|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted By:
Hal Brown
Date Posted:
Mar 5, 2014
Description:
It is always bitter sweet when a SuRi SeaRey adventure is ending. There is so much left to do and see, squeezed by so much desire to get home again. There is nothing to do but wring the most out of the time remaining.
Rarely is a defined schedule offered, but, on this day the Captain advised me that the SuRi would be heading back to Auckland. I was to meet him the following morning to load the SeaRey back aboard. For once it seemed that the trip would end as originally programmed.
(Yeah, right.)
Date Taken:
Mar 5, 2014
Place Taken:
Bay of Islands, NZ
Owner:
Dan Nickens
File Name:
Back_End.jpg - Photo HTML
Full size - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZDXV0000h">
Medium - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZDXV0000m">
Thumbnail - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZDXV0000s">
Category:
446, Yacht Tending NZ
|
|
|
|
|
Click on photo to view the original size. |
| Viewers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Read what others had to say:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Squeezing in another day was not going to be without a challenge or two. The clouds were gathering and the wind was rumored to be not far behind.
| | Attachments:
Squeezing In
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
All was not bleak. There were plenty of breaks in the cloud to let sunshine in.
| | Attachments:
Bright Spot
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
You don’t have to notice the lenticular cloud forming over the Brett Peninsula to figure out the wind was picking up. The white tipped waves were a more demanding clue.
| | Attachments:
Cloud Clues
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
The clouds were not so thick to trap us underneath. The trip up top, weaving between the clouds, was enough to inspire a young guest to decide to embark upon his own flying journey, committing to starting lessons when college is over for the summer.
| | Attachments:
Closing In
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
When all the day’s working flights were done, it was time to turn south down the coast back towards the familiar aerodrome at North Shore. A narrow isthmus between Bland Bay and Owahini Bay was on the coastal flight plan.
| | Attachments:
Turning to Home
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
How can one miss a SeaRey spot like this? I must have flown over it a dozen times. Well, it is one of the many reasons to come back.
| | Attachments:
Missed Spot
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Another missed opportunity. I was invited up to a family farm, but couldn’t figure out a time I didn’t want to be flying. Too bad they don’t have an airport. Well, anyway, it kept me from having to present my shoes to the Border Police for inspection upon my return home.
| | Attachments:
Country Spot
| | |
|
Dennis Scearce - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Wow. Looks like a painting.
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
After weeks of smacking open ocean swells, the smooth river water was an inviting reminder of gently rippled lakes waiting back home.
| | Attachments:
Missing Smooth
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
There were plenty of opportunities for going direct, for bypassing the beaches. It would mean getting back to the airport 10 minutes earlier. It would mean missing the coastal curves and calm of the open sky. Since I couldn’t know when I would be back, I took the longer, scenic route.<br /><br />On landing at North Shore I had a text message. 'Don’t bother meeting SuRi off shore. She is headed to port.' Standby for COPE (Change Of Plans Expected).<br />
| | Attachments:
Cutting Corners
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Adapting to the changing of plans meant some city time and maintenance for the SeaRey. And additional fees for the travel agents changing airline tickets.
| | Attachments:
City Scene
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
After a leisurely day hanging at the airport and pampering the airplane, I was back at the hotel getting ready for another quiet night when the phone rang.<br /><br />It was the Captain. “Can you bring the SeaRey over to the marina? The owner wants to show it to his guests.”<br /><br />“Now?”<br /><br />“Yes. His guests are arriving for cocktails at 7:30 p.m.”<br /><br />All I could think of were objections. The plane was cleaned and put away for the night. It would take me thirty minutes to get back to the airport. An hour to arrive at the marina. Operations at the seaplane base were shutdown at 5 p.m., with a hard cutoff of 8 p.m. I was supposed to brief the seaplane base operator and get permission from the harbour master before arriving. If I did make it to the marina, the airplane would have to stay overnight. It would take time to load it on SuRi and clean it up again. All for a few minutes of guest gawking. It wasn’t practical at all.<br /><br />“Yeah, well, none of this is really about practicality,” I concluded.<br /><br />“I will be there before over before cocktail hour is over,” I told the Captain.<br /><br />It was late enough on a summer Sunday that the military airspace was closed. I went directly to SuRi, arriving at 7:45 p.m.<br /><br />What to do in fifteen minutes? Well, I could do a low pass to assess water conditions. I got close enough to see the guests in the upper lounge. That got me to 7:50.<br /><br />There was a brisk breeze. I decided to get a closer look at the water, trolling at minimum airspeed. I was slow enough that all of the guests now gathered on the heli deck had a good, long look. 7:55.<br /><br />There were five minutes left. That was just enough time to dive towards a possible water landing. At the last minute I broke off the high speed approach, pulling steeply up with a radical bank back towards the harbour bridge, avoiding the downtown buildings.<br /><br />8:00 p.m. Curtain time. I broke off and flew back to the airport.<br /><br />My phone was ringing when I got down. The Captain. I cringed. There were some pretty radical maneuvers. The harbour was a sensitive area. Maybe the owner wasn’t happy I didn’t come aboard.<br /><br />“Hello?”<br /><br />“Mr. Kayne just wanted me to tell you how much he and the guests enjoyed the air show.” Later one of the stewardesses told me that everybody was entertained. Even the seaplane base operator. He had a house near the marina.<br /><br />There was a flood of relief over getting away with one. Another mission accomplished with no casualties. <br /><br />“Whew.”<br /><br />
| | Attachments:
Showing Off
| |
| Attachments:
Auckland Airspace Map
| | |
|
Wayne Nagy - Mar 05,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Always looking forward to your next installment...but savoring the moment when you are in <br />the moment ....
| | |
|
David Geers - Mar 06,2014
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Thanks Dan... I have now got another entry in my bucket list circumnavigate New Zealand... Great photos thanks for sharing them with us.
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
- About Searey.us -
- Contact Searey.us -
|
- Privacy Statement -
- Terms of service -
|
Copyright © 2024 Searey.us & Brevard Web Pro, Inc. -
Copyrights may also be reserved
by posters and used by license on this site. See Terms of Service for more information.
|
| |
- Please visit our NEW
Chapter Place Website at: chapterplace.com or
Free Chapter Management Website at: ourchapter.org. Good for all chapters, groups or families. |
| | | | | | | | | | |
