“What in the name of all that’s good and holy did you do to this plane?” he shouted.
“What was the matter, Lieutenant?” asked Breene in reply.
“Try the right rudder and see what you think,” responded Bill.
“Fry me for a porterhouse steak! What do you know about that?” said Breene after trying the rudder. “The left rudder works all right, but the right rudder just isn’t.”
“That’s no news to me,” replied Bill. “I found that out soon after we left the ground. What I want to know is what’s the matter with it.”
By this time the other pilots and mechanics had arrived at the plane. When Bill ground-looped in the beam of the searchlight everyone on the field saw the plane make the abrupt turn. They naturally thought that he had blown a tire or crushed a wheel as a result of turning too sharply.
“Is that the way that you were taught to land an airplane?” asked Bob Finch as he stepped up to the plane.
“Can’t you even make one good landing on your home field?” asked Kiel.
“We thought that we might have to order the meat wagon out,” said Goldie.
“How about this night flying, do you like it?” asked Batten. “I will give you instructions in landing at night if you want.”