Stuck

The waiting room.

Due to weather issues it took a lot longer to get home than usual.  It was fine flying into the hub city but it was the part of going to the village that was problematic.  These are Caravans which seat no more than 9 for a full load or some passengers mixed with cargo.

 I flew into the hub on December 30, 2016.  I called a head of time to see if the airline was flying.  They'd had to cancel all flights the day before.  They were flying so I headed out.  By the time I got there, the weather closed in and everything was on weather hold.

Ticket Counter in the distance.

Each airline, including Alaska, has their own terminal.  The waiting rooms are small and get crowded rapidly due to a lack of seating.  There used to be more but much of it has broken over time and has not been replaced. 

Due to the way things work, you end up arriving early and hanging around till the flights are cancelled for a day.  There is a television, internet, and plugs but having to sit there from 7 AM to 4 PM is a pain.

One smart vendor sets up outside the terminal with his lunch cart (pickup with appropriate modifications) and sells food to the patrons of two different airlines.  Many people buy his food to take home so they don't have to cook while others inhale it in the terminal.  

The plane.

Every day except for New Years day, I reported to the building by 7AM so I'd be checked in, ready to go should anything fly.  By 4 PM after listening to updates on the wind being too strong or visibility too low, they'd cancel all flights till the next morning. 

We'd all line up and get rebooked for the next available flight.  Finally on January 2, 2017, the weather cleared enough to send 4 plane loads of people to my village.  

Other villages didn't have the weather issues so they could get home.  One flight got to within 10 minutes of their destination before having to turn around during weather. 

When my name was called for the flight, I almost ran the pilot over in my desire to get home.  To clarify the process, they announce the flight, whose on the flight and tells you to meet the pilot at the door.  He has  a list of people he checks off the names, walks everyone out to the plane and lets us board. It is not fun being stuck there with not much to do and I'm one of those who is afraid to leave in case they start flying.

I thought I'd share a bit of my life out here with you.  Have a good day.

Everyone was thrilled to get home.  I thought I'd