The Pitching, Plummeting Prop Plane

When their prop plane faltered and started to drop altitude, Rhonda and Donna looked at each other in a panic. After first blaming each other, they collected their thoughts and tried to figure out how to save themselves. Donna spoke first.

“Before we go into a tailspin, I think we should rev up the engine and actually aim the nose down first. We’ll gain speed, which will help us from stalling, and that will give us more control. I am confident that will help us get the plane going again.”

Rhonda made it a point never to agree with Donna. She’d been drinking Tea like a March Hare, and the elixir had made her bold. “No way that is going to work,” she started. “Aiming the plane at the ground? That’s preposterous! You’ll have us both killed in no time. I have a foolproof idea. We need to aim the nose up, and we need to lose ballast—weight that’s only bringing us down.“

Donna looked at Rhonda inquisitively. “You mean little things, like these bags of peanuts?” She let go of the tiny package that she’d been trying in vain to open.

“No!” shouted Rhonda, as if she’d been insulted. “I mean real cuts. The big bulky things that are obviously failing us right now.”

“Like what?” Donna asked, almost too afraid to hear the answer.

“Like this worthless supply of parachutes.” She pointed over to the bin labeled ‘Life-Saving Equipment.’ “God knows, we won’t have time to appreciate or use this junk if we crash and burn!”

Donna opened her mouth to speak, but Rhonda spoke louder. “And this silly engine. You hear how it’s faltering? Best that we cut it out now before it kills us all. I say let’s disconnect the thing and throw it overboard. Less weight, and pointing the nose up. Basic physics, Donna. Basic physics.”

Donna begged for a moment to explain her own argument, but Rhonda wouldn’t listen. But Donna wouldn’t accept Rhonda’s plan either. They argued and argued, and of course came to no consensus. Meanwhile, the plane continued to sputter and drop.

And what happened to Rhonda and Donna? Well that depends on you.