I was home for all of one day before I had to fly out again for work. This time to Victoria. I love Victoria. It has history, natural beauty and Vancouver Island holds many great memories from my childhood (thanks Gramma!). What I didn’t love was my manager’s suggestion that I fly to Victoria rather than taking the ferry. <Here I pout.> I wanted to take the ferry because it is nearly two hours of relaxation. Time to read and write. Time to enjoy the scenery. Time to imagine a life on one of the tiny islands. Travel by ferry offers many advantages; chief among them is that a ferry is not a tiny, single propeller plane. Is this a good time to mention I can be a nervous flier?
With the patient help of my loving husband I got over my disappointment at the lost ferry ride and the worry about the plane ride. This a.m. I boarded the above plane and flew to Victoria. As it turns out I had nothing to fear. Flying in the little Otter was actually less frightening for me than a regular commercial plane.
The logical part of my brain knows that I should be more afraid of these little winged beasts than of their larger cousins but my mind has never been one to be convinced by logic. And while there was no time to write on the plane I was still treated to amazing scenery.
My fear was so reduced by the trip that on the return trip I leapt at the offer to sit in the cockpit where I was able to listen to our pilot (and those around us) interact with the tower. All-in-all it was quite fun and I’m glad I didn’t let my fear stop me from having a wonderful new experience.
Writing Exercise:
The conversation between pilots and flight control staff follow a very specific protocol that keeps pilots and their passengers safe. The interaction between a pilot and a tower tells the pilot how high to fly, what conditions to expect and more. Imagine what might happen if all communication was regulated in this way. Walking out your front door would require a detailed plan. You would request permission and guidance on your route to the corner. How would we receive and send these messages? How would it change how people interact? Let you mind explore the idea then spend twenty minutes writing about this very regulated world.