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To Our Readers
A local airline executive recently said pilots flying interisland routes in Hawaii "love it -- it's perfect flying." They get many challenging takeoffs and landings but no long stretches cruising on autopilot trying to stay alert. The scenery is beautiful and the weather's marvelous: few thunderstorms, no fog and no ice. December travel
contemplationsI'm anticipating a Christmas trip to the mainland, my first in about five years. Memories of holiday travels over the years have me in a Grinchy mood. It's worthwhile to be with family for the holidays, but I could do without the cancelled flights, delays, rerouting, unexpected stays in airport hotels, driving rental cars on unfamiliar icy highways and, especially, wondering whether the wings are sufficiently de-iced.
I recall my first trip to my wife's Nebraska hometown. When we left Honolulu, it was 85 degrees. After a pleasant layover in 50-degree San Francisco, we landed in Denver to switch planes. By the time the airline called us for the hop to North Platte, the mercury had plunged to ten above zero.
The gate agent led us down some stairs and across the apron -- 20-passenger commuter planes don't rate heated jetways. We climbed aboard the skinny silver aircraft. The lights were off. The door was open. There was no crew. Snow blew across the bare pavement.
We huddled in the dark in our tiny seats. The temperature continued to fall. I was wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and a leather jacket. My wife kindly lent me a pair of gloves -- thin red leather trimmed with white rabbit fur. It wasn't the time for fashion statements. I thankfully put them on.
The plane never really thawed out before we reached North Platte, where the thermometer read minus 28 -- a 113-degree temperature change in 20 hours.
Mary's parents picked us up in a marvelously warm car and headed homeward through the night. We passed a train frozen to the tracks. Men with propane torches were heating the wheels to get it moving.
Joy to the world. Lucky we live Hawaii.
John Flanagan is editor and publisher of the Star-Bulletin.
To reach him call 525-8612, fax to 523-8509, send
e-mail to publisher@starbulletin.com or write to
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802.