From the latest issue of “Clues”, the Mystery Writers of America (Midwest Chapter) newsletter: BOUCHERCON FROM ABOVE by A.C. Frieden Recently the annual Bouchercon convention turned Long Beach, California into an exciting epicenter of mystery and crime fiction, with hundreds of fans and authors sharing their passion for the genre. As an author of spy thrillers, I was again eager to catch up with old friends at this event. But this time I wanted something a bit different: to perform a flyby over the convention center. Having weaved many aviation action scenes into my espionage novels, and being an avid pilot for over twenty years, I was seduced by the perfect weather and the easy availability of high performance aircraft in the Los Angeles area. Early Friday morning, as Bouchercon attendees began their second day of panels, I headed to Fullerton Airport in Anaheim. I felt a rush of excitement the moment I spotted the bright-yellow Waco YMF-5 biplane, an aircraft type I had never previously piloted. After a thirty minute briefing with instructor pilot Mike “Rocket” Blackstone, it was time to fly. With Mike in the backseat, I taxied the large tail-dragger using wide S-turns to check for clearance going forward, since there’s no visibility straight ahead. After a quick run-up to test the engine, the tower cleared us for takeoff. The deep roar of the engine filled my ears and the wind whooshed over my open cockpit. I couldnt help but feel a bond with the pilots of yesteryear. I gained speed, the tail lifting off the pavement, and seconds later the main gears, too. I pulled the stick farther back, guiding the aircraft to a steep climb and headed toward the coast. With a cruising speed of 105 knots (122 mph), a 300 HP engine and a design dating back to the 1930s, the plane was remarkably smooth, with precise handling. It didnt take long to feel connected to this elegant machine—as if its wings were an extension of my body. I headed to Long Beach and proceeded over the water, where I soon spotted the Queen Mary and the Hyatt nearby, the site of Bouchercon. While I would have loved to do a Top Gun style flyby and rattle the windows of the convention center, I chose to keep my pilot’s license and stick to the rules―that is, staying 1000 feet above the buildings. At a glance the flight might seem like a publicity stunt. But there’s something unique and odd about a pilot’s mindset. We are passionate about taking to the skies when an opportunity presents itself. We think engines, fuselage, aerodynamics, and electronics. We are brave, and sometimes brash, but deep down we are mechanically inclined geeks. We crave the freedom that flight brings us, and the exhilarating vantage of seeing the world from above. So yes, we are a bit odd. And as an author, I feel an added interest to dig further into what fuels this passion. And I’m not the only fiction author with a pilot’s license. David Morrell, the award-winning author of First Blood, the novel in which Rambo was created, is also a pilot and attended this year’s Bouchercon. David Freed, author of the Cordell Logan mysteries, also flies planes. There are many more. So, the next time you look up at a small plane, think about a pilot’s passion, and there’s a chance he or she may also be a writer. (below is a short clip of my training flight)
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 19:39:59 +0000
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