Hawaii to Maui

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December 16^th, 2008

Left Hawaii today for Maui. Got to the airport a little early to clear security and found that it is a little more informal on the inter-island flights. We hung around the Pacific Wings desk, which had a sign on it advising us that the pilot would show up before the flight and if we really needed help then we could pick up the phone and bother someone on the other end. We choose to wait.

Eventually a pilot showed up, who looked like he had probably been shaving for at least a couple of years, and weighed our backpacks. He asked us our weights and then led us through “security”. Security, as it turned out was really just getting through the fence next to the building and to the plane which stood about 20 feet away. Being the only passengers loading the luggage was easy. He opened the hold and we threw it in.

The plane could hold at least 8, maybe ten, people but in order to balance the load he had us sit in the back two seats. Once we had attached not only the seat belt, but also the shoulder belt, he gave us the standard safety talk standing on the runway and talking through the hatch. Since we had flown a lot of planes lately I thought I would help by doing the same motions that the stewards do on the larger planes but he didn't seem to think that would be helpful.

Once he got in he fired it up and taxied us out to the runway. Actually taxi is not the right word. It was more like a teenager taking the car out of his own neighbourhood and then gunning it when he hit the open highway. I don't know if the airport wasn't that busy or what but it didn't seem as though he had to bother with all those tedious things like asking for permission to use the runway etc. He just saw an opening and took it.

Once in the air the flight was smooth until we hit Maui and there was a little bit of bouncing over the island. I did enjoy the the pre-landing standard announcement about not leaving the seats until the plane had landed etc. The best part was when he said “this is your captain speaking”. Since there was only him and us on the plane it would have been quite astonishing if it had been anyone else.

Landed in Maui, picked up another rental car, and headed to the Northshore Hostel in Wailuku . The hostel is in a run down neighbourhood but is clean and nice inside. The second floor porch on the front is great and the people are quite friendly and talkative. We really liked the four large private bathrooms instead of one or two large communal ones.