Friday evening of Memorial Day Weekend
Joint Base Andrews
Washington, DC
“Two to go,” US Air Force Captain Beth Johnston told her C-20C Gulfstream III bizjet as she brushed a hand on the high-polish paint. It wore the distinctive United States of America blue-and-white of a VIP transport for the 89th Airlift Wing. One of three identical birds kept in this auxiliary hangar at Andrews Air Force Base, but this sweet 20C was hers.
United States of AmericaTonight’s VIP lift mission was a flight to Georgia to return the Secretary of the Treasury to DC after a four-day vacation. Most people were headed out of DC for Memorial Day weekend, the secretary was headed in.
Beth would take her pilot’s job over any other. She didn’t care crap about glory or power or politics—she wanted to fly.
This
