Flight of the Phoenix Read Online Free

at him over the engine noise. "Here." She tossed him a rag. He reached out and caught it, surprising himself.
    "Good catch! Wipe your hands before you try again."
    Nate did as he was told, then stuffed the rag into his pocket.
    "Ready?" Aunt Phil yelled.
    "Ready!" he yelled back.
    "Now!"
    This time when he pulled down on the propeller, it spun, slowly at first and then faster and faster. Afraid he'd be chopped into bits, Nate leaped down off the barrel, causing it to tip over. A thick, heavy liquid began to glug-glug all over the grass.
    "Careful, Nate, that's worth a pretty penny!" Aunt Phil called out.
    Nate quickly righted the barrel, wiped his hands on the rag again, then hurried over and climbed into the tiny,
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    cramped cockpit. He busied himself fastening his helmet and positioning the goggles over his eyes.
    "Hold on," Aunt Phil cried, and the airplane lurched forward. The roar of the engine drowned out everything else. Nate gripped the sides as the plane rolled and bumped its way across the field. When it picked up speed, his stomach fluttered and he couldn't tell if he was going to giggle or throw up.
    As they hurtled down the field, Nate realized they were running out of room. The neighbor's house was coming up in front of them. Fast.
    The engine continued to roar, the motor straining with the effort. The house drew closer. Just as Nate was about to duck, the motor gave a final whine and the plane lurched upward. As the ground fell away, Nate's stomach felt as if it dropped down to his toes.
    He wasn't sure, but he thought one of the wheels clipped the chimney as they flew by.
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    ***
    Chapter Five
    Nate was torn between excitement and terror as they climbed
    higher and higher into the air. The breakfast he'd eaten earlier felt like lead rocks in his stomach. Below him, the entire world fell away, growing smaller and smaller until it looked like one of die maps on Aunt Phil's walls.
    Once he realized the plane would stay in the air and not go crashing to the ground, he had to admit it was thrilling to soar through the sky like a bird. Without warning, they plowed into a fluffy white cloud. Nate gasped at the shocking, damp cold of it.
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    [Image: Geese flying.]
    Just as quickly, they emerged once again into the early morning sun.
    They passed a small flock of geese flying in formation. Nate wasn't sure who was more surprised, him or the geese. Nate quickly noticed that the higher they climbed, the colder it got. He was glad of his helmet and jacket and wished he had a pair of gloves. His hands were white and numb with cold.
    Or maybe he was just hanging on too tightly. He relaxed his grip, his fingers tingling as the blood flow returned.
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    When they'd been in the air for more than an hour, the excitement of his first flight wore off. The airplane was loud and stank of petrol. It vibrated so hard that Nate was certain it would shake his teeth loose. He was cold and cramped, and there was nothing to do but count the stitches on Aunt Phil's leather helmet in front of him.
    Nate quickly became drowsy. He remembered reading somewhere that people fell asleep just before they died of exposure, so he tried to fight it. In the end, he decided if he had to freeze to death, it would be better to be asleep than awake.
    ***
    Nate awoke with a start as the plane touched down in the night. They bounced along a bumpy road lit by a searchlight mounted on the front of the plane. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Nate also saw torches lining the runway.
    After another minute of bouncing, the plane shuddered to a stop. Nate checked his limbs to be sure he was all in one piece.
    "Well, we've arrived in Budapest. Do you want to stretch your legs?" Aunt Phil asked.
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    Nate very much did want to stretch his legs. Without wasting another second, he scrambled out of the plane and joined Aunt Phil on the ground. A group of men stood before a small fire in front of a rough-looking shack.
    Aunt Phil cupped her hand around her mouth.