Chapter eight
TUNDRA ONE, NWT — TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 0358 HOURS (0558 EST)Bogdan Kapolski trotted down the hall and opened the door to the crew station. As usual at this time of day the room stirred with activity. A-, B- and C-Flights had been coming and going since 3:00 AM. Most of C-Flight, who had practiced circuits and bumps earlier, were still in the long, dull-green rectangular room. B-Flight had left ten minutes before and were now in the process of receiving their instructions for fighter-interceptor maneuvers to the west. Only a handful of A-Flight pilots, the group Kapolski belonged to, had arrived. The rest would be in shortly.
Kapolski felt so foreign here, where all the pilots were younger than he was. Everyone was in flying gear and waiting. Most seemed very relaxed. At the e
