Former military test base, Nevada Desert
After a final approach into Las Vegas Airport, the Citation jet receives the final instructions from the control tower.
“Delta Sierra 125 you’re cleared for runway 28, taxi to Charlie.”
With the runway lights illuminating the cockpit, the woman of color begins flipping numerous switches, turning off all external lights. At 500 feet she turns hard to the right to a heading of due north, and further descends to 300 feet.
The phrase ‘taxi to Charlie’ is the air traffic controller’s code to continue under the cover of darkness to the jet’s real destination, a vast former military base with a long runway thought by most to be abandoned.
Slowing to a sluggish four miles per minute, the plane will noiselessly cruise between two mountainous ridges belo
