Cleared for Takeoff

Dearest Rachel –

I mentioned in my last letter that there might be an issue with the actual flight, but it might require a separate letter, because I wanted to send something (which you can read as “continue my streak,” which I’m sure you would be understanding about) before we left, whereas the details of this would require us to be underway in order to determine how the situation would shake out.

As is far too often the case for my liking, politics enters into it all. It so happens that the government has been shut down since the beginning of October. Normally, this is of no concern to me – I agree with Hank Thoreau that “that government is best which governs least” – but that isn’t the sort of government we have. In particular, this has to do with air traffic controllers; while this is privatized in some other countries, this is operated by the feds here in America, by one of several alphabet agencies I could think of, none of which may be right. Long story short, up until the last minute, there was a growing possibility that the flight might be cancelled (or significantly delayed), like any number of other flights, due to the lack of air traffic controllers in the tower at O’Hare.

However, as of Monday morning, it would seem as if a vote was held, and several recalcitrant senators decided to flip their previous votes and open the government again. This meant that the controllers would be paid for their time (and with back pay for their last month’s worth of service, presumably), and they would be willing to show up at work again – meaning that we had the chance of taking off on schedule after all.

Several others of our company weren’t so lucky, however; unlike us, with a flight taking off in the mid-afternoon, theirs was scheduled in the morning, and was delayed for several hours. If the flights were nonstop, it would be no issue; they would just arrive in Tel Aviv at much the same time as we would, rather than being hours ahead of us in that regard. However, since they had a connection to make in New York (which, of course, is also affected by the government shutdown), there had to be a fair amount of reshuffling of schedules to get them on the way from JFK to Ben Gurion. I’m willing to guess that their story is actually going to turn out to be more interesting than ours, not that that’s a good thing.

For our part, once we were cleared for takeoff and in the air, we would be in good shape. Our layover was to be in Vienna (don’t get excited; we wouldn’t have any time to check out the city.  Two hours would be hardly sufficient time to grab a sausage for breakfast and make it to our connecting flight), so we wouldn’t be subject to the vagaries of the shutdown in an overseas airport.  But when the lead staffer in our group mentions in the group chat that he’ll be at the airport nearly four hours before we take off, I get a little concerned all the same.  Maybe he’s doing so as to make sure he greets everyone in the group and gets us situated, but it prompts me to ask the folks (who have, as is their custom, graciously offered to drive us to the airport, and will pick us up upon our return) to move up the time when they do so.

We can afford to make this request because we’re packed and ready to go by the time the chat pops off with this notification in the first place.  We may not be entirely blasé about travel yet, but we’ve gotten the hang of filling one suitcase and one backpack each with all we expect to need for the next week and a half. At this point, it’s almost just a question of where we want to sit around waiting at; the house, or the airport? Given the word we’ve received, we decide upon the airport.

The extra caution may have been excessive, but it can’t be said to be imprudent. The screening line, while long, is hardly interminable, and once we make our way to our gate, we’re sitting there for well over an hour. Well, Daniel is sitting there for that long; I roam the long corridors for a place to fill my water bottle, and just to keep moving before we find ourselves settled in for some eight or nine hours straight.

Eventually, we board the plane on time (although for whatever reason, Daniel and I are set to board in different groups, despite being seated next to each other). However, takeoff is delayed by some ten or twenty minutes, for reasons that aren’t explained. Our seatmate, who is with our group but not an attendee of our church, claims to actually work at the airport and a member of the ground crew, and that such a delay is perfectly normal. To be sure, that amount of time can probably be compensated for once we’re in the air.

Also once we’re in the air, he leaves us to our own devices, as the flight isn’t nearly as full as the last few we’ve been on. With sections of seats unoccupied, he decamps for an empty trio on which to lay down on and catch some rest.

For the moment, it occurs to me that, while he’s not the first of our number we’ve encountered (there were several others we met at the gate, who were likewise complaining that they couldn’t find any of the group, either), we’re not really organized as a group per se. Those of us who have met don’t recognize each other, mostly due to attending different locations, and for all that our would-be leader stated that he would be there as early as all that, I don’t think I’ve seen him. Essentially, it’s been a case of everyone shifting for themselves, rather than sticking together. I imagine that the whole process of breaking up into two separate groups on two separate flights doesn’t help matters; it’s been stated several times up until now that the tour won’t truly begin until everyone shows up in Tel Aviv.

So that’s how we’re approaching it for the moment, as well; for all intents and purposes, Daniel and I are on our own to get where we’re going. But as long as we’re cleared for takeoff, and we have our boarding passes for our connecting flight, I don’t foresee any problems to speak of. Still, I’m sure we could stand your keeping an eye on us all the same, honey, and wishing us luck. We’re still going to need it.