Monday, July 28, 2008

Better than Google maps

What, there's something better than Google maps??? Yes, yes indeed.
However, it does mean getting into an aircraft...a really small one!

View Larger Map

Above (courtesy of Google maps of course, and Sueblimely who told me how to include it on here) is the route I flew with King Leopold Air last week on a 4.5 hour scenic flight from Broome to Cape Leveque via the Horizontal Waterfalls and Buccaneer Archipelago.

You want me to get in that????!!!! Ah, yes.

After getting over the shock of how very small the aircraft was (6 seater, make that 6 very close together seats!), how young the charming pilot Liam looked (he assured me he had 500 hours flying under his belt) and remembering that I get terrible motion sickness (you would think this is not something one would forget about one's self) it was quite an amazing experience and something I will never forget.

Admittedly there were more moments of 'holy $^#&, what am I doing here???' for example, getting into the teeny-tiny plane, having the propeller start with the window open, seeing the dirt runway at Cape Leveque, the pilot taking his hands off the umm...steering thing to find me a spew bag (didn't spew thank God but would have felt much better if he'd kept his hands on the wheel!!)...oh, the list goes on.

<--The trusty steed on the pindan dirt at Cape Leveque airstrip

But I did take 700 photos! Hence my delay in posting them. I have whittled them down to a mere 478 (1.1GB), but I promise I won't bore you with them all (mum, you don't count!)

<--Something much bigger taking off

<--Similar craft flying beside us. Yes, that is our wing at the top of the pic!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad I was not there to watch you take off - I would have needed the sick bag instead of you. You covered some distance - look forward to seeing the photos.

Pilgrim Penguin said...

Wow! I'm terrified of heights so glad it was you not me. Still must have been a fantastic experience.