Following the meeting of the 14th, Brian sent us this review of Hawk Among the Sparrows, one of the stories that was referred in during Joe’s presentation, Too Many Connecticut Yankees. –cpl
Hawk Among the Sparrows
by Dean McLaughlin
While flying a covert mission to observe a nuclear bomb test, Howard Farman and his armed, strategic reconnaissance aircraft “Pika-Don” are to forced to land near a small airfield. Confronted by French soldiers, he realizes he has somehow been transported back to the Western Front of World War One. Not only will he have to convince a fellow “Americaine” of the concept of time travel, but that his Mach 4 jet can actually fly. With his plane out of fuel, can he improvise a method to filter common field kitchen kerosene (paraffin) into something approximating jet fuel. But even this will take at least 500 gallons to make a test flight. He also discovers how little he knows about flying during this era. The unwieldy, rotary engined (engines that turn with the propellers), open cockpit biplanes have little in common with modern jets. During his first flight in one of the squadron’s planes, he experiences a “dogfight” and “airsickness” at nearly the same time. His plane is nearly shot down by an infamous German ace, who has shot down so many of the squadron’s pilots. Even if he can manage to refuel his plane, can he stop an enemy ace where so many others have failed. Pika-Don’s radar is unable to lock onto the mostly wood and fabric fighters, it’s heat seeking missiles useless. In air combat the first rule is “Speed is Life”.
The story actually holds up very well, being nearly as much an aviation story masquerading as science fiction. At one point his friend Blake asks Farman “How can you fly when you don’t have the wind on your face?”
“How can you fly if you can’t judge the wind currents around you.” which could be be life or death knowledge for the pilot with little instruments to guide them.
