“Below us the ocean, a lovely blue-green, greets the blonde fringes of Setouchi’s islands, which in turn arise regaled in forests of yet darker greens. Above them, the open blue sky, dotted with puffs of white cumulus, beckons us onward — like an unspoken promise of adventure.”

Client: Setouchi Reflection Trip, the official travel guide to the Setouchi Region of Japan.

Project Description: Write a travel advertorial with photographs.

A Quote

“Below us the ocean, a lovely blue-green, greets the blonde fringes of Setouchi’s islands, which in turn arise regaled in forests of yet darker greens. Above them, the open blue sky, dotted with puffs of white cumulus, beckons us onward — like an unspoken promise of adventure.”

The Inside Scoop

Weather proved a constant foe throughout this project, what with it being winter and all. It gloomed up our photos, and froze our nards off on the more outdoor-oriented articles. But nowhere did it bedevil us more than with the damned seaplanes.

I mean, to be fair, it was their off season, and the good folks over there were just trying not to get us all killed in a horrific aerial incident. Fine. But seriously, we traipsed out to Onomichi a good five times before they finally green lit our flight.

It actually reached running-gag status, where we’d say “when seaplanes fly” in place of “when hell freezes over.” We also started joking about how the business was really just a front, and their planes were just models designed to keep up appearances. Before they finally brought us aboard for the flight documented in this article, we were convinced they were running an illegal Hello Kitty underwear smuggling ring. Skeevy and lucrative.

My Favorite Part

Shooting the shit with  the pilot. I read Wings of Madness and Weather Flying for fun some years ago, so I’m always up for a good aviation chat.

See the results: 
Setouchi Seaplanes – A One-of-a-Kind View of Japan’s Inland Sea