Small Airplanes

I recently took a flight on the smallest commercial plane I've ever been on, a Beechcraft 1900D. It sports 19 seats in a 1-1 configuration, has a hump in the middle of the aisle to allow for the center wing spar, and no flight deck door (as they are not strictly required under NZ CAA rules).

The most interesting part was surely during our heavy crosswind landing, where I could watch the centerline yaw back and forth.

Free

Canoes

Maori canoes in Viaduct Harbour, presumably for the Cup.

Tonga Invades!

It would seem that the Tonga rugby team arrived today in Auckland for the opening ceremonies. Tonga took over the whole place.

My office is a good six or seven hundred meters from the closest part of the airport, and the whole place was gridlocked with red and white clad supporters. This went on for hours. Even the slackest employee was forced to work more than his or her normal 8 today, because they sure couldn't go anywhere.

Half of the city must have turned up. Pure madness! I reckon this is a sign of things to come in the weeks ahead.

I've got to give it to them though - that's the first real Tour de Force of fan support I've seen - even more than the All Blacks supporters. I think that if the expected happens to the USA team, I might have to pull for Tonga, if for no other reason than the fans seem to really get into it!