As an aside, Francie's war story is based on something that happened to the real Frank Whittle during his days as an RAF flying officer. In 1930 he was participating in a contest to select a stunt flying team an RAF air show, and in the process of rehearsing he managed to destroy two airplanes in one afternoon. After the second one, Flight Lt. Raeburn had had enough. :)

During his active service, Whittle was routinely written up as a superior pilot but an infuriating and incurable showoff, constantly doing unauthorized aerobatics in an unsafe and cavalier manner and needlessly writing off aircraft. I like to keep that in mind when I'm writing Francie, lest I fall into the trap of thinking that she's always been a superannuated engineering officer. :)

--G.
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Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
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