While I am not a huge fan of night flying, I do love departing in the dark and being airborne for sunrise. The ride is usually smooth, clear and best of all, so “empty” that ATC will usually grant any “crazy” routing I come up with.
Today was no exception. After an uneventful pre-flight (in the dark with a flashlight), I departed my home base @ Tampa Executive Airport (KVDF) and flew mostly direct to Opa-Locka Executive Airport (KOPF). (Yeah I know it is a funny name for an airport… But this airport is just 8 miles away from Miami International and MUCH easier to get in and out for a little plane like mine.)
When flying alone, I typically fly most flights IFR @ 16k or 17k. But today just felt like a VFR, “no oxygen” day. So after reaching my cruising altitude of 9,500, I witnessed an amazing sunrise! Unfortunately, I don’t have a good enough camera to capture it. (Or maybe I am not a good enough photographer to capture it)… But here is my attempt:
The picture doesn’t do it justice! I tried a dozen times to get a good picture without much success.
Between the view and the music on the sat radio, I really didn’t want the flight to end. But before I knew it, I was getting close and had to begin my descent. By that time (~ 7AM), the Miami airspace is starting to get busy and I had to really concentrate on the rapid fire heading/altitude changes from ATC. I was so proud of myself for two reasons. First, I “nailed” every instruction just right. Second (and more satisfying), I was the only “little GA” airplane on the frequency. Every other aircraft on the frequency was some airline or another.
So after a simple, visual landing, I followed the line guy to a parking spot and “went to work”. After a full day of back to back meetings, it was time to go home. I decided to take a slightly scenic route and flew up the east coast of FL to Ft Peirce, then Vero Beach before turning west. The weather was beautiful and the sights were downright artistic. Here are couple of shots along the way home:
Ft Pierce (along the coast) just north of Miami
Aside from the view, one of the great things about flying on the east coast of FL is that the air traffic controllers are “world class”. After Vero Beach I was planning to dodge and weave around the military airspace in the middle of the state, when a VERY friendly ATC controller helped me out. Here is the scenario:
The photo above was my planned route of flight. The Blue lines represent the edge of Orlando Class B airspace. The thin red lines are a military restricted airspace and the thin yellow lines are a military operations area (MOA).
Then a Miami Center controller noticed what I was doing and offered a direct clearance through a restricted area. I quickly thanked him and accepted the clearance. Here is what my amended route looked like:
While the amended route only shaved a couple of minutes off of my trip, I was more impressed than appreciative. This controller was already handling 6 planes (that I heard on the frequency), THEN anticipated what I was doing, and THEN proactively tried to help. That type of behavior just reinforces my belief in how well trained and professional these ATC controllers are!
Last picture I wanted to share from this trip was near Lakeland:
Now you see why it is called Lakeland 🙂
Cheers,
== T.J.==
Weather was CAVU after getting above the cloud deck… (But quite bumpy below that)
I expected the midwest to have lots of farmland… But didn’t expect all the windmills… Who knew how green
The mighty Mississippi River really didn’t look that grand in Iowa. (Way cooler in Louisiana)
Burlington, IA was an awesome find… Great little airport, multiple instrument approaches and
Beleive it or not, Burlington is a commercial airport. The airport terminal was incredibly small! … Notice the baggage claim area that serves all 4 commercial
Onward to the next stop (next state) Hannibal, Missouri (STATE # 25!!!)
On the way to Hannibal, Mo, a really cool bridge crossing the Mississippi.
No matter state you land in, always some cool planes to see… This was the towplane used by the
OK enough detours… Really, really time to go home now… Cruising @ 17500 FT… With oxygen and a really nice tailwind! Almost Home!!!
Here is really cool airport just northeast of Atlanta (KMLJ), which looked very cool from the air…
After Atlanta, time to cross to some small mountains (ok maybe hills)… But scenic either way!
Weather forecast was not very cooperative. (But still safely within my comfort zone.)
Despite being in the middle of the afternoon, I was in such solid IMC, that it felt like night flying!
Some cool airport (don’t remember which one) Looked like a runway inside a stop sign to me…
Getting close to Chicago (could barely see it through the haze)
The Crystal River Nuclear Power plant… (Rather cool site in an otherwise empty part of the state)
Aerial view of the Crystal River airport. (Did lots of landing practice there as a student pilot years ago)
Found a gr8 parking spot @ MEI next to some military trainers. (Notice the Navy and Marines use the same training fleet)
Capt Taylor graciously allowed me to climb Up to the cockpit of his bird.