This past week I spent a day in the Native village of Tyonek for a Child Find event (we are legally required to seek out and provide services to all of the children with special needs in our area…AKA: Child Find) with one of my co-workers, a school district representative, and a speech-language pathologist. On the map below you can see Kenai, where I live, and Tyonek, where I worked (for the day). My first official “bush flight”.
Talk about a mid-week adventure. My boss came to my office the day before our trip and asked, “do you know where you’re heading tomorrow morning?” I replied, “the airport” (duh?!). When she responded with hysterical laughter, I knew I was in for an adventure. Apparently bush planes don’t leave from the airport. In fact, the one below, that I flew on, is considered large for a trip to Tyonek.
Instead of an airport, we met in a small building where we checked in by stating our name and weight (well, they have to keep that little plane balanced…weight matters!). No ID check, metal detectors, or baggage check. Simply grab your belongings and walk out to the plane. On a morning when it was –5 degrees, no less.
So, my co-worker and I grabbed our 80 pounds worth of vision, hearing, and developmental screening equipment and shuffled out to the plane. By the time I got to the plane everyone else had decided I was privy to the co-pilot seat! Clearly the one person who was excited enough to take pictures of the boarding process at 7:50am was the most excited about this little trip. They all agreed that I would derive the most joy from sitting up front. And I was not going to argue!
Wild Life Chelsea 