The Goddess of fire Madame Pele is calling me, I booked a seat with Paradise helicopters and prayed for good weather.
Madame Pele is in charge, she is the creator of The Big Island, she can stop and start at any time. No time to waste, I must go “Now”.
No one alive has seen this much lava activity on Hawai’i. It looks more pre-historic dinosaur like than “Hell” to me. It’s mind blowing to think we are alive to see it firsthand.
BAMM! My flight is cancelled due to rain. Bamm! Lucky for me master aerial photographer Bruce Omori (Extreme Exposure) invited me on the 4-seater Hot seat flight at dawn with legendary video journalist Mick Kalber of Tropical Vision the next day.
Pouring rain greeted me as I made the turn towards Hilo Airport, my Civics wipers tried in vain to keep up, I stayed positive, this is Hilo it will pass, it will pass.
I parked in the dark and stepped in a large puddle. Wet shoes + open-air flight not fun at 3,200’ elevation.
The clouds parted just enough and off we went leaving a wet spray behind. My fellow photographer is wearing a snowmobile outfit, I’m wearing 501 Levis, 2 shirts, a sweatshirt and a rain jacket. 62F, it’s chilly.
Off we go to the flow, 150 miles an hour, cold, loud and windy. Head set on, two cameras, one wide, one long. Adjust this adjust that, try something new? No!! That’s a rookie mistake. Keep your feet in dummy.
Wow! wow! wow! The color, the power and the fury coming from the red-hot gushing magma below. My shoes are now toasty.
Pele alone has changed the lives of thousands of people whom are themselves downhill of her path. The lava flow has literally cut the county of Puna in half. Unlike a forest fire or flood this is a slow moving natural act of nature that comes with toxic gases, Pele’s hair (fine glass fibers) and ash in the air.
I have witnessed Pele’s beauty and power and she alone is in charge of what will happen. Pray for those in her path. Pray for Puna.