I had never been to Hawai'i before, and I wanted to become conversant on a wide range of information. So for this assignment, I dove into a furious research process. And something that really grabbed me was the islands' rich archaeological heritage. I found out that Hawai'i's big island has some of the largest petroglyph sites in the Pacific region, including a remote site at the southern end called Ki'i. I've always found aerials of archaeological features very poignant because they capture the setting in the landscape. So early one morning I grabbed my camera and flew down the coast.
When I reached Ki'i, I only had to circle around a few times before I began to see amazing geometric patterns and human figures emerge from the smooth billows of lava rock below. And I got this really wonderful feeling. After doing so much research, it was incredibly satisfying to find myself in the presence of something that has lain in the sun and wind, practically unchanged, for centuries.

I was flying around Pu'u 'O'o photographing lava flows when I heard an unusual clicking sound from my engine, which intensified rapidly. This could only mean trouble, so I made a beeline for the Hilo airport, which was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away.
It turned out that my exhaust tube had a defective weld, which made it separate and amplify the combustion noise from the engine. Thankfully, the way it was mounted kept it in its place during the flight. If that hadn't been the case, the tube would've gone through my propeller, shattered it, and forced me to make an emergency landing in hopelessly rough terrain.

I flew my plane all over Hawai'i's islands for this assignment, but I was very apprehensive on my first crossing because I'd never done anything like it, and the weather was forbidding. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to check satellite images and wind reports, but the rain kept coming, and I knew that it wasn't going to get any better. So, in the hours before sunrise, I rigged a life raft, emergency radio, and locator beacon to my plane. Then I strapped on a special life vest in case of an ocean ditching and flew out over the 'Alenuihaha Channel. I held my course the entire way to Maui, and after I landed I went to get on a small commuter airline back to Hilo so I could help my wife transport the rest of my photographic equipment. But I ran into trouble with security when I discovered that I had left all of my identification in my hotel room. I can't tell you how strange it felt to have braved the elements and stared death in the face only to have a chain of airport personnel question my authenticity as a human being.