CHAPTER 1 I knew it I shout triumphantly to the sky Sitting back on the hood of my car I watch as the pilot deftly lands the P 51D Mustang plane at a nearby airport the screech of wheels signaling that both vehicle vehicle and pilot are safe and sound The sky grows quiet once more With a sigh I open my ancient canteen and sip the still too hot tea I can feel its warmth traveling down my throat I tear off the last bit of toast and jam that bravely survived the hours long road trip and pull my plaid blanket tight around me Where I come from it's usually more than enough to ward off the earliest of daylight chills but today even all bundled up I realize this colder Colorado weather is going to be something to get used to And then I can feel it in my chest before I even hear it Another magnificent rumble amidst the far off clouds I close my eyes lift my face upward and listen I've always been happiest sitting on the hood of my car with this same plaid blanket canteen full of hot tea and bread and jam listening to planes take off and land The scenery around me might be different now but game is intuitive no matter the surroundings these the
HIGHER FURTHER FASTER sounds are seared deep into my bones as familiar as a favorite song Piper Saratoga I reverently whisper I open my eyes just as the little plane soars overhead and smile as I am once again correct I check my watch I'm still early Way too early But I can't wait anymore I've been waiting my whole life And now that the day is finally here I can no longer contain myself Today still doesn't feel real A dream I once had turned into a fantasy I dared not mention aloud But then with every step every checked box every application every essay every letter letter of recommendation every physical test and every envelope that came in the mail I held my breath as I waited to see if I really would get the opportunity to become the person I'd always imagined And then the letter came And the letter became a promise And that promise became a red circled day on my calendar And then that red circled day became a packing list and then that packing list became a messy pile on my bed that definitely was never going to fit any duffle bag And then that duffle bag got loaded into my gassed up Mustang And then that gassed up into
CHAPTER 1 Mustang drove away from the hometown I always knew wouldn't be able to keep me forever And now that gassed up Mustang is parked just outside this small airport in Colorado so I can feel like me again in these unreal hours before that long ago dream finally becomes a reality I start at the United States Air Force Academy today I am finally going to fly I'm going to spend the next four years making sure I become the very best airman I can be Airman Danvers Airman First Class Danvers How about Master Sergeant Carol Danvers Or even Second Lieutenant Danvers No what about Captain Carol Danvers the first female fighter pilot in the Air Force A puff of excited breath bursts out into the cold morning air I can't stall any longer I screw on the top of my canteen as tightly as I can I ball up the napkin I had wrapped my toast and jam in and slide down the hood of my car as gently as possible I creak open the trunk of my Mustang and place the now folded plaid blanket inside along with the canteen and balled up napkin I shift my duffle bag and find that I'm fidgeting fidgeting and nervous as I arrange and rearrange the trunk's
HIGHER FURTHER FASTER contents I want to get there and not get there all at the same time It's almost like I don't want to wake from my lifelong dream only to realize that I can't No. I was born to fly Of all the things I've ever doubted that was never one of them Filled with a reinforced sense of determination I Islam the trunk closed As I walk around to the driver's side door I can feel another overhead plane's low growl in the pit of my stomach I curl my fingers around the Mustang's door handle The engine's singsongy hum thrills me as the plane makes its approach This one growls and purrs at the same time It's both magnetic and menacing And it's more beautiful than anything I've ever heard I screw my eyes shut and pay attention unable to resist one last turn It's not a Cessna Of course not It's not a newer plane either so that'd rule out all the Beechcrafts Is it a Marchetti No. That's It could be an old Ryan PT 22 but that's No. That's not right I dip my head lower feeling my brow furrow as my brain rakes and sifts through every plane every
