Flying photos: Scenery 6

Maui and Hawaii, HI - 2005 February 9, 1200-1700 HST

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Keanae PtManahoa RockHana Airfield (HNM)Hana Bay
Hilo International (ITO)Laupahoehoe BeachPaauiloWaipio Valley
Waipio CliffsUpolu (UPP)Upolu (UPP)Mookini Heiau
Puu MahoeAhihi Kinau6169J & VictimYour Pilot


On the north coast of Maui is the Keanae Peninsula. The taro paddies visible here have been harvested since pre-contact times. The area was nearly completely destroyed by a tsunami in 1946. The only building left standing was the stone church, built in 1856, that is still here today surrounded by palm trees. 1946 Tsunami     USGS Tsunami     Pacific Tsunami Museum
Also on the north coast of Maui is Manahoa Rock. I do not precisely know which particular rock is Manahoa Rock. The picture was taken because of the wonderful rock arch.
Hana airport (HNM). 3600' x 100' hacked out of the verdant forest just west of the town of Hana on the north coast of Maui. Look closely and you can see someone cutting the lawn about a third of the way down runway 8 on the right side. When we approached to land, he got as far from the runway as possible. We missed him by a mile. Very nice and well maintained airport with some sort of scheduled flight service.
This is the town of Hana for which you need to drive a long and winding road to get to on the ground. The long Hana fishing wharf is visible along the far shore of the bay beneath Kauiki Head, a 386-foot red cinder cone in the southeastern corner of the bay. On the other side of Kauiki Head is a spectacular red sand beach.
Hilo International Airport (ITO). We are looking down the main runway, 8/26, 9800' x 150', with a taxiway to the right. The smaller runway, 3/21. 5600' x 150, intersects the main runway at the far end of the main runway and extends to the left. We landed in this direction (26) and took off in the other direction (8). After landing we were directed to the 21 end of the smaller runway. No one was in evidence at the shack to which we were directed for fuel. After we wandered around a bit we were noticed by a security guard who drove over and took my name and pilot's certificate number. He offered to drive down to the fuel stop and let them know we needed a fuel truck sent out. Some time later Cheech Marin in baseball cap, hawaiian shirt, shorts, and with a southern drawl arrived and filled the tanks. We were both looking for some place to relieve ourselves and the driver offered to drive us back to his office to use the facilities. Later he offered to drive us back to the plane which we accepted. A very nice guy. Note the white platform with the conical projection in the foreground. That is a radio navigational aid, the HILO VORTAC (ITO).
This little penninsula, Laupahoehoe Point, was hit hard by the 1946 and 1960 tsunamis. The 1946 tsunami killed 159 people throughout the islands, 25 people at Laupahoehoe Point including 16 students and 5 teachers. To prevent such loss of life and property, the territory-wide Tsunami Warning System was put in place in 1948 and successfully utilized for the 1952 and 1957 tsunamis. In 1960 the warning system had been established for over a decade, but many residents failed to take the warning seriously or returned to their homes prematurely. Hawaiian Oral History





Mookini Heiau ruins. According to Mo'okini Family genealogical chants this Heiau was built in 480 A.D. under the direction of Kahuna Nui Kuamo'o Mo'okini and dedicated to the God Ku. The descendants of the Mo'okini Family have been it's guardians for the past 1500 years. For centuries the Heiau was a "closed", reserved exclusively for Hawaii's kings. In Kohala it was the focus of religious life and order. If you go to Mo'okini Luakini Heiau, please show your respect.

On the road past Makena beach and halfway through the 1790 lava flow (last lava flow on Maui), is a walking trail through the the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Preserve. A half hour walk across the lava brings you to the snorkle pool in this photo. The pool has a narrow inlet to the sea and the rocks on the bottom are encrusted with coral. Twenty or thirty different species of fish are easily seen.
This is the plane and willing victim. The plane is a 1974 Piper Archer, tail number 6169J, model designation P-28-181. The victim is clearly a babe. Photo taken at Upolu Airport.
Your pilot relaxing after the flight, smoking a La Aurora 100 year Centenario Corona #4, which is a phenomenal smoke. When manufactured the wrappers were 4 years old, binder and filler 6 years old. Limited production of 16,000 boxes of assorted sizes.