Fly Away Home Page #4

- They're thinner afterwards but...

- We gotta go earlier than that.

Two day's weather cushion isn't enough.

I say we leave by the 22nd.

Good idea. Barry and I will get

the camping equipment Wednesday.

We got a lead on a boat.

- The GPS and radios are due tomorrow.

- October the 22nd.

- Yes!

- 22nd!

We have one week

to whip them into shape.

We've gotta push them to the limit.

Wild geese average five,

six flight hours a day.

That means we've got to get ours

up to four. Then we'll be okay.

You've gotta be the leader,

and be tough on them.

We can't let up. The wild ones

are already heading south.

- Mama Goose, come in.

- Hello, base.

You've got one very

unhappy bird down here.

Igor!

Goose Ground, put your

radio next to him.

Mama Goose, go ahead, we're ready.

Igor! Stop fooling around.

We're leaving by the end of the week.

You can do it, Igor.

You can do it. Come on.

Mama Goose, we have a liftoff!

I don't see him.

Dad, do you see him?

I don't see him.

I lost him behind the house.

I don't know where he went.

Wait, I see him!

Amy! Amy, watch out!

Here he comes on your right wing.

Igor! Dad, Dad, I hit him!

Igor!

Dad!

- I hit Igor, he's down!

- Listen to me. Look behind you.

You gotta take care of the others.

Let's turn around and head home.

Roger. I'm turning east.

Igor! Hey, goose.

- I don't know if we'll find him.

- We'll find him tonight. We have to.

Igor?

See him?

- Igor.

- Goose, goose, goose.

I don't believe it!

He's lost some primary feathers.

Don't worry, they'll grow back.

He's not going to be able to fly.

He's got to go with his brothers and...

- Careful!

- Take it easy.

Let's just get him home.

We'll think of something.

Daddy!

Clear?

- Oh, I gotta go. See you, guys.

- Where are you going?

Hi.

- Good?

- Good.

- Goose Mobile, phase one complete.

- Roger, Papa Goose.

Don't worry, I'll take care of it.

Have fun with the kids.

Yeah. Yeah.

The buzzard is out of the nest.

Good, we're into phase two

in five minutes.

Because animal management

is everyone's business.

We're all responsible

to protect nature.

To look after the well-being

of the creatures that live in it...

...like we take care of our pets.

Does anybody have a pet at home?

- A hamster!

- Rabbit!

Hi.

- Nice office.

- Can I help you?

Well, I hope so.

My brother and I were camping...

...and the weirdest critter

got in our tent.

Just waltzed in. Nasty little sucker.

I have no idea what it might be.

I was wondering if you'd take a look?

- You brought it back? Alive?

- Out in the truck.

- Phase three in two minutes.

- Hunky-dory!

It's right out here.

I really appreciate it.

Did you bring gloves?

- Oh, God!

- Where is it?

- It got out. You have kids around?

- What did it look like?

A big cocker spaniel.

Only he had a... Almost bald.

Fur just around the neck.

Very spiky around here.

You go this way, I'll go this way,

and we'll meet back here.

Careful.

You be careful. Be very careful!

It's very temperamental.

It's very big.

- Get up, get up!

- Thank you, guys.

Final phase is one minute away.

Our own area is blessed with a rich

cornucopia, if you will, of wildlife.

Beaver, bear, badgers...

- Check it out!

...grey foxes...

Yeah. Beetles...

Not the old rock group but...

I think it's Amy. Hey, it's Amy!

Mama to Papa, that was so cool!

I just made a criminal

out of my daughter.

Now we'll both do time behind bars.

Dad, stop being so dramatic.

Look, it's just beginning, Amy.

We've gotta make 120

nautical miles by sundown...

... fly across Lake Ontario...

... cross international lines without

a permit, carrying stolen goods...

... without filing a flight plan,

without any official approval...

... four days behind schedule.

We're on the edge, my dear.

Let's start a slow climb. I want

plenty of altitude over the lake.

Roger.

Father Goose to Wet Goose,

how do you read?

Loud and clear, Father Goose.

How are you doing?

Headwind's picking up.

What's our ground speed?

- Down to 21 knots. How's your fuel?

- Two hours at best.

We're past the point of no return,

so it'll be landfall around dark.

- Sir, you'd better look at this.

- What do you got?

- No idea. Very unorthodox signature.

- Hey, man, that's Newfoundland.

I've got some awful

tired birds back here.

Landfall in about five minutes, Amy.

Sir, it's still heading

straight at us.

- Any contact?

- Negative, sir.

We've gotta go.

Give me full alert, red alert.

Papa Goose to Wet Goose,

we won't make it to rendezvous one.

Roger, Father Goose.

- We're on fumes, we've gotta put down.

- Roger.

We'll tie up and wait

till we hear from you.

We just lucked out. I got a visual

on what appears to be an airfield.

Stay on me, we're going down.

- Let's do this, men. Scramble field.

- Scramble field. Code One.

63 Romeo, on final and holding.

- 63 Romeo, position and hold.

- Roger.

63 Romeo, waiting for takeoff.

63 Romeo, hold your position.

Unidentified traffic on short final.

They're landing? Here?

Tower, this is 43 Tango.

We have the bogies in sight.

Hey, guys, this is really strange.

I suggest you call security.

Oh, great.

The rudder's coming loose again.

Hey, what's that? Dad?

Who is it?

Dad?

- Freeze!

- Get down on the ground!

Stay down, Amy.

What's going on?

No gifts, no produce, no flowers.

No Cuban cigars.

Oh, yeah?

That's a lot of stuff for one camper.

Well, I'm a serious camper.

What's the cage for?

I'm also a paranoid camper.

See, I sleep in it.

Keeps the little furries out.

Doesn't do much for the big ones.

All they'll do is

look at me and drool.

What's all the gasoline for?

That's for my portable generator.

For my VCR and blender.

Nothing like a scary movie

and a pina colada in the wilderness.

Open the back.

Sir, it was an absolute emergency.

We had no idea this was...

- Stop playing with those birds!

- Yes, sir!

It was either land here

or in Lake Ontario.

We're really sorry.

You put this entire military base

on full alert.

You caused us a mountain of paperwork.

Not to mention setting two of

my pilots back emotionally 20 years.

And you're really sorry?

We promise we'll never do it again.

Okay.

Just as long as you promise.

- A little closer together.

- Smile, this is for the morning paper.

A little closer.

- Thank you. That's it.

- You got it? You're okay?

Talk about being at

the right place and time...

... Ed Nichol was at the Niagara Air

Force Base this morning and shot this:

It seems an unlikely pair

sneaked into the high security base...

... with a flock of birds.

Yeah, real birds.

You know, the flapping kind.

Have you heard about

this kid and her birds?

14-year-old Amy Alden

and 15 Canada geese.

She's leading them south

in this really big goose.

This is for real.

They departed from

Niagara Air Base at 5 a.m.

General Hatfield says he has never

seen such an inspirational sight.

- All present and accounted for?

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