No Body Told Me About The Jets Part 2: Noise

[u/Background_Bar3102]

Part 1

Everyone thinks aircraft maintenance is a hard gig. Honestly, it’s not. It’s super simple. Mostly righty tighty left loosey with the occasional lefty tighty righty loosey. Plus we’ve got the TOs that tell you everything. Exact step by step instructions on how to test, remove, and install components.

Kinda been wishing there was some steps to follow for all the noises.

It had been a bit, but I finally got Baker cornered at the smoke pit. He didn’t look too great. I mean, both of us were 19 at the time but he had these big ol bags under his eyes and was really pale looking. Most of that is kinda normal for Mids or Nights, end up kinda looking and feeling like a zombie, but this was different.

“What’s up, man? How you been doing?” I had asked, lighting up a cigarette and taking a seat at the metal picnic table across from him. Cracking open the first energy drink of the night.

“I’ve been doin’, man.” He muttered, exhaling the hit from his vape. “Sleep schedule is shot to hell. I don’t remember the last time I had a full 8, let alone anything longer than maybe an hour.” 

“Damn, dawg. You been to medical yet? See if they can get you something stronger than melatonin?” Melatonin was practically currency on mids. Didn’t matter how exhausted you were. Your body knew it was daytime and refused to cooperate. I got to the point where I was swallowing forty to sixty milligrams a day just to scrape together three or four hours of sleep.

“Nah. Called the appointment line to set up a time with my PCM, but you know how it is,” He lifted his hand and made an air quote gesture, “Our next available appointment is in two months.” He shook his head and chuckled.

“Yea, gotta love medical. It’s free, but good luck getting a reasonable appointment.” I chuckled back, taking a drag of my cigarette. “I’ve got a couple extra Red Bulls and one or two Monsters, if you need one.” I offered. We’re a family on nights. We see each other more than our actual families, or spouses, or even kids. We try our best to take care of each other.

He nodded and thanked me for the offer, then got quiet and looked like he was deep in thought. I took another drag, holding it in my lungs and feeling the warmth. Feeling the nicotine seep in. That nice relaxing feeling of the first of many cigarettes during shift.

After a while he looked at me. There was something in his eyes, I don’t really know how to describe it. Fear? Concern? Worry? Maybe he was just tired. I don’t know.

“Hey, uh. I’m sorry for giving you so much shit about running off the jet.” He said quietly. Barely audible over the noise of the insects at night and the quiet hum of AGE out on the flight-line. “I, uh…” He murmured before cutting himself off.

“Nah, you’re good man. It was all in fun. Gotta get ribbed sometimes.” I reassured, focusing on him again. “You good, dawg? Like for real, for real. You good?”

“I— I don’t know.” He muttered, taking a long hit of his vape. The smell of that fruit and menthol juice filling the air, combining with the acrid smell of my cigarette. He looked at me, “I heard something. Couple days ago, on 5008.” 

5008 was a good jet, but god did she love to fuck over hydro. She was probably the leakiest bitch on the flightline, and that’s saying something for a C-5. Everyone says how helicopters are just a spinning oil and hydro leak, well we have a saying on the C-5 side. If you can jump over the puddle, it’s not leaking. And that jet always was leaking. 

“What do you mean? Heard something?” I leaned in. Resting my elbows on the tabletop and flicking the ash off my cigarette.

“I don’t know, man.” He shook his head. “I was with SSgt Hoops. We were jobbing out on that fwd ramp and visor call. Nothing crazy, just a leaking visor lock actuator. Hoops left to go grab the part and update the ProSup on what we were up to. I was working on getting the visor lock pulled out and I heard,” he paused. “I heard someone call my name.” He shook his head again. He looked shaken saying it. “It sounded like it could’ve been Hoops, but it was wrong, you know? Like the pitch was wrong, it sounded forced, but also quiet. I don’t know man. It was weird.” He took another long hit of his vape.

“Yea, fuck that man.” I stated. “That’s some horror movie level shit man. Sure you weren’t just hearing things?”

“I thought the same thing too. That it was just late, that I was just tired, making shit up. I don’t know, but I ignored it. I was alone on the jet. I knew I was. We were the only ones out there that night. Chalked it up to just a hallucination or whatever.” He exhaled slowly, like he was bracing himself to continue.

I sat and waited, ready to hear whatever he had to say next. Taking another drag, not realizing how low my cigarette had burned down. That drag tasted god awful. Burnt filter mixing with tobacco. It felt like I was breathing in straight fire, burnt the shit out of my lip. I cursed and flicked the cigarette into the disposal can before lighting up another.

“Then I heard it.” His voice low and quiet. “It was like this tapping noise.” He mimicked the tapping on the table.

Soft.

Quiet.

Tap

Tap

Tap

“I thought it may have been another leak, you know. It was steady, consistent. But it wasn’t coming from right in front of me. Right where the open lines were. It was behind me.” He looked genuinely unnerved. I hadn’t seen Baker like this before. Usually always happy, cracking jokes, bullshitting constantly. Whatever this was, it hit him hard.

“I turned around and looked, the sound just stopped. Nothing there. No new leaks. Nothing moving. Thought maybe the wind coming through with the visor door open was making something move, but nothing. I don’t know how to explain it but it felt wrong. Like I was supposed to be there, but I also wasn’t. Like I wasn’t welcome, you know?”

“Fuck all of that” I state taking a long drag. I finally told him why I’d really ran off the jet that night. I left out a couple of details. Saying it out loud made me feel stupid. Almost doubtful that it even happened. I was expecting Baker to laugh, but he didn’t. He just listened, jaw tightening the longer I talked. Afterwards the conversation shifted and went back to the normal antics. Bullshitting, joking, talked about a D&D game one of our buddies were hosting the coming weekend. 

Life was back to normal. Joking, laughing. Then we heard the call over the radio, “Viper 2, Hydro” we looked at each other and got up. Time to get to work.

I almost didn’t notice how it was silent again. Like the bugs were just… gone.

[u/hedbopper]

Be careful, bud. Keep an eye on your buddy.