I love to fly...still

It’s Sunday night, I’m on the last of six planes I’ve been on this week, and even though I love to fly it’ll be nice to be home. Normally I prefer the aisle seat so I can get up without having to interrupt anyone, it’s that polite Canadian manner that I’ve grown up with. On each of the five planes before this, I had an aisle seat but on this last one, I sit in 22A on United Airlines 97 from Chicago to Vancouver, and as the plane flies through the evening skies a quarter moon accompanies the ride above the sparkling lights of the cities below. It’s a perfect setting for me to reflect on this past week.

You see, NHL 11 and NHL SLAPSHOT launched this week and all spring and summer as the Community Manager on these titles, I’ve been excitedly planning and looking forward to the events that I’m now returning home from. My travel started on Tuesday when I rolled out of bed at 4:30am and kissed my wife Carissa good-bye and made my way to the airport for a 6:00am flight to NYC via Chicago. It would be in New York that we would officially kick off the launch of NHL 11 with this year’s cover athlete Jonathan Toews along with last year’s cover athlete Patrick Kane at the NHL Store in Manhattan.

This would be followed by a couple more flights to get to Dallas for the Stars Ice-Breaker event where plans were made for demoing the game. These plans were locked in and all we need to do was get on the planes, get into these towns and execute.

The launch in NYC would also serve as the venue where I also hosted 12 of the top gamers who played on the two NHL 10 EASHL Championship teams a few months prior. For winning the their respective console’s online tournament, these players who had never met before in person received the chance to celebrate their victory in the Big Apple and take part in the Launch Event festivities.

During that flight to Chicago, I couldn’t help but look back at last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs and how I was going to have a chance to meet these same two players who defeated my beloved Canucks two years in a row. At first it kind of irked me when it was decided that Toews would be the cover on NHL 11 not only given that, but also because of the fact that we had another Chicago guy on the cover two years in a row as well. Argh. I eventually came to appreciate and understand the reasoning behind the decision: Canadian Gold Medalist, a great personality (Mr. Serious is just a front ;) and the youngest captain in the league who also just happens to be the most recent one to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup to make that first pass to his team. Even though I’ve learned to accept it, doesn’t mean I totally have to like it ;)

I also wondered how these 12 gamers would get along with one another in person and how the event was going to fit with them hanging out and taking part in the festivities and get autographs for their copies of NHL 11. We planned for media to have their time with the players along with a trick-shot competition and an autograph session for people who also picked up the game from the store on Wednesday, which just happened to be my 36th birthday. No, I didn’t plan that, but I imagined that it was going to be something being in NYC celebrating what one friend on facebook called, “my celebration of escaping the womb”. Couldn’t have said it better myself.  A lot of different variables, though we planned to be ready for anything.  Well, almost everything.

Flying into Chicago though was something else that Tuesday morning. About a half hour out, we hit some serious turbulence that at first I thought we’d clear eventually, but as the pilot came over the intercom and asked everyone to take their seats and fasten their seat belts, it seemed we were in for a rough landing in the Windy City.

The plane began to rock back and forth as we made our descent and I couldn’t help think, if only for a moment, that what would happen if the plane tipped coming in and landed on one wheel snapping it off and skidding plane into the ground. Gulp. I remember looking around me and noticing a couple of people holding on to their armrests with a little bit of extra grip with white in their knuckles. I’d never had a fear of flying and, as mentioned, I actually love to fly.

However, coming in as bumpy as we were I had these crazy thoughts and even told myself quietly that if we landed safely I’d be extra good in NYC. I wouldn’t give Kane a hard time for ripping my heart out in the playoffs and I’d give extra shots to the EASHL Champs during our Championship dinner. In a matter of a few shakes of the plane I’d gone from a great flyer to one of the white-knuckled poor flyers that I’d always giggled at in the past.

The approach into Chicago didn’t ease up. Every drop as we descended was accompanied with shakes and rocking and I found myself with some serious dry mouth. I looked out the window as the horizon rose and fell with the motion of the plane. I had five more flights to get through during the week and I wondered if all of them would be as bumpy as this one. Of course they wouldn’t, but man, crazy thoughts take over one’s mind as fear grips like a mo-fo. I still had to get to NYC and then from there to Dallas via DC a few days later. Would I even make to a few days later???

The plane was about twenty feet above ground when a gust hit the wing for one last tilt which made one lady yelp. And once the one lady yelped, others seemed to hold their breath as a synchronized inhale spoke for the entire cabin. And then the back wheels hit the ground followed by the front wheel and the cabin exhaled. Finally!

“And let me be the first to welcome you to Chicago,” said the pilot. “I guess there’s a reason they call this the Windy City.” The passengers let out a cheer and even I had to let out a Ric Flair “Wooo!” for touching down safe and sound. Upon leaving the plane I’d give the pilot a thumbs-up and he replied with a nod and a wink as if he’d done it a thousand times. I’m sure he had.

Of course, the week would go awesome as planned and I was extra enthused through all the events from NYC to Dallas. The flight before the one I’m on now was actually into Chicago as well and though I had a few thoughts tracing back to Tuesday, the approach and landing was nowhere near as bumpy. I’m glad that the experience didn’t remove my love for flying and if only making me appreciate the ground a little more than usual.

So as we prepare to descend into Vancouver, the window seat has been somewhat welcome. We were late getting out of Chicago only because they had some repairs to do to the auxiliary engines. I know there were some put off by the forty-five minute delay, but I had no problems waiting all night if it meant making sure the plane was safe enough to fly.

Looking out on the night sky, with all the fun of launching this week, I find it funny that with all the planning that went into this week, I can appreciate now how traveling for some can be the toughest part. I won’t let that stop me from flying in the future as I love creating and being a part of these events. I guess no matter how much you plan for them, however, one’s always bound to encounter bumps on the road…I mean, in the air.