Dear Steemit Friends:
If you had to ask me what is the most unforgettable place I've travelled to, then Saipan ranks very high up on my list of destinations. In previous editions of Travel with me and Miss. Delicious you've joined me as I set foot on the uninhabited "Warship Island" - Managaha, and experienced a splendid evening with me watching the sunset as we eat a delicious barbecued seafood meal over local tradition music and dance.
Today, i'll be taking us on another thrilling experience on the island of Saipan where I will be attempting to pilot a plane! Up till now, I've always enjoyed the serene landscape of Saipan from on the ground, I would never have guessed that tourists could have the opportunity to fly a plane and enjoy the view from up in the sky. Moreover, I would never have guessed I could have chance to sit in the pilot seat and take control of the plane.
Knowing that this is a rare opportunity, and one that I would unlikely find on other islands, I decided to give it a go. Join me as I fly through the sky!
First we head to the Saipan airport. This is where the plane I will be flying is at. First, I was asked to sign some safety and liability waiver contracts before I embark the plane. Upon signing, I was given this blue waiting card and then was asked to wait for my co-pilot to arrive before we take to the skies!
In the waiting area, I see these propeller planes getting prepped ready to fly. The weather on the island can be quite volatile, one minute it would be raining and then another minute the skies would be clear. In just a few moments, i'll be taking to the skies and yet my frame of mind is just like the weather, temperamental as I anxiously await.
Now, let's get ready to board the plane. As you can see, there are many models here, each with different colours. Some have just landed whilst others are being checked before take off. I suddenly feel like the airport is having some kind of airshow.
This is it! The cute blue and green plane which i'll be flying. Actually the colours remind me a little of Steemit. It's not a very large plane, so boarding it requires me to walk across one of it's wings.
This guy, is the Captain of the plane i'll be flying. Throughout the flight, he'll be guiding me through all the manoeuvre and making sure that we stay well within safety limits.
Here, the Captain is explaining to me all the different items on the dashboard and what they're for. I used to see these dashboards in games and movies, but never in real life with my very own eyes. Even though I don't look it, I'm secretly very excited to get started. In the heat of the moment, I dazed off to a day dream of me ploughing through the clouds in the sky. I missed some important instructions on the dashboard. Whoops!
Actually, my responsibility as a pilot is quite easy, all I have to do is take control of the Yoke and yaw left or right. Pulling the Yoke back, the nose of the plane tilt's upwards and on the contrary, pushing the Yoke forwards makes the nose turn down. It looks pretty easy but still requires a fair bit of control to maintain stability of the plane. Headset's on, ready for take off!
The take off manoeuvre is actually quite exhilarating, a bit like a roller-coaster. As you sit ready to take off, the sound of the front propeller gets louder as it turns faster and faster. In a split second, we accelerate viciously down the runway and I feel my back push against my seat. Moments later, we're soaring through the clouds as we fly into the vast expanse of the sky.
Do these scenes from up in the sky remind you of the air battles in war movies?
The captain takes the opportunity to show off some stunts. Suddenly the plane tilt's at what seems an impossible angle, unsuspecting and unprepared, I fall into my seat at an awkward angle, held in place by the shifting plane of gravity. It was pretty terrifying but now in hindsight, I found it pretty exciting.
Once the plane returns to normal, the captain hands over the control of the plane to me. He continues to guide my every move through the headset.
Taking the reigns of the plane was super satisfying. You can feel the plane respond to your every move, changing directions so responsively.
Right below the vast field of view, I see Saipan and even Warship Island. Up in the sky, everything looks like a boundless expanse. The pure, limpid and sparking sea. The silver white sandy beaches, the coral reefs displaying all the colours in profusion. The water and sky look conjoined with the same colour, as the sea blends it's deep and shallow waters into various shades of blue and green. Simply majestic.
After landing, the captain issued me with a "license" as a souvenir.
And just like that, I graduated from flight school. Err just joking!
Having flown my drone, and now a plane, I must say the two experiences couldn't feel any different. Yes, you are technically "flying" a drone, but sitting in a plane, you can feel the forces of gravity act on you as the plane tilts side to side, up and down.
Hope you enjoyed today's blog on taking to the skies and for a brief few moments, feeling like a bird.
Stay tuned for more stories from Saipan and much more!
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跟我一起飞上天，塞班岛另类体验：开飞机要是说起旅行中最让我难忘的特殊经历，那就不得不说，在塞班岛，除了好好享受了日落烧烤晚餐的美妙，更是第一次尝试了开飞机。之前的我都是从陆地上观赏塞班岛的自然景观之美，没想到这个岛竟然提供给旅行者开飞机的项目，因为我知道不是每个岛屿都有，所以对于我来说是非常难得的机会，现在我就带大家体验把飞机开上天空的全过程。开飞机的地点就在塞班岛的机场，在签字完安全合同之后，就会拿到这张蓝色的等候牌，接下来就等待你的机长准备好了带你去飞机上。在等候室里看到这些螺旋喷气小飞机，起飞降落，岛上天气变换快，一会下雨一会晴天。而想到一会就要真正动手开飞机了，我的心情也像天气，起伏不定。
现在就跟我一起走到我们的飞机上吧。这里有好多型号，颜色不同的飞机，有的刚停下，有的正在check准备起飞，整个飞机场好像在进行飞机的展览。这架就是我要开的飞机了，蓝绿配色很酷，有点像Steemit的颜色。飞机不大，所以踩着飞机的机翼上飞机就好了。这位就是这架飞机的机长了，他在整个飞行过程中会指导我的操作，并保证飞机的安全。现在他正在给我讲解飞机仪表盘的注意事项和操作说明。以前经常在游戏和电影看到的仪表画面，但是亲眼看到，还是第一次，所以好激动，一时间快忘记听机长解释操作了。简单的说，我只负责地是握住操作杆左右拐弯，前后拉分别是机头上升和下降。看似简单，其实要控制好力度，让飞机飞得平稳也不容易。戴上耳麦，准备起飞。
飞机起飞的感觉实际上很刺激，就像坐过山车。听者螺旋桨加速的声音，加足马力，随之而来的是猛地一阵背推快感，飞机就这样冲破云层，飞向了广阔的天空。从飞机上拍到的画面，是不是让大家想到了很多战争电影里的场景。机长还会抓紧时机表演特技，飞机突然倾斜，毫无准备的我立刻贴紧靠椅，之后回味还是很刺激的。等飞机飞稳后，机长会比手势指挥你操作，也会从耳麦中跟你说话。亲手操作的感受真的很爽，你可以真实的感受到飞机在跟着你的动作而变换方向。看着塞班岛和军舰岛在眼皮下，享受到了非常辽阔的视野。晶莹剔透的海水，银白的沙滩和五彩缤纷的珊瑚礁，水和天连成一色。在阳光的折射下，海水呈现深浅的蓝色和绿色，好美。安全坐落后，机长颁发给我“驾驶证”留做纪念。这样我就从飞机驾驶学校毕业了。开个玩笑。希望大家喜欢我今天的开飞机体验，之后还有更多有趣的塞班岛故事要分享给大家。
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