A Flight of Golden Wings (2 page)

‘Do you really think we’ll go to war with Germany again, Father? Surely Hitler won’t take the risk?’

‘Who knows?’ Her father shrugged. ‘He’s a fanatic, and fanatics are notoriously unpredictable.’

A deep sigh came from her mother. ‘If it does come I hope Simon keeps out of it.’

‘He won’t be able to, my dear, and I doubt he would want to.’ George Aspinall laid aside his newspaper and turned to his daughter. ‘Let’s hope it’s all talk, shall we?’

Ruth was relieved the subject had been closed. Now was the time to talk seriously to them about her future. ‘I’m
sure you’re right, Father. It’s the immediate future I’ve been thinking about. I want to find a job.’

‘You can help me with my charity work,’ her mother suggested. ‘We’re always grateful for willing hands.’

‘Thank you, Mother, but I want to earn my own living. I’ve relied on you and Father for far too long.’

‘You know you don’t have to worry about that, Ruth.’

‘But I do. Couldn’t you find me something to do in your offices? I don’t care what it is.’ Ruth’s eyes gleamed as she teased, ‘Don’t you need a tea girl, or a filing clerk?’

A look of horror crossed her father’s face. ‘I’m not having my daughter running around at everyone’s beck and call! Why don’t you go back to university and study law?’

Ruth grimaced and stifled a sigh of exasperation. This subject had come up before, but quite honestly she had no interest in law, as she’d quickly discovered during her time at university. ‘I don’t want to go back to school. I’ll ask Simon if I can work at the flying school while he’s teaching me to fly.’

There was a stunned silence as her parents studied their daughter in horror.

‘Pardon?’ her father growled. ‘Did I hear you correctly?’

Ruth cursed herself for dropping that news so carelessly. It wasn’t what she had planned at all, but she had spoken without thinking. ‘I’ve asked Simon to teach me to fly and he’s agreed.’ She leant forward, her expression pleading for understanding. ‘I’m wasting my life, and I just can’t go on like this.’

‘But what use will flying be to you, darling?’ Alice Aspinall looked thoroughly confused.

‘I don’t know, but it’s something I really want to do.’

Her father cleared his throat, the first one to recover. ‘You say Simon’s going to be your instructor?’

She nodded. ‘I start in two days’ time.’

George looked steadily at his wife. ‘Simon’s a good pilot, my dear – one of the best. Ruth won’t come to any harm with him. We ought to give her our blessing in this endeavour.’

‘Of course, you’re right, my dear.’ Alice straightened her shoulders. ‘We always gave Robert full rein to follow his dreams, and we shouldn’t stop our daughter doing the same.’

Ruth leapt to her feet with joy, rushing over to hug them both. She had always known they were kind, loving people, but this showed what immense, unselfish courage they had.

‘Oh, thank you!’ she said gratefully. ‘I promise I’ll be careful. I’ll be the safest pilot there is in the air.’

As Ruth walked towards the plane for her first lesson she felt excited, but there was also an absolute certainty that this was what she was meant to do. It was a strange feeling, but she had always followed her instinct. Robert had teased her about it constantly. A smile touched her lips as she thought, I’ll show you, Robert. One day this will prove to be the best thing I’ve ever done.

Simon had just spent half an hour outlining what lay ahead of her. If he considered she was going to make a good pilot they would work towards her ‘A’ licence. Then she would have to log 100 hours solo before trying for the ‘B’ licence. He had said firmly that if she were serious about this then he expected her to do the thing properly. He was clearly expecting much of her, but that had only increased her determination to succeed. She knew some women flew at air shows and took passengers on paying fun trips, so the prospect was exciting.

However, that was all speculation at the moment, she reminded herself, climbing into the plane. Simon had just been opening the possibilities to her. Everything depended upon her ability as a pilot.

Once in the air Simon ran through the controls again, then told her to take over. ‘Stay below the clouds, Ruth, and fly straight and level.’

She followed his instruction, revelling in the thrill of being given a chance so soon. Her concentration was total, listening to the quiet voice of her instructor when she needed to make adjustments to keep straight. It was comforting to know that he would take over in a second if she did something wrong. That knowledge increased her confidence.

The first lesson was only thirty minutes, and when they landed they went straight to the flying school office.

Ruth waited patiently while Simon filled in details of her first flight. When he looked up, she asked eagerly, ‘How did I do?’

‘Too early to say.’ Simon sat back and regarded her thoughtfully. ‘But you were calm, obeyed instructions and made necessary adjustments without hesitation. You seemed to have a good feel for the controls, but only time will tell.’

She blew out a breath of relief. Simon’s assessment was encouraging, and she knew he didn’t waste unnecessary words by saying things he didn’t mean. ‘Thank you.’

His expression was serious. ‘I want you to try and go solo by the end of the month. If you can do that then we’ll consider taking the next step. But bear this in mind, Ruth: if you do want to progress to the ‘B’ private pilot licence,
then you’ll be doing it during the winter months. It won’t be easy, but I’ll help you all I can.’

‘I know that, but I promise I’ll give it all I’ve got.’

He got to his feet. ‘I can’t ask for more than that.’

‘Simon, is there any work I can do in the office or around the airfield?’

‘I know this is going to be expensive, so do you need to earn money to help with the costs?’ His expression was understanding. ‘I realise that you won’t want to ask your parents for help.’

‘Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. They would help, but I don’t need to ask them for financial help. I’m in the fortunate position of being able to pay my own way. It’s just that I would like something useful to do between lessons. I’m tired of being a lady of leisure.’

‘Do you mind what you do?’

‘No, I’ll take anything. I offered to be a tea girl in my father’s law firm, but he refused.’

Simon tipped his head back and laughed. ‘I’ll bet he did. Well, I’m snowed under with paperwork and I’d appreciate your help for a couple of days a week. I’ll pay you, of course.’

‘That’s marvellous, thank you, Simon.’

Over the next four weeks, Simon watched Ruth carefully. It was clear she was enjoying the lessons, and her eagerness to get in the air increased with every flight. He’d had serious doubts about Robert’s little sister learning to fly. She had always appeared to be a dedicated socialite with nothing to do but enjoy herself, but he was fast revising that opinion;
he now suspected that that was no more than a facade. He knew whenever she had voiced the desire to do something useful, her parents had just waved it away, telling her to go out and have some fun. Robert’s death had obviously shaken her and made her take stock of her life. There was a new Ruth Aspinall emerging. She was happy to help in any way she could around the office, and Simon was happy to pay her for that. Paperwork was not his favourite job, and she was a skilled organiser. But more importantly, she was showing a real feel for flying, revelling in each new manoeuvre she mastered, and showing none of her brother’s reckless nature.

He sat back away from the controls and said quietly, ‘All right, Ruth, take her in.’

With a quick smile she turned for the approach. Her height and speed were all good, but the thing he was most impressed with was her concentration. It was total. He wished some of the boys he was teaching had the same ability. She was going to make a damned good pilot.

The plane touched down with a smoothness even he would have been proud of. At that moment he made up his mind. Jumping out as soon as they had stopped he shut the door, tapped it twice with his hand, and nodded to her. It was time for her to go solo.

‘Now’s your chance, Ruth, show me what you can do.’ Then he walked away from the plane, leaving her on her own for the first time.

When Simon reached the flying school hut, he turned. She was already taxiing into position. Phil, another instructor, joined him. ‘Is she ready, Simon? Many of the eager boys don’t go solo this quickly.’

‘She’s ready.’ Simon spoke with confidence. ‘She’s a family friend. I wouldn’t dare let her do this if I had the slightest doubt.’

The men watched in silence as Ruth took off, circled the airfield a couple of times and then made a good landing. ‘Impressive,’ Phil said.

Simon’s smile spread. ‘Oh, she’s more than that, Phil. Ruth Aspinall was meant to fly and is a first-class pilot in the making.’

As Ruth taxied the plane back to where Simon was standing she was surprised at how calm she had been. He hadn’t given any indication that he was about to let her go solo, so there hadn’t been time to get worked up about it. Over the last four weeks she had often wondered what it would be like to be alone in the air. Now she knew. It was wonderful! The sheer beauty and feeling of freedom had been breathtaking, and much to her astonishment she hadn’t been frightened.

Switching off the engine, she clambered out, determined to be dignified about this and not go mad with excitement. But as she walked towards Simon and saw his smiling face, she knew she had done well, and couldn’t help laughing out loud in glee.

‘How did I do?’ she asked when she reached him.

‘Not bad.’

‘What do you mean, “not bad”? That was pretty nigh on perfect.’

‘No, it wasn’t –’ Simon held out a bottle of champagne he’d been hiding behind his back ‘– it was flawless.’

Phil shook her hand. ‘Well done, Ruth. We’ll have you at
the air shows in no time at all. Wish I could stay and enjoy the drink with you, but I’ve got a lesson now.’

As Phil walked away, Simon draped an arm around Ruth’s shoulder. ‘Two of my students have cancelled so I’ve got some free time. What say we go and break the good news to your parents? We could crack open the champagne with them.’

It was a fine Saturday afternoon and they found George and Alice Aspinall in the garden. Ruth was grateful for Simon’s presence to help her with this news. Her parents had been very supportive of her desire to fly, but she knew they worried, even though they tried hard to hide it.

‘Simon, how lovely to see you!’ Ruth’s mother greeted him with obvious affection, for he had been a regular visitor to their home when Robert was alive.

‘Hello, Mrs Aspinall.’ Simon kissed her cheek and then shook hands with George. ‘How are you, sir?’

‘Fine, fine.’ George studied his daughter’s flushed face and saw the bottle of champagne. ‘It looks as if we have something to celebrate.’

‘We have!’ Ruth’s excitement bubbled over. ‘I’ve just flown solo for the first time.’

‘Oh, that’s wonderful, darling!’ Alice stood up. ‘We must indeed drink to such an achievement. I’ll go and get some glasses.’

‘Well done, my dear.’ Her father smiled proudly. ‘And you’ve done it so quickly.’

‘Ah, well, Simon’s the best instructor anyone could have.’

‘He certainly is.’ George winked at Simon. ‘A good student then, is she?’

‘Very good.’ Simon popped the cork when Alice returned with the glasses and then poured the champagne. He held up his glass. ‘To Ruth. That was an excellent solo flight. From what I’ve seen so far, I believe you have the makings of a very good pilot.’

‘Thank you.’ This was high praise from a man who didn’t waste words. To be told that she could reach such lofty heights in his eyes was more than she had dared to hope for.

‘Sit down,’ George urged, then turned to his daughter. ‘Tell us all about it. Were you nervous?’

‘No, Simon didn’t give me the chance. He just jumped out of the plane after we’d landed and told me to show him what I could do.’

‘And she did.’ Simon refilled their glasses, but left his own. He had only taken a couple of sips for the toast. ‘No more for me. I have three more lessons today.’

‘What comes next, Simon?’ Alice squeezed her daughter’s hand to show her how pleased she was for her.

‘Ruth is good enough to go for her “A” licence. I will now take her through everything necessary to pass the tests. Once that’s done she will be able to do cross-country flights to log up 100 hours solo so she can apply for the “B” licence.’ Simon faced her, his expression serious. ‘All this will take a great deal of study and practise, but if you approach it with the same dedication and enthusiasm you have shown so far, you will be able to do it.’

‘I won’t let you down, Simon.’ That he had such trust in her ability was overwhelming, and she would work hard over the next few months. She wanted to succeed in this
more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.

‘I know you won’t, Ruth. If I had any doubts I wouldn’t be pushing you like this.’

‘I suppose you’ll want me to buy you a plane, Ruth?’ George gave a mock sigh, but his mouth twitched. ‘As long as you promise not to land on our lawn.’

That made everyone laugh. The Aspinalls’ garden was a picture, and the lawn perfection in emerald.

‘I wouldn’t dare, Father.’

Ruth’s mother looked at Simon with concern in her eyes. ‘Things are getting nasty in Germany and there’s much speculation about war. What do you think will happen, Simon?’

‘I really don’t know. The signs aren’t good, but we’ll just have to wait and see how things work out. I don’t think anyone knows which way Hitler will jump next.’

‘Oh, it might not come to anything.’ Ruth didn’t like to see her mother so concerned, but she knew Alice followed the news avidly and was no fool. She was clearly digesting each development and weighing up the situation.

‘Still, it’s something we need to watch. If the worst happens I suppose you’ll go in the RAF, Simon? They’ll be crying out for pilots with your experience and skill.’

‘I expect they will, and it would be an obvious choice for me.’ Simon glanced at his watch. ‘I won’t make a decision until I have to. See you tomorrow, Ruth. You must get in as much flying as possible while the weather’s good.’

‘I’ll be there at nine,’ Ruth told him.

After saying goodbye, they watched Simon walk away, and Alice frowned. ‘He’s being kept busy teaching, isn’t he?
The government must think that war with Germany is a possibility and they want as many pilots as possible.’

‘Just a precaution, my dear; it’s sensible to be prepared.’ George drained his glass and smiled at his daughter. ‘But enough of this gloomy talk or we’ll spoil Ruth’s special day.’

‘Of course.’ Alice’s expression cleared. ‘I’ve always been such a worrier, but I’m very proud of our daughter, the pilot!’

Simon had been right when he’d said that the next few months would need complete dedication. As the autumn turned to winter the flying became more and more difficult, and many days Ruth prowled the airfield begging the clouds to lift, rain to stop, or strong winds to drop. She spent almost every day waiting for the weather to clear enough for her to take off. Simon did his best to keep her busy studying navigation, learning about the engines and, in her spare time, helping him around the office.

Ruth was overjoyed when she was given her ‘A’ licence early in December. But it wasn’t until the end of May 1939 that she finally succeeded in earning her ‘B’ private pilot licence. The required night flight had been tough, and although Simon had flown with her along the route a few times, she had still been terrified that she would get lost. But she hadn’t, and her sense of achievement had been enormous. Her parents had thrown a large party in her honour, and now appeared to be quite happy that she had chosen to fly. Any misgivings they might have were carefully hidden and she loved them for that. Knowing what had happened to their son must make them anxious that their
daughter was now pursuing such a dangerous pastime. One thing she knew they were happy about was the fact that her instructor was Simon. They trusted him as a pilot and knew he wouldn’t allow her to take unnecessary risks.

However, there was a blot on her happiness. They were living in troubled times and speculation about war was growing. Ruth couldn’t help wondering if all her effort might turn out to have been wasted. If the country did go to war then pilots like her would be grounded. The men could fly for the RAF, of course, but there wouldn’t be anything for women with a private licence.

With this in mind, Ruth spent as much time flying as possible, logging up hours while she had the chance. In the summer months she went with Simon to a couple of air shows and enjoyed them very much.

But everyone was edgy, wondering what the future held.

On the 3rd of September they found out. Britain was at war with Germany.