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scans_dailyContinuing our look at the manga soon to go away from JManga.com, I have another Takao Saito (Golgo-13) creation, "Kitty Hawker."
Created in the 1990s, Kitty Hawker is the story of Oki, a Japanese pilot who, while trying out for Pacific Air, managed to somehow destroy a $300,000 simulator. Apparently, he's aces as a pilot, but a little bit unlucky. As a result, he's been assigned to Lian Air, a subsidary of Pacific. There, he must perform any insanely difficult and hazardous mission ordered, in order to pay for the simulator.
Oki is accompanied on each mission by Bud, a really good mechanic (one wonders what he did to be saddled with these jobs) and a young, pretty mission specialist of the week. But "young, pretty mission specialist" just doesn't seem enough for Women's History Month, so we're going to skip Chapter One, and go to Chapter Three, and the introduction of someone more interesting.
Sixteen pages of fifty.
The story opens at the airfield of Lian Air, outside the city of Del Rio, Texas. A B-17 bomber is parked on the runway, and the narration gives us a quick rundown on its stats and history.
Oki and Bud complete the preflight checklist, and the young woman with them indicates she's ready, so Oki starts moving the plane. There's a sharp voice from the radio.
The takeoff goes smoothly, and much later over the Atlantic...
It's not mentioned in this story, but Oki has a wife and kid back in Japan.
Bud reminds us that Macedonia is in the middle of the Balkans War at the time the story is set. Oki is not keen on flying this old plane into Macedonia to gather intel on the air defense system...the hard way. Stephanie assures him that's not quite the plan, but before she can explain further, another plane flies close over the B-17, causing turbulence and squelching conversation.
In Paris, at the DeGaulle airport, Oki and Bud see what looks like a small (by aircraft standards) bomb being wheeled into their plane. Stephanie boards the B-17, followed by a shadowy figure. Stephanie clearly knows the figure is there, but says nothing of it and tells the crew it's time to go.
As they enter Macedonian airspace, the B-17 is checked out by fighter jets, that then peel off.
Yes, that thing that looked like a bomb. Agents on the ground will then be able to use it to monitor the air defense system. It's at this point the shadowy figure reveals itself to be--Mrs. Hobbes!
Some tense flying follows. Bud takes the bombadier's seat with Stephanie assisting, while Mrs. Hobbes acts as navigator. They're closing in on Kelsa, only seven minutes from the target, when a sudden low cloud cover hits the area.
Oki is unhappy, but this brings back exciting memories for Mrs. Hobbes. They're soon below the clouds, and it's all Oki can do to maintain the nap of the earth altitude. Mrs. Hobbes goes to check on Bud.
Oki grumbles about her arrogance, once again forgetting his mike is live.
Okay, the target has been hit, but how do they now get out of Macedonia alive? The Macedonians won't hesitate to shoot them down if they head south, east or west; and to the north are the Yugoslav anti-air batteries.
There's a few pages of fantasy sequences depicting their horrible fates should the plan, whatever it is, not work. Some lovely detail work here, but 1/3rd rule. The Macedonian fighters show up and do a threatening fly-by as a warning shot.
Sure enough, the other plane is up there. More tense flying as Oki has to maneuver exactly right.
Oki finally gets some praise from Mrs. Hobbes, who tells him he could make a living doing aerobatics. After some more tense flying, the B-17 has finally reached a safe airspace, and everyone can relax.
Back in Kelsa, the ground agents bring the truck into their barn and unpack the device....
They hold the roses, looking off into the setting sun. Far away, also heading into the sunset....
Mrs. Hobbes chuckles over how unsuspecting the men are and how sweet they look now that the hard part is done.
Mrs. Hobbes cameos in later chapters as a behind-the-scenes ally of Oki's.
In real life, the first female air traffic controller was Mary Chance van Scyoc. http://www.ninety-nines.org/index.cfm/mary_chance_van_scyoc.htm You can read more about her in her autobiography, "A Lifetime of Chances."
Your thoughts, comments, and favorite women in aviation?
SKJAM!
Created in the 1990s, Kitty Hawker is the story of Oki, a Japanese pilot who, while trying out for Pacific Air, managed to somehow destroy a $300,000 simulator. Apparently, he's aces as a pilot, but a little bit unlucky. As a result, he's been assigned to Lian Air, a subsidary of Pacific. There, he must perform any insanely difficult and hazardous mission ordered, in order to pay for the simulator.
Oki is accompanied on each mission by Bud, a really good mechanic (one wonders what he did to be saddled with these jobs) and a young, pretty mission specialist of the week. But "young, pretty mission specialist" just doesn't seem enough for Women's History Month, so we're going to skip Chapter One, and go to Chapter Three, and the introduction of someone more interesting.
Sixteen pages of fifty.
The story opens at the airfield of Lian Air, outside the city of Del Rio, Texas. A B-17 bomber is parked on the runway, and the narration gives us a quick rundown on its stats and history.
Oki and Bud complete the preflight checklist, and the young woman with them indicates she's ready, so Oki starts moving the plane. There's a sharp voice from the radio.
The takeoff goes smoothly, and much later over the Atlantic...
It's not mentioned in this story, but Oki has a wife and kid back in Japan.
Bud reminds us that Macedonia is in the middle of the Balkans War at the time the story is set. Oki is not keen on flying this old plane into Macedonia to gather intel on the air defense system...the hard way. Stephanie assures him that's not quite the plan, but before she can explain further, another plane flies close over the B-17, causing turbulence and squelching conversation.
In Paris, at the DeGaulle airport, Oki and Bud see what looks like a small (by aircraft standards) bomb being wheeled into their plane. Stephanie boards the B-17, followed by a shadowy figure. Stephanie clearly knows the figure is there, but says nothing of it and tells the crew it's time to go.
As they enter Macedonian airspace, the B-17 is checked out by fighter jets, that then peel off.
Yes, that thing that looked like a bomb. Agents on the ground will then be able to use it to monitor the air defense system. It's at this point the shadowy figure reveals itself to be--Mrs. Hobbes!
Some tense flying follows. Bud takes the bombadier's seat with Stephanie assisting, while Mrs. Hobbes acts as navigator. They're closing in on Kelsa, only seven minutes from the target, when a sudden low cloud cover hits the area.
Oki is unhappy, but this brings back exciting memories for Mrs. Hobbes. They're soon below the clouds, and it's all Oki can do to maintain the nap of the earth altitude. Mrs. Hobbes goes to check on Bud.
Oki grumbles about her arrogance, once again forgetting his mike is live.
Okay, the target has been hit, but how do they now get out of Macedonia alive? The Macedonians won't hesitate to shoot them down if they head south, east or west; and to the north are the Yugoslav anti-air batteries.
There's a few pages of fantasy sequences depicting their horrible fates should the plan, whatever it is, not work. Some lovely detail work here, but 1/3rd rule. The Macedonian fighters show up and do a threatening fly-by as a warning shot.
Sure enough, the other plane is up there. More tense flying as Oki has to maneuver exactly right.
Oki finally gets some praise from Mrs. Hobbes, who tells him he could make a living doing aerobatics. After some more tense flying, the B-17 has finally reached a safe airspace, and everyone can relax.
Back in Kelsa, the ground agents bring the truck into their barn and unpack the device....
They hold the roses, looking off into the setting sun. Far away, also heading into the sunset....
Mrs. Hobbes chuckles over how unsuspecting the men are and how sweet they look now that the hard part is done.
Mrs. Hobbes cameos in later chapters as a behind-the-scenes ally of Oki's.
In real life, the first female air traffic controller was Mary Chance van Scyoc. http://www.ninety-nines.org/index.cfm/mary_chance_van_scyoc.htm You can read more about her in her autobiography, "A Lifetime of Chances."
Your thoughts, comments, and favorite women in aviation?
SKJAM!
no subject
Date: 2013-03-26 12:47 pm (UTC)Mrs Hobbes is cool though.
no subject
Date: 2013-03-26 04:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-03-27 01:21 am (UTC)