Our package tour of the US had certain options. We chose them all as one never knows when it will be the next time we will be visiting and rightly so – we never did- and one of them was a visit to the Grand Canyon.
We got into a tiny plane – 14 seater at Las Vegas. We were warned that because of the size of the plane the ride would be turbulent and turbulent it was. After landing and spending time at the Grand Canyon our return flight included a hover over the Colorado River and the Grand Canyan. It is this ride I shall never forget the rest of my life.
Not only was the ride turbulent but looking down I could see the angry Colorado River waiting to gobble me up or that is what I thought when the plane did those trapeze acts. I had this thought about the pilot deliberately going off like that and frightening us although he knew we were safe more so because I had mentioned how scared I was to fly.
Once we landed back at Las Vegas and safely too, the pilot winked and told me it was all his doing.
I have been on several airplanes but not as tiny as this one and it was but fair that I was allowed the freedom to worry if the plane was safe to ride on.
The Grand Canyon was a memorable experience. The gorge down where some ventured to descend,- which merged with the Colorado River, – just looking at it shivers ran down my spine. I am not cut up for scary adventures. I was happy just spending time and taking pictures against the scenic background that the Grand Canyon offered me. My digital folder is packed with pictures of this great experience. I have uploaded them all there. I often sit in my favourite corner and look through some albums where I have them carefully saved.
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It is one the best place to visit with families and friends because the atmosphere is neat and clean and all around are beautiful sights to see. Actually The Grand Canyon National Park in Northern Arizona extends over 277 miles in length, 18 miles wide, and has a depth of over one mile (6,000 feet). With extreme changes in elevation, climate, and topography, the canyon presents considerable challenges for any type of archaeological research or exploration. In addition, the Colorado River flowing through the bottom of the canyon creates a formidable barrier that further restricts foot travel.
The history of aviation in the Grand Canyon region began in 1922 when R.V. Thomas landed a Standard bi-plane on Plateau Point nearly 3,000 feet below the rim of the canyon. Soon after, commercial air tours began to operate from an air strip located near Red Butte on the canyon's south rim. During the 1940's and 50's, airlines operating coast to coast flights utilized routes that crossed over vast scenic stretches of the canyon.
Over the years, Grand Canyon has become a popular international attraction and destination and because of this, when an aircraft accident does occur (particularly air tour aircraft), it garners the top news story worldwide.
Without regard to technical research, the news media and environmental groups often portray aircraft accidents at Grand Canyon as "mysterious" and "sinister". The causes have ranged from pilot error to mechanical failure or a combination of both.
The vertical topography, thin high altitude air, and sudden adverse changes in weather have all contributed to many of these mishaps. To be positive though, most of the accidents have been survivable and with increased air space regulation and advances in air safety technology, the accident rate at Grand Canyon has been reduced dramatically.