EMU AIRWAYS

                              A Small Plane

     When I walked into the small airport on Kangaroo Island, Australia all I could see was tarmac with small planes. Immediately I realized we and our backpacks  were going to 
 be weighed  before boarding the plane. It was not my first such experience of being weighed before a flight. Midway was a long 1250 miles over water from Kauai, where the Australian mainland was really pretty much a hop, skip and a jump away, so I could reassure some in our small group  who had never experienced the process of being weighed.

     Looking out the airport window I saw little planes with EMU written on their tails. Turning I heard one of the gals say, “Who would ever name an airline after a flightless bird?” Interesting thought.

     A couple of pilots surveyed our group of 11, divided us in half and led us out to the planes. The biggest and heaviest man in the group was seated in the front co-pilot seat of my plane.  The pilot took our packs and stuffed them in the wing tips. I was happy to see him lock the compartments—not that there was anything of much value in my pack as my camera was in my pocket.

     Once the rest of us were seated and buckled up, I was a bit astounded to watch the plot climb over the wing and through the window to his seat.  Did I really want to take this flight? It would be a lot quicker than the rough ferry crossing but still----.

     Much of the short flight was about the clouds. When the clouds parted I looked down at the water where the waves looked like wiggly little viruses look under a microscope. Once over land the sheep in the pasture looked like golf balls.

     The short flight was a smooth one but I was still happy to be on land where our driver was waiting to take us back to the hotel. Fog still covered Mt Lofty. Our hotel was lovely and we’d had a great day and wonderful time  on a clear day on Kangaroo Island!