We start the day early at 6:15 am with shuffling gear to fit into pelican cases, making sure nothing weighs more than 70lbs. The sense is anticlimactic since we missed the flight yesterday, but as the clock turns to 8:15 and we're still packing the van for our 10am flight, I begin to worry about missing a second one.
We arrive at the airport at 9am. One hour to unload and check 25 cases of gear. After dropping off the van at the park and fly, I find Brent David and all the gear at the ticket agent's counter. It doesn't look good. Nothing is moving and it looks like they don't want to take the gear. The agent calls her supervisor and David explains that the gear is for a 3D shoot for the government of BC and if we don't get the gear on the flight then it will kill the project. At one point she says no and offers to refund our tickets and David tells us that we're going home but, in a last ditch the supervisor calls her supervisor and with 15 minutes before departure we get the ok. Brent and I hurriedly load the cases onto a conveyor belt to get x-rayed and then we follow the agent who escorts us to security. After scanning our carry-ons she guides us down an escalator to a waiting baggage cart. The driver flips on the flashing orange light and we head for the boarding gate. The ticket counter checks our passports and asks "are you musicians or something?" I look at my watch. It reads 10:05. I realize that she had to reopen the gate for us. Onboard the flight attendants are all curious. "Who are you? Where are you coming from? You must be important because we never hold the plane." We sit and wait with the other passengers as the baggage handlers load our cases. The flight is only 10 minutes late. The captain comes on the intercom and explains that the flight is delayed because of our excess cargo.
We arrive at the airport at 9am. One hour to unload and check 25 cases of gear. After dropping off the van at the park and fly, I find Brent David and all the gear at the ticket agent's counter. It doesn't look good. Nothing is moving and it looks like they don't want to take the gear. The agent calls her supervisor and David explains that the gear is for a 3D shoot for the government of BC and if we don't get the gear on the flight then it will kill the project. At one point she says no and offers to refund our tickets and David tells us that we're going home but, in a last ditch the supervisor calls her supervisor and with 15 minutes before departure we get the ok. Brent and I hurriedly load the cases onto a conveyor belt to get x-rayed and then we follow the agent who escorts us to security. After scanning our carry-ons she guides us down an escalator to a waiting baggage cart. The driver flips on the flashing orange light and we head for the boarding gate. The ticket counter checks our passports and asks "are you musicians or something?" I look at my watch. It reads 10:05. I realize that she had to reopen the gate for us. Onboard the flight attendants are all curious. "Who are you? Where are you coming from? You must be important because we never hold the plane." We sit and wait with the other passengers as the baggage handlers load our cases. The flight is only 10 minutes late. The captain comes on the intercom and explains that the flight is delayed because of our excess cargo.
We make our connecting flight from Vancouver to Sandspit but on arrival another close call. As our gear comes around the conveyor belt it suddenly comes to a halt. An airport rep announces to the passengers that due to our excess cargo, 21 passengers' bags were left in Vancouver. All eyes urn like knives toward us and our 25 cases of gear.
We meet Craig, the producer and load up the mini-van and shuttle to the ferry and then to Queen Charlotte. What a day!
