Flight Information
Date: June 29, 2017
Flight No.: MW212
Route: Molokai to Kahului
Airline: Mokulele Airlines
Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Registration: N887MA
After my short two-hour stay in Molokai, it was time to head back to Kahului onboard a Mokulele Airlines Cessna Grand Caravan. I booked this flight online – on Mokulele Airlines website – and at $65, it was a bit more expensive than the Makani Kai Air flight I took on the inbound leg.
Checking-in at Molokai Airport
The check-in counter for my flight – scheduled to depart at 1:15PM – opened at 12:30PM. As I was seated right across from it, I waited for some of the other passengers to get checked in before proceeding to the counter.
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
While this time, I had to present my passport rather than just say my last name, the rest of the check-in procedure was very fast. In fact, it included only the staff asking me if I had any bags to check (I did not) and saying “Ok, you’re all set, boarding will be at 1:10PM at gate 1.”
[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half_last]
With the formality over, I returned back to the bench I was sitting on, and waited, and occasionally walked around a bit to kill time.
Boarding the Mokulele Airlines Cessna Grand Caravan
Around 1:05PM, I went to gate 1 – one of the two gates at Molokai airport. Gate 2 is something one would expect from a “typical” airport – with a security screening leading to an “airside”area. However, gate 1 is simply a door leading out to the apron straight from the “check-in hall.” Both Mokulele Airlines and Makani Kai Air use gate 1. Gate 2 is used by ‘Ohana (Hawaiian Airlines).
[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half_last]
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
The boarding itself started at 1:13PM, when the Mokulele staff came to the gate and let us all out onto the apron while assigning each of us a row to sit in.
On the apron, N887MA was already waiting. While I was initially assigned one of the back rows, as I was getting on the aircraft, I asked the first officer who was standing by the door whether I could sit in the first row.
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
Luckily, he had no problem with that, and so I settled in the first row just behind the pilots and fastened the car-like three-point seat belt.
Flying from Molokai to Kahului
As there were only six passengers on the flight, it took just four minutes from when the boarding started to when the pilots (while Makani Kai Air operates the same flight with just one pilot, Mokulele had two pilots) started the engine and started taxiing towards the runway.
A very short taxi later, we reached Molokai airport’s runway 05 from which we took off at 1:19PM.
[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half_last]
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
Shortly after take-off, we were offered amazing views of the Molokai coastline and its cliffs, as well as of Kalaupapa airport.
[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half_last]
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
Given the length of the flight, there is, of course, no service. However, just for reference, below are the contents of the seat pocket.
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half_last]
Arriving at Kahului Airport
Less than 20 minutes after taking off from Molokai airport, we started descending towards Kahului airport.
[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half_last]
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
We landed on runway 05 at 1:41PM, and two minutes later we reached our parking stand in front of the commuter terminal.
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half_last]
Once everyone got off the aircraft, we were let out through a (literal) gate, bringing my second Grand Caravan flight of the day to an end.
[full_width padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/full_width]
[one_half padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last padding=”010px 10px 10px 10px”]
[/one_half_last]
