Wilson was incredulous. “Blind? He can’t find the ship?”
“No, sir. They say he can’t see.”
Jolted again, Wilson absorbed the news in shock. After a moment, he stood and headed for the door.
“I’m going to Air Ops,” he told them both.
Looking at Killer, he added. “Find Olive and get her up there, too. Call CAG Office and inform them to get the word to CAG if they haven’t already.”
Glancing at the status board, he saw Annie and Big Jake were also airborne. With thirty minutes to recovery, Wilson knew they were low on fuel.
He flung open the ready room door, startling a passing sailor, and bolted for Air Ops some 20 yards forward. Air Operations was the nerve center of the air traffic control functions involving Coral Sea’s aircraft, of which fifteen were airborne at the moment.
As he strode past sailors and over the knee-knockers, his mind raced. Blind? How? Where? How do we get him back? Can Annie find him? Can we bring him aboard hands-off?
Wilson opened the hatch to Air Ops and stepped inside the darkened space, relieved to find CAG and Lieutenant Commander Mike “Rat” Fink, the air wing Landing Signal Officer, conversing with Commander Chris Maher, the Air Ops Officer. CAG saw Wilson approach.
“Flip, what’s the story?”
Unsure himself, Wilson responded. “Sir, I’ve just learned one of my guys is blind. What’s going on down here?” Maher answered for CAG.
“Strike is in contact with James about 60 miles south and vectoring Schofield in three-zero-five to intercept him. How much gas do you think he has left?” All of them knew the answer to this question would narrow the options available.
Wilson glanced at the digital clock mounted on the bulkhead “Little over an hour. Maybe. Has he reported a fuel state?”
“Strike says he can’t read it to tell them,” CAG replied, then turned resolute.
“Okay, I’m going to call the Captain and recommend we scrub this launch and pull all the jets forward. We need to get three-zero-two aboard ASAP. Chris, suggest you get the alert tanker airborne as a backup and recommend you get with Strike to bring everyone airborne back now. I think we have less than an hour for Annie to find him, guide him back if she can, and set him up for a hands-off approach. Do you have your best approach controller ready to go?”
“Yes, sir,” Maher replied.
CAG then turned to Wilson. “Flip, what was he doing?”
“Sir, he was on a post-maintenance check flight — flight control actuator. Routine, and Trench is experienced.” CAG nodded his acknowledgement.
“Sir,” Wilson said. “I want to talk with him, or at least listen to what’s going on over Strike frequency.”