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PHD. MBA. MHS. Type rated on A350, A330, B777, B747-400, B747-200, B757, B767, B737, B727. International Airline Pilot / Author / Speaker. Dedicated to giving the gift of wings to anyone following their dreams. Supporting Aviation Safety through training, writing, and inspiration. Fighting for Aviation Safety and Airline Employee Advocacy. Safety Culture and SMS change agent.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Made For Her

Science Fiction Romance... Have you ever heard of such a genre? I hadn't until I had the chance to help out a great author, Jessica Subject. We connected a couple years ago, and she had asked me about simulator training. She needed to create some romantic tension between the female simulator instructor, in a 737, and the student. Who better to ask than a female simulator instructor/writer? I had some fun with this. And Jessica dedicated her book to me. Thank you Jessica.


What if the flight instructor wanted to teach a cocky clone, named D32, a lesson. So she sets him up, and the simulator with a 25 knot crosswind and a slippery runway. A sneak peek into the future with clones, from Made For Her...


After D32 was cleared for takeoff, he rolled onto the runway. He applied full power. At ninety knots, she added a slippery runway then failed the engine. As she expected, he skidded off the tarmac before getting airborne.

“Fuck!” His fist met the armrest. “Seriously, why do we have to practice this shit?”

“Let me show you how it’s done. I am, after all, the best.” She grinned, removing the slippery runway and reducing the weight and wind before climbing into the seat on the right side of the cockpit. As she applied power, the speed increased. The engine failed as programmed and she pulled the plane off without even rocking the wings. Then she put the plane on autopilot and climbed out of her seat to the panel. With the plane back at the end of the runway, she reprogrammed it for another takeoff. “Okay, let’s try it again.”

“Why bother? I’m never going to get it. I might as well pack it in and head back to the labs, where I belong.”

She saw the resignation in his eyes and felt bad for setting him up. She wouldn’t let him go back to the labs, though. “Daniel never gave up, even when the odds were stacked against him. Stay calm, and I’ll coach you this time.”

She sat in the first officer’s seat. He applied thrust, preparing for another takeoff. When the engine failed, he rolled sideways off the runway and into the grass, again. “Shit, shit, shit.”

After she reset the simulator, she climbed in beside him. “Your only problem is you’re not putting in enough rudder. This time I’m going to give you the failure fifteen knots early. Don’t abort, but stay on the runway. When you get stable and straight, we’ll rotate. I’ll help you with how much rudder to use.”

“That’s not going to help me learn to do it myself.”

She’d rather see him cocky than like this. His vulnerability made him too difficult to despise. “Yes, it will. You need to get the feel. Do it once and you’ve got it.”

She leaned over and placed a hand on his thigh. He raised his eyebrows and gave her a sly grin. “Don’t get too excited. I’m just going to teach you how to get this baby up.”

“Yeah, well I have no problems getting other things up.”

She rolled her eyes, ignoring her racing heart. “Focus. When I squeeze your leg, you push the rudder to the floor. The harder I squeeze, the more you push. When I let up, you bring the rudder back out a little. Then get yourself on the center line, running straight down the runway. We’ll pull her back about one degree per second, up to ten degrees. Ready?”

He beamed. “You really are the best instructor. Do you give everyone this hands-on lesson?”

Her cheeks flushed as she squeezed his thigh. “Only you.” Why did she admit that? She wasn’t supposed to give him special treatment. General Madison had already reminded her not to get attached in any way, that all the clones would eventually leave. His warning hadn’t stopped her fantasies, though.

When Dare brought the levers up, she refocused her attention. Her hand relaxed on his thigh as he advanced them to takeoff power. “Eighty knots.”

“Check,” he said.

“One hundred knots.”

“Check.”

“Engine failure.” She squeezed hard. He pushed in the rudder. “More, harder!” A grunt escaped his lips as he complied. She lightened her grip on his thigh. “Now, take it back a little. That’s good, right there. Put that center line between your legs.”

“I’d like to put….”

“Focus! Good, now VR, rotate, slowly up to ten degrees.” 

The plane lifted off with precision. “Fuckin’ A.”

“I told you you could do it. Now gear up, and we’ll get her cleaned up.”



When I asked Jessica how she began writing Science Fiction Romance, she said.

"About four years ago, I started writing a superhero story for my daughter. But the superheroes became aliens (my fav superhero is Superman), and they lost their powers. One of my critique partners who had read that story suggested I write an alien romance for one of her publishers, and I did. I've been writing aliens ever since. In a way, it's been therapy for me, as after I watched Signs, I had a huge paranoia about aliens. With Made For Her, I wanted to do something different. Cloning is a very controversial subject, and I wanted to show a glimpse of what could happen in the future if the government resorts to human cloning for military use. "

If you want a really fun read, filled with romance, sex, and airplane stuff... that makes you wonder, what if.... check out Made For Her Available on kindle now.

Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene

19 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for featuring Made For Her on your blog today and for all of your help! I could not have written this scene without you. :)

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    1. You are so welcome! And I must thank all those instructors that have gone before me who have found creative ways to teach their challenging students. :)

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  2. Now I'm traumatized by a flashback: On my flight test for my private pilot's license I failed to use enough rudder and my little Cessna headed off to the grass like a starving goat. I was instantly failed on my takeoff, even though I managed to get it up in the air. The guy asked if I wished to quit the test. I declared "Plane is paid for and airborn, let's see if I can actually fly it." I did, and retook the take off the next day and was passed. Which means they will literally let anyone have a pilot's license. My instructor was horrified, not because I got my license, but because I failed the takeoff. I was evidently the best student he'd ever taught, so he didn't understand how this happened.

    What can I say, shit happens. You just get it together and move on. But I was traumatized at the time. I no longer trusted my brain when it is under stress. I remain calm, but I get really stupid.

    Upon realizing this, I declared myself unsuitable for flying and stopped. I'm sure Karlene is greatly relieved to know I'm not still brainlessly flying about.

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    1. Liza, This is a fascinating story. Especially that inspector passing you. Most would have shut it down right there. But actually, the ability to deal with and fix your mistakes often overpower the mistake. You screwed up, but handled it.

      But then you identified something within yourself about not trusting your brain under stress. I have seen so many brains under stress behave differently. Identification is the first key to dealing with it. But self awareness is huge.

      While anyone can learn to fly, not everyone should be a pilot. They can't handle the stress. And stress comes from all different sources, and experienced in flying often.

      You're pretty awesome. What are you doing with your life now?

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    2. I've often thought about going for my pilot's license here in town. But it's one of those things I think about. I don't think I could handle the extra stress to actually go and and do it.

      Hope you weren't too traumatized, Liza! Maybe you can use the experience in your next story. ;)

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  3. As you know, I love Jessica's books and this is at the top of my to-read list! I'm so glad the two of you collaborated. The scene is fantastic!

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    1. I know you do. And it was you who introduced us. Maybe we should get our friend Lilly to check it out too! I think she is writing something a bit similar, minus the Aviation and Science Fiction.

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    2. Yes, Heather! Thank you for introducing us! :) And I'm looking forward to reading Lilly's stories, too.

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  4. I don’t find this story unusual. All of my Instructors gave me oral sex in the sim. “F&%$, you suck!” “You are the worst F*&^%(@ pilot in the Air Force!” and my favorite “You are as wrong as two boys kissing!”

    I like the story. Jessica has a wonderfully creative mind. I like how she attacks so many taboos all at once. The big ones that we as a society need to deal with, cloning life. But many of the small ones too like romance in the work place, crossing the line in a professional relationship, arrogance, and the teacher/student interaction.

    I commend Karlene for helping Jessica out with this project. That is a lot of pressure because if she gets something wrong, then of course it would reflect negatively on you as much as her. I think the technical details were all spot on.

    I don’t know if it is too late to add some minor details like the constant humming from the fans blowing over the computers, the cold sim that magically warms up for the student. The darkness, isolation and temptations that would be on their minds.

    I am sure she gets to all of these earlier or later in her work. It is very tough to make comments based on a single chapter. I should just shut up and say wonderful job!

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    1. This is too funny! Yes, those details would have been awesome, but she was too focused to be paying attention to the details of the sim she works in daily. Which is a good point on how much, and when do you put the sensations of surrounding in your writing. If she were heating up... maybe thankful for the coolness of the sim. We didn't have fans, but one of our old 747 sim was so cold I used to wear a down coat and gloves while I taught.

      Thanks for the great comment!

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    2. LOL Thank you! All details I can use for the next book. ;) And as for taboos, I like to tackle those. Not only is she his instructor, but they are both in the military, and she is a higher rank. It is not only her reputation, but her career on the line.

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    3. when I was in flight school there was a situtation much like that...An male instructor and female student...

      Somehow they managed to keep the relationship secret until the dat after graduation...

      To be honest it kind of ticked me off because I think I am much cuter than she was...ha ha

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    4. I bet you were cuter too! What was he thinking?!

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  5. Oh my this sound so cool !!!!!!!!!!

    Your book and her book. I want both. I will need to start save some money for this. :)
    Amazing one! Hope someday I can produce my book too... I love to write and currently all my stories only posted online. hehehe

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    1. Mima, you are writing the story right now, you just don't know it. And when you're ready... we'll make it a book!

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    2. Thank you, Mima! Go for it! If you love to write, just do it. :)

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  6. I found reading about "Made for her..." thoroughly stimulating..and how accurate those analogies...putting that centre-line thrust between your legs and raising his gear while she cleans up conjures all kinds of wet surface conditions at take-off!! I have a similar kind of sex brain and can co-author a sexceptional aviation sc-fi thriller with you if you are game! Perhaps we can add-on to the beefy title of Capt D.P. Davies (Chief Test Pilot of British ARB) "Handling the BIG jets"...with a touch of raunch to its tail!?? xo one jet jock Mo

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    1. Jet Jock Mo... I seriously think it's a pilot thing. Lol. Handling the Big Jets... I think I have that on my shelf. And I'm sure we can do something to its tail. Could this be a new genre?
      Thanks for your comment and welcome aboard!

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    2. Oh, yes, Karlene helped me with some great analogies. :D And you have some great ones yourself! LOL Thanks for stopping by! ;)

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