Chapter 5 Summary

In Chapter 5, the plane ascends to 20,000 feet and is still in the clouds. Razor seems to have gotten over his bad humor. Jake radios to the ship, which tells him to ascend to 30,000 feet to look for clear skies. The tanker cannot join to a fighter plane for refueling in the clouds. The tanker emerges from the clouds at 28,000 feet, and Jake takes it up to 30,000 feet. A Phantom F-4 fighter appears and Jake releases the refueling device, called a drogue, which looks like a basket on the end of a hose. The fighter pilot extends his refueling probe and flies it into the drogue. A second Phantom also refuels, missing the drogue on its first try at the tricky maneuver. During a lull in activity, Jake takes out his girlfriend's letter and reads it. She writes that she is leaving him for...