High Flying

When I landed on this continent 2 months ago it was after a very very long flight from Manila to Hong Kong to Vancouver, then on to Victoria. As the plane on that last (stunning) 25 minute flight passed over the beautiful Gulf Islands on into Vancouver Island and the airport in the north part of the Saanich peninsula, despite my fatigue there was an immediate feeling of energy and well-being. I have always loved landing at the Victoria airport, a true sense that we are now on an island, albeit a big one, with a sense of a slower, sunnier (even under clouds), friendlier pace.

However, this time at my arrival in Vancouver, as I walked that very long corridor to Immigration,  I thought, with a big sigh, "Just one more flight then I will not get on another plane for AT LEAST a year".

For the last 4 years while we were in Asia I traveled a lot. Monthly, or at least bi-monthly, I'd be in the airports going here or there. Shanghai, Singapore, Bali, Thailand, Laos, Viet Nam, Australia, Turkey, Spain, Netherlands, as well as within the Philippines, and returning to Canada 6 times. Thailand and Laos were the most traveled places, not counting transit trips through Bangkok. Laos was most beloved. I learned how to pack, how to travel with carry-on only, when doing that wasn't worth it, how to navigate these Asian shopping mall airports, where the lounges were, how long it took to get from one end to the other. I took my shoes off. I was physically patted down (assaulted) by Philippine security. None of it was exciting or glamorous. It was merely an unpleasant means of getting to places that, once there, were totally worth it.

Towards the end, I started visioning a 'plane and airport free' life. Thus the current year-long+ ban on air travel.

It feels good to be grounded.

There may be 2 exceptions to this no-fly zone. Number 1 would be float planes. There are a few places, including some places on the west coast of Vancouver Island, I'd like to go where really the only way to get there is by float plane. It's also another way to get to the mainland without taking the ferry.

The other exception is KD Air. I was very surprised to find that our little town actually has an airport and its own airline. It is adorable. Drive up to the front door of the terminal building, park right out front, and mosey on in. It even has a small restaurant with patio, a destination for private pilots? No security bullshit, when it's time to leave the pilot strolls through the waiting room announcing "Vancouver" and the few passengers follow him out to the plane. People seeing others off ignore the "passengers only" sign at the open door to the runway and stand outside the building on the tarmac side to watch the plane take off. This little airline has several daily scheduled flights to and from the Vancouver Airport as well as to a couple of other small airports and charter flights to wherever. People coming to visit us can fly into Vancouver then take this little airplane on a 20 minute flight (over gorgeous coastal scenery) and land in our tiny airport which is, get this, a 3 minute drive from our house. We can practically wait until the plane flies over the house before getting into the car to head out to the airport. Likewise, if we don't really need a car on our trips to Vancouver, instead of spending half a day taking the ferry over, we can be there in (relatively) no time.

I love the website with its pictures of the airline's staff. More of the small town, small scale atmosphere I'm finding so intriguing and so delightful.

Lars Banke, President & Chief Pilot, KD Air