Attention: The Moo Goo Gai Pan Is Circling Due to Turbulence
May 12, 2011
On the island of Nantucket, one person's annoyance at airplane noise is another's takeout Chinese food. Some islanders are ordering from the Dragon Lite Restaurant, 30 miles across the water in Hyannis, Mass., which delivers won ton, Mongolian beef and other fare by air to the Hyannis airport for an additional $4.50. Nantucket's two commuter airlines tack on an extra $7.50 or so, depending on the order's size, to transport it to the island. Since it's the only way for islanders to get authentic Szechuan, Mandarin or Cantonese cuisine, many are more than willing to pay. ``It's very convenient,'' says resident Rochel Chesson. ``When the food arrives, I don't even have to warm it up.'' But the issue is a hot one for many residents. The near-constant drone of low-flying aircraft -- much of it corporate jets and private planes ferrying well-heeled visitors -- rattles roofs and nerves. One day last month, the airport witnessed 1,211 takeoffs and landings, 46 more than Boston's Logan Airport. And while the Chinese food isn't adding to the air traffic -- it occupies an empty seat -- some islanders resent anything that gets there by plane. ``Every time a plane comes in, it sounds like a group of Hell's Angels coming down the road,'' complains Charlette Lyles, who lives a short drive from Nantucket Memorial Airport. The Chinese-food fans pick up their orders at an airport counter. ``Whenever I pick up the food, there's usually others waiting for their takeouts, too'' Ms. Chesson says, a bit defensively. Some of those waiting seek anonymity. ``You can't use my name,'' begs one supporter of Nantucket's Community Transportation Alliance, which is campaigning to reduce airport noise. ``I'm one of those people who love Chinese.'' The number of orders fluctuates from about a half a dozen to three dozen a day, according to food deliverers and airline officials. ``Our volume depends on what's happening on the island,'' says Morgan Hutson, owner of Donohoe Priddy, adding that his business takes off on Super Bowl Sunday. As for the food's fellow travelers, a fondness for Chinese fare helps. Virgil Bosco, a retiree who now lives on Nantucket, says the takeout planes can offer an aromatic experience. ``If you're taking the 5 o'clock home,'' he says, ``the entire plane smells of Chinese food.''
