Hawaiian x-country!!

[schteevie]

here is one of my favorite recent x-country stories - <BR><BR>Some of you may remember this from canadianaviation.com when I posted it last year - but for the rest of you, it's something to get back into the flying mood after a long crappy winter and a horrible spring... thank god the weather is starting to feel like summer again...<BR><BR><BR>Anyway - this story is from a business trip I had in Maui last spring.<BR><BR>I did a bunch of research befopre my trip - I was going to be there for over 3 weeks, so I knew I'd find some free time to go flying if I could get my paper work in order, and find a place to rent from...<BR>Turns out all you need is a US issued PPL, which I got in advance from Rochester FSDO.<BR><BR>The nice fellows at Maui aviators (http://www.mauiaviators.com/) were good enough to spend some time on the phone with me before I left Canada to help me sort out what I would need.<BR>So once I got to Maui, it was more a less already arranged!<BR><BR>So finally when we were on the trip, we actually ended up having a few days off, so it wasn't stressfull to fit in a day to go flying!<BR>After a brief checkout, and briefing about the local area, I rented a plane for an afternoon and I took a couple of my co-workers in an old cessna 172 for a trip around the nearby Islands! <BR>(open the links as you read - the photos are in order to go along with the description - this board doesnt seem to allow for HTML to be clicable - so you'll have to cut and past the links into a new window I guess...?)<BR><BR>http://www.24fps.ca/maui/sectional1.jpg<BR><BR>We departed Kahului airport heading west along the north shore of Maui, and passed Kapalua (to fly over the hotel we stayed at) and then headed across a stretch of ocean toward Molokai. <BR>I have to mention that as a Canadian, it felt pretty weird to commit to going over that much open water in a single engine plane; but down there it is common practice, and the instructors asured me that with the warm water, and amount of boat traffic and what not, ditching wouldn't be the end of the world...<BR>I am still pretty sure the engine started to sound rough as we began to leave the implied safety of land...

<BR>The first land mark near the eastern tip of Molokai is "Elephant rock" ­ I was amazed at how clearly it resembled an elephant.<BR><BR>http://www.24fps.ca/maui/Elephant-rock1.jpg<BR><BR>We tracked along the north Molokai shore admiring the cliffs and huge water falls ­ some of the falls are near 3000' falling into the ocean.<BR><BR>http://www.24fps.ca/maui/molokai-cliffs1.jpg<BR><BR>We crossed the middle of the island and headed south to look at the pristine beaches and two large ship wrecks from WWII along the north shore of Lanai. <BR>Then we headed back over a large stretch of open water toward the south Maui Shore planning to head back to Kahului. At
around the mid point, we saw a group of what I assume were humped back whales breaching ­ that was really cool, I circled a few times to get a good look ­ they were really well lit in the direct sun ­ what a great way to see whales! <BR>The last really unique landmark we passed on the final leg is Molokini Island. It is half of a submerged volcanic crater that has become a great coral reef.<BR><BR>http://www.24fps.ca/maui/molokini-1.jpg<BR><BR>Landing at Kahului was challenging as they seem to always have strong x-winds due to the constant north easterly trade winds funneling through the valley.<BR><BR>http://www.24fps.ca/maui/sandra-steve1.jpg<BR><BR>This was a very memorable flight, and really reminded me why I got my licence in the first place...<BR><BR>when we were packing up to leave after tieing down the plane, one of the commercial pilots out on the ramp told one of my co-owokers that if we had charted a plane or chopper to take us on the same flight we had just done our selves, it would have cost over $1200 USD - and we did it for about $300! <img src='http://www.caaviation.com/idealbb/images/smilies/16.gif'>

 

[schteevie]

I didn't just post this story to brag


I was kinda hoping this would inspire others to post some x-country stories...
common - lets get SOME traffic on these forums...

lets get this thread filled with other stories

 

[tjohnston]

I have used the same company and done several flight around Maui and to the nearby Islands. After you fly across to Molokai a couple of times the distance doesn''t seem so far. The thing that bothered me was being able to see the water through the floor boards and the cushion I had to use to prop up the back of the pilot''s seat that was on a 45° angle. Otherwise, it is a great thing to do. Try flying into the Haleakala crater next. Just go early before the trades start blowing

 

[tjohnston]

I have used the same company and done several flight around Maui and to the nearby Islands. After you fly across to Molokai a couple of times the distance doesn''t seem so far. The thing that bothered me was being able to see the water through the floor boards and the cushion I had to use to prop up the back of the pilot''s seat that was on a 45° angle. Otherwise, it is a great thing to do. Try flying into the Haleakala crater next. Just go early before the trades start blowing

 

[tjohnston]

I have used the same company and done several flight around Maui and to the nearby Islands. After you fly across to Molokai a couple of times the distance doesn''t seem so far. The thing that bothered me was being able to see the water through the floor boards and the cushion I had to use to prop up the back of the pilot''s seat that was on a 45° angle. Otherwise, it is a great thing to do. Try flying into the Haleakala crater next. Just go early before the trades start blowing

 

[tjohnston]

I have used the same company and done several flight around Maui and to the nearby Islands. After you fly across to Molokai a couple of times the distance doesn''t seem so far. The thing that bothered me was being able to see the water through the floor boards and the cushion I had to use to prop up the back of the pilot''s seat that was on a 45° angle. Otherwise, it is a great thing to do. Try flying into the Haleakala crater next. Just go early before the trades start blowing

 

[tjohnston]

I have used the same company and done several flight around Maui and to the nearby Islands. After you fly across to Molokai a couple of times the distance doesn''t seem so far. The thing that bothered me was being able to see the water through the floor boards and the cushion I had to use to prop up the back of the pilot''s seat that was on a 45° angle. Otherwise, it is a great thing to do. Try flying into the Haleakala crater next. Just go early before the trades start blowing

 

[tjohnston]

I have used the same company and done several flight around Maui and to the nearby Islands. After you fly across to Molokai a couple of times the distance doesn''t seem so far. The thing that bothered me was being able to see the water through the floor boards and the cushion I had to use to prop up the back of the pilot''s seat that was on a 45° angle. Otherwise, it is a great thing to do. Try flying into the Haleakala crater next. Just go early before the trades start blowing

 

[tjohnston]

I have used the same company and done several flight around Maui and to the nearby Islands. After you fly across to Molokai a couple of times the distance doesn''t seem so far. The thing that bothered me was being able to see the water through the floor boards and the cushion I had to use to prop up the back of the pilot''s seat that was on a 45° angle. Otherwise, it is a great thing to do. Try flying into the Haleakala crater next. Just go early before the trades start blowing

 

[tjohnston]

I have used the same company and done several flight around Maui and to the nearby Islands. After you fly across to Molokai a couple of times the distance doesn''t seem so far. The thing that bothered me was being able to see the water through the floor boards and the cushion I had to use to prop up the back of the pilot''s seat that was on a 45° angle. Otherwise, it is a great thing to do. Try flying into the Haleakala crater next. Just go early before the trades start blowing

 

[tjohnston]

I have used the same company and done several flight around Maui and to the nearby Islands. After you fly across to Molokai a couple of times the distance doesn''t seem so far. The thing that bothered me was being able to see the water through the floor boards and the cushion I had to use to prop up the back of the pilot''s seat that was on a 45° angle. Otherwise, it is a great thing to do. Try flying into the Haleakala crater next. Just go early before the trades start blowing

 

[flythenumbers]

I wanted to do a flight what I was on my cruise last year. At one port, I think it was the Canary Islands, we docked right beside a small airport... But, my wife wasn''t into it, and I was a very new pilot...

I just wish that it was easier to find rental places on the web, and arrange things before you get there. I find it hard to locate information prior to going.

Anyone have any tips for locating and arranging rentals in foreign countries? Do they respect your Canadian license?

 

[flythenumbers]

I wanted to do a flight what I was on my cruise last year. At one port, I think it was the Canary Islands, we docked right beside a small airport... But, my wife wasn''t into it, and I was a very new pilot...

I just wish that it was easier to find rental places on the web, and arrange things before you get there. I find it hard to locate information prior to going.

Anyone have any tips for locating and arranging rentals in foreign countries? Do they respect your Canadian license?

 

[flythenumbers]

I wanted to do a flight what I was on my cruise last year. At one port, I think it was the Canary Islands, we docked right beside a small airport... But, my wife wasn''t into it, and I was a very new pilot...

I just wish that it was easier to find rental places on the web, and arrange things before you get there. I find it hard to locate information prior to going.

Anyone have any tips for locating and arranging rentals in foreign countries? Do they respect your Canadian license?

 

[flythenumbers]

I wanted to do a flight what I was on my cruise last year. At one port, I think it was the Canary Islands, we docked right beside a small airport... But, my wife wasn''t into it, and I was a very new pilot...

I just wish that it was easier to find rental places on the web, and arrange things before you get there. I find it hard to locate information prior to going.

Anyone have any tips for locating and arranging rentals in foreign countries? Do they respect your Canadian license?