Unscheduled Delivery by Brian Bateman

During the late 1920s the US Air Mail was still in its infancy, with the push west imperative to hooking up the east coast with the west coast. During these harrowing routes westward there were many casualties with some bail outs, Charles Lindbergh for one bailed out more than once!

Our scene depicts the danger of the air mail route and its pilots, pushing over New Mexico on the way to their next route stop. The Jenny has had an engine malfunction and the pilot looks for a place to put down. Upon landing in a field, an unforeseen boulder hidden in the brush smashes into the right wing, causing the plane to ground loop. After the harrowing ride the pilot is ok, though bruised both physically and mentally. Upon seeing the plane coming down on his land, a cowboy rises up over the hill to check on the commotion. The pilot, shaken but fine, embarrassingly asks the rancher where he might find a phone or a telegraph station nearby on his map to inform his boss that he is going to be late and that the aircraft is damaged and will need repairs. The grin on the cowboys face tells it all. The mail will not be on time today...