Area 88/Headscratchers

• From the All That Glitters episode: Exactly how were the pilots searching for the gold expecting to bring it all back to the base? Or, for that matter, land safely without a runway?
• A far more glaring one springs to mind: Why didn't Shin ever pick up a phone and call Ryouko? It's never explained in the 2004 series at least.

Probably 'cause the Asranian military may monitor all calls out of Area 88. Since he can't leave 'til he pays $1 million bucks...

• • Even if they're monitoring it, at the very least he can tell her "Hey I'm alive, don't marry that ass!" And if it's $1 mil they want, Ryouko can help him work it out.
  • Also, Shin knew that Kanzaki was dangerous because it was Kanzaki who tricked him into signing a mercenary contract. Why didn't he warn Ryoko about Kanzaki?
• Why would the Asran air force take Shin, even if his signature was on a mercenary contract? He had no military experience and was fresh out of flight school, so in theory he wouldn't have made a good mercenary.
• In the manga, Kanzaki meets with Farina to put a hit out on Shin. Charlie is dispatched to Area 88 to kill Shin, but crashes his jet and dies. A few issues later, Shin crashes in the desert and is taken captive on board Farina's land carrier. Farina knows who Shin is, but does not kill Shin, and even gives him medical treatment for his injuries. Why didn't Farina kill Shin, under the terms of his agreement with Kanzaki?