Night Flight

We left Toronto just as dusk fell, heading west. West is really a misnomer because you head north from Toronto but as the flight takes you on a curving path, the imaginary lines to the magnetic north pole, somewhere around or under Victoria Island in the Northwest Territories, keep changing in relation to the plane until at the end of the flight you are at the west coast but flying south.

Leaving to head at 472 miles an hour in the direction that the sun appears to be setting is neat because dusk lingers a lot longer and the sunset seems to hang on the horizon. We cleared the people-packed areas quickly and followed the north shore of Huron, with a twinkling of lights along the waters' edge, passed the Soo, and then along the northern shore of Superior. These aren't known as the Great Lakes for nothing; we were in the air for over an hour before we reached the western edge.

Flying over the prairies at night, at 36,000 feet, should be experienced at least once. If you peer out of your little window carefully, all the towns and villages of the prairies are laid out right to the horizon in little twinkles. Any town with an airport presents itself with a blinking strobe like a lighthouse on the dark ocean. Lots of lights coming into view on the starboard side; must be Saskatoon because Regina would be on the other side of the plane on the horizon.

In the day time, haze over the prairies prevents one from seeing the detail at six miles up. Oh,you can see all the great features, lakes, rivers, reservoirs and even larger buildings and roads, but not the sheer amount of habitation. But at night. Yowser! A reflection of the universe.