Not long ago, Old Frank gave Little Frank his first personal checkbook, introducing him to the new world of banking and credit.
Now, the hotel lobby manager opened another door to a whole new world for Little Frank: a salary check guaranteed by the employer.
And so...
Little Frank set his mind on the salary check of his new identity as "Pilot Frank Taylor." He needed to forge a salary check based on his experience.
So, how should he do it?
Step one, on a completely blank check, type the basic information with a typewriter—
Since the maximum cashable amount for a salary check is three hundred dollars, this salary check for Frank Taylor would be $299.12.
Step two, soak a Pan Am plane model in the bathtub until the adhesive on the decals loosens, then carefully use tweezers to remove the Pan Am logo sticker from the tail of the model and place it on the top left corner of the check.
Step three, place the check in a thick book to flatten, absorb moisture, and dry it.
Finally...
Put on a uniform, dress up properly, head to the bank, and find a window where a beautiful lady is the teller. Hand her the salary check, and when you notice her trying to verify the check's authenticity, smile and be as relaxed and natural as possible, looking into her eyes with a clear gaze.
"Sorry, I'm sure you get this all the time, but you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."
Sincere, straightforward.
And don't look away until you see her cheeks blush under your gaze.
The lady shyly lowers her eyes, "Yes, I hear that often." Her smile blossoms fully, "What denominations would you like to cash?"
Success.
Everything happens just like that, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
So...
The hotel bathtub is filled with airplane models, and Little Frank carefully lays the forged salary checks on the room floor:
Neatly arranged, a dazzling display, covering the entire carpeted space.
Occasionally, things might hit a snag.
For example, the bank might need to wait for a cash delivery, and they won't be able to cash the check until an hour after opening.
But that's okay; the bank manager points Little Frank in a new direction:
Go to the airport to cash the check.
Little Frank: ???
"Airport? Who cashes checks at the airport?"
Clearly, Little Frank has no clue.
The bank manager is slightly surprised but doesn't suspect anything and continues explaining, "The airline itself, they always cash their own."
This is another new piece of knowledge.
When Little Frank arrives at the airport, he doesn't go directly to the Pan Am counter but heads to the TWA counter, which has a sharing agreement with Pan Am.
Little Frank hasn't even had a chance to take out the salary check when the ground staff at the counter smiles at him, "Are you my deadhead crew member?"
Little Frank: … "What?"
The smile freezes on his face.
Luckily, the staff doesn't suspect anything, thinking Little Frank just didn't hear, and repeats, "Are you my deadhead crew member for the flight to Miami?"
Little Frank blinks, and in his panic, he regains his composure, smiling, "Yes, yes. I am your deadhead crew member."
The staff smiles, "You're a bit late. But the jump seat in the cockpit is still available."
Little Frank is about to turn around and board the plane but hesitates for a moment. He turns back with a half-joking manner and looks at the staff, "It's been a while since I did this, so, where's the jump seat again?"
"Haha." The staff thinks Little Frank is joking, and it's a good joke, "Haha. Enjoy your trip."
So, what is a deadhead? And where is the jump seat?
A deadhead is essentially a crew member flying on a plane, sitting in the passenger cabin. They do not operate this particular flight and cannot serve as backup crew for it. Therefore, crew members who leave the cockpit to rest in the passenger cabin during the flight are not "deadheads."
The "deadhead's" task is to fly as a passenger to the destination and then operate another flight. This is quite common in regular commercial flights, such as going to different cities to help bring back sick crew members or launching a new route, and so on.
Generally, they are treated like regular passengers, with seats reserved for them on the flight.
However, if no seats are available, the jump seat comes into play.
A jump seat is a foldable seat used by crew members when there are no spare seats in the passenger cabin. It is also called a crew seat.
However, in 1964, the jump seat specifically referred to an extra foldable seat in the cockpit, apart from the pilot and co-pilot seats.
Little Frank vaguely grasps the meaning of the former, but as for the latter, having no knowledge of airplanes, he is clueless.
After boarding successfully, guided by a beautiful flight attendant, Little Frank enters the cockpit but can't find the jump seat anywhere.
Despite this, while nervously searching for the jump seat, Little Frank skillfully engages in small talk using the lingo of the cockpit.
The captain chats, "What do you fly, DC8?"
Little Frank, "707."
The captain immediately understands, "You just landed and are taking the red-eye back?"
It seems that the flight from Miami to New York was a 707.
Little Frank doesn't panic. Not only does he not panic, but he also pats the captain on the shoulder, trying to get friendly while hiding his embarrassment at looking for the jump seat, "I'll be flying back and forth intercontinental flights for the next few months, covering for those sick and tired people to earn some extra cash."
Clearly, Little Frank has understood the meaning of a deadhead.
The captain, being an experienced person, chuckles, "No need to be embarrassed; we've all been there."
But where the hell is the jump seat?
The pretty flight attendant seems to notice Little Frank's confusion. She wraps her arms around Little Frank's waist from behind, gently pulling him toward the door. She opens a box under the wall in the cockpit and pulls out a foldable chair—
A simple stool.
This is the jump seat.
Little Frank doesn't have time to lament this and immediately takes his seat.
The beauty flashes a smile, "What would you like to drink after takeoff?"
Little Frank, still in a state of shock, almost gives himself away, "Mi...milk." The words just slip out.
Pfft.
A low chuckle echoes in the screening room.
However, this is still not the end.
At the moment of takeoff, Little Frank, flying for the first time in his life, instinctively grabs the seat, trying with all his might to control his wildly beating heart. Yet, he still can't control himself. Both fearful and surprised, he watches the sunlight streaming through the window onto his face with utter astonishment.
Like a sixteen-year-old boy.