“In the summer there is the busy season, then a lull, a build up to Thanksgiving, then after that it’s ‘OH MY GOD’!” says pilot Tim Hodgkins, who has been flying for 45 years, since he was 16.
Jim Nichols, pilot and dispatcher, adds, “August and December are pretty similar in terms of freight and mail.”
According to Hodgkins, crew members do not need to work hard to prevent children from seeing their gifts, since deliveries are often very early or during school hours. To anyone’s knowledge, no youngster has yet had their belief in Kris Kringle blown by one of the airline’s 21 pilots. In fact, there is some evidence to suggest that one of the Penobscot Island Air pilots really is Santa Claus.
The airline keeps four planes zipping over land and sea to deliver USPS mail, FedEx, and UPS packages to Matinicus, Criehaven, Vinalhaven, North Haven, and Islesboro (Fedex and UPS for Islesboro, not USPS). When island hopping with them, I quickly learned these dedicated professionals are fiercely committed to serving rural island communities. For example, delivering the “next day air” kind of mail often includes putting an urgent parcel on an immediate, special flight even if it is the only item on the docket.
“The bulk, not the weight, is the limiting thing,” explains pilot Jim Strang, “207s have extra space and an extra seat.” Penobscot Island Air owns two Cessna 206s and two 207s, planes particularly suited to Maine islands where runways can be as short as 1000 feet. These Cessna aircraft are small enough to land safely, yet there is plenty of luggage space. Seats can be taken out in a matter of seconds to accommodate extra parcels. Penobscot Island Air might add an amphibian plane to its fleet to create even more flexibility and destinations to its service.
According to owner Kevin Waters, his company’s record for number of flights in one day is 65. The office has received up to 380 phone calls per day, including emergencies that require 24/7 response. “One of our advantages is that with flights so short we can throw another plane in the mix. It’s a scheduling not a cost thing.” Waters predicts a sharp hike in traffic since catalogs are being mailed now for online orders delivered over the next several weeks before Christmas.
Pilots also have ground responsibilities: David Bellows, the company’s youngest pilot at 26, is regularly seen at islanders’ front doors, packages in hand, wide smile on his face. He doesn’t look much like Santa, but he feels like one: “It’s fun to deliver packages because people are really excited about it, not like being a mailman having to deliver bills.”
In addition to mail and medical evacuations, the airline delivers groceries and medicine, provides custom commuter and flightseeing trips, transports pets and livestock, and brings equipment and technicians to businesses that cannot afford productivity hiccups. Exotic parrots, turkeys, pheasants, chicks, and ducks have all made it to their destinations via Penobscot Island Air, as have lobster larvae used for a school’s educational program. Frozen turkeys will soon be making their last flight – to island dinner tables.
With airstrips often made of grass or gravel, bordering on well-traveled roads, and sometimes dotted with deer, coyotes, ducks or turkeys, these pilots need to be special, and they are: They are professional, committed to providing safe and comfortable flights, and have exceptionally good senses of humor. I flew with pilots Hodgkins, Strang, Steve Turner, and Rick Brown. These guys have 111 years of flight experience between them.
Observes Brown, “There are a lot of ‘High Timers’ here. Every one of us mostly has 15 – 20 years’ flying experience, or more.”
“Penobscot Air is pretty important for the islands, that’s for sure,” adds Hodgkins.
When it comes to the holidays, the children of these communities are sure to agree.
Kate Taylor is a freelance writer and business service provider living on North Haven. www.taylorwrite.com