Free Microburst by Telma Cortez

MICROBURST

    We may have already met, but I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Telma Cortez, Senior Flight Attendant for VisionAire and I’m an AeroRomantic and of course, an AeroSexual. I’m one of the fortunate few whose vocation and avocation are intertwined so closely as to be inseparable. I’m a woman whose Spanish heritage is evident in my appearance, I’m small and dark, and I’m told my long straight black hair and my flashing dark eyes are attractive to men. I certainly get a great deal of attention, but I’ve always attributed that to the fact that in the air, I’m often in a state of arousal. Specifically on those long haul flights where the pace is slow, with the prospect of a night or two somewhere exotic. See what I mean about being fortunate?
    Usually I write about the escapades of my co-workers, but I have a personal story that I want to relate, a story that I honestly would never have imsgined a week ago. You might find it difficult to believe that a woman who makes her living by flying (I’m also am a privately licensed pilot) would experience terror on a normal flight, but I do. What enables me to keep doing my job is my complete faith in the pilots (all personally handpicked by Charles Stross, our CEO) and the unbelievably professional maintenance crews at every airport we service. Charles never skimps on equipment or personnel, not for any reason. He’s the sole owner of VisionAire and as such he answers to no boards or stockholders. Charles will accept a lower profit margin rather than stint on anything regarding his airline… He’s a true aviator in the sense of the word, like the pioneers of old who understood what it means to own an airline. As a result he has the best, most experienced, and the most loyal aircrews flying today.
    And he’s hot as hell.

    Where was I? Oh yes, I get terrified when we encounter severe wind shear. There are all kinds of wind shear and neither you nor I are meteorologists, (and if you are, great, email me with simple explanation) so I’ll leave the instruction to the college professors. All wind shear doesn’t frighten me, but when the aircraft plummets suddenly in-flight, or we go through severe turbulencia, I search for that face of utter calm and confidence, belying my inner feelings so I might settle the passengers. I tell them what I told you, our pilots are the best in the air. The wind shear that troubles me though is called a Microburst. It can occur anywhere but we encounter it most frequently on approaches to one particular airport, KCI. Kansas City International Airport.
    Its the old case of where not to build an airport. Some Einstein decided to put it right where the great plains meet the rolling hills of Missouri, estupendo. Microbursts are sudden downward thrusts of clear air that can grab an aircraft and slam it into the ground. On that happy note, such a crash is not a regular occurrence, but violent drops are not uncommon. Take me to the fairground and fire me off on a roller coaster, I love it. But honey, that’s what rollercoasters do! Dear god, airplanes are meant to glide gracefully towards the earth, while you and I enjoy the in-flight entertainment in whatever form it takes, not plummet a hundred feet leaving yours truly swimming in midair with my dignity wrapped around my head along with my skirt. Are you seeing my point now?
    So I brush myself off, fix my hair with a flourish before calming and reassuring the passengers.

    These days there are all sorts of sophisticated equipment to detect turbulence, and the pilots are trained to react to Microbursts, but sometimes it just catches you totally off guard. I was giving the last call for drinks before we started to descend from 35,000 feet to KCI on a flight from New York. I was delivering a vodka and orange juice to an incredibly striking passenger, and taking my time because he definitely had raised my libido by several degrees.
    He had a handsome but rugged face and the lean rangy