Soaring over the sun. The last flight home.

Whew! My long summer of travel is over!

After many days of journeying and being away from home, it's nice to be back (and be on flickr again).

I flew through London Heathrow last weekend during the height of the "liquid explosive" security scare, and it was an ordeal to say the least! The flight from London to New York was delayed by eleven hours, and I missed my connection at JFK airport, of course.

I boarded that flight from London (with a transparent plastic bag in hand, containing travel documents, few medicines, and cash). For the first time ever, with my heart in my mouth, I checked in my Canon SLR camera and the five lenses I travel with! First in New Delhi, India, and then in London. The camera kit was indside a Canon backpack, which was inside a carry-on sized soft-sided case, secured with TSA-approved locks. (Not enough, really.)

In London, I took the flight after staying a couple of nights with a friend and his family. But, there were passengers on my flight from London, who had boarded the aircraft in India. One young American was flying from Trivandrum, India, through Bombay, Delhi, and London, on his way to South Carolina, through New York. I shudder to think how he withstood that experience.

Transit passengers in London (at least those in the economy class) were sequestered in rooms beyond the security area, with no restroom facilities, water fountains, or vending machines. Passengers on that Boeing 747, who had boarded the aircraft in New Delhi, were asked to deplane after sitting inside the aircraft at Heathrow for over an hour and half. Mind you, this was after a 9-hour flight from New Delhi. Then, there were those whose flights had originated even earlier. In London, each man, woman and child was taken off the aircraft, and sent through a security check, which lasted several hours.

I took this shot in London last weekend. There is one thing I am fairly sure about, with regard to that silhouetted aircraft in the sky --the passengers on board weren't carrying any water, toothpaste, or lotion with them.

Even so, the sunset was beautiful. :-)

Just noticed, looks strangely interesting on black.

And, here is the LARGE view.

Explore page screen grab.