Ryan Pyle is an award-winning Canadian photographer and adventurer.
How many flights do you typically take per year?
I am usually on at least six to eight flights a month, so that’s about 70 or so flights a year. Mostly long haul. I film in Africa, South America, the Middle East and Asia, so I am always moving.
Any flights in your life that stand out?
As far as long-haul flights go, my regular is Dubai to Los Angeles – and that is a long one. It’s about 15 hours and I am doing that a couple of times a year. Once I was also in a prop airplane in Papua New Guinea that flew my camera team and me to the village of Kokoda. We landed on a grass airfield in the jungle; that was epic.
How do you survive a long flight?
I keep it pretty busy with my filming schedule, events and meetings so when I am flying long distances I am often totally exhausted and I end up sleeping most of my flights. I also rarely eat on flights and I drink a ton of water.
Ultimate dream destination and why?
I’ve travelled to about 70 countries and filmed in over 30. I’ve been lucky to explore and see a lot. My ultimate dream destination is Antarctica – the mix of the harsh beauty and the isolation is intoxicating to me.
Best souvenir you’ve ever come back with?
The best souvenir I can come back with from travelling is knowledge of a new place, new people and a new way of life. That combined with a great episode of my TV show makes everything perfect.
How could airlines improve in-flight service?
Airline services have improved so much in the last 20 years since I’ve been travelling around the world. The food is a lot healthier, the seats are much more comfortable and the entertainment offerings are much more diverse. I would love to see higher quality internet access on flights, in case I am in the mood to stay more connected.
Indispensable travel gadgets?
My indispensable travel gadget is my industrial-strength earplugs. They block out the noise from other passengers and aircraft noise. I get much better sleep and always land feeling well rested.
Top travel tips?
Eat less. Drink more water. No alcohol.
Most unusual place you have been?
Arctic Canada was pretty wild. I was doing a project for Tourism Canada and we flew in to Kugluktuk and it was wild. We visited a small hunting and fishing village and we were there in summer, which meant 24-hour daylight. It was a lot to get used to. I really enjoy extreme landscapes and challenging environments.
