Getting to QianJiang - the Flight

Jet lag can sometimes work in your favor.. Especially when I had to wake up at 4:30am in order to check out of the hotel to get to the hongqiao airport. My volunteer, Zhang Yuan (Kay) had had dinner with me the previous evening and taken me to my favorite Hot Pot restaurant in Shanghai, a chain called The Dolar Shop.

She was ready for me with a taxi in the morning and we zipped off through light traffic to the airport.

Honqiao had been renovated since I last flew from there, and although it had been a primarily "regional" airport for domestic air travel, it was clearly apparent that the rising middle class of China were showing their economic prowess. Gone was the old concrete floors and outdated grainy flight information screens. Rivaling just about any airport anywhere in terms of high tech, the modern architecture showcased high polished stone floors, and the latest in video flat screen displays. It was awe inspiring, to say the least.

Kay was leading the way, and in no time, we were on board waiting for our chance to take off. Our destination now seemed closer than ever before, fulfilling not only the hard work and generous donations, but I could almost feel the spirit of jin Yong Ming with us, his smile and kind heart, and his wisdom guiding us to persevere.

We had all come so far, and everything seemed to be falling now into place, but this all seemed to evaporate in a flash when the engines of a large plane whine to a fevered scream, and one is pressed back into the seat with an unfamiliar force.

Although I've been on more planes than many people I know, I am still shaken into a sense of fragility and uncertainty during every takeoff. As an engineer I am able to fathom the incredible power of thrust coming from the engines, but I know I share the sentiment of most travelers that the ability to harness and control such force by a mere human pilot (albeit thoroughly capable, I'm sure) seems unsettling.

Experienced travelers pretend to feign coolness as silence pervades the cabin. Well, human silence anyway. The air is filled with the muffled vibration of menacing turbines. One can almost feel the bolts and metal strain, like leather straps digging into a thick muscled horse's back as it strains to pull a load from standstill into motion. Odd chaotic groans, creaks and thuds are heard, as the plane bumps down the runway. This massive object is now moving faster than reasonable. It's as if you are in a very large and heavy truck, traveling towards a brick wall, and you suddenly hit the gas. It goes against the grain of logical thinking.

As the effects of racing air take effect, there are small jolts up and down, left and right. Some knuckles go white, praying half-heartedly for the nose to pick up and for us to ascend. The other half of the heart says "oh God what was I thinking stepping foot on this plane?! Just wake me up when it's over!"

The engines continue to agonize in their efforts to accelerate us forward. A smile comes to my face as I look around to the others in the plane. The unmistakable look of fear pervades all of us. Chinese, American, young, old, rich, poor, experienced, or first timers. Will this be our last flight? Will we arrive safely?

We just don't know. We're not in control. Through the minds of each of the passengers on board, in those heart pounding moments as the plane accelerates down the runway, we each come to terms and reach a place of peace to reconcile the determination to reach our destination versus the risk we have subjected ourselves to. Whether it be to seal that deal for a contract, or to see a beloved family member, or to go on that vacation, or to deliver needed supplies to orphans, we all close our eyes, hope that our family and friends will forgive us our folly, and

Let go....

The nose of the plane rises, and the plane jerks upwards. More screaming of the engines, more jerks and creaking as the plane arcs skyward. Finally, after an eternity, the engines throttle down, and there is smoothness, and the fasten seatbelt sign goes off, and everyone finally takes a breath.