Relaxed flying
Trip Start
Jan 02, 2011
1
17
83
Trip End
May 09, 2011
Where I stayed
Noumea, Grand Terre, New Caledonia
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Later, after an epic sandcastle building session on a sand bank 500ft of the shore of Ile Mouli we prepare for our return flight back to Noumea. The tiny airport at Lifou only opens an hour before the flight is due to take off. As with all domestic flights here, various Federal and Government Agencies have yet to convince New Caledonia that internal flights need any security checks, pat downs, body scans or near naked strip searches.
Flying around these islands has actually been pleasant! Turn up 40 minutes before the flight, wonder up to check in, grab a pass and the plane takes off. You can even take on board a bottle of water (large or small!). Quite amazing! To date I am not aware of any attempted hijackings, bombings and assaults on the cabin door. Indeed, this laid back approach seems to create a tolerant, relaxed atmosphere where doing anything untoward would just be wrong…strange that!
