Technical Difficulties in the North

5:00pm I left Yellowknife this morning on a First Air flight bound for Whitehorse, via Fort Simpson. We got as far as Fort Simpson…and then there was a problem with the plane. Apparently difficulties with the propeller brakes…rather they find out down here on the ground than in the air I guess!

So here I sit in the tiny airport of Fort Simpson, along with about a dozen or so other stranded travellers, awaiting news for the continuation of the flight. There has been word that they have to get help from Yellowknife, but they didn’t specify just how or what. Hmmm…we shall see what comes of it. Good thing I was packed for distance travel. I have my laptop and a supply of movies, along with a couple of novels and a bag full of yarn for my current crochet project. We were fed a light lunch on the plane, so hunger is staved off for now, and should I get snackish, I do have a few things in my bag.

The flight attendant (garbed in flight suit, turtleneck and arctic parka) came in and asked if anyone wanted to get their laptop off the plane, since it was cooling off considerably while they waited for repairs…all but two hands went up…so as I look about the airport (it’s small, so I can see ALL of the waiting area from just about any position) there are four of us on our laptops, either watching movies or playing games.

I tried to give A. a call to let her know not to go to the airport until she heard from be, and thought it would just be an automated operator, so I would just leave her collect call message stating instead of my name “plane late, will call” but I actually got a real live operator who proceeded to inform me that cell phones cannot accept a collect call anyhow…rats. So I called my mother collect and had her call my daughter’s boyfriend, who can call A. when she gets off work at 2pm and let her know that I will call her for the ride. Otherwise she would be waiting around for hours…we’re already more than 2 hours delayed!

sigh…the joys of northern travel…a couple of women are playing luggage roller, where they sit on the luggage rollers (like at the beer store) and shove one another across them to see how far they can send them. I would have taken a photo but was not near my camera when they were at it, darnit.

update 5:50pm NWT time – we have been informed that they sent another plane out from Yellowknife and it should arrive momentarily. They need a few minutes to transfer over our luggage and then we will be able to board and shall be on our way. Yahooo! I think I just heard our plane arrive!!! Time to pack up this stuff and get ON THE WAY!

8:53pm and I’m here at A.’s, hanging out and playing a borrowed friend’s Nintendo Wii…I think I know what I want Santa to bring me…I kicked ass at bowling (well, better than these two here…lol). The flight arrived about 6:05pm, so we were about 3.5 hours behind schedule, but whatever. I got here in one piece and the plane didn’t break. Nice.