“The Sky Sheriff” by Thomson Burtis

 

“And listen, son: the old days in this country meant that a man had to have guts or go under. Because they was men ridin’ the range and maintainin’ their necks as good as new by their own gun-play, the same red blood which showed in them things was responsible for what's known now as the old ‘wild West’ stuff.

“I reckon your boys are pioneers, Cap’n. To my notion, any man that picks up this here flyin’ as a profession ain't ever gonna get no kick out of a ten-cent limit poker game. Where would yore air service be if the men in it was playin’ things safe?”

I found this story in an issue of Blue Book Magazine, April 1923

This old piece trades biplanes for horses, but all other elements remain.

Six-guns, John B. Stetsons, thrilling chases and all the other tropes.

What takes it out of the formulaic realm is its deep reverence and knowledge of the early seat-of-your-pants days of flying.

The author knows of what he speaks, a former lieutenant in the US Army Air Service and then pilot for the border patrol, his flying lore shows. We spin props, adjust carburetors, feel the pull of G’s as we skew in a slipstream.

Yes, the plot may be formula, but for this reader, this ride-along with a true flying Hombre more than paid for the ride.