Flying to Ikaria

Flying to Ikaria is a relatively short trip, about half an hour or so from Athens. The modest twin engine turbo-prop flies in low, lands, drops off its’ passengers, picks up another group of passengers and returns to the mainland. Such is the normal mundane routine of flying in and out of Ikaria, or so it seemed when my wife and I escorted our son to the airport for his flight back to Athens. The Olympic Airlines plane arrived on time, that is Greek time, about twenty minutes late. The passengers disembarked full of laughter with the anticipation of spending time on this idyllic Aegean island. The departing passengers slowly made their way through passport control, then security clearance and trudged out to the tarmac to board the vintage plane. Once the travelers boarded the plane, the airport staff seemed to disappear most likely to go out to lunch, take an afternoon nap or hit the beaches.

 This time my wife and I decided to stay and watch the plane carrying our son take off. Since the airport only has one runway, the plane must turn around, taxi down to one end hidden behind a hill, rev up its’ engines, race down the runway and take off. Several long minutes went by as we patiently stood under the hot Aegean sun waiting for the plane to emerge from behind the hill, when suddenly all sorts of sirens went off. Out of the airport two firemen came dashing out, boarded their fire truck with lights flashing and sirens whining, they made a beeline towards the plane. Immediately confusion, fear and a troubling sensation shook my body. Running back into the airport to ask what is going on, I found it deserted! The only person still around was the cashier at a small café cleaning tables. Anxiously I approached her about the ominous excursion of the fire truck. “Oh, that” she replied, “the fire truck is chasing the goats off the runway so the plane can take off, it happens quite often.” Relieved that our son’s plane was not on fire, but rather under siege by Ikarian goats, I relayed the bizarre news to my worried wife.

 Ikaria, it seems, has a sizable number of wild goats that roam and graze in the mountains above the

airport, and often meander down to the airstrip looking for a morsel or two. Their omnivorous habits endanger the plane during its’ arrivals and departures. So, if you are fortunate enough to fly in or out of Ikaria, look out your window and you might see those hungry Ikarian goats scavenging around the airfield looking for that last morsel of food. If you are luckier yet, you may see the fire truck cruising down the runway scaring off the hazardous goats.