High Winds in Bermuda
We made it! Our hosts warned us that planes had been turning back due to high winds earlier in the week, and when we saw the forecast for the day of our flight, we were none too confident that we’d get to land. The pilot came on the PA as we were making our descent to say that it was windy and rainy, but we were going to attempt to land. Yay:)
Once we were below the clouds, I could see the ocean tossing violently. I’m not going to lie — I was pretty tense. Our plane was bouncing all over the sky, and I held my breath.
Finally I caught a glimpse of the island from my window seat — we were very close! I have no idea how to estimate our altitude at the time, but let’s just say we were probably no more than 10 seconds from landing when the pilot pulled the nose up and we started to climb again.
Damn.
I woke up at 4am for that flight, and I’ve never been one to sleep on a plane, so I knew if we had to turn around, I’d be in for an even longer and more stressful day. Luckily, we circled the island and made a successful landing on the second attempt. It was the bumpiest landing I’ve ever felt, but we made it!
Today the winds are even wilder. The wind actually woke us up this morning, screaming at our window and shaking the house. Our hosts say this is not uncommon for this time of year in Bermuda. My bridge partner is scheduled to land this afternoon, and let’s just say I’m not exactly counting on it. I’ve been checking BDA on FlightStats.com, though, and all three of today’s flights so far have landed, so I’m at least cautiously optimistic.
I’ve never flown on a rickety old turboprop in the Himalayas, or on any Air Third World airline, but in all the flying I’ve done, approaching Bermuda (this is my second visit) is definitely the diciest landing I’ve ever experienced. Even for a frequent flying globetrotter, this one’s a little bit terrifying. But it’s so, so worth it. Stay tuned for more from Bermuda all week.
