California, Autumn, 1936
With the big day fast approaching for the grand reopening of America West Airport with a "Stupendous Air Show and Flying Circus," Barbara and Leila spent more time in the air than on the ground. After getting the Jenny and Cub in safe flying condition, George laid down the law: "You may own the whole kit and caboodle, Miss Markey (Leila called her Barbara, but her husband would not be so informal).
But my precious is gonna be barnstormin'. I need to be sure you and her know how to fly dose planes and do all dem tricks without no mishaps." He didn't dare tempt fate by saying it any plainer.
Barbara and Leila had gone up every day in the Jenny or Cub and practiced aerobatics. They took turns flying each routine in both planes, so they were completely familiar with how each craft handled in every stunt. She felt they both were ready, but deferred to George. He had to say it.
The day before the big show, George insisted Barbara and Leila go through the entire aerobatics routine one more time.
He would watch from the ground even more critically than he had over the past several weeks.
Wearing leather flying caps and goggles, suited up in flying coveralls and harnessed into their parachutes, doing a strict dress-rehearsal of the show they would put on the next day for the crowds -- they hoped -- of paying spectators, Barbara flipped a coin for who flew which plane. The coin turned up heads and Leila got the Piper, leaving the Jenny for her.
The flying daredevils executed every roll and dive of their planes perfectly. Watching anxiously on the airstrip below, George could find nothing wrong with their planes. He could tell they were in excellent condition by not hearing any strange pings or whirs. He also could find no fault with how his wife and Barbara flew. Each had executed the maneuvers he taught them letter-perfect. Having been born skeptical, everything was almost too perfect to suit him.
As both pilots completed the grand finale of their aerobatics show and prepared to land, George heard something he didn't like.
The Jenny sounded like it was wobbling. Something had come loose somewhere. Breaking out into a sweat, and not because of the hot sun, he trained his binoculars on the Jenny. He soon saw what the problem was.
As Leila began to safely land her Piper, Barbara pulled the Jenny up. Instead of landing, she began circling the airfield to stall for time until she could figure out what was wrong with her plane. After what seemed like hours but actually were only minutes, she realized what it was.