What the hell, Barbara thought. We did it, we ought to get credit for it! Besides, she didn't want to pretend she was a man any longer than she had to.
As their planes stood on the field only a few feet apart, and at the same moment, the aviatrixes stood up. At the same time, they removed their cap and goggles and, for good measure, fluffed out their hair.
"They're women!" dozens of amazed voices cried out.
"I can't believe it!" several men were heard to say. "Women? Flying like men?"
Barbara and Leila waved their caps to the crowd as it went wild with excitement. Admirers lifted them out of their cockpits, hoisted them onto their shoulders, and paraded them around in front of the hangars. When they had their feet on the ground again, the two pilots hugged each other happily.
"I think it's going to be okay," Moose Mondrowski said to Edna. "The crowd likes it. They like that they're women, too."
"And why shouldn't they?" Edna asked.
The first thing Barbara did after popping open a bottle of champagne so they could all celebrate, was to call Gail.
"The show's over, safely, and it was a huge success!"
Gail was relieved. "I've been sitting here at home with Timmy, praying for you!"
Barbara fought back tears that came after she told more about the air show.
"I saw Paul up there. At least, I felt he was there. Looking after me, as I'm sure he's looking after you and Timmy."
"I'll come out to California and join you, soon as I can," Gail promised. "I can't stay here much longer. Too many memories of Paul. I'll never forget the good ones, but it's awfully hard to be reminded of the bad one. I'll just take him with me, in the good memories. And you and I... We'll do what our song at Luigi's says... We'll be together again. Real soon."
Barbara said she could hardly wait. It would be wonderful to have her best friend near her again. They could become partners, as she had wished they all three could have been.
She already had an idea of what to rename the airport... Sunshine Air.
The story of the Mohave air show was in all the daily newspapers in the area the next day and in the weekly papers the following Thursday, variously headlined:
TWO WOMEN THRILL AIR SHOW CROWDS!
PETTICOAT PILOTS FLY LIKE EAGLES... OR MEN!
and
MOHAVE MISSES SCORE AIR SENSATION!