Flying Away from Hawaii VIDEO – (with Bonus Photo Essay: Negative news is such a downer!)

Hmm… What’s in the news today…

Are you kidding me?

Negative news is such a downer! (photo essay by Karina Chapman)

In my dig through my photographic archives, I found two things that surprised me. The first is this three-picture miniature photo essay about how tiring it is to read negative news!

The second is a video I made from my seat on Hawaiian Airlines when I last left Oahu, back in 2010. I was making a quick (somewhat tilted) movie to show my kids when I got home, so they could remember what it was like to be on a plane. It’s been several years for them both. However, as I filmed, the flight attendant started giving an in-flight tour of the coast of Oahu.

I had forgotten all about that video, which is below. If you’ve never flown to Hawaii, you need to know two things:

1) Usually, it’s best to sit at the window on the right side of the plane (as in, the right side as you’re sitting on the plane, looking toward the cockpit) when you’re going to Hawaii, particularly if you fly from San Francisco. You will not only see the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco upon departure, but you’ll also see the coast of Oahu as you come in for your landing. It’s amazing seeing it all from above.

2) Usually, it’s best to sit at the window on the left side of the plane (again, from the seated, looking forward position). You’ll see San Francisco lit up at night when you come in, but most importantly, you might get an aerial tour of the coast of Oahu upon departure, as I did in this video.

I figured out the seating configuration as a kid, so when I signed up for my flight, I quickly chose the proper seats to make sure I saw the most of Oahu. I understand that the trades can change the approach and departure, but in all the times I’ve flown, it’s always worked for me, whether I was on United, American, or Hawaiian.

It had been years since I last visited home, but I could still quickly and easily pick out Hanauma Bay, Waikiki, and even more importantly, our old apartment building and the Arizona Memorial. The sight of all the development up into the hills was shocking and somewhat sad, but I guess it makes sense–the population is growing, and people need homes.

Enjoy the video.

Aloha!