o#ean& al'ost perfe#tly still
for an o#ean that ho$rs before ha! rage! with a t$'$lt$o$s f$ry battering eery s'all boat that
ent$re! forth. (ow the waes happily slappe! anything that saile! thro$gh the' al'ost as if
apologi)ing for its r$!e behaior. *ighty !ark bl$e an! white whales shot h$ge sprays of water
into the air as they leape! high o$t of the water+s s$rfa#e only to po$n! it with an $n'istaken
so$n! splashing frothy water aro$n! the'. ,harks with 'o$ths wi!e open e-posing a large
array of sharp teeth swa' nearby sear#hing for any prey that was $nl$#ky eno$gh to be near
the'. .ith all of this going on not a single #reat$re of this ast li%$i! resi!en#e noti#e! the high
pit#he! whining so$n! of a single engine airplane flying oerhea!.
An!rew Featherstone a 'an of noble /nglish !es#ent sat #o'fortably in his !eeply
#$shione! gol! seat of his newly p$r#hase! white an! gol! Cessna 102. To hi' the engine
h$''e! a bea$tif$l so$n! as he traelle! on his 'ai!en 1o$rney to .a!e "nternational Airport
in 2er'$!a there to take a %$iet rest in his fa'ily+s retreat not far fro' the o#ean. .ith his
perfe#t ision An!rew s#anne! the hori)on for any sight at all 'aking s$re that his hea!ing was
03 !egrees !$e /ast an! his altit$!e at 10&000 feet to aoi! #o''er#ial traffi#. This was a
loneliness that he en1oye!& haing s$rie! two heart atta#ks an! the spirite! frien!s an! fa'ily
that trie! to please hi' in eery whi#h way i'aginable. As he flew he tho$ght of how
re'arkably si'ilar in appearan#e he was to the 4ran!e 5$ke of Cro'sby who resi!e! in a
%$aint ol! /nglish illage near the sea. They ha! the sa'e prono$n#e! !i'ple in a weak #hin
an! ro$n!e! bla#k '$sta#he giing a 'ost !isting$ishe! look. Al'ost frightening were the
pier#ing bla#k eyes that stoo! aboe a rather s'all an! har!ly noti#eable nose that sniffe! with
an air of aristo#ra#y. /en tho$gh his sto'a#h was slightly p$!gy An!rew Featherstone #arrie!
it with his hea! hel! high as if he were the King hi'self !e'an!ing respe#t with eery step he
took. 2eing born an! reare! in Chi#ago ha! no affe#t on his attra#tion to his late heir who' he
was na'e! after.
The 4ran!e 5$ke was not known for anything in parti#$lar that 'erite! his rise to glory
with the e-#eption that he was a##re!ite! with inenting the ga'e of bri!ge. An!rew ha!
pro!igio$sly st$!ie! the te#hni%$es of his ill$strio$s an#estor perfe#ting his own ga'e an!
be#o'ing a 'aster at it. This pasti'e soon be#a'e the faorite of the #o$rt an! the King
hi'self gae the 4ran!e 5$ke his title an! lan! in appre#iation for his seri#e. There wasn+t too
'$#h known abo$t the 4ran!e 5$ke e-#ept that he !ie! at the ripe ol! age of 07. After his bo!y
was e-h$'e! to be reb$rie! in the fa'ily plot in /aston& they fo$n! 'ysterio$s s#rat#h 'arks in
the #asket as if the 4ran!e 5$ke were b$rie! alie an! trying !esperately to get o$t. ,o'e
spe#$late! that he ha! !r$nk wine fro' pewter goblets where the a#i! fro' the wine wo$l! hae
#a$se! a #he'i#al rea#tion with the pewter 'aking the one who !rank fro' it fall into a state
that 'i'i#ke! !eath. This An!rew was tol! #o$l! not hae been tr$e as the 4ran!e 5$ke neer
i'bibe! in any al#ohol what so eer6 The pi#t$re of the 4ran!e 5$ke that h$ng in his fa'ily
resi!en#e re'in!e! An!rew of ,ir .alter 7aleigh with his large white tr$ffle #ollar an! !ark re!
silk o$tfit.
The flight of Cessna 1701 was not far fro' its !estination& as the plane was abo$t twenty8
fie 'in$tes fro' the airport. He hear! #hatter on his ra!io fro' approa#hing air#raft an! he
#onta#te! the tower to let the' know his position an! esti'ate! ti'e of !estination. /erything
was so pea#ef$l as he flew. Then a strange greenish fog appeare! o$t of nowhere s$rro$n!ing
his plane an! for'ing a t$nnel where nothing else was isible. The alti'eter stoppe! working
an! his #o'pass sp$n wil!ly o$t of #ontrol. As he flew it see'e! as if the wings of his air#raft
were s#raping against this strange 'ist. An!rew !esperately #alle! for help on his ra!io& 9*ay
!ay6 *ay !ay6: He yelle!& b$t there was only stati# on his inter#o'. The alti'eter sp$n wil!ly
aro$n! s#aring An!rew into thinking he was going to #rash. As he looke! at the #onsole it
see'e! to !isappear whi#h frightene! hi' een 'ore. The #lo$! got !arker an! !arker an!
lightening streake! eerywhere. "n a pani# An!rew Featherstone rea#he! for his para#h$te an!
%$i#kly p$t it on 'aking s$re to take hol! of a portable inflatable raft to help hi' s$rie the
o#ean below. He opene! $p the !oor to the Cessna an! p$she! hi'self away fro' the plane
'aking s$re to grasp the raft se#$rely in his 'i!se#tion. As he fell he looke! $p at the plane an!
saw it #o'pletely anish. Fo#$sing on saing his life An!rew p$lle! the #or! an! opene! his
para#h$te !es#en!ing gently !ownwar!s $nable to see anything below. As he fell it starte! to
rain gently at first an! then '$#h stronger& the win! blowing hi' si!eways. 5ownwar! an!
!ownwar! he fell #aref$lly trying to see anything at all. He see'e! to be in the sky for oer an
ho$r #ontin$ally falling an! neer rea#hing the botto' when s$!!enly the #lo$! lifte! an! the
s$n shone brightly. J$st in ti'e he saw the gro$n! r$shing $p to hi'. 7efle-iely An!rew bent
his knees as he ha! been traine! an! lan!e! falling forwar! as he !i! so. ;ooking aro$n! he saw
that he was in a 'ea!ow with gra)ing sheep an! a s'all h$t with a that#he! roof not too far
away. 9This !oes not look like 2er'$!a.: He tho$ght to hi'self after he ha! taken off his
para#h$te an! fol!e! it leaing it with the raft on the gro$n!. After a short walk to the h$t&
An!rew kno#ke! on the !oor rattling the ol! woo! as he !i! so. An ol! 'an opene! the portal
an! looke! at hi' #$rio$sly won!ering where this stranger #a'e fro'.
9.ho are ye<: He aske! with a strange /nglish a##ent. An!rew was taken aba#k by the
appearan#e of the ol! 'an his #lothing was tattere! an! ha! the style of a r$sti# far'er fro' a
ti'e way in the past.
9.here a' "<: .as all that An!rew #o$l! ask looking pale an! #onf$se!.
9Cro'sby /nglan!.: Ca'e the response& 9"n the year of o$r ;8r! 1=34.: The ol! 'an
sai! feeling that the 'an before hi' ha! been oer#o'e with hall$#inations !$e to the way that
he was !resse! an! speaking with an a##ent that he ha! neer hear! before.
Trying to #o'pose hi'self an! still in a state of sho#k An!rew aske!& 9Can yo$ tell 'e
where " #an fin! the 4ran!e 5$ke of Cro'sby< " a' a !istant relatie.:
The ol! 'an looke! at hi' perple-e! an! answere!& 9There is no 4ran!e 5$ke of
Cro'sby6:
,o it was that the flight of the Cessna 1701 wo$l! neer be fo$n! nor the bo!y of
An!rew Featherstone. He soon reali)e! that he was to be#o'e the 4ran!e 5$ke. As it was with
ol! 'en the 4ran!e 5$ke whose 'e'ory began to fail took $p the #o'fort of !rinking ol! wine
in pewter goblets after he ha! rea#he! the ripe ol! age of 07.
The /n!