Life after the Lottery Ch. 78

*****

Dawn was up at 4:30, combing her wet hair. When dinner came, we all sat down and ate. The girls were more hungry than I thought they would be. When Dawn finished, she went back into the bedroom.

"You two wear something a little more respectful this evening," I said to the girls.

"Okay."

When they finished, they went to the bedroom. They came back out wearing jeans and silk tops a few minutes later.

"Dawn is getting dressed," Amy said.

She came out later in her white Ceremonial leathers, wearing all her Ceremonial jewelry and her feathers.

"You look so pretty," Crystal said to her. "How do you get your hair to shine like that."

"Thank you. Secret formula."

Dawn packed all the things she had gone to get into a big leather bag. Once she had all her things ready in her leather bag, she sat down with us.

"What time do you want to leave?" I asked.

"They set it for 6:00, so soon."

"I'll tell the video crew not to interrupt you."

Amy took her digital camera and made some photos.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked.

"Yes. I'll get my bag."

"I'll get it."

When we got off the elevator in the lobby, Dawn received a lot of looks as we walked through. We got in the car and headed to the show.

"Dawn, you look very pretty," Samantha said from the backseat.

"Thank you, honey."

Parking was better, and there wasn't a line as we walked into the building. People looked at Dawn as she walked by. Some followed us to the Eurocopter exhibit.

The video crew was set up, and they recorded Dawn as she walked up.

"Mrs. Smith, we welcome you and your traditions. Are you ready?" The President asked.

"I am."

Everyone cleared out of the area as Dawn sat her bag down and began getting her things out and setting them up. A crowd was gathered around the exhibit, waiting. She held up a Sage buddle and turned to the people that had gathered.

"Ladies and gentlemen. The ceremony I am going to perform is a traditional blessing of the Cherokee. It is usually performed when a new home is built. It is also performed anytime evil spirits may be near. I don't think it has ever been performed on a helicopter. However, since this helicopter will be used in service to my tribe, it must be blessed. This ceremony takes about an hour. I ask that you respect what I do and remain quiet. Thank you."

Dawn finished gathering her things from her bag. She set out a large candle and lit it. She stood, then turned and chanted and held her hands up for a while. When she finished that, she picked up two Sage buddles and held them over the candle until they were smoldering. She took them and held them out and chanted for some time, then began moving around the helicopter and waving them as she spoke. She motioned for me to come, and I went to her. She handed me the bundles, and she climbed up the side so she could stand on top. I handed the bundles back to her.

Dawn stood and waved the smoking Sage bundles as she chanted. She moved around on top and held the smoke up to the helicopter parts for a few minutes. She stood on top and held her hands up, and chanted for a long time. Dawn motioned for me to come, and I took the bundles from her and helped her back down. Once I handed the bundles back to her, I returned to the front of the crowd.

Dawn moved inside and held up the smoking bundles in the rear cabin as she chanted in Cherokee. She then moved and sat in the front seats and chanted and waved the Sage. When she got out and turned to the helicopter, she held the Sage up high and chanted for a bit.

"My ancestors! I now call upon you to bless this chariot for good and ward off all the evil spirits! As I use it to travel to my tribe, I ask that you watch over me and those that travel with me! This machine is of modern man's making. It will be used as you used the horse. To travel and service our tribe. Though it is not of the Cherokee, I ask that you protect it with the Cherokee blessings and your spirits."

She chanted and waved the Sage for a minute.

"Spirits, this modern machine will be of good service for me, our tribe, and for our future. You have made it possible for me to possess it. I ask that you accept it as one of your tools and one of my tools to serve you and our tribe. I have trained all my life to take the position I now have as a medicine woman. To serve all as best I can, I will utilize this modern chariot to serve us all. Now I may soar high among the Eagles and be with them as I travel. Spirits, please show me you bless it now."

Dawn held the Sage bundles high, and the crowd watched as the ends burst into flame. Dawn held them up as they burned brightly.

"Thank you, my ancestors, for blessing my work and my life, and the lives of my family that honor you also. We accept your blessing now and as you watch over us as we travel home and in the future. Watch over all who are here now, honoring me and protect them as they travel. Thank you, Spirits."

The flames went away, and Dawn lowered the smoking Sage bundles. She turned to the crowd.

"I now ask for blessings for all of you as you travel home and for safe passage with a traditional Cherokee prayer."

"May the warm winds of Heaven blow softly upon your house. May the Great Spirit bless all who enter there. May your Mocassins make happy tracks in many snows, and may the Rainbow always touch your shoulder."

Dawn walked along the front of the crowd slowly and chanted as she waved the smoking bundles. When she finished, she returned to her bag and removed a clay pot, and dropped the smoking bundles into it before she stood.

"I want to thank all of you for being here and honoring me and respecting my traditions."

She said one last thing in Cherokee.

Everyone began to applaud.

Dawn blew out the candle and began gathering her things.

"Thank you, Mrs. Smith, for allowing us to watch as you blessed your helicopter. Thank you very much," the President said.

"You are welcome."

Some of the people came up to talk to Dawn. Randy came to me.

"Okay...how did she make the bundles burst into flames?" He asked.

"She didn't," I answered.

"Then...how?"

"Her Ancestors made them flame up. That is how she knows they heard her and blessed her."

"Oh...are you sure?"

"I have seen it many times."

"What if they had not burst into flames?"

"We would have a new helicopter for sale."

People hung out with Dawn until after 7:00. Then they announced over the PA that the show was ending and everyone needed to exit the building. The people began leaving.

"Dawn, thank you so much," the President said.

"You are very welcome."

"I have something I am going to send you when I get back. It is a prototype I think you will enjoy it."

"Thank you."

He left because they were already starting to take things down.

"Can you all be back by 9:00 in the morning? If you can, we will show you how to use the ground wheels, and you can help us roll your helicopter outside," Randy said.

"We will be here," I said.

"Once we get yours and Ms. Williams' outside and fueled, we want to shoot the videos and take the photos. That may take all afternoon."

"We can handle that. Linda's pilot told us that since we didn't have a take-off time scheduled, we may be here until Monday."

"Isn't one flying back with you as co-pilot?"

"Yes. Jeanine is."

"Ask her if you can take off just be sunrise Sunday. They don't let the other planes start until 8:00. That will get you all ahead of the crowd. The large aircraft and jets will leave Sunday morning and Sunday night."

"I will ask her."

*****

We got there early Saturday morning and helped them roll Linda's helicopter out. There was a small crowd standing around it as the video crew set up inside it.

"Samantha is all excited about this," Dawn said to me as we watched.

Once they were ready, Jeanine got in the co-pilot seat, and Samantha got in the pilot's seat. The video crew had set up in the back of the helicopter and outside as they shot video of Samantha going through the pre-flight checklist. She had worn her skimpy shorts and a long Eurocopter T-shirt. Jeanine was checking Samantha as she worked. Amy was watching them set up.

"You guys are not a very good video crew," Amy said to one of them.

She pulled the GoPro out of her bag and handed it to him.

"Perfect!" He exclaimed and went and stuck it on the inside of the cockpit glass, pointing at Samantha.

After they had everything set up and Samantha was ready, they closed the doors, and she started up the helicopter. They sat for a while, I guessed, taking video. The helicopter began rolling toward the runway slowly. They turned onto the runway and lifted slowly and hovered, then slowly moved down the runway.

"I bet this ends up all over the internet," Dawn said.

"A hot teenager flying a $25,000,000 helicopter!? Naahh!" Dawn laughed at me.

Samantha applied a lot of power, and the nose pitched down a little as they began to rise rapidly. We watched as the helicopter moved to about 70 feet, and Samantha banked hard to the left as they gained more speed and altitude and curved around the airfield heading off. Samantha was showing off.

"Did Jeanine teach her that?" I asked.

"She didn't have to...but she asked Jeanine if she could do it. She continues to amaze me at how much she understands things...and so quickly. She could already be certified on the 155."

"Let's go find something to eat," I said to Amy and Dawn.

We went into the big building and stood in line to get some food for lunch. The concession people were still there feeding the crews taking everything down. They had started at the end of the show last night, some had worked through the night, and the food people stayed for them. The only people there were workers moving equipment and breaking down exhibit booths. Dawn was talking about helping Linda as we stood in line.

"Sir, is the one they were videoing outside your daughter?" A man asked from behind us.

"No, she is my wife."

He looked at Dawn, then at me.

"Uhhh...I thought she was your wife? The one on the helicopter?"

"She is...and so is Amy." Amy wiggled her fingers at him as she held her hand up and smiled at the man.

"Oh...I guess flying helicopters is not the only way you live dangerously!" We all laughed.

"Should we get Sam something?" Amy asked.

"Get her a cold sandwich she can eat when she gets back," Dawn told her.

After we sat and ate, we looked around at things in the Eurocopter exhibit as they packed up. Dawn talked them out of several souvenirs. Then they instructed us on putting the ground wheels on ours so that it could be moved outside. We had it nearly at the big door when Samantha came running up to us.

"That was fun!" She exclaimed.

"You'll be a star now," Dawn said. "We have a sandwich for you."

"Good. I'm hungry. I scared the hell out of them on my last landing!"

"What did you do?" I asked.

"With everyone getting ready to take off one right after the other, the towered had radioed when we asked to land and asked if we could come in fast to the side of the runway on the end and get out of the way quickly. We were coming back about 100 feet off the ground...fast...perpendicular to the runway. They had given me clearance to make it a fast landing! I started descending and got to about 50 feet...doing about 140 knots. I made a very hard left banking turn...we were nearly on our side! As soon as I was over the runway, Jeanine dropped the gears. I flew down the runway fast, and just before I needed to turn to park...I pulled back and flared it out until we stopped! Jeanine taught me that a few weeks ago! Then rotated and set it on the runway and taxied! Scared the shit out of them! Jeanine was laughing! It got real quiet in the back!"

"Did they get it on video?" I asked.

"Yes! The tower radioed and said, "nice job!" They knew a kid was flying! The video crew on the ground told me they got all of it!"

"You'll be a star!" Dawn exclaimed, and we laughed. Samantha was acting like a happy kid.

Samantha and I went and sat at a table behind the exhibit while she ate. Dawn was helping move the helicopter so she could see how to take the ground wheels off. Amy was videoing it, so we could remember how.

"What else did you do?" I asked.

"Flew around awhile and came back. They shot some more videos as I took off and landed a few times in a big field. Once they knew I was okay flying, they had me fly about 200 feet high, so we stayed out of the jets taking off early."

"Did Jeanine help?"

"Nope!"

"You will be all over the internet."

"They will be ready to video us in our helicopter at 3:00. Jeanine wants us to meet her at our helicopter at 1:00," Samantha said as she ate.

"What for?"

"Dunno."

*****

We went outside to our helicopter at 1:00. There were people from the show crews stopping and taking photos of it as they finished fueling it.

"Well, we are here," Dawn said to Jeanine.

"Since you two can fly the 155, I want to see if you can handle the 135 by yourself," Jeanine said. "Sam, I'm not worried about you after showing off! I need to make sure Dawn is comfortable."

"We're not certified yet," Samantha said.

"I bet you are ready. Who's first?"

"Sam, go ahead," Dawn said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Here is what we are going to do," Jeanine said. "You are flying right seat. I will be left seat, and I am not going to help you, Sam. You convince me you can do it. Just like a solo."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be there just in case."

Dawn and I watched as they climbed into our helicopter. Jeanine just sat and watched as Samantha went through the preflight checklist. They finally closed the doors, and a few minutes later, Samantha fired it up. They sat a few more minutes, then she lifted off about 15 feet, maneuvered to the runway, and hovered. Then she moved onto the runway and turned and began moving down it and rising a little.

"You think she is doing that by herself?" I asked Dawn.

"Are you kidding! Sure, she is!"

"Can you?"

"No problem. I have a surprise for Sam since she was showing off."

"What?"

"See the EC-225 over there?" Dawn said and pointed.

"They big ass red search and rescue chopper?"

"That one. I asked if I could fly it!"

"Tell me they are not going to let you fly that!"

"I am! They were just certified for use in the US by the FAA last year. They are going to be selling it to the offshore oil and gas operations here."

"That thing must cost a fortune!"

"Surprised me to find out it is not much more than Linda's. I asked Randy if I could fly it. He asked, and they said yes since it was nearly identical to Linda's. As the air traffic slows down this evening, they are going to take me up and let me fly it some before they fly it down to Texas this evening."

"They are being nice to you."

"If they had an A320 passenger jet here, they would probably let me fly it for all I have done for them!"

Sam never lifted more than about 100 feet and flew away to get out of traffic as we watched. We could see them off in the distance, making turns and maneuvers. I was sure so Samantha could get a feel for it.

They came back and landed about 20 minutes later. Once they shut down, Samantha jumped out and ran to us.

"Killed it!"

"Did you think you couldn't?" I asked.

"Of course not! I can!"

"Dawn!" Jeanine yelled.

"Wish me luck."

"It is just like Linda's, except it maneuvers faster," Samantha told Dawn.

Dawn moved into the pilot's seat. Jeanine watched as she did the pre-flight, and they closed the doors. Just like Samantha did, she started it up and sat for a few minutes, then moved to the runway and took off, and flew low until nearly out of sight.

"Why is Jeanine doing this?" I asked.

"She wants the two of us to fly together so they can video us."

"Oh..."

"Jeanine will be in the back...don't worry. It flies just like Linda's. We won't have much to cross-train...except you!"

While we were waiting, Randy came out with another guy and stood with us.

They came back about 20 minutes later, and we watched as Dawn moved it back to the spot and rotated, then set it down. They finally got out and walked to us.

"I just had to check. Since you two can fly the 155, you can fly yours. You are ready to go," Jeanine said.

"We still have to be certified on it?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, you have to have so many hours and a signoff by an instructor. But I am going to teach the three of you the limits of the 135 and make sure you can get out of any situation...then we will start IFR training!" Jeanine said and laughed.

"Is there a big difference between the 155 and ours?" Samantha asked.

"Yours is much more maneuverable, but the 155 is more maneuverable than most other helicopters in its class. I have been teaching you how to have fun with it...like you showed them, Sam!"

"I think I surprised them!"

"You probably scared the shit out of them! They were not ready for a teenager to fly like you do!" We all laughed.

"Mrs. Smith, our marketing people will love videoing you two flying. I want you to meet Hans. He is one of our test pilots."

"Hello, Hans."

"Hello."

"We have a little time before the video crew is out here. I thought you would like for Hans to show you a few things about your helicopter."

"Sure."

"We have about 30 minutes. They are holding any more take-offs now the big jets are gone. So it will be a good time for him to take you up and demonstrate some things."

Hans and Dawn got in the front. Samantha got in the back. Dawn was flying right seat. After a couple of minutes, they took off.

"Hans can show her some of the things the EC-135 is capable of doing," Randy said.

We all watched as they made some highspeed passes and pulled up hard and made some tail rotor turns at the top, and came back down and made another highspeed pass. Then they made some high speed S-turns. We watched them do this several times. I was sure Dawn was practicing it.

They then flew slowly sideways down the runway, then came back doing it faster. Dawn must have been repeating what she learned as they did it a few more times. They flew away and came back about 800 feet up. I was startled when they essentially went into a nearly straight dive, pulling out about 100 feet above the runway. They flew around making some really tight turns to reverse direction quickly. They then flew down the runway backward fast and repeated that in the other direction. They made another pass down the runway, revolving slowly as they went.

"He's good," Jeanine said as we watched.

"Is any of this hard on the helicopter?" I asked.

"Not as long as he stays within the operating envelope."

They made some more hard S-turns, and the helicopter was as near to being on its side as it could be. They flew away and climbed to about 700 feet, then flew over several times.

"I think they are flying one engine," Jeanine said.

They came back about 500 feet up. Suddenly, I did not hear the engine running.

"Oh, I hope is doing that on purpose!" Jeanine said.

"What?"

"He is dead-stick. The engine is idle!"

They came in fast descending and flared and performed a perfect autorotation and set it down in the grass.

"You three still have to learn that on yours," Jeanine said.

They lifted about 20 feet and turned and hovered and moved back to us, and sat down. When Dawn and Samantha got out, they were laughing and talking 100 miles an hour.

"I didn't know we could turn that fast! Or that hard!" Dawn exclaimed to Samantha.

"Sometimes you need to to get out of trouble," Hans said.

They stood and shouted for a minute, then came back over to us.

"Hans! Thank you! Glad to know it will do things like that!" Dawn exclaimed.

"It is a great little chopper," he said. "Have some with it!"