I landed at the Redmond/Bend Oregon Airport Sunday afternoon . . . twice! Our first approach seemed a bit too fast——even though I know absolutely nothing about aerodynamics I could tell it wasn’t quite right—— and when the airplane’s wheels made their first contact, slamming onto the runway and jarring the plane, all of the passengers on Alaska Air 2325 gasped and grabbed the seat backs in front of them. As we looked around the plane at each others’ reactions to the less than perfect landing, laughing nervously, we were astonished to sense that we were climbing again. We ascended and banked and circled for more than five minutes and I decided to find the nearest exit in this unfamiliar airplane (a Bombardier Q400). I was over the wing and this airplane has only front and rear exits so I resigned myself to being the last one off the airplane in a crash. The pilot made no announcement about what had just happened or what was about to happen and we all speculated about what would happen next. As we made our second, and mercifully our final, approach, we landed with another jarring bounce but this time, we began to taxi. As the passengers looked around and at each other, we simultaneously broke into applause, mostly out of relief. As we disembarked, the Flight Attendant announced that instead of landing early at Bend, as a result of having to land twice, we actually had arrived right on time. Thank heaven for small miracles! When I met my sister-in-law at baggage claim, I told her I was glad to be on solid ground and that I needed a drink. When we got my bag and met up with my brother who was waiting at the car with Mady, I learned he had witnessed the plane’s first landing and thought it was odd that they were practicing touch and go’s at the busy airport.
On the way to La Pine, we stopped for lunch at Anthony’s in Bend where I enjoyed a black Ten Barrel stout and a plate of fresh mussels for lunch. Once safe in La Pine, I enjoyed a much needed Black Butte Porter and at this writing, am well into my first glass of “3 Blind Moose” merlot. Despite its precarious start though, I think I’m going to enjoy my visit to La Pine, Oregon.
I took these shots while enjoying mussels on the patio at Anthony’s. The flowers surrounded the patio.
