Flying Tigers Page #5

Ah, it's ready.

Nice dish, very nice.

Sorry, chin. We got to run

along. What I do with this?

You eat it.

Me eat this?

No, sir. No, sir.

I dragged you all out of bed and

every place else because this arrived.

I haven't had any mail for months.

I didn't know that any of

your friends could write.

well, here it is.

"commencing the first-"

that's tomorrow.

Your squadron assumes continuous night

reconnaissance in alternating patrols."

Signed r.T. Lindsay

and so forth.

In simple language, that means we

start a night patrol as well as day.

But, jim, we're not

set up for night flying.

We have no beacon

and no landing lights.

We'll use the headlights

on the trucks. How?

We have six vehicles. We'll line

three up on each side of the runway.

That's all right for takeoffs,

but what about landings?

Those lights can be seen from

5,000 feet up on a clear night.

Fine. Suppose there's a

ground fog. What happens then?

Well, woody, all you have

to do is use your fog knife.

"fog knife"?

What's that?

- Don't tell me jason hasn't got one of those.

- Every ace has one.

Sure. When you're

caught in a heavy fog,

All you do is cut a hole

in it with your fog knife...

And drop down

like in an elevator.

You must have fallen through

one of those holes on your head.

Easy, easy. Let's save that

for the annual barbecue.

Now pay attention. No

pilots must leave the post.

All leaves are

automatically canceled.

Starting tomorrow morning at

10:
00, every man on the field...

Must report to dr. Singh

for a physical checkup.

That's all.

Scatter and get some sleep.

Woody.

Yeah?

Got a minute?

Sure.

What are you gonna do,

stand me in the corner? No.

I'll be leading flight "a," and

hap will be leading flight "b."

I want you to take over

hap's old position,

Number two in back of me

and my flight.

Okay, pappy.

Don't worry about a thing. Good night.

Good night, skipper.

Good night, hap.

Some of you guys don't seem to understand

the reasons for these special tests.

Sure we do. It's to find out

if we need a seeing eye dog.

okay, okay.

It's funny now.

The first time

you're on a night flight...

And a string of tracers come

hissing out at you from the dark,

You'll be glad we rechecked your

eyesight and reflexes. Sure. We know that.

Night patrol calls for peak efficiency

and perfect physical fitness.

Right.

Where did you dig that

up? I've been studying.

Don't, doc. That's cold, and I'm ticklish.

Nothing wrong

with his reflexes.

alignment blocks,

please.

is everything

all right?

All these reports go

to squadron leader gordon.

The final decision

rests with him.

I sure would hate

to miss out on night patrol.

I hear those japos

glow in the dark like bugs.

Good morning, gentlemen.

Having your oil changed?

Is my eyesight failing me or is

it that beautiful hunk of man?

You keep that up and someday

they'll put you on the radio.

Come on, fellas. Let's go to the gasoline

dump and get a breath of fresh air.

You asked for that. Okay,

okay! I'm not beefing, am I?

Where's the gadget you wanted me to come

back for, doctor? Yes, over here, please.

When I examined mr. Jason this

morning, this had not arrived yet.

I asked him to come back

with the others.

Is that what you wanted? Yes, thank you.

Thank you. You know, jason,

people that fly upside down...

Get a pretty twisted picture of

what's going on all around them.

Yeah, thanks, hap.

Thanks a lot.

You well enough

to travel, alabama?

Huh?

Oh, yeah, yeah.

all right, mr. Hap.

Think I'll fall apart, doc?

You should outlive

confucius.

That's good enough for me.

You want to see me, skipper?

Sit down, hap.

I've made a change.

Tex norton will lead flight "b"

instead of you. That's okay, jim.

I'd rather be up there in my old

spot anyway, protecting your tail.

It isn't that, hap.

I gotta hand you one

on the chin.

But I'd rather it came from me

than from somebody else.

Go ahead, jim.

You're through flying.

The doc said I'd live

to be a hundred.

If you stay

on the ground.

Oh.

I see.

okay.

Was there anything else? No.

Wait a minute.

I can't send a man up that doesn't know

whether he's flying upside-down or not.

Take a look at that physical.

Your depth perception's a mile off.

I know you've been gunning 'em since they

were box kites with broomsticks for rudders,

But, you gotta believe me,

I'm doing this for you!

You've been close winging in

formations, overshooting your landings-

You don't have

to say any more!

I'm sorry.

I was kind of figuring on

going back to the states anyway,

Maybe get me a chicken ranch

or something.

I hear there's a lot

of dough in eggs. Eggs?

Who are you trying to kid?

You haven't been

saving any money.

You've been giving it away

as fast as you make it.

Look, hap,

I need you here.

What could I do now?

Taking care of these crates on

the ground is just as important...

As flying them upstairs.

I got to have a man

I can trust on the ground.

I wish you'd take that job,

hap.

You're not doing this to

- no.

I really need you.

Well, ground kind of

hurts my arches,

But, well,

I'll think about it.

Thanks, hap.

Wait a minute.

I didn't swing at that one.

come on.

Okay. I never could bat

without my spike shoes anyway.

Come on, come on.

You're out.

Come on,

let her go.

woody.

Hello!

How are things going? You

better not be seen talking to me.

I'm poison ivy. Everything I

touch breaks out into a rash.

I, um, I just got a letter from mrs. Bales.

What's she writing you about? I sent her

blackie's things. She wrote to thank me.

Oh. She said to be sure

and give you her regards.

Well, um

- you are a difficult man to get to know, aren't you?

Why don't you have dinner with me

tonight and get to know me better?

you don't take no

for an answer, do you?

Why should I, when it's

just as easy to say yes?

Isn't it?

Yes.

Well, swell! I'll meet you

tonight at the orphanage at 8:00.

Right? Okay. See you later.

Uh, wait a minute.

Don't say anything to anybody

about mrs. Bales, will you?

I don't want to spoil my record. All right.

And be on time!

Hey, 'bama.

Those guys only got seven lucky

hits off of me in three innings.

Yeah, swell. I'm going off the

reservation tonight. I got a date.

What about night patrol?

You're on "a" flight.

Oh, don't worry about it.

I'll be back in time.

But if anyone asks any

questions about me, you cover me.

I'm getting

that old feeling.

All right, fellas, synchronize

your watches at 10:55.

It's now 10:
54 and 57...

58, 59, mark it.

Tex, "b" flight must relieve

us at exactly 11:55. Right.

otherwise, we might mistake you

for the enemy. That's about it.

Take off in four minutes.

I thought jason was here.

Well, I thought I saw him getting

dressed just a few minutes ago, sir.

Well, get him on the field. Yes, sir.

Warm 'em up.

Did you see woody? I just

stalled the skipper. No.

He'll wring my neck too if he

finds out woody left the field.

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