Chapter 16

Mark Helps—Day 4

Mark quickly hung up the phone with FAA at Kenai Radio. Everything was still the same; they hadn’t found Helen the night before. The weather was finally getting better, though, and it was now safe for all size planes after the big storm.

The radio buzzed awake with the familiar voice of Ron, a pilot from Maritime Helicopters, asking for local information. Mark looked out his small tower window and saw the blades turning slowly over a copter as it warmed up across the runway on the other side of Homer Airport.

All was silent for several minutes until the radio went off again. “Homer Radio, this is November 2-0-6 Mike Hotel ready to depart from Maritime Helicopters pad for Kamishak Bay and Chignik. Please give us a new aircraft update and local weather for Chignik.”

Mark glanced out the window again and saw that the helicopter was hovering about five feet above the ground in front of the newly painted hanger. It was ready to depart.

After relaying the latest update of planes and weather in the area, Mark said, “If you have the time and the gas, please keep an eye open for a Cessna 207, call sign November 2-0-7 Lima Tango. It disappeared between Pebble Lake and Anchorage with six on board. We’re asking everyone to be on the lookout and hope we can find them today with the break in weather.”

“Will do,” Ron said as he gently lifted the aircraft up. He headed west to the end of the Homer Spit and down the shoreline to Anchor Point where he would cross the mud-colored Cook Inlet. “I’ll see if I can find her for you, Homer Radio. 2-0-6 Mike Hotel out.”

“Much appreciated. Homer Radio out.”

Mark continued working the radios, computer, and other paraphernalia in Homer Radio all day and asked all commercial and private pilots to be on the lookout.

Air traffic was heavy all day, and the radio was constantly buzzing with information back and forth between him and the pilots of all the crafts. A rescue grid had been organized by the Rescue Communication Center at Elemendorf Air Force Base, so civilians and the Coast Guard, even small local commercial flights, were flying everywhere with spotters, looking for any sign of a downed plane.

He wasn’t going to give up on Helen. She had to be alive. She had to be found. This was his way to help her and he would do his best.