Darn. It sounds like there's more activity at the volcano than there has been recently, but it's still a 6-8h hike over hummocky lava fields to get to it. Oh well. I suppose that means we'll just have to come back! :)
Flying into Kona is like landing on the moon. It's otherworldly. The airport is in the midst of a lava bed and all you see surrounding the runway is rock. We flew Aloha Airlines from Oahu to The Big Island. Now, all I can think about is this. But I think, oh that was a long time ago, and it was due to metal fatigue on an old plane. Comforting thought until our plane pulls up, and it's a
737 that's easily as old as I am. :-/ I hope we're taking Hawaiian Airlines back over...
And check out that retro livery on this Aloha plane! --->
Speaking of planes, we had quite the long flight from the mainland (no "short hop" from LAX like we took when we lived on the west coast!) to ponder matters of aviation.
About 5h into our flight to HNL, the sheer absurdity of air travel hit me. I mean, when you really think about it, airplanes are completely preposterous. You strap yourself into a tin can, pump it full of air, go trundling at breakneck speed down a long path until the plane basically lifts off on its own volition, and somehow, you manage to come down safely on this tiny island in the middle of the Pacific. Which raises a question I need to research - who's responsible for air-traffic control over international waters? I mean, the guys up front are talking to people in Jacksonville after they take off from Orlando, but after you get out of Los Angeles's airspace, to whom are they talking then? I wondered the same thing on our trip to Europe last year, and I just realized I never found out the answer.
I like to be divorced from the operation of my aircraft, and I have to say that a 767 does not disappoint. Takeoff and landings are so smooth. Our 757 from MCO-IAH was comparably shaky through quite a bit of Gulf turbulence. But the 767 just muscles its way through the air with little regard to the vagaries of wind. Well done, Boeing. Well done.
Just so you know, winglets can make even a 737 look sexy. AmIright?
I had forgotten just how delicious Hawaii smells. Plumeria and ocean and tropical fruit. Yum.
I had a very irresponsible sun day yesterday (no sunscreen for an hour just after noon at 20 degrees north - all in the act of trying to get a tan started). I'm a bit pink, but overall not bad. I promise to be more responsible tomorrow!
Well, that's all the random thoughts for today. Will post more whenever I have extended internet access again, and who knows when that might be!
Flying into Kona is like landing on the moon. It's otherworldly. The airport is in the midst of a lava bed and all you see surrounding the runway is rock. We flew Aloha Airlines from Oahu to The Big Island. Now, all I can think about is this. But I think, oh that was a long time ago, and it was due to metal fatigue on an old plane. Comforting thought until our plane pulls up, and it's a
737 that's easily as old as I am. :-/ I hope we're taking Hawaiian Airlines back over...And check out that retro livery on this Aloha plane! --->
Speaking of planes, we had quite the long flight from the mainland (no "short hop" from LAX like we took when we lived on the west coast!) to ponder matters of aviation.
About 5h into our flight to HNL, the sheer absurdity of air travel hit me. I mean, when you really think about it, airplanes are completely preposterous. You strap yourself into a tin can, pump it full of air, go trundling at breakneck speed down a long path until the plane basically lifts off on its own volition, and somehow, you manage to come down safely on this tiny island in the middle of the Pacific. Which raises a question I need to research - who's responsible for air-traffic control over international waters? I mean, the guys up front are talking to people in Jacksonville after they take off from Orlando, but after you get out of Los Angeles's airspace, to whom are they talking then? I wondered the same thing on our trip to Europe last year, and I just realized I never found out the answer.
I like to be divorced from the operation of my aircraft, and I have to say that a 767 does not disappoint. Takeoff and landings are so smooth. Our 757 from MCO-IAH was comparably shaky through quite a bit of Gulf turbulence. But the 767 just muscles its way through the air with little regard to the vagaries of wind. Well done, Boeing. Well done.
Just so you know, winglets can make even a 737 look sexy. AmIright?
I had forgotten just how delicious Hawaii smells. Plumeria and ocean and tropical fruit. Yum.I had a very irresponsible sun day yesterday (no sunscreen for an hour just after noon at 20 degrees north - all in the act of trying to get a tan started). I'm a bit pink, but overall not bad. I promise to be more responsible tomorrow!
Well, that's all the random thoughts for today. Will post more whenever I have extended internet access again, and who knows when that might be!
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