FLYING HIGHER

After our helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon, we decided to stop by Grand Canyon Airlines (GCA), and check to see if they had any standby availability. One of the neat perks for Paul Revere Bus Drivers away from the job, is the deeply discounted airfare on GCA's scenic flight over the canyon. Of course, seats at the reduced price are only offered on a space available basis, and it looked like there might be a couple of seats on the 4 pm flight.

So, we had lunch in Tusayan, killed a little time doing some driving around, and when we returned to the airport at about 3:30 pm, the seats were still available. When we boarded the single engine Cessna Caravan, our lady pilot directed us where to sit, based mostly on distributing the weight evenly. Guess who got to ride up front with the pilot........again! Yep, Patty got the nod to sit in the co-pilots seat, and was two for two.

The Cessna Caravan seats about 10 people, and is a workhorse for small airlines. It's also used extensively by FedEx as a mover of packages from small communities, to their hub airports. One of these planes is based in Lake Havasu, and every afternoon around 5 pm, it takes it's load to Phoenix.

What? You want me to fly this contraption!

Takeoff from the 9,000 foot runway at Grand Canyon Airport was quick, and a left turn took us to the rim of the canyon east of Desert View. From there, we flew over the eastern portion of the canyon, where I got some pretty good pictures of where the Little Colorado River intersects with the main Colorado River.

The Little Colorado River is a bright Turquoise color, contrasting sharply with the dark greenish color of the main river. The Junction of the two is just above the wheel of the aircraft.

This fixed wing flight over the canyon, and the North Rim, is a little less than an hour in length, and takes in all of the contrasting scenery. From high desert, to dense Ponderosa Pine Forest, to the magnificence of the canyon itself, the best way to see it all is from the sky above. In the helicopter, you fly much lower, and the perspective is very much different than the higher fixed wing flight. From the higher altitude, you get a much clearer picture of the entire area, and especially the vastness of the canyon itself. This is truly one big hole in the ground!

The turquoise color of the Little Colorado River is clearly visible in the center left of the picture.

The North Rim offers more "red rock" color, which contrast with the dense green of the Ponderosa Pine forest.

As we approached Tusayan, and the Grand Canyon Airport, we had one last look at the area from high above. This is the third time I've flown over the canyon, twice in a Cessna Caravan, and once in a twin engine Otter. Now, if there was just some way to make commercial flights on big jets as much fun as flying in small planes, then perhaps I wouldn't object so much, when asked to fly for hours on those big buses in the sky.

It was a fun day off for both of us, and was unique, as it was the first time in 2 summers, that we both had a day off together. Hopefully, Patty will continue to have Thursdays and Fridays off, giving us Thursday off from work together.

As Patty exited the aircraft, we both agreed that the cost of the flights was well worth it, especially at the discounted price. The fact that these tour operations (helicopter & fixed wing) are based at the Grand Canyon Airport, and all of their take offs and landings make this small airport just outside Tusayan, the third busiest airport in Arizona. Now, I need to sign up for some overtime, to pay for our extravagant sightseeing adventures!