Flying in the North

Living in the northern communities there is really only one way to travel between the towns; you fly. There is the option of taking a snow machine once the snow hits, but 9 hours in the cold vs a 1/2 flight hmmm. There are almost daily scheduled flights but often the school board hires charter flights to get the teachers to and from their communities for training etc. These flights are not the cushy big planes of the south either, our plane was a nine seater with a little room for cargo in the back. As one of my coworkers said; if we go down there is nothing to catch and save you, we're screwed. Despite his lack of confidence in the plane and pilot, I love to fly. There is always that moment of uncertainty as the plane lifts off at the end of the runway. Flying low enough to see the landscape change and flow beneath you. No flight attendants or wheelie carts down the aisles, just a basket at the back of the plane. There is also the chance that your flight might be suddenly cancelled due to weather or the fact that your plane is needed as a medivac flight. Suddenly you find yourself waiting for a few hours in the tiny local airport, hoping to get a spot on the next scheduled flight out. Ah flying in the north.

Lesson learned: always have a pack of cards in your bag and an ipod at the ready.

But on the other hand on my flight up to Kuujuak the first time back in August was a riot. We were again in the small nine-seater because we had the lightest luggage of all the teachers flying up. So after our safety check, which consisted of "Ok so there is the exit at the back, buckle up" we were off. We had the pilot and co-pilot up front and we were left to our own devices, holding our lunch trays on our laps during take-off. Spirits were high and the sky was perfectly clear. Beautiful day, it felt like you could see forever. We had the run of the plane pretty much as long as we stayed out of the cargo area, served ourselves drinks and snacks, last chance for Timmie's coffee and muffins. I felt like a teenager, flying for the first time without parents if that makes sense. Felt a tiny bit of turbulence getting closer to Kuujuak, mainly cause we were so small. Would do the whole thing over again in a heartbeat. Love to fly :)