Ok, I mentioned the plane ride that makes me sick, let me explain.In the morning when the air is cool and the sand is cool there isn't any thermal cells (or what ever you call them) and the ride is nice and smooth, and I am not sick. In the afternoon, or even late morning on hot days the difference in temperature between the sand and the air is significant and the air heated by the sand of course has to rise and form thermals...this results in very turbulent flights when you are at low altitude. During the actual flight it is OK, but the last 10 minutes are just a killer. The turbulences added to the heat, or what ever it is, results in a deadly combination...let's just say that people being sick are not uncommon. So far I have been able to not throw up but only my pride holds me back and once I came pretty close. I actually had cold sweats and the shakes (both hands and knees) when I stepped out of the plane.
Going to town this time when we arrived in Hassi Messaoud we had lateral winds and it turns out to be a great advantage to people like me. To avoid them the pilote stayed high as long as possible and did a sort of a nose dive at the last minute so we spent very little time at low altitude. Of course we also landed on one wheel, or I should say jumped once on one wheel then landed on that same wheel. The angle of the plane was steep enough to force the passengers to hold on, but low enough no to be scary...eventually the pilot did manage to put the second wheel down...I tell you those guys are good.
