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Robert A. Mills

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Blogs by Robert A. Mills

FLOOD STORY
10/2/2009 12:30:25 PM

I don’t know if this story is true or not (it hardly matters since my source is unabashedly unreliable, anyway) but a yarn such as this that helps relieve the tension and adds a touch of humor to the horrors of our recent flood in metro Atlanta and northern Georgia should be welcomed with open minds.

It seems Will Paxton, a local freelance photojournalist, wangled an assignment from one of the TV networks to videotape the ravaged area of Cobb County from the air. He called a buddy at ReoAir and was told to be at McCollum Airport in Kennesaw at 11 AM.

Dutifully on time, Paxton showed up with his sound camera and all the necessary state-of-the-art digital equipment with which to photograph and narrate a full-length story suitable for TV.

A twin-engine Lockheed 17-J was waiting on the tarmac just outside ReoAir’s terminal, and Paxton quickly stashed his gear in the rear compartment and boarded the 5-seat aircraft just as the pilot, jauntily waving back to him, throttled up and taxied to the runway. “All set?” the pilot called out. “Ready as I’ll ever be!” Paxton replied. “Let’er rip!”

It was a relatively smooth takeoff, and within minutes they were cruising at 6,000 feet over Smyrna and Austell. “How was that for a nifty takeoff?” the pilot asked, while Paxton rummaged in his equipment case for his camera and recording apparatus. “Fine, just fine,” he said. “Circle this area while I get set up.”

Carefully making wide, lazy 8s, the pilot asked, “You wanna get a picture of me at the controls?”

“Yeah, maybe later,” replied Paxton. “For now, just keep circling over the flooded area. See that school down there? Wow. Water’s almost over the roof. Look at them houses. Nearly covered! Wow. Look at the boats and tops of cars. Wow. That house over there looks like—holy cow!—like it’s on fire! Wow! Drop down so I can get some close-ups.”

The pilot turned in his seat and watched Paxton adjust his camera and begin shooting. “What’re you doing?”

“Making a feature for TV.”

“For—who?”

“The TV network. Get down near that trailer park! I wanna get those people hanging on to that tree!”

The pilot had a look of sheer panic on his face. “Wait a minute, mister, I drop any further at this speed, I’m gonna stall out!”

“What do you mean, stall out? Give’er the gas, kid! I got a deadline to meet!”

“Deadline! Who the hell are you?”

“Will Paxton, TV News!”

The pilot gripped the wheel in front of him and his knuckles turned white. “You mean—you aren’t Bill Stockton?—my new flight instructor?”

Copyright©2009 by Robert A. Mills

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