LOFTY'S LEGENDS: THE LEGEND of MY SISTER JAYLO Part II

Jaylo (right) with her friends on national general elections duties in Port Moresby.

HOW AN 'OLD BOMB' SAVED MY SISTER'S LIFE . .  

Part 2 - MONEY PLANE LEAVES WITHOUT JAYLO

The little plane sat on the tarmac, it's belly full of money.

The plane was heavily guarded by PNGBC security and special response police task force units.

Hijackings were becoming common the world over. In Lae, the airport had been stormed by a gang that stole cash that had arrived on a plane.

Little Eagle was a sitting duck the longer it stayed on the ground in Port Moresby's old Jackson's airport.

With no sign of Jaylo, the unit commander had to make a final decision.

He asked for a volunteer. A task force cop, a big burly Bougainvillean, hoped on the plane.

But after a few minutes, he had a strange ominous feeling. He complained of dizziness and light headedness. 

He made a decision he never regrets to this day. He jumped off Little Eagle.

Time was running out. The plane had to leave on time. Eventually a brave cop joined the escort team.

The little plane taxied onto the runway and sped down 24 left. Soon she was airborne.

The pilot wiggled his wings to say he was airborne and everything was normal onboard. 

The cops on the ground watched and waited until the plane was a speck on the horizon.

Jaylo (centre) with her Jubilee Secondary school teacher friends.

They loaded up and returned to base. In the afternoon they would return and wait for the little eagle.

Through the clouds Little Eagle rode on the airwaves. A new pilot was in the cockpit.

The owner and pilot had hired the new hand as he and his missus had a baby on the way. He was away for the birth of his child.

The flight seemed normal. In the PNGBC security centre in downtown Port Moesby, Little Eagle was been tracked.

The first red flag popped when the money plane changed its route and headed for Bulolo instead of Lae.

The security officers were jittery. Cops on the ground confirmed Little Eagle was secure and the money safely transferred to the PNGBC branch in Bulolo.

The security commander had some strong words for the pilot. Keep to schedule. Keep to the flight plan.

It was to be his final words to the captain.

Little Eagle was now headed for Lae. The first drop had been executed without a hitch. 

Security on the ground at Lae's Nadzab Airport was tight. Little Eagle was circling. The air traffic controller watched the blip on her screen. The police commander watched the eagle through his binoculars.

The cops hidden in the Markham Kunai grass at both ends of the runway radioed in their positions. Little Eagle and her million kina cargo was inbound.

Safety catches were off. Sharp eyes scanned the kunai grasses. Even a magani stood no chance, except there are no maganis in Markham.

Tomorrow Part 3 of Jaylo's lucky escape.

Snr Sgt Janet 'Jaylo' Samar of the NCD Reserve Police Force.