USA 2018 (16), Aerial magnificence!

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Bristol Airport, California, Colorado, Grand Canyon, Ivanpah, KLM, Los Angeles, Mojave Desert, Rockies, Schifhol Airport, USA, Utah, Wyoming, Yellowstone

USA 2018 (16), Aerial magnificence!  The Los Angeles/Amsterdam flight was of course an hour late taking off on Sunday, 25th February. This time the reason given was ‘an incident in the hold on the previous flight’. Is that all you’re going to tell us?! Oh well, I’d a few hours to pass at Schiphol, before my 9th and final flight of the trip(= chance for luggage to be mislaid), to Bristol, so no worry, (though others were not as able to be as laid back about it, with much tighter connections to make). I had been allocated the window seat at the right hand side of the plane, so I took a few photos on my tablet – camera not easily accessible – as we rose above the LA coastline.Then I turned to my book. That is, until I remembered that there was a good chance we might be flying over the Mojave Desert.  We were, though only over the southern part, I later discovered. What on earth are these incredibly bright lights, apparently within saucers? Alien invaders? When I got home I was able to discover that they had been part of the controversial and biggest solar energy scheme in the world, the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, on the California/Utah border. Wow! (The ‘saucers’ had been an optical illusion – the constructions were flat in reality.)

The scenery grew more and more spectacular. I started to wonder whether we might be going over Yellowstone in due course.  The answer was no – the flight map showed we would be going too far south, over Utah and Colorado rather than over north-west Wyoming.  I was riveted to the window.  Was it possible that this was the Grand Canyon?  If not, it’s amazing viewing even so. (A check with my atlas once I was home confirmed that indeed this had been the Grand Canyon, and the Rockies in Colorado.) We were cruising at between 33,000 and 39,000 feet.

There was no way I was going to avert my eyes from the window now. The flight attendant had to disturb me from my reverie to serve me the first meal.  I was glued to the window until we flew into the eastern dusk, with the sun setting behind us.What an amazing end to an amazing fortnight!

And here endeth the 16-part account of a most amazing trip to the United States, one I’ll never forget.  I’ve had enormous pleasure in writing it up, and selecting from the literally thousands of photos I took. Some kind people I know have read every post. To you and everyone who has dipped in, thank you so much for coming along with me on the journey!

USA 2018 (1). The flight out

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ATP ROtterdam, Bedford New Hampshire, Bristol Airport, de-icing plane, Grand Teton National Park, KLM, Roger Federer, Schifhol Airport, SSSS, Yellowstone National Park

USA 2018 (1). The flight out. Here beginneth a series of many blogs on my latest odyssey: to cousin Geoff and family in Bedford, New Hampshire, on the US’s eastern seaboard; Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, (3/4 of the way across the country); and to niece Karina, in Los Angeles County. I was away for a fortnight in total.  As usual, the posts will contain many photos and little text – with perhaps the exception of this first one.

Monday 12th. Having got up at 2.15 am, I arrived at 4.00 am at the super-duper new Silver Line car parking terminal, just a 4-minute shuttle bus from Bristol Airport.  A 25 minute delay before take-off because of weather problems at Schifhol Airport, Amsterdam, was nothing compared to subsequent problems there. ‘SSSS’ on my ticket meant I had been selected for intensive security screening at the Durch airport before boarding my KLM flight to Boston, Massachusetts.  A trainee on her first day ‘did’ me, under supervision, for about 20 minutes, (though subsequent internet research indicated that the investigation could have been much more thorough!)  Boarding was at a normal time, and the pilot announced it would be a long flight because of strong head winds. 
It started hailing. Whether connected or not, the announced take off time steadily retreated, to one hour late.
The plane started taxi-ing, then stopped after a while. The pilot announced that we must be de-iced. I was amused to observe a ballet of many de-icers, four per plane.

Who are you staring at then?

At last we were on a stand – and our own ballet dancers retreated before they’d even begun. The pilot explained that this was because they must shut down, and go under cover, because of lightning in the atmosphere.
We had no idea how long we’d have to wait. I consoled myself with the thought that Roger Federer was only a little way away, in Rotterdam, where he was due to play his opening match in the eponymous ATP tournament later in the day. (He went on to win the final the following Sunday, and return to the world number one spot, breaking a number of records in the process.)

The de-icers came out again, the sun accompanying them. This time I observed the dance at close quarters, involving two types of spray, the second of which left a greenish hue.

As we moved off, two hours after the scheduled departure time, the captain said it didn’t often happen that he had a complete set of circumstances for the very first time. And not to worry if we saw a pilot wandering around the cabin as there were two of them on board.

Nicole, Geoff’s wife, had been tracking the timing of the plane, so had not been hanging around for hours, but because of the delay we hit the rush hour, and had to go direct to their son’s school to pick him up. A lovely crock-cooked supper took just a couple of minutes to serve, and then it was off to bed, 23 hours after getting up.

Many more photos, much less talk for the next post.