Flying on a Toy Plane

On this day (Monday September 4 - Labor Day) I flew out of Halifax, on my way to Augusta, Maine. But I first had a layover - a four hour layover - in Boston, Massachusetts. I got caught up on some emails and blogging, plus didn't have to feel rushed through customs. Because I wasn't flying on the same airline all the way to Augusta, and WestJet was not partnered with Cape Air, I literally had to get off the WestJet plane, pick up my luggage, and recheck in, get a new boarding pass, etc., for Cape Air.

After waiting around for those four hours I was anxious to get on the way. But when I saw the plan I would be taking from Boston to Augusta, I kind of freaked out. "I'm going to fly on one of those??"

I don't quite understand why I freaked out the way I did. I've flown on a seaplane over the ice fields of Juneau, but for some reason this seemed different. Maybe it was because I wasn't prepared for this one. I guess I should have figured it out when I checked in and they asked for my weight and weighed not only my big suitcase, but also the two bags I was carrying on! The plane below is the one I flew on to Augusta.

Three other passengers were on the plane, and I guess we were sitting according to weight so the plane wouldn't be out of balance! We couldn't have our carry-ons with us. I grabbed my phone and my kindle and, with shaky legs, got on the plane.

The nice thing about such a small plane is the ability to get some pretty good pictures because we don't get too high too fast. This is a shot of Boston Harbor. I was afraid to move into the seat next to the window for fear I would throw the whole plane off balance! I was that freaked out.

Boston, Massachusetts

I love this shoreline, which I believe is Massachusetts still. We flew over all of the Massachusetts coast, from Boston northward, and the 18 miles of the New Hampshire shore, and some of Maine until we had to go inland a bit to land in Augusta.

I was trying to calm myself by reading the magazine provided by Cape Air, but between the nerves and the feeling of every bump and turn, I started to feel like I was going to throw up. Then I looked up and saw the pilot WITH HIS ARMS CROSSED! Was he sleeping??? Doesn't his body suggest that he's bored or asleep?

Pretty cool coastline

Our captain . . . what is he, sixteen?? Geez.

So, I saw them put my backpack in a compartment on the left wing, and my other carry-on was in the compartment in the other wing. Just as we were landing I asked the other passengers, "Hey, is my suitcase on this plane?" If it was, I sure couldn't figure out where it was. See the two compartments that are open on the nose of the plane? That's where our suitcases were. The "ground crew" got them out, walked them to the "terminal," and pushed them through an opening in the area where we were standing . . . guess that would be the "carousel." It was by far the smallest "terminal" I've ever been in. Hertz left my rental car information with one of the Cape Air employees, so I got the keys. I literally walked out with the two employees and the captain! I said, "Are you closed?" and they said, "yep!" I asked the guy, "Do you know which car is mine and where it is?" and he said, "Just click the key fob and whichever car beeps is yours." He wasn't sure where in the parking lot, which was across the street, so I just walked over there and clicked away. I saw nothing. Everybody was gone! So I clicked the trunk button to see which trunk opened, and that's how I found my car. The whole thing was an incredibly surreal experience.

The sun setting on the tarmac, and the moon rising over the ocean. WHAT? Isn't the ocean on the west, where the sun sets? Duh, not on the east coast.