Current mood:
relieved It had to be this week. Of all the weeks it could be winter weather-ish, it had to be this one. All the staff from the school district flew to Unalakleet, where the district office is located, for a week-long in-service. We were told that the first plane from Elim was leaving at noon on Monday, the second at 12:30, and the district plane was coming for the last 4 staff members at 2. Yes, our district has it's own plane and pilot - how cool is that?! Around 10, Dianna wandered into my classroom and said, "Did you hear that your flight is on hold? Nobody's flying this morning." We had ice-fog forming in the Sound and Nome was experiencing a snowstorm that was heading our direction. So noon came and went with no flight, but good news that the planes were flying and would be taking off shortly. At 1 came the announcement that the plane was 18 minutes out. We loaded the school truck and got all our stuff and people up to the airport (it took 2 trips). We're standing there watching the ice-fog roll inland off the water and wondering where the plane is. We don't see it, we don't hear it, nothing. Abel got on the radio in the truck and called Marlin, the airline agent, to ask how far out our flight was. Marlin told us that ice was building on the plane wings and the pilot had turned back. So, we re-loaded the truck and went back to the school. It was like a rehearsal for the real thing. So, then came the news that the district plane was on its way and would be there at 2, as scheduled. Doug, the district pilot, will fly when no one else will. He is so comfortable with his plane and knows what he can and can't do - he frequently is out on district business in snowstorms, high winds, things other pilots wouldn't dare fly in. He's amazing. Doug landed and took 5 staff members with him. The rest of us were left to play the waiting game. Dianna was on the phone with the travel person from the district office and the airline agent the rest of the afternoon. At 3:30, she told me to go wait at home. So then we were all sitting at home wondering when we were going to leave. The ice-fog was so thick that it was like white-out conditions in the village. Around 5:30, Dianna came next door and said to get comfortable and make dinner, because we most likely weren't going to get out until the next morning. 6:00 - Dianna yells into the hall, "12 minutes" The general response was, "You've got to be kidding me." One of Hageland's pilots was on his way and was 12 minutes out from Elim. As we walked out the door, we realized it was snowing hard. This time we actually got out, and the flight wasn't too bad. We were only 7 hours late. It's a good thing nothing big is planned for the first day - we missed the welcome and the keynote address, but none of us were super-bummed about that.
The rest of the conference was great - of the 4 I've experienced, this one was the best. The sessions I attended were incredible. District technology was explained in layman's terms and we had time to play around with it and get comfortable with it. I got ideas for learning games to make for my classroom - and then had 5 hours to make them. I have games ready for use on Monday. I think it was the most productive day I've had in awhile - and coloring, cutting, and gluing is surprisingly relaxing. The guinea pigs in the classroom we were sleeping in were a problem - my allergies were so bad I was having trouble breathing by Tuesday morning. (It's all held in the Unalakleet school - we sleep in the classrooms, attend sessions in those same classrooms, eat in the cafeteria, etc.)
Our flight back was pretty interesting, as well. We weren't scheduled to leave until 4:30, which meant we were some of the last people there. At 4, we loaded up and headed for the airport, unloaded when we got there, and then wondered why we were there so early - it wasn't anywhere near 4:30. The wind was brutally cold and blowing hard. We sat inside the Hageland Aviation building with about 30 other people for almost an hour before our flight finally took off. Half of us were on one plane and half on another, with 2 people coming in later on the district plane. Our plane left first. It was pretty bumpy taking off, but once the pilot got up in the clouds, it was really pretty smooth. What was bad was the landing. We started descending and when we get below the clouds, we were as low as I've ever flown. The water was right there below us. No one could really tell where we were because we couldn't see very far in any direction. Then we saw the runway and watched it out the window as the pilot flew right by it. He flew out aways and then turned the plane so that we were landing with or against the wind (whichever one is better - I don't know). He cranked it around hard. At one point, the plane wings were perpendicular to the water. We were bouncing all over the place in the wind and not very far above the water. I was light-headed and not sure we were going to make it down in one piece. I trusted the pilot; he obviously wouldn't try to land in those conditions unless he was absolutely certain he knew what he was doing, but it made me a little nervous. We made it down safely (obviously) and rode in the truck back to teacher housing in the heavily falling snow. I'm not sure the other plane made it back. For starters, they were in a single prop plane, meaning they had to stay within coasting distance of land (in case the engine failed) - that doubles the flight time. We were in a double prop plane so we could do it in a straight shot across the Sound. The pilot they had has had her license less than a year - she wouldn't try to land in those conditions - she most likely turned around and headed back to Unalakleet. I haven't heard any planes since we got here. I would bet they come in late tonight on the district plane after Doug finishes taking everyone else to their sites. That would be my guess. I'm really just glad to be home, have both feet firmly on the ground, and sleep in my own bed tonight (sleeping on the floor in a classroom leaves much to be desired).
The rest of the conference was great - of the 4 I've experienced, this one was the best. The sessions I attended were incredible. District technology was explained in layman's terms and we had time to play around with it and get comfortable with it. I got ideas for learning games to make for my classroom - and then had 5 hours to make them. I have games ready for use on Monday. I think it was the most productive day I've had in awhile - and coloring, cutting, and gluing is surprisingly relaxing. The guinea pigs in the classroom we were sleeping in were a problem - my allergies were so bad I was having trouble breathing by Tuesday morning. (It's all held in the Unalakleet school - we sleep in the classrooms, attend sessions in those same classrooms, eat in the cafeteria, etc.)
Our flight back was pretty interesting, as well. We weren't scheduled to leave until 4:30, which meant we were some of the last people there. At 4, we loaded up and headed for the airport, unloaded when we got there, and then wondered why we were there so early - it wasn't anywhere near 4:30. The wind was brutally cold and blowing hard. We sat inside the Hageland Aviation building with about 30 other people for almost an hour before our flight finally took off. Half of us were on one plane and half on another, with 2 people coming in later on the district plane. Our plane left first. It was pretty bumpy taking off, but once the pilot got up in the clouds, it was really pretty smooth. What was bad was the landing. We started descending and when we get below the clouds, we were as low as I've ever flown. The water was right there below us. No one could really tell where we were because we couldn't see very far in any direction. Then we saw the runway and watched it out the window as the pilot flew right by it. He flew out aways and then turned the plane so that we were landing with or against the wind (whichever one is better - I don't know). He cranked it around hard. At one point, the plane wings were perpendicular to the water. We were bouncing all over the place in the wind and not very far above the water. I was light-headed and not sure we were going to make it down in one piece. I trusted the pilot; he obviously wouldn't try to land in those conditions unless he was absolutely certain he knew what he was doing, but it made me a little nervous. We made it down safely (obviously) and rode in the truck back to teacher housing in the heavily falling snow. I'm not sure the other plane made it back. For starters, they were in a single prop plane, meaning they had to stay within coasting distance of land (in case the engine failed) - that doubles the flight time. We were in a double prop plane so we could do it in a straight shot across the Sound. The pilot they had has had her license less than a year - she wouldn't try to land in those conditions - she most likely turned around and headed back to Unalakleet. I haven't heard any planes since we got here. I would bet they come in late tonight on the district plane after Doug finishes taking everyone else to their sites. That would be my guess. I'm really just glad to be home, have both feet firmly on the ground, and sleep in my own bed tonight (sleeping on the floor in a classroom leaves much to be desired).
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