Flight from Palmyra to Honolulu

I went out to the airstrip to greet the arriving group of 11 scientists and snapped this photo of the Falcon50 on its approach to the Palmyra airstrip.

Falcon50 approaching the Palmyra Atoll runway

While the flight that brought us to Palmyra was configured to hold a lot of cargo inside the plane's cabin, our return flight was configured to maximize the number of passengers it could accommodate. We were bringing back a 90 lb cooler filled with all the tiles that we retrieved after being on the reef for 3 years. We had two additional coolers weighing just under 50 lbs each that held two microscopes and lots of other gear. Then there was Tim's very large dive bag, both our carry-on bags, and the 37 in camera stand upright. There were only three of us flying back on a plane, so all our baggage fit in the plane's hold.

After moving the basket, I was able to stretch out on the 3 seat bench shown below and catch up on my sleep.

The three seats on the left form a bed for me to catch up on my sleep.

Tim, who was even more sleep deprived than I was, is able to recline his seat more than one can on any commercial airline when flying in coach.

Tim getting ready to get some shut-eye

A view of cockpit as our pilot George and co-pilot Jonathan prepare the plane for takeoff.

cockpit of the Falcon50

One last view of the reef as the plane leaves the runway.

the reef off the north shore of Cooper Island on takeoff