AIR TRAVEL

 It is not the custom of this Island to encourage arrivals from above.

Those who come to Carroway Island do so, as a rule, by the ferry, in the proper manner, having made their intentions known in advance and having submitted themselves to the ordinary inconveniences of tide, schedule, and weather. This has proven sufficient for generations and, in the opinion of most, remains so still.

From time to time, however, there have been those who have elected to approach the Island by float plane.

Such arrivals are neither regular nor officially recognized.

The conditions required for a successful landing are numerous and seldom aligned: the tide must be accommodating, the wind agreeable, the water free of obstruction, and the pilot possessed of both skill and a certain willingness to proceed despite advice to the contrary. Even when these matters appear settled, the Bay has been known to introduce last-minute objections.

It is also worth noting that the harbor, while generous to working boats, was not designed with such craft in mind. The presence of crab pots, loosely set lines, and other necessary inconveniences has, on more than one occasion, complicated an otherwise confident descent.

There are, to be plain, reasons why the practice has not taken hold.

Claims of daily service have not, to date, been substantiated 

 The most frequently recalled instance occurred some years ago, in the late summer, when a visitor, whose name is omitted out of a continued sense of propriety, arrived unannounced by float plane under conditions he himself later described as “adequate.”

Witnesses along the harbor reported that the approach was made with a degree of confidence not entirely supported by the circumstances. The tide was running contrary, the wind had shifted without settling, and several lines had been left in the water by watermen who had every expectation of retrieving them undisturbed.

The aircraft made contact with the surface in a manner that could, with generosity, be described as decisive.

What followed has been recorded in varying accounts, though all agree on the essentials: the plane did not so much land as negotiate its way across a portion of the harbor not ordinarily given over to negotiation. A number of lines were displaced, one pot was later recovered at an angle suggesting strong disagreement, and at least one waterman was heard to remark, calmly, but with feeling, that the sky had no business conducting itself in such a fashion.

The visitor, for his part, disembarked in good health and expressed satisfaction with the journey, though he was observed to depart the Island by ferry two days later, without further attempt at innovation.

No lasting damage was recorded, though the incident has been cited, on occasion, when the subject of aerial arrival is raised.

 It is the present understanding of the Island that arrivals by float plane may occur, but are not to be expected, arranged, or relied upon.

Those considering such an approach are advised to take into account not only the visible conditions of wind and tide, but also the less measurable considerations that have, over time, governed the Island’s relationship with those who arrive unannounced.

No facilities are maintained for such craft.

No assurances are offered.

And no particular welcome should be assumed beyond that which is extended, in due course, to any visitor who finds their way ashore and conducts themselves accordingly.

 It has been said, by those who have spent their lives on these waters, that a man who insists on arriving from above often discovers, sooner or later, that he must leave by the ordinary means.

Carroway Island has not found reason to dispute this.