Hig’s Flight and the Point of No Return

The Dog Stars

Aviation moves from routine escape and safety to a literal and emotional threshold beyond which Hig must depend on other people.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Nearest Button The Nearest Button from "The Dog Stars". Flying as Assurance A pilot’s familiar tool Hig uses Garmin GPS to find nearby airports and considers landing options when trouble arises.

The Nearest Button from "The Dog Stars". Flying as Assurance A pilot’s familiar tool Hig uses Garmin GPS to find nearby airports and considers landing options when trouble arises.

Flying as Assurance A pilot’s familiar tool Hig uses Garmin GPS to find nearby airports and considers landing options when trouble arises. Flight gives him an ordered view of a damaged world. Assurance erodes Runways deteriorate, and some are dangerous. The instrument still offers information, but it cannot guarantee that the destination is safe.

A Voice Across the Range A Voice Across the Range from "The Dog Stars". Flight Becomes Contact A signal from Grand Junction A radio voice reaches Hig through static.

A Voice Across the Range from "The Dog Stars". Flight Becomes Contact A signal from Grand Junction A radio voice reaches Hig through static.

Flight Becomes Contact A signal from Grand Junction A radio voice reaches Hig through static. He climbs, circles, and calls back, hoping to turn a fleeting transmission into a conversation. The limit of caution He returns without an answer. The flight demonstrates that technical skill can approach another person, but it cannot make that person respond.

Fuel Becomes a Boundary Fuel Becomes a Boundary from "The Dog Stars". The Point of No Return A calculated risk Hig knows his fuel margin is limited and carries extra fuel, but flying farther will make returning uncertain.

Fuel Becomes a Boundary from "The Dog Stars". The Point of No Return A calculated risk Hig knows his fuel margin is limited and carries extra fuel, but flying farther will make returning uncertain.

The Point of No Return A calculated risk Hig knows his fuel margin is limited and carries extra fuel, but flying farther will make returning uncertain. The aviation threshold becomes a decision about more than distance. Leaving the familiar Once he crosses the limit, the secure partnership at Erie is no longer immediately available. He is choosing to pursue an unknown voice over established safety.

The Canyon Strip The Canyon Strip from "The Dog Stars". A Difficult Landing Damage and improvisation After being shot at, Hig lands on a rough, rutted track near the canyon.

The Canyon Strip from "The Dog Stars". A Difficult Landing Damage and improvisation After being shot at, Hig lands on a rough, rutted track near the canyon.

A Difficult Landing Damage and improvisation After being shot at, Hig lands on a rough, rutted track near the canyon. He secures the plane and calculates how much fuel he has left. A fragile exit The aircraft remains his route to safety, but its damaged window and difficult strip make escape uncertain. The plane gives Hig choices without removing their cost.

Flying as a Lifeline Flying as a Lifeline from "The Dog Stars". A Plane Made into an Ark Weight and performance Hig studies the handbook and works out what the aircraft can carry.

Flying as a Lifeline from "The Dog Stars". A Plane Made into an Ark Weight and performance Hig studies the handbook and works out what the aircraft can carry.

A Plane Made into an Ark Weight and performance Hig studies the handbook and works out what the aircraft can carry. He departs with Cima and two lambs, then returns for Pops. Skill in service of others Flight is no longer only Hig’s escape or solitude. The risky takeoff makes his knowledge a means of carrying a new family toward refuge.

During the years at Erie

About three years before the westward journey

At the start of Hig’s flight west

During Hig’s first encounter with Cima

During the evacuation from the canyon