The Great Airport Mystery · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Great Airport Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon.
Chapter 1
Peril from the Sky
The Hardy brothers, Frank and Joe, drive to the new Bayport airport on a spring afternoon. Along the way, they witness an airplane flying erratically and diving dangerously close to their car. Despite their efforts to speed away, the plane appears to be on a collision course with them, creating a tense and perilous moment.
Chapter 2
The Crash
Frank and Joe Hardy narrowly avoid a plane crash while driving to the airport. The pilot, who appears intoxicated, blames them for the accident, despite their heroic efforts to save him. The boys are introduced as the sons of famous detective Fenton Hardy, with a knack for solving mysteries.
Chapter 3
A Promise of Trouble
After the airplane crash, Frank and Joe Hardy are confronted by the pilot, Giles Ducroy, who blames them for the accident. A farmer, Jim Perrin, witnesses the event and offers to testify on the boys' behalf, noting Ducroy's intoxication. The boys return home and inform their father, Fenton Hardy, who promises to use his connections in the postal department to clear their names.
Chapter 4
An Attack
After the airplane crash, the Hardy boys face public scrutiny as Ducroy blames them. They struggle with exams while worrying about the investigation. Ducroy is fired from the post office, but he confronts the boys on the street, attacking Frank. Frank defends himself and knocks Ducroy down. Police officer Con Riley intervenes but lets Ducroy go at Frank's request. The chapter ends with Frank sensing that Ducroy will seek revenge.
Chapter 5
Anxious Days
The Hardy boys learn they have been cleared of blame for the airplane crash, thanks in part to their father's influence. They focus on their final exams, and after a tense wait, discover that they and all their friends have passed. They plan a celebratory picnic at Beach Grove.
Chapter 6
The Cabin in the Woods
The chapter opens with preparations for the class picnic at Beach Grove, where the Hardy boys and their friends enjoy a day of swimming, eating, and games. After lunch, Frank and Joe, accompanied by Callie and Iola, decide to investigate a mysterious cabin at the far end of the grove. They spot three men entering the cabin, and Frank and Joe recognize one of them as Giles Ducroy, the man who had earlier blamed them for the airplane crash. The boys keep their recognition to themselves to avoid alarming the girls.
Chapter 7
A Mysterious Conversation
The Hardy boys and their friends return from a picnic at Beach Grove. Frank and Joe decide to investigate a cabin where they spotted suspicious figures. They overhear Giles Ducroy, Ollie Jacobs, and Newt Pipps discussing a risky plan involving a large sum of money. The men are cautious but leave without finalizing their scheme as a storm approaches.
Chapter 8
Puzzled
After the storm interrupts their picnic, Frank and Joe Hardy return home and discuss the suspicious conversation they overheard between Giles Ducroy, Ollie Jacobs, and Newt Pipps. They speculate about Ducroy's possible criminal intentions but decide not to tell their father yet, choosing to watch and wait. The chapter also touches on their upcoming graduation and their mother's hopes for them to attend college.
Chapter 9
IX: Missing Mail
The chapter opens with the Hardy boys' graduation from Bayport High School, featuring a humorous burlesque orchestra performance. Afterward, they discuss plans for a summer outing, with Chet Morton proposing a quiet trip to Cabin Island. The next day, Fenton Hardy reveals a case involving stolen mail from the airport, and Frank and Joe share their suspicions about Giles Ducroy, who has an alibi. The boys are determined to investigate further, while also negotiating with their parents about their future careers in detective work.
Chapter 10
X: Looking for Clues
The Hardy boys, convinced of Giles Ducroy's involvement in the mail bag theft despite his alibi, return to the cabin at Beach Grove to search for clues. They find a cigarette package labeled 'Red Ribbon' but little else. Later, they join Chet Morton and Biff Hooper for a trip to Cabin Island to inspect it for an upcoming outing. A sudden storm traps them on the island, forcing them to brave the rough waters to reach the mainland village.
Chapter 11
News from the City
The Hardy boys and their friends brave a violent storm while returning from Cabin Island, narrowly escaping disaster. They find refuge with Amos Grice, who shelters them for the night. The next morning, they learn of a second airport mail robbery, prompting Frank to suspect Ducroy.
Chapter 12
Under Arrest
The Hardy boys, along with Chet and Biff, are at Amos Grice's store after being caught in a storm. They learn of a second airport mail robbery and receive a urgent call from their father to return home. Upon arriving in Bayport, they are met by Detective Smuff and taken to Chief Collig, who arrests them for the airport robbery.
Chapter 13
XIII: Circumstantial Evidence
The Hardy boys are arrested for the airport mail robbery based on circumstantial evidence: Frank's lost sweater with his name tag, Joe's unique shoe prints, and Frank's knife found at the scene. Despite their protests of innocence, Chief Collig insists on the evidence. Fenton Hardy, though confident of their innocence, decides to investigate the airport to find more clues.
Chapter 14
XIV: Held for Trial
Frank and Joe Hardy are formally charged with robbing the air mail and held for trial with bail set at fifty thousand dollars. Despite Fenton Hardy's attempts to prove their innocence through footprint analysis, Chief Collig remains unconvinced. The boys are jailed, but their friends Hurd Applegate and Elroy Jefferson arrive to post bail, outraged at the injustice.
Chapter 15
On the Trail of Ollie Jacobs
The Hardy boys are released on bail thanks to Elroy Jefferson and Hurd Applegate. They discuss the case with their father, who reveals that Giles Ducroy, Newt Pipps, and Ollie Jacobs have disappeared. Following a tip, they head to the Raven Roadhouse and then to Greenfield, where they overhear Ollie Jacobs negotiating to buy an airplane for eight thousand dollars, suspecting he plans to use it for another robbery.
Chapter 16
XVI: Mysterious Plans
The Hardy boys follow Ollie Jacobs to an abandoned house, where they overhear him, Giles Ducroy, and Newt Pipps planning a major robbery involving an airplane. They learn the crime is scheduled for the 28th or 29th of the month and that the men plan to use a small flying field called Riverside Field. The boys attempt to contact their father but learn he is away, and they are warned that the police suspect they have fled. They decide to head to Riverside Field to keep watch.
Chapter 17
Dangerous Business
The Hardy boys arrive at Riverside Field to spy on Giles Ducroy and his gang. They overhear plans for a crime on the night of the twenty-eighth, involving forcing down a plane. Determined to stay close, they decide to stow away in the gang's airplane, stocking up on provisions and hiding in the tail compartment just before the gang takes off.
Chapter 18
The Warning Message
The Hardy boys, having stowed away in Ducroy's airplane, endure a tense and monotonous flight. After landing, they overhear Ducroy, Pipps, and Jacobs discussing their plans involving a confederate named Jed and a job scheduled for the night of the twenty-eighth. The boys manage to escape the plane undetected and find refuge at a nearby farmhouse, where Frank calls Chief Collig to warn him about the impending trouble at the Bayport airport and to reassure his mother of their safety.
Chapter 19
The Twenty-Eighth
The Hardy boys spend another day hiding in Ducroy's plane, which takes a short flight to an abandoned farm. They overhear the criminals' plans and hide in a nearby farmhouse, but wake at dawn to see the plane taking off without them, leaving them disheartened.
Chapter 20
That Night
After the airplane departs without them, the Hardy boys are disheartened but resolve to return to Bayport. However, spotting Newt Pipps in the village renews their hope, and they hide as Ducroy and Jacobs return to the farm, revealing their plan to fly that night. The boys prepare to hide in the plane again, determined not to miss the next opportunity.
Chapter 21
XXI: West of Bacon Hill
The Hardy boys, hidden in Ducroy's plane, overhear the trio's plan to rob another aircraft. During the flight, Joe's sleeve gets caught in the steering gear, nearly causing a crash. After freeing himself, they witness the holdup of a mail plane, which crashes. The boys disable their own plane's engine to prevent escape and confront the criminals.
Chapter 22
Captured
The Hardy boys, having secretly stowed away in the tail of Ducroy's plane, witness the attempted robbery of an air mail plane. When the mail pilot is forced down by a rope tangled in his propeller, the boys ambush Ducroy and his gang, disarming and capturing them one by one. The pilot is saved, the criminals are bound, and a local sheriff arrives to take them into custody.
Chapter 23
Back in Bayport
The Hardy boys return to Bayport after thwarting the mail robbery, only to find themselves celebrated as heroes. They learn that their father, Fenton Hardy, has arrested the real culprits—two mechanics who confessed to helping Ducroy—and that all charges against them have been dropped. The chapter ends with the boys being cleared and welcomed back.
Chapter 24
Vindicated
The Hardy boys are vindicated after clearing up the airport mystery. The city praises them, and Hurd Applegate and Elroy Jefferson visit to congratulate them. Fenton Hardy explains how Ducroy framed the boys, and the postal department apologizes for removing him from the case. The boys thank Applegate and Jefferson for posting bail, and the criminals are locked up.
