by Jeff Egerton
Barney didn’t answer, but said a prayer for the three of them.
Catwalk landed at Glenwood Springs and saw a disturbing sight. The fuel office and terminal shack were both dark. Because very few aircraft flew at night, it wasn’t unusual for employees at smaller airports to lock up and go home at sunset. He’d mistakenly thought with a search in progress they’d stay open.
He and Julio climbed out and looked for the refueling attendant, but saw no one. Catwalk said, “I don’t believe this. Everyone just locked up and left. I’m going to find a way to get the lock off that fuel barrel.”
“Are you planning on going back out there tonight, Cat?”
Catwalk thought about the situation. Because the moon was bright enough he could find the mountain with no problem. He wouldn’t be able to see the smoke, but he might be able to find the fire, and thereby find the wreckage.
“Yes. Time might be critical if someone needs medical attention.”
“How are you going to find a place to land in the dark?”
Catwalk found an iron bar and began prying on the fuel pump lock. He hadn’t thought about finding a place to land, but the moonlight should be bright enough to spot a suitable field.
“We’ve got enough moonlight. We can find a field.”
Julio clearly had second thoughts about going back in the dark. “Cat, I want to find them too, but if we go stumbling around in the dark, in the end somebody will be looking for us.”
Catwalk had pried the lock off, so he started pumping gas into the Jenny. He said, “O.K., you’re right, Julio. Here’s what we’ll do. Let’s fly out there tonight, land as close to the mountain as we can and sleep in the plane. Then we’ll be close enough, so at first light we can hike up the hill.”
“All right. I’m game for that.”
Helen carefully made her way down the hillside. Because of the rough terrain, she had to descend past Barney’s position and then climb back up to him. She found him lying on his back.
To Barney, she looked like an angel. He said, “Thanks for coming down here. I figured it might get kind of cool tonight.”
“Can you move at all?”
“Just my head. I must have broke my back, or something.”
She covered him with the blankets and said, “Do you think that plane saw the smoke?”
“Yes. It looked just like one of my planes. Make sure you keep the fire going, so they can find us in the morning.”
“I will, Barney. Now that I know how to get to you, I’ll come back down here during the night to check on you.”
“I appreciate it, Helen. How is Art feeling?”
“Thanks to the morphine, he’s been sleeping.”
“I’m glad he’s not in pain. Listen, there’s a thirty-eight pistol in my flight bag, Helen. Use it if you need it.”
“I will.” Helen climbed up and put another log on the fire. She was walking back to the wreckage when she heard the first coyote howl. She thought about the dead bodies and wondered if they’d draw animals. She found the thirty-eight and made sure it was loaded. As she waited in the plane, however, Helen knew if a bear came around, the pistol might not be big enough to stop it.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Catwalk found a field with no problem, but upon landing in the darkness, he ran into a fence. The only damage was a few yards of barbed wire wrapped around the prop, which, luckily, was not damaged. While untangling the wire off the prop, he told Julio, “I won’t be able to sleep tonight. I’ll be wide awake wondering what we’re going to find on that mountainside.”
“Think positive, son. Barney always flew well equipped. If they survived the wreck, they’ll be O.K.”
Catwalk smiled at Julio’s optimism. “If you say so.” Inside, he still worried.
At first light they took off and found the smoke from Helen’s fire. Catwalk made a turn around the area and Julio said, “I see the Boeing! Farther up the hill, in the trees. I don’t see anyone around it, but it looks like the crash was survivable and it didn’t burn.”
After picking out prominent landmarks to help them find the crash area, they flew back to the field, then set out on a hike that would be at least a mile uphill. The mountain was wooded, but fortunately, not to the point where it impeded their progress.
Three hours later they came to Helen’s fire. When Helen saw them coming toward the plane, she broke out in tears of relief, and said, “Oh my God, our prayers have been answered.”
Catwalk asked, “Are you two the only survivors?”
“Us and Barney, but he went for firewood and fell. He must have broken something in the fall because he’s immobile.”
“Immobile?”
“Yes. Come on, I’ll take you to him.”
Julio said, “I’ll stay here and see if there’s anything I can do for her husband.”
Catwalk turned to follow Helen, and in doing so noticed the name on the crumpled plane. He stopped and leaned against the fuselage. Tears came to his eyes. For a moment he felt like Sam had been killed all over again. Seeing the wreckage of her plane resurrected all the pain and anguish he’d suffered. Then, he decided her death had haunted him long enough. He realized this was an indication that the time had arrived for him to let go of her and get on with his life. She would live in his memories forever, but she would no longer play a part in his destiny.
Helen turned around and asked, “Are you O.K.?”
“I’m O.K. It’s just that this plane was named after someone very special to me.” He gathered himself and said, “Let’s go find Barney.”
When Catwalk saw Barney lying immobile he felt terrible for his friend, but told himself to be thankful he was alive. He listened as Barney replayed the flight and the eventual crash. Catwalk thought he would have done the same thing because storms can be so unpredictable and they have a way of drawing you into regrettable predicaments.
After talking with Barney and making sure he was comfortable, Catwalk returned to the plane and discussed further plans with Julio, who then left to get more help. They’d need at least four more men to get Barney and Art down the hill, plus people to carry out the dead bodies.
Catwalk returned to Barney, who said, “Sit down. It’ll be a few hours until someone gets back. While I’ve been lying here, I’ve had a lot of time to think. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. It might be a while before I can move again, if ever. You and Julio will have to take over the airline and you’ll have your hands full because a lot of changes will be taking place. Do you think you’re ready for that?”
Catwalk thought about the question, then said, “I don’t think I have a choice. I’ve got more experience than anyone else, so it’s not a question if I’m ready; it’s a question of, is everyone else ready to work for me.”
“That’s what I was thinking too. I don’t think you’ll have a problem. When I hired the people, I told them we had a black pilot and asked if they had a problem with that. No one said they did, but I think a couple people lied. I know for sure Jennings, that Operations Manager in Albuquerque, has been saying things behind our backs, so I was going to replace him. Find someone who is familiar with aviation and friendly to the passengers, but has the guts to make the hard decisions.”
Catwalk thought of Billy Sue and said, “I might know someone who will fit right in.”
“Good. They’re supposed to start on the new hangar in two weeks. They said it’ll take three months to complete and it’ll be big enough for two of the new Douglas planes. I want you and Julio to stay on top of that and make sure they don’t cut corners. You’ll also have to hire a couple pilots. Hire Kenneth if he’s available and check with the universities that have flight schools. See if you can steal one of their instructors.”
“Is Julio moving the maintenance operation into the new hangar when it’s finished?”
“Yes. As soon as they complete the post construction inspection, he can hire a moving company to move the gear from the farm.”
“Should I hi
re someone to help Mattie run the farm?”
“Yeah, I guess you might as well. Make sure they keep raising enough livestock and produce to give to the soup kitchen in Vaughn.”
Catwalk thought of his brother. Although he wanted to go to mechanics school, if he moved out to help on the farm, he’d have a place to live until he was accepted at the school.
They talked for another hour and it became apparent to Catwalk just how much responsibility he’d be taking on. There was enough work for four men, but he realized he’d have help from other airline employees. Thanks to Barney, the people who worked for Rocky Mountain were the type to pull together and help each other. His boss had always been a firm believer in building strong personal relationships with his employees. It appeared he would be the beneficiary of Barney’s wisdom. He looked forward to the new challenges, but above all, hoped Barney would recover and be back at the helm of the airline before long.
The next morning Barney and Art were carried off the mountain by search and rescue personnel. They were driven to Glenwood Springs and loaded onto a Boeing for the flight to Denver. Julio and Helen went with them and Catwalk flew the Jenny.
When he landed in Denver, he steeled himself for bad news. He’d seen farm workers who had suffered back injuries and they were almost always permanently disabled. A nurse told him they’d taken Barney to the x-ray lab, which was on the third floor. When he walked in, Julio told him, “They’re taking x-rays now. The doctor said it’ll be a couple hours before they’ll know anything.”
“How was he feeling?”
“They gave him a bunch of drugs; he doesn’t know what country he’s in.”
“At least he’s not in pain.”
“No he’s not. On the flight over, he said you’re running the airline now.”
Catwalk nodded his head. “That’s what he told me. Did you get a good look at the Boeing?”
“Yeah, it’s in pretty bad shape; the trees just tore it up.”
“Any chance we could disassemble it and salvage some parts?”
“Oh boy.” Julio thought for a few seconds. “The main spar and all the wing spars are bent. We might salvage the instrument panel and engines. It’ll take a team of men to get them down the hill.”
“It’ll be worth the money. Boeing quit making the Model Eighties last year, and we’ll be flying them on our short routes for a while. Three spare engines will come in handy.”
“I’ll send a couple guys from Denver to remove them and crate them up. It shouldn’t be a problem finding men who want to make a few bucks hauling them down.”
“Give them a weeks pay and some free passes on the airline.”
The next day Catwalk went to see Barney, who said, “The first x-rays don’t look good. My spinal cord is severed at C-5. The damage appears to be permanent, but they’re doing more tests. They won’t have the final diagnosis for about a week.”
Catwalk tried optimism, “My money says you’ll be walking out of here.”
“I appreciate your confidence Cat, but I don’t think so. I just have a feeling that this is as mobile as I’m ever going to get.”
Catwalk hated the thought of this man, who’d been such a major influence in his life and had changed it overnight, not being able to move. To change the subject, he said, “We’ll be able to salvage the engines and instruments out of the Boeings. Julio’s sending some people from the Denver station to do the salvage work.”
“I’m glad you can get something out of it.”
Catwalk tried to build his spirits. “Considering the terrain, you did an amazing job.”
Barney rolled his eyes and said, “I’ll dictate an account of the crash. Make sure it’s circulated to all our pilots with a strong reminder about avoiding storms that are building.”
“I’ll do that. I’d better go. I’ve got to get back to Albuquerque, but I’ll be back as soon as I have time in my schedule.”
“Thanks, Cat.”
After a week at the hospital, Barney returned to the farm and hired a full time nurse who also functioned as a personal secretary. He also had a TELEX and multi-line phone system installed so he could stay in contact with his employees and other airline personnel. He wasn’t going to second guess Catwalk’s decisions, but with him flying on the line and making the management decisions, he could use help, even if it was from someone flat on their back in a remote location.
He hadn’t said anything to Catwalk, but with the expense of the new hangar, the proposed construction of new hangars at other airports, and more route expansion, Rocky Mountain Airways was becoming an organization that was outgrowing private ownership. So far, all of the expansion had been paid for by the revenue generated by the airline. The day was fast approaching when he’d need to borrow money to finance expansion. The banks that were open, weren’t loaning money, and he wasn’t foolish enough to risk any of his personal fortune. This left only one method of financing growth—by becoming a public corporation and selling shares of common stock.
This worried him, because Catwalk’s employment would be at the mercy of a board of directors. He wouldn’t have had a problem with this when he was mobile, because he could be enough of a presence that he could influence anyone who wanted to replace him. Now, even though he’d be the majority stock holder, he couldn’t exert as much pressure. Still he had no choice. He had to set the wheels in motion to become a public corporation and hope that he could select directors for whom color was not an issue.
The next time they talked, Barney asked Catwalk if he’d have time to come out to the farm. Catwalk agreed and drove out there the next Saturday.
Barney came right to the point. “Cat, as soon as I got home from the hospital, I started going over our financial situation, with regard to our growth. There’s no getting around it, I have to file the paperwork to become a public corporation.”
Catwalk immediately thought of a possible problem with the board of directors accepting a black man as the president of the airline. If there had been other black people in airline management it wouldn’t bother him, but he knew of no other black people who held any kind of management position. He decided not to worry about this until it became a problem. He said, “If it’ll help finance our expansion then there’s no reason not to do it.”
“I’m going to select the directors myself and they’ll be subject to the approval of whoever underwrites the stock offering.”
Catwalk had gotten this far by standing firm in the face of adversity. He wasn’t about to start avoiding issues before they became issues. He said, “I’ll take my chances with the directors and I’ve got a solid record to back me up.”
“You certainly do. Considering your workload, the airline is doing exceptionally well. I’ll keep you advised on the progress.”
Catwalk stayed for dinner so he and Barney could discuss other issues with the airline. As he drove back to Albuquerque, he thought of how much he appreciated Barney’s support. With the upcoming changes, however, he felt more vulnerable than he had in the past. He knew life was nothing more than a series of cycles and wondered if his idyllic life was about to spiral downward.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Catwalk’s first official duty as the acting president of Rocky Mountain Airways was to hire Billy Sue as an operations clerk at the Albuquerque station. He gave her a month to get used to the job, then promoted her to operations manager. She ran the department like a four-star general and was clearly thrilled to have a steady, well-paying job so she didn’t have to approach Curly for financial support. Curly had never answered his letter, so Catwalk and Billy Sue were in agreement that he’d be no more interested in raising a child than he’d been in getting married.
Kenneth Freeman and two other pilots were hired to fly on the line. For Kenneth, who proved to be a professional and skillful airline pilot, this had been a dream of his since he first learned to fly. Being black, he’d assumed his dream would never come to fruition. Now, however, he was living his dream and he of
ten told Catwalk how much he appreciated the job.
John moved out to help Mattie run the farm while he waited for an opening in school. After three months on the farm he started in airframe and power plant school. He did well in his classes and often told Catwalk he felt like mechanical work was truly his calling.
The two new routes to San Francisco and Phoenix were approved by the Commerce Department, and service started in late 1935. Their fleet, which now consisted of six planes, kept growing. In the spring of 1936, they took delivery of two Douglas DC-2 airliners. When Catwalk first flew the DC-2 with a Douglas test pilot, he was amazed at the power and performance.
After landing the Douglas pilot said, “Jack Frye and Eddie Rickenbacker flew this baby from San Francisco to Newark in thirteen hours and four minutes. Can you believe it?”
“I don’t doubt that, but I’m concerned with passenger comfort more than performance. The passengers keep us in business.”
“Mr. Jackson, when you consider the improved heating and ventilation system, along with a smoother ride at higher altitudes, wider seats and toilet facilities with lavatories, your passengers won’t even know they’re on an airplane.”
“Wonderful. As soon as we can train our maintenance and ramp people, we’ll put the planes into service.” For Catwalk the new planes made him feel like the airline went from a fly-by-night operation, to a first class carrier over night. Now, they had the same equipment to compete with United, Continental, Western and Braniff.
With the new planes they hired stewardesses, who were all registered nurses, and began serving hot coffee, pastries and cold beverages on their flights. Passenger feedback and increased loads told him this greatly appreciated.
Six months later, the airline added two more upgraded DC-3s, the latest in the Douglas line that featured full feathering propellers and deicing boots on the wings for safety.
Although time away from his duties was hard to come by, he drove out to see Barney as often as possible. Unfortunately there was no good news about Barney’s medical condition. He’d visited several different spinal specialists, but their prognosis was always the same: his injury was permanent and there was no known medical procedure to restore his mobility. His only hope was that medical research came up with a new procedure in the future.